Ministry in Word

Divine Petition – Part 5
神的祈求 – 第五篇

(Partially based on Charles Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” devotional)
(部份根据查理斯.司布真的「早晨与傍晚」灵修作品)

Luke 22:31-32
路加22:31-32

“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.”

「西门！西门！撒但想要得着你们，好筛你们像筛麦子一样；但我已经为你祈求，叫你不至於失了信心。」

Continued from Part 4
上接第四篇

Jesus is Proactive
耶稣是积极主动的

Even before Satan had started to tempt us Jesus hindered him, providing us a way out. Beside his intervention of Satan’s temptation, he also entered a plea in heaven for us,interceding for our sins. His mercy outruns the malice of the evil one.

什至在撒但开始试探我们以前耶稣就拦阻他，为我们准备了出路。他除了干预撒但的试探，他也在天上为我们提出一个请求，为我们的罪代求。他的怜悯超越恶者的恶念。

He did not say, “Satan has sifted you and I will pray.” To have Jesus prayed for us after the fact would have been good. He is the perfectly righteous man and so His prayer is most powerful and effective. But He said, “Satan has asked for you.” That means that Jesus countered Satan’s wicked desires and he cut them off early on. Therefore Apostle James said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) When we resist Satan he will flee from us because Jesus had nipped in the bud Satan’s evil desires concerning us and his wicked deeds against us.

他并没有说，「撒但已经筛了你们而我会祈求」。有耶稣为我们事後祷告也是好的，他是完全的义人所以他的祷告是大有功效的。但他说，「撒但想要得着你们」。那就表示耶稣对抗了撒但的恶念，一早就除掉它们。因此使徒雅各说，「务要抵挡魔鬼，魔鬼就必离开你们逃跑了。」〔雅4:7〕当我们抵挡魔鬼，魔鬼就必离开我们逃跑了，因为耶稣曾经把魔鬼对我们的邪意和恶行一早就剪除了。

Jesus did not say, “I have desired to pray for you,” or “I have planned to pray for you,” or “I have intended to pray for you.” It is good for us that Jesus has a strong desire to pray for us, or a good intention to pray for us. But if it is not carried out or if it is carried out late, it is useless. But Jesus did not say so. He said, “I have prayed for you. I have
already done it. I have gone to the heavenly court and entered a counterplea before an accusation is made.” Yes, Jesus has prayed for us. Unlike some of us who sometimes have good intention but little action, Jesus is proactive concerning our situations. He prays for us and intercedes for us all the time at the right time.

耶稣不是说，「我曾想要为你祈求」，或者「我曾计划为你祈求」，或者「我曾立意为你祈求」。耶稣很想为我们祈求或有好意为我们祈求对我们是好的，但如果没有实行或是太晚实行就没用了。但耶稣没有这样说。他说，「我已经为你祈求，我已经做了。我已去了天上的法庭和在控诉之前送上一份对抗的请求」。是的，耶稣已经为我们祈求。不像我们有些人有时有好意但没有行动，耶稣对我们的情况是积极主动的。他经常在适当的时刻为我们祈祷和代求。

Jesus prays for us so that our faith should not fail. He prays so that we will come through Satan’s sifting victoriously, so that we will be able to see the faithfulness of God in sustaining us, and as a result it will strengthen our stand for God.

耶稣为我们祈求，叫我们不至失去信心。他祈求使我们会在被撒但筛的时候可以得胜，使我们可以看到神信实地在支持我们，因此坚固我们为神所站的立埸。

Conclusion
後语

What a comfort to know that Jesus has pleaded our cause against our unseen enemy the devil, that He has nullified the accusations against us by the accuser, that He has identified his attack and neutralized it. That should give us great joy, gratitude, hope, and confidence in our daily walk with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

是多安慰知道耶稣已经为我们对抗我们看不见的敌人魔鬼的事申辩，他粉碎了控诉者对我们的控诉，而他也认出他的攻击而使之失效了。那在我们每天与我们的主和救主耶稣同行上该给我们带来莫大的喜乐、感谢、盼望和确信。

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

Ministry in Word

Divine Petition – Part 1

神的祈求 – 第一篇

(Partially based on Charles Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” devotional)
(部份根据查理斯.司布真的「早晨与傍晚」灵修作品)
Luke 22:31-32
路加22:31-32

