第四篇 祷告吸取神并发表神─借着和神作朋友的祷告，使我们能与神同工
Prayer to Absorb God and to Express God by Praying to God as a Friend So That We Can Co-work with God
读经：诗二七4，耶十七7~8，太六6，西二6~7、19，赛三七31，创十八1~22
壹 祷告的意义是吸取神；我们接触神多，吸取神就多：我们吸取神多，享受神作亮光和救恩也就加多：
I. The meaning of prayer is to absorb God; the more we contact God, the more we will absorb Him, and the more we absorb Him, the more we will enjoy Him as our light and our salvation:
一 大卫在诗篇二十七篇一节说，“耶和华是我的亮光，是我的拯救”；神是我们的亮光和拯救，说明我们所需要的乃是神自己；祂所给的，乃是祂的自己；亮光是神自己，拯救是神自己，能力是神自己（林前一24），恩典是神自己（约一16~17，彼前五10，林前十五10，参加二20）；我们属灵上所需要的每一项都是神自己。─引用经文
A. In Psalm 27:1 David says, "Jehovah is my light and my salvation"; God's being our light and our salvation shows that God Himself is what we need; what God gives us is just Himself; light is God, salvation is God, power is God (1 Cor. 1:24), and grace is God (John 1:16-17; 1 Pet. 5:10; 1 Cor. 15:10; cf. Gal. 2:20); every spiritual need that we have is God Himself.
二 大卫瞻仰神的荣美而接触神并吸取神（诗二七4）；当他接触神而吸取神，他里面就蒙光照并得着拯救：─引用经文
B. David contacted and absorbed God by beholding Him as beauty (Psa. 27:4); when he contacted God to absorb God, he was enlightened and received salvation within:
1 瞻仰神作我们的荣美乃是非常大的关键和诀窍，使我们能为着神的心愿而经历神─林后三16~18。
1. Beholding God as our beauty is a great key and a great secret to experiencing God for His heart's desire—2 Cor. 3:16-18.
2 基督借着祂话中生命之水的洗涤而有神圣的分赐，使我们作为祂荣美的殿得荣美，成为祂荣美的新妇，使祂得荣美─赛六十7、9、13、19、21，五九21，弗五26~27，启十九7。
2. By the divine dispensing through the washing of the water of life in the word of Christ, He beautifies us as the house of His beauty to be His beautiful bride for His beautification—Isa. 60:7, 9, 13, 19, 21; 59:21; Eph. 5:26-27; Rev. 19:7.
三 有一首诗歌说，“照我本相”（诗歌七二四首），意思是照着我们原本的样子来到神面前，一点都不必改、不必动；我们乃是这样接受基督，也该这样在基督里行事为人─西二6~7。
C. There is a hymn that says, "Just as I am" (Hymns, #1048); this means that we should come to God just as we are without trying to improve or change our condition; we received Christ in this way, and we should walk in Christ in this way—Col. 2:6-7a.
四 祷告是照我本相到主面前；当我们到主面前，就要这样把里面的光景都摊出来，甚至告诉主，我们什么都够不上；即使我们软弱、糊涂、难过、没有话说，也可以到神面前；无论我们里面有什么光景，就把那种光景带到神面前。
D. To pray is to come to the Lord just as we are; when we come to the Lord, we should lay our inner condition before Him and tell Him that we are short in every matter; even if we are weak, confused, sad, and speechless, we can still come to God; no matter what our inner condition is, we should bring it to God.
五 我们不该顾自己的光景，反而要借着仰望神、瞻仰祂、赞美祂、感谢祂、敬拜祂并吸取祂，进到神的面前来接触祂；这样，我们就会享受神的丰富，饱尝祂的甘甜，接受祂作亮光和能力，里面平安、光明、刚强且有力；如此我们就学会这功课：在我们向圣徒供应话语时要留在与神的联结里─彼前四10~11，林后二17，十三3。
E. Instead of caring about our condition, we need to enter into God's presence to contact Him by looking to Him, beholding Him, praising Him, giving thanks to Him, worshipping Him, and absorbing Him; then we will enjoy God's riches, taste His sweetness, receive Him as light and power, and be inwardly peaceful, bright, strong, and empowered; we will then learn the lesson of staying connected to Him when we are ministering the word to the saints—1 Pet. 4:10-11; 2 Cor. 2:17; 13:3.
