The Prayer of the Age to Fulfill God's Economy and the Sacrifice of Praise to Display Christ's Victory
读经∶徒二36，弗一19～23，诗二二3，一一九164，来十三15，代下二十20～22
壹 时代的祷告乃是召会作基督的身体，作一个新人的祷告，运用基督这升天之主和身体之元首的权柄，以完成神的经纶；要进入这种祷告，需要属天的异象，看见一些远超过我们天然观念的事─弗一17：
I. The prayer of the age is the prayer of the church as the Body of Christ, as the one new man, the prayer that exercises the authority of Christ as the ascended Lord and Head of the Body to fulfill God's economy; to enter into this kind of prayer, we need a heavenly vision to see something that is far beyond our natural concept—Eph. 1:17:
一 我们需要看见基督升天的意义：
A. We need to see the meaning of the ascension of Christ:
1 基督的升天指明救赎的全部工作已经彻底完成─来一3，十12。
1. The ascension of Christ indicates that the entire work of redemption has been completely accomplished—Heb. 1:3; 10:12.
2 基督的升天指明基督为主的身分得着建立─徒二36：
2. The ascension of Christ indicates that the lordship of Christ has been established—Acts 2:36:
a 主所得着并所达到的一切，正“向着召会”传输─弗一19～23，三20～21。
a. Everything that the Lord has obtained and attained is being transmitted "to the church"—Eph. 1:19-23; 3:20-21.
b 我们需要看见属天的事实，就是基督已被神高举，被立为宇宙的主，并向着召会作万有的头；万有都在祂的脚下，并且祂所得着并所达到的一切，都向着那作祂身体的召会传输─一22～23。
b. We need to see the heavenly fact that Christ has been exalted by God, established as the Lord of the universe, and made Head over all things to the church; all things are under His feet, and everything that He has obtained and attained is being transmitted to the church, which is His Body—1:22-23.
二 我们需要看见作基督身体之召会的地位；因着召会是基督的身体，召会的地位与基督的地位完全一样；身体既与头是一，身体的地位就与头的地位完全一样─林前十二12、27，弗五30。
B. We need to see the church's position as the Body of Christ; because the church is the Body of Christ, the position of the church is exactly the same as that of Christ; since the Body is one with the Head, the position of the Body is exactly the same as that of the Head—1 Cor. 12:12, 27; Eph. 5:30.
三 我们需要看见作基督身体之召会的权柄：
C. We need to see the authority of the church as the Body of Christ:
1 身体的权柄乃是身体所运用之头的权柄。
1. The authority of the Body is the authority of the Head exercised by the Body.
2 我们作为召会，基督的身体，需要取用基督的权柄─太二八18下～19上，路十19。
2. As the church, the Body of Christ, we need to assume the authority of Christ—Matt. 28:18b-19a; Luke 10:19.
四 我们需要看见作基督身体之召会的祷告：
D. We need to see the prayer of the church as the Body of Christ:
1 这种祷告不是个别信徒的祷告，乃是召会作为基督身体的祷告；在肉身一面，我们可能在自己的房间里独自祷告，但在属灵一面，我们与基督的身体是一─参王上八48。
1. This kind of prayer is not the prayer of individual believers but the prayer of the church as the Body of Christ; physically, we may be praying in our room only by ourselves, but spiritually, we are one with the Body—cf. 1 Kings 8:48.
2 在这种祷告里，我们不是乞求主为我们作一些事；我们乃是支取主已经得着并达到的：
2. In this kind of prayer, we do not beg the Lord to do something for us; instead, we claim what the Lord has obtained and attained:
a 基督已经得着为主的身分和元首的身分；祂乃是主，是向着召会作万有的头。
a. Christ has obtained the lordship and the headship; He is the Lord and the Head over all things to the church.
b 基督已经达到宇宙的最高处；神已经使祂从死人中复活，叫祂在诸天界里，坐在自己的右边，远超过宇宙中一切执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的─弗一20～21。
b. Christ has attained the highest place in the universe; He has been raised from the dead and is seated at God's right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule, authority, power, and lordship in the universe—Eph. 1:20-21.
