8月24日 屬靈索引

你們中間，誰有兒子求餅，反給他石頭呢？（太七9）

主在這裡拿一個好孩子求好東西作比方，來說明禱告。我們似乎覺得神聽不聽禱告，跟我們與他的關係無關（比較太五45）。不要說得不著所求的，是出於神的旨意。不要就此頹然喪志，要找出原因，翻開索引。你與妻子、丈夫、兒女、同學的關係正常嗎？你是個好孩子嗎？“主啊，我易怒，又暴躁，但是真想得著屬靈的福氣。”可是你得不著，直到你變成了好孩子。

我們把悖逆當作敬虔；把與神爭論當作拋棄一切。我們不去查一下索引。我是否還有未償還的債，卻又向神求金錢買東西？我是否一面求神給我自由，一面卻不肯把自由給屬我的人？我未饒恕人家的過犯，對別人不仁，在親友中未活出神的樣式。（第12節）我惟獨藉重生才可以成為神的兒女，而作為神的兒女，只有行在光中才算是好兒女。禱告對許多人變成一種虔誠的陳腔濫調，成為情感的事，一種與神的神秘相交。在屬靈上，我們最擅於製造煙霧。但只要我們翻查一下索引，就必知道毛病出在何處－－朋友、債項、心思的粗暴。我們生活若不像神的兒女，禱告是毫無用處的。若像神的兒女，耶穌說：“凡祈求的，就得著。”

祈禱◆噢，主啊，今天早上我謙恭地祈求，充滿了崇拜和敬仰；當我想起自己的生命是如何備受保護，內心便充滿了謙卑。

August 24 The Spiritual Index

“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?” Matthew 7:9

The illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses here is that of a good child asking for a good thing. We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective of the fact of our relationship to Him (cf. Matthew 5:45). Never say it is not God's will to give you what you ask, don't sit down and faint, but find out the reason, turn up the index. Are you rightly related to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students – are you a “good child” there? “0 Lord, I have been irritable and cross, but I do want spiritual blessing.” You cannot have it, you will have to do without until you come into the attitude of a good child.

We mistake defiance for devotion; arguing with God for abandonment. We will not look at the index. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? I have not forgiven someone his trespasses; I have not been kind to him; I have not been living as God's child among my relatives and friends. (v.12.)

I am a child of God only by regeneration, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in the light. Prayer with most of us is turned into pious platitude, it is a matter of emotion, mystical communion with God. Spiritually we are all good at producing fogs. If we turn up the index, we will see very clearly what is wrong – that friendship, that debt, that temper of mind. It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then, Jesus says – “Everyone that asketh receiveth.”