9月16日 宗教神聖的領域

你禱告的時候，要進你的內屋，關上門，禱告你在暗中的父。（太六6）

在宗教信仰中，最主要的觀念就是仰望神，不仰望人。切不可有這個動機：希望人家知道你時刻禱告。要進入內室，在沒有人知道你在禱告的地方，關上門，暗中與神交談。禱告唯一的動機，就是認識你在天上的父。若要過門徒的生活，就要按時在暗中禱告，此外別無他途。

“你們禱告，不可……用許多重複話。”（第7節）神聽我們禱告，並不是因為我們懇切；他並不受我們的迫切誠心打動，他聽我們只因他的救贖。禱告並非單單向神求東西，那只是最原始的起點。禱告是與神完全的合一。神的兒子若藉重生成形在我們裡面，他必然會超越我們的常理觀念，改變我們對所求事物的態度。

“凡祈求的，就得著。”我們禱告時往往用敬虔的術語，可是我們的意志並不在裡面，然後我們又怨神不垂聽；其實我們根本就沒有求什麼。耶穌說：“你們要什麼，可以求。”求的意思就是我們的意志也在裡面。耶穌把小孩子的至純與禱告相提並論；但我們卻發出批判：“好是好的，可是……”。耶穌說：“求吧。”但得記著我們所求於神的必須與主耶穌所彰顯神的心意相符。

祈禱◆主啊，今早的“每日亮光”發出何其有力的話語：“要剛強和具有勇氣；不要恐懼，也不要喪膽；因為無論你往哪裡去，主你的神都會與你在一起。”阿們！哈利路亞！

September 16 The Divine Region Of Religion

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” Matthew 6:6

The main idea in the region of religion is – Your eyes upon God, not on men. Do not have as your motive the desire to be known as a praying man. Get an inner chamber in which to pray where no one knows you are praying, shut the door and talk to God in secret. Have no other motive than to know your Father in heaven. It is impossible to conduct your life as a disciple without definite times of secret prayer.

But when ye pray use not vain repetitions . . . (v.7). God does not hear us because we are in earnest, but only on the ground of Redemption. God is never impressed by our earnestness. Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray.

“Everyone that asketh receiveth.” We pray pious blether, our will is not in it, and then we say God does not answer; we never asked for anything. “Ye shall ask what ye will,” said Jesus. Asking means our will is in it. Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child: we bring in our critical temper and say – Yes, but . . . Jesus said “Ask.” But remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God Whom Jesus Christ revealed.