3 当我们根据主在升天里所得着的祷告，我们可以祷告说，“主，我们不同意目前的光景；作为你的身体，我们取用你升天的立场，并支取你的为主身分，以应付目前的光景。”
3. When we pray according to what the Lord has obtained in ascension, we may pray, "Lord, we do not go along with the present situation; as Your Body, we take the ground of Your ascension and claim Your lordship over the present situation. "
4 当我们根据主在升天里所达到的祷告，我们只要宣告我们是谁，以及我们在哪里；我们在身体里，身体在头里，而头是超越的；我们若有异象，看见我们是头的身体，并且头现今是超越的，我们就会取用这立场，支取主所已经达到的，并告诉一切消极的事物：“不要搅扰我；到火湖里去！我是超越的，你不能摸我，你是在我脚下。”
4. When we pray according to what the Lord has attained in ascension, we should simply declare who we are and where we are; we are in the Body, the Body is in the Head, and the Head is transcendent; if we have the vision that we are the Body of the Head and that the Head is now transcendent, we will take the ground to claim what the Lord has attained and tell all the negative things, "Do not bother me. Go to the lake of fire! I am transcendent. You cannot touch me. You are under my feet. "
5 因着身体与在诸天之上的头是一，身体就有权柄捆绑并释放在诸天之上所已经捆绑并释放的─太十六19，十八18。
5. Because the Body is one with the Head in the heavens, the Body has the authority to bind and loose what has already been bound and loosed in the heavens—Matt. 16:19; 18:18.
6 召会是建造在磐石上，这磐石就是升天的基督；结果，阴间的门不能胜过召会─十六18。
6. The church is built upon a rock, and this rock is the ascended Christ; as a result, the gates of Hades cannot prevail against the church—16:18.
五 我们要完全进入这种祷告，能运用元首赐给身体的权柄，有两件事是我们必须领悟的：
E. To fully enter into this kind of prayer and be able to exercise the authority given by the Head to the Body, there are two things that we must realize:
1 我们必须领悟，我们是身体的肢体，我们必须在身体里生活、行事并行动；例如，保罗虽然被囚，却没有与基督的身体隔绝，断绝这身体的供应─腓一19。
1. We must realize that we are members of the Body, and we must live, act, and move in the Body; as an example, imprisonment did not isolate Paul from the Body of Christ or cut him off from the supply of the Body—Phil. 1:19.
2 在我们的日常生活中，我们必须借着在心思的灵里得更新，一直脱去旧人并穿上新人；新人是由头同着身体，就是基督同着召会所组成─弗四22～24，二15～16。
2. In our daily life we must always put off the old man and put on the new man by being renewed in the spirit of our mind; the new man is composed of the Head with the Body, Christ with the church—Eph. 4:22-24; 2:15-16.
六 “我们需要看见升天基督的异象，并学习权柄的祷告。两千年来这些事被忽 略了，但我们相信在这末后的日子，主要恢复这些事。我们太多时候不取用基督升天的立场，不支取祂所得着并所达到的。然而，我们相信主要恢复这失去的立场。这是美地的最高峰，最高的山。在这末后的日子，主要恢复这最高峰，这最高的山。我们必须领悟这事实，取用这立场，支取头所得着并所达到的。这是召会得胜的祷告。这是时代的祷告。”（李常受文集一九六三年第一册，二〇七页）
F. "We need to see the vision of the ascended Christ and learn to pray the prayer of authority. For two thousand years these matters have been neglected, but we believe that in these last days the Lord is going to recover them. Too often we do not take the ground of Christ's ascension and claim what He has obtained and attained. Nevertheless, we believe that the Lord will recover this lost ground. This is the highest peak, the highest mountain of the good land. In these last days the Lord will recover this highest peak, this highest mountain. We must realize the facts, take the ground, and claim what the Head has obtained and attained. This is the prevailing prayer of the church. This is the prayer of the age"—The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1963, vol. 1, p. 165.
