MInistry in Word

The Prayer

祷告

Based on Charles Spurgeon’s classic devotion “Morning and Evening”.
基于查理士.司布真的经典灵修作品「早晨与傍晚」

This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
所以，你们祷告要这样说：我们在天上的父：愿人都尊你的名为圣。愿你的国降临；愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。不叫我们遇见试探；救我们脱离恶者。因为国度、权柄、荣耀，全是你的，直到永远。阿们！

Matthew 6:9-13
马太6:9-13

The above is traditionally called the Lord’s Prayer which in fact is our Lord’s teaching on prayer to His disciples. Therefore this ought to be a model of how we should pray to God today.
上面是传统上被称为主祷文的经文，其实是我们的主对他的门徒关于祷告的教导。所以这应该是今天我们如何向神祷告的模范。

The Lord teaches us to begin our prayer where all true prayers must commence, with the spirit of adoption, calling God “Our Father.” As the Bible says, God “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Eph 1:5-6) There is no acceptable prayer until we can say, as the prodigal son, “I will set out and go back to my father” (Lk 15:18). Even with us as wayward sons God is our loving Father waiting for our return to Him. Our Father in heaven longs for us to realize that this world is not our home, we are just passers by.

主教导我们要以得儿子名份的精神开始我们的祷告，正如所有真祷告应以之开始的，就是称呼神为「我们…的父」。就如圣经说，神「又因爱我们，就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞；这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。」〔弗1:5-6〕除非我们可以如那浪子一般说，「我要起来，到我父亲那里去」〔路15:18〕那祷告就不是被接纳的祷告。什至我们是迷失的儿子，神是我们慈爱的父等待我们回转向他。我们在天上的父盼望我们明白这世界非我们的家，我们只是过路客旅。


With this childlike spirit we soon perceive the majesty and holiness of the Father “in heaven” and our spirit ascends to devout adoration, saying, “Hallowed be Your name.” As the child lisping, “Abba, Father,” (Ro 8:15) grows into the cherub crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Rev 4:8), we join in the angelic praise of heaven from where we are, freeing ourselves from the distraction of our circumstances, be it positive or negative.
带着这个纯真的精神我们很快就察觉到「在天上」的父的尊贵和圣洁，而我们的灵升到虔诚的敬拜，说「愿人都尊你的名为圣。」就如婴孩牙牙学语说「阿爸，父」〔罗8:15〕进而成为基路帕的呼喊：「圣哉，圣哉，圣哉」〔启4:8〕，我们就在我们的处境中参与天上的天使颂赞，不让我们无论是好是坏的光境使我们分心。

It is only a step from rapturous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is an outgrowth of love and reverent adoration, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We desire and pray with expectation for God’s supreme dominion to come upon the earth, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Php 2:10), and that all people will turn to Him, as he promises “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14). We pray with anticipation of forgiveness and healing of the land when His kingdom comes.
热烈的宣教精神离兴高彩烈的敬拜只是一步之差，那是爱和敬虔敬拜的结果，「愿你的国降临；愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。」我们以喜爱与等待来祈求神的至高统治临到地上，「叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶稣的名无不屈膝」〔腓2:10〕，而所有的人都转向他，因他应许「这称为我名下的子民，若是自卑、祷告，寻求我的面，转离他们的恶行，我必从天上垂听，赦免他们的罪，医治他们的地」〔代下7:14〕。我们在祈求中期待当他的国降临时蒙赦免和家园得医治。

After the above mission minded petition to God for the global spiritual need, next comes our personal heartfelt dependence on God for our physical need, “Give us today our daily bread.” Note that it is for today’s bread that we ask. Therefore we are dependent on God for our need day by day. Then, with further illumination from the Spirit, we discover that we are not only dependent, but sinful, and we ask for mercy, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Our moral debts, no matter to whom we owe, we ultimately owe them to God, for Jesus said that whatever we did or did not for one of the least of these brothers of His, we did for Him (Mt 25:40, 45). David recognized this truth when he said to God that “against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Ps 51:4) even though he murdered Uriah and took his wife. He knew he needed God’s forgiveness in addition to man’s. We need and desire God’s forgiveness so much that we also forgive our debtors in order for us to be free to receive God’s mercy and grace.
在上述以宣教心意向神为全球属灵需要祈求後，接着的是我们为身体的需要个人对神真挚的倚赖，「我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。」请注意我们是为今日的饮食求，所以我们一天一天地倚靠神供应每天的需要。然後在圣灵进一步的光照下，就发现我们不单依赖神，而且是充满了罪，我们就求怜悯，「免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。」我们道德的债，不管是欠了谁的，最终还是欠了神的，因为耶稣说这些事我们既做或不做在他这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在他身上了〔太25:40,45〕。大卫知道这个真理，虽然他谋杀了乌利亚和夺了他的妻，他对神说「我向你犯罪，惟独得罪了你；在你眼前行了这恶」〔诗51:4〕。他知道他除了需要人的饶恕也需要神的饶恕。我们需要并喜爱神的饶恕以至我们也饶恕欠我们债的人，好让我们可以自由地领受神的怜悯和恩惠。

Being pardoned, having the imputed righteousness of Christ and knowing our acceptance by God, we humbly ask for holy perseverance, “Lead us not into temptation.” The person who is really forgiven is anxious not to sin again. We know that on our own we cannot win the spiritual warfare, however the battle is not ours, but God’s. He will send His commander of the army of the LORD to defeat our enemies (Jos 5:14). We just have to put on the full armor of God to stand firm (Eph 6:13-17).
蒙赦免，得到基督那里转移过来的义，又知道我们蒙神悦纳，我们谦卑地祈求保持圣洁的毅力，「不叫我们遇见试探」。真正得赦免的人很不想再犯罪。我们知道凭我们自己不可能赢这属灵的战争，不过这是神的仗不是我们的。他要差他耶和华军队的元帅来軎败我们的敌人〔书5:14〕。我们只须穿上神的全副军装来站稳就行了〔弗6:13-17〕。

The possession of justification leads to a keen desire for sanctification. “Forgive us our debts,” that is justification. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” that is sanctification. As a result there follows a triumphant ascription of praise, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” We rejoice that our King reigns. For the Proverbs says, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Pr 29:2). And who else is more righteous than Christ Himself. “To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever” (Revelation 1:6).
得以称义後就会敏锐地热爱成圣。「免我们的债」，那是称义。「不叫我们遇见试探；救我们脱离恶者」，那是成圣。结果接着来的是一个得胜赞美的颂词，「因为国度、权柄、荣耀，全是你的，直到永远。阿们！」我们因为我们的王掌王权而喜乐，因为箴言说：「义人增多，民就喜乐；恶人掌权，民就叹息」〔箴29:2〕。又有谁比基督他自己更公义呢。「但愿荣耀、权能归给他，直到永永远远。阿们！」〔启1:6〕

Thus from a sense of adoption to fellowship with our reigning Lord, this short model of prayer conducts the soul. Lord, may our prayer be a heavenly symphony that orchestrates all aspects of our life and our praise ascends to You in heaven. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Ps 19:14).
如此从一个得儿子名份的意识到与我们掌权的主相交，这短短的祷告模范指挥着灵魂。主啊，愿我们的祷告成为支配我们生命各方面的天堂交响乐，和我们的赞美上升到你所在的天堂。「愿我口中的言语、心里的意念在你面前蒙悦纳」〔诗19:14〕。

Tom and Tehwan Tso
仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

“信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9