“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.”
「西门！西门！撒但想要得着你们，好筛你们像筛麦子一样；但我已经为你祈求，叫你不至於失了信心。」

Introduction
前言
Most people have three questions concerning prayers, that is, when should we pray, how should we pray, and why should we pray. The apostle James answers these questions in his short letter in the Bible.
大多数人对祈祷有三个疑问，就是我们该在什麽时候祈祷、我们该怎样祈祷和为什麽我们要祈祷。使徒雅各在圣经中他的短信里解答这些问题。

When Should We Pray
我们该在什麽时候祈祷
The answer to the question “when should we pray” is found in James 5:13, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” When we are in trouble we may think that God is uncaring, unknowing, or unable to help, therefore we become tired of praying. Instead, James said that trouble time is exactly the very time we should pray. And then when we are happy, we may not think of praying to God, because we are content, but James said we should also pray and our prayers should be filled with songs of praise, because God is the ultimate source of our happiness. The next verse says that if anyone is sick, when he seems like too weak to pray, that in his weakness he should pray. So James is saying that we should pray when we are in any kind of trouble or suffering, when we are happy for any reason, and when we are sick and feeble. In other words, we should pray in good time and bad time, in all circumstances. That is why Apostle Paul told the Philippian believers, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” (Php 4:6). So Paul also said that in all situations we should pray.

「我们该在什麽时候祈祷」这个问题的答案在雅各书5:13找到：「你们中间有受苦的呢，他就该祷告；有喜乐的呢，他就该歌颂。」当我们在受苦的时候我们可能以为神漠不关心、不知不觉或有心无力去帮助，所以我们对祈祷产生厌倦。反过来雅各说受苦之时正是最需要祷告之时。而当我们喜乐的时候，因为我们心安意足我们就不觉得要向神祈祷。但雅各说我们该祷告并且我们的祷告该充满歌颂，因为神是我们喜乐的最终源头。下一节说你们中间有病了的呢，当他看来没力气祷告，在他的软弱中他须要祈祷。所以雅各在说当我们受任何的苦之时，当我们为任何缘故喜乐之时，和当我们带病软弱之时，我们都该祷告。换句话说,不论在好景或失意时，不论在任何处境里，我们都当祈祷。那是为何使徒保罗告诉腓立比的信徒说：「应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求，和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。」〔腓4:6〕所以保罗也说我们在所有的情况中都要祷告。
How Should We Pray
我们该怎麽祈祷

James then answered the question of “how should we pray,” saying FIRST, if a person is sick, he should call for the elders to pray over him. Calling the elders, who represent the church, is calling the church to pray in unity for him. This follows closely Jesus’ teaching for He had said that if two of us agree about anything we ask for, it will be done for us by His Father in heaven (Mt 18:19).

雅各接着解答「我们该怎麽祈祷」这问题说，方法之第一点，一个人病了，他就该请教会的长老来为他祷告。请代表教会的教会长老来就是请教会合一地为他祷告。这跟耶稣的教导相近，因为他曾说过若是我们中间有两个人在地上同心合意的求甚麽事，他在天上的父必为我们成全。〔太18:19〕

SECONDLY, James also said that our prayer should be offered in the name of the Lord. This is in accordance to what Jesus said in John 14:14 that “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Praying in the name of Jesus means we submit our will to His will, believing that He has in His heart our best interest. It is so easy to pray a list of requests specifying what we want God do for us, instead of praying in submission to God’s will for us. That is why Jesus told his disciples, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name.” (Jn 16:24)

方法之第二点，雅各又说我们应当奉主的名来祈祷。这符合耶稣在约翰14:14说的：「你们若奉我的名求甚麽，我必成就。」奉主的名祈求就是我们的旨意顺服他的旨意，相信在他心中他会为我们的好处设想。我们很容易就会祈求一系列的东西，告诉神我们要他为我们做什麽，而非让我们的祷告顺服神对我们的旨意。那是为何耶稣告诉他的门徒「向来你们没有奉我的名求甚麽。」〔约16:24〕
To be continued next week.
下周待续。

May we remain steadfast in offering our prayer and petition with thanksgiving to God in all circumstances.

愿我们在所有情况中坚定不移地保持我们向神的祷告、祈求，和感谢。

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