贰 赞美乃是神的儿女最高的工作：
II. Praise is the highest work carried out by God's children:
一 圣徒属灵生命的最高表示，就是赞美神。
A. The highest expression of a saint's spiritual life is his praise to God.
二 神的宝座是神在宇宙中的最高点，而神“是用以色列的赞美为宝座的”─诗二二3。
B. God's throne is the highest point in the universe, yet He sits "enthroned / Upon the praises of Israel"—Psa. 22:3.
三 神的名字，神的自己，乃是因着赞美而被高举的：
C. God's name and even God Himself are exalted through praise:
1 大卫一天七次赞美神；基督徒的生活是从赞美爬上去的；赞美乃是超越过一切去摸着主─一一九164。
1. David praised God seven times a day; the Christian life soars through praises; to praise is to transcend everything to touch the Lord—119:164.
2 大卫派了一些利未人，在神的约柜前，弹奏乐器，颂扬、称谢、赞美神─代上十六4～6。
2. David appointed Levites to play instruments to commemorate, thank, and praise God before the Ark of the Covenant of God—1 Chron. 16:4-6.
3 所罗门作完了耶和华殿的一切工，祭司把耶和华的约柜抬进了至圣所；祭司出圣所的时候，有一班歌唱的利未人站在坛边，吹号、唱歌、敲钹、鼓瑟、弹琴，一齐发声赞美神；那时，耶和华的荣光就充满了神的殿─代下五7、12～14。
3. When Solomon completed the building of Jehovah's temple, the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah into the Holy of Holies; when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the Levites stood beside the altar, sounded the trumpets, and sang with cymbals, harps, and lyres; together they sounded praise to God, and at that moment the glory of Jehovah filled His house—2 Chron. 5:7, 12-14.
4 我们应当一生赞美主；我们应当歌颂我们的神─诗一四六2，诗歌五二一首，一〇九首，英文诗歌一六六首（中文翻译见“职事文摘”第二卷第八期新诗分享）。─引用经文
4. We should praise the Lord all our life; we should sing praises to our God—Psa. 146:2; Hymns, #717, #124, #166.
5 我们这些神的众子，就是召会，聚集赞美父的时候，长子就在我们的赞美里赞美父─来二12。
5. When we, the many sons of God, meet as the church and praise the Father, the firstborn Son sings hymns of praise to the Father in our singing—Heb. 2:12.
四 “我们应当借着耶稣，常常向神献上赞美的祭，这就是承认主名之嘴唇的果子”─十三15：
D. "Through Him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His name"—13:15:
1 诗篇乃是旧约中一卷赞美的书；然而，诗篇不但有赞美的篇，并且有受苦的篇；神要祂的子民知道，发出赞美的人，神曾带他们经过困难的境地，叫他们的感觉受了伤；而在这些人身上，神使赞美得以完全─八1～2，八四4～6，四二7、11，四五1～2。
1. The book of Psalms is, in fact, a book of praise in the Old Testament; however, the Psalms contain chapters not only of praises but also of sufferings; God wants His people to know that the praising ones are the very ones who have been led through trying situations and whose feelings have been wounded, yet God perfected praises out of these ones—8:1-2; 84:4-6; 42:7, 11; 45:1-2.
2 赞美声音最高的，常是那些在神面前经过困难、逆境、感觉被践踏的人；就是这一种的赞美，能够最蒙神的悦纳，最蒙神的赐福─参二三4。
2. The loudest praise comes very often from the ones who are passing through hardships, adverse environments, and downtrodden feelings; this kind of praise is most pleasing to God and is blessed by Him—cf. 23:4.
3 赞美的性质乃是一个祭，一个牺牲；换句话说，赞美乃是从艰苦、困难、损失中出来的；神喜欢祂的儿女在各样事情上，在各种情形中赞美祂─来十三15。
3. The nature of praise is an offering, a sacrifice; in other words, praise comes from pain, suffering, and loss; God desires His children to praise Him through everything and in every situation—Heb. 13:15.
五 赞美是展示基督得胜并胜过属灵攻击的路：
E. Praise is the way to display Christ's victory and overcome spiritual attacks:
1 如果能把赞美神的话都堵住，那是撒但最盼望的；祷告乃是属灵的争战，赞美乃是属灵的夸胜；每逢我们赞美，撒但就逃跑。
1. The ultimate goal of Satan is to stop all praises to God; prayer signifies spiritual warfare, but praise signifies spiritual victory; whenever we praise, Satan flees.
