In the previous posts, we have emphasized over and over again that “a vital group can come into being only by a saint who is desperate and absolute for the increase of the Lord’s recovery. A vital group begins with one person. It does not begin with nine or ten persons; it begins with one vital saint.” (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord’s Recovery and Our Present Need, Chapter 7, Section 5)
Once we have received this burden, we may want to start preaching the gospel and exhorting the saints to be vital. However, according to Brother Lee, the first thing is for us to contact another saint, one-on-one, in order to vitalize him or her. In Chapter 24 of Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, Brother Lee says, “The first step in our action is not to contact the unbelieving sinners or our relatives and neighbors, but to contact the meeting members who are not yet vital. We need to pray and choose someone whom we can contact.”
While it may seem relatively easy for us to speak out in a meeting concerning the need of the vital groups, or even charging the saints to be vital, this may not have much long-term effect. Brother Lee’s view is for each of those who are burdened and vitalized to contact another one, perhaps starting with just one. This may seem small and cumbersome, but this is actually according to the principle of fruit-bearing or reproduction where the results grow exponentially. The exhortation from the podium is necessary (for example, all the audio messages posted on this site) but it cannot produce the vital groups without the grassroots movement, the one-on-one contacting and spreading of the burden.
Such a desperate saint would spontaneously contact others by the Lord’s leading and gain some companion or companions for him to have a vital group. A vital group cannot be formed by promoting or by giving a message or by exhorting the saints to form vital groups. A vital group can be formed only by a saint who is vital. By the Lord’s leading such a vital saint will find some others to be his companions. These will then come together to have intimate and thorough fellowship and begin to vitalize one another. (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord’s Recovery and Our Present Need, Chapter 7, Section 5)
So saints, if we do not have a companion, let us pray desperately from today to get one. Without a companion, there is no way for us to start a vital group. Imagine what would happen if all of us will contact just one other person and make them vital! May the Lord grant us mercy and grace to carry this out.
Praise the Lord for the vital groups!!! I have started praying with different ones from different places in the recovery it has been so wonderful and such a saving to me. It started when I went to Santa Barbara for the sowing trips and I ran into a sister who I had grown up with in the Church but we had lost contact with one another over the years. She opened up to me while I was there and told me it would be great if we could start praying together that she really needed it, so we set up a time to call each other once a week on a specific day and time and to pray for specific things it has been so enjoyable.Since then I have set up prayer times for everday of the week with different ones that have opened up about things and I would tell them lets pray about this lets call each other once a week and pray for these specific things to the Lord. I am praying with 8 different ones everyday of the week and I just want to encourage all of you to take on this way we all have a few minutes to set aside and pray with one another. The Lord wants to have his way in us and this is the way through much prayer!! I can’t tell you how much of a saving to me this has been in my day to day life the Lord knows what we need and he is supplying me through praying with the saints daily. Its by the 2’s and 3’s the Lord has a way!!! He wants to make us so Vital and knit together as one and this is the way! We need to get out of ourseleves and contact one another for the care and fellowship to build one another up! Praise the Lord for his move here on earth. Lord we just want you to have your way in all us!