2 “约在半夜，保罗和西拉祷告唱诗赞美神，众囚犯也侧耳听他们”─徒十六25：
2. "About midnight Paul and Silas, while praying, sang hymns of praise to God; and the prisoners were listening to them"—Acts 16:25:
a 保罗和西拉在监牢里献上赞美的祭；他们身上的伤痕还没有好，疼痛还没有好，并且两脚上了木狗，关在罗马的内监里。
a. Paul and Silas offered the sacrifice of praise in the jail; the wounds on their bodies were not yet healed, their pain was not soothed, their feet were in the stocks, and they were shut in an inner jail of the Roman Empire.
b 有什么可喜乐的呢？有什么可歌唱的呢？但是，在那里有两个人，他们的灵是爬得高的，是超过一切的；当他们那样赞美的时候，监门全开，锁链松落，连禁卒和他全家也喜乐地得救了─19～34节。
b. What was there to be joyful about? What was there to sing about? But there were two persons with transcendent spirits, who had surpassed everything; when they praised in such a way, the doors of the jail opened, the chains fell off, and even the jailer and his whole family were saved in a joyful way—vv. 19-34.
c 什么时候你没有力量祷告，你的灵被压得太重，觉得完全受伤，喘不过气来，你就试试赞美祂看；不能祷告就发出赞美。
c. Whenever you run out of strength to pray and you find your spirit heavily oppressed, wounded, or sagging, praise Him; if you cannot pray, try to praise.
d 如果你遇见非常的事，难处非常多，也许你整个人都瘫了，你不知道怎么作才好，在那样的时候，你要记得一句话：“为什么不赞美？”就在那时你若赞美，神的灵就作工，所有的门都要打开，锁链都要落掉。
d. When you encounter unusual circumstances and problems and are bewildered and feel like collapsing, just remember one thing: "Why not praise?"; if you offer your praise at that moment, God's Spirit will operate in you, open all the doors, and break all the chains.
3 “次日清早，众人起来出到提哥亚的旷野去。出去的时候，约沙法站着说，犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民哪，你们听我说；相信耶和华你们的神，就必稳固；相信祂的申言者，就必亨通。约沙法既与民商议了，就设立一些人，穿着圣别的礼服走在军前，向耶和华歌唱，称谢说，当称谢耶和华，因祂的慈爱永远长存。众人一开始欢呼歌唱赞美，耶和华就派伏兵击杀那来攻击犹大人的亚扪人、摩押人和西珥山人，他们就被打败了”─代下二十20～22：
3. "They rose up early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in Jehovah your God, and you will be established; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed. And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them to sing to Jehovah and give thanks in holy array as they went out before the army and say, Give thanks to Jehovah, for His lovingkindness endures forever. And when they began to shout in song and to praise, Jehovah set ambushes for the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who were coming out against Judah; and they were struck"—2 Chron. 20:20-22:
a 请注意“众人一开始”这辞；这意思是，就在那个时候，正当众人歌唱赞美耶和华的时候，耶和华就起来击杀亚扪人、摩押人和西珥山人；没有一件事能够动主的手象赞美一样。
a. Please note the words when they began; this means that at the very moment when everyone was singing praises to Jehovah, He rose up to smite the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir; nothing moves the Lord's hand as quickly as praise.
b 你每一次遇见困难，要求神怜悯，禁止你用手段，禁止你出计谋，而叫你学习赞美的功课；多少的争战，都能借着赞美胜过。
b. Every time you encounter a problem, you should pray for mercy that you would stop manipulating and plotting and that you would learn the lesson of praising instead; much warfare can be won by praise.
c 赞美是永远继续的，赞美是永远不停止的─启五8～14，七9～12，十四1～3，十五2～4，十九1～8，参二一6，二二20。
c. Praise will last for eternity; it will never cease—Rev. 5:8-14; 7:9-12; 14:1-3; 15:2-4; 19:1-8; cf. 21:6; 22:20.
d 一个赞美神的人，乃是超越过一切的；他能够借着赞美一直得胜；这是原则，这也是事实。
d. A person who praises God transcends everything; he overcomes continually by his praise; this is a principle, and this is also a fact.
e 赞美就是荣耀神；神是该得着一切荣耀的神；愿神多多得着祂儿女们的赞美。
e. To praise is to glorify God; God is worthy of all glory; may God gain abundant praises from His children.