贰 歌罗西二章六至七节启示基督是美地，是我们已经在其中生根的丰富土壤，使我们能凭着从这土壤所吸收的元素而长大─参林前三6、9，西二19：
II. Colossians 2:6-7 reveals that Christ as the good land is the rich soil in which we have been rooted so that we may grow with the elements that we absorb from the soil—cf. 1 Cor. 3:6, 9; Col. 2:19:
一 保罗与神同工，将信徒作为活的植物，栽种在基督这土壤里；神将我们这些活的植物放在基督这土壤里（林前一30，罗六4~5），使我们能在基督这生命里长大（弗四15~16），并在生命中变化为宝贵的材料，为着神的建造（林前三12）。─引用经文
A. By working together with God, Paul planted the believers as the living plants into Christ as the soil; God put us, the living plants, into Christ as the soil (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 6:4-5) so that we may grow in Christ as life (Eph. 4:15-16) and be transformed in life to become precious materials for God's building (1 Cor. 3:12).
二 按照神的经纶，信靠主的人像树栽于水旁，这表征神乃是活水的泉源（耶二13，十七7~8）；树在河边，借着吸取水的一切丰富而生长，这是神借着神圣的分赐完成祂经纶的一幅图画（参赛五七20~21与20注1，五五7，十二1~6，约四10、14，七37~38，林前十二13）。─引用经文
B. According to God's economy, the one who trusts in the Lord is like a tree planted by water, signifying God as the fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13; 17:7-8); a tree grows beside a river by absorbing all the riches of the water; this is a picture of God's economy, which is carried out by His divine dispensing (cf. Isa. 57:20-21 with footnote 1 on v. 20; 55:7; 12:1-6; John 4:10, 14; 7:37-38; 1 Cor. 12:13).
三 我们这些树要接受神圣的分赐，就必须吸取神这水（参三6）；这位供应之神的丰富分赐到我们这些树里面，就以神的神性将我们构成，使我们以神的增长而长大（西二19）；这样，我们就与神成为一，有同样的元素、素质、构成和样子（启四3，二一11）。─引用经文
C. In order to receive the divine dispensing, we as the trees must absorb God as the water (cf. 3:6); the riches of the supplying God dispensed into us as the trees constitute us with God's divinity and cause us to grow with the growth of God (Col. 2:19); in this way we and God become one, having the same element, essence, constitution, and appearance (Rev. 4:3; 21:11).
四 植物若没有从土壤里吸取养分，就无法长大；照样，我们若没有接受从基督这元首所出来的，身体也无法长大；所以，持定元首就等于在基督这土壤里面生根；持定元首就是留在基督里，一直亲密地联于祂，在我们与祂之间没有任何绝缘体─西二19。
D. If a plant does not absorb nutrients from the soil, the plant cannot grow; likewise, if we do not receive what comes out of Christ as the Head, the Body cannot grow; holding the Head is, therefore, equal to being rooted in Christ as the soil; to hold the Head is to remain in Christ, staying intimately connected to Him without any insulation between us and Him—Col. 2:19.
五 基督身体的长大在于我们里面神的增长，神的加添，神的增多；神的建造乃是借着我们吸取基督的丰富，而“长成在主里的圣殿”；我们也“在祂里面同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所”；神的家真实的建造，乃是借着信徒生命的长大─弗二21~22。
E. The growth of the Body depends on the growth of God, the addition of God, the increase of God, within us; God's building is "growing into a holy temple in the Lord" in whom we also "are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit" by our absorbing the riches of Christ; the actual building of the house of God is by the believers' growth in life—Eph. 2:21-22.
六 个别的长大成了团体的长大；倘若所有的肢体都个别地长大，身体就会团体地被建造起来─诗歌二九八、六〇六首。
F. Individual growth becomes corporate growth; if all the members grow individually, the Body will be built up corporately—Hymns, #395 and #840.
七 歌罗西二章七节把生根和建造相提并论，原因在于：生根是为着长大，而长大就是真正的建造（弗四15~16，林前三6、9）；要在基督里深深地扎根，唯一的路乃是接触祂这土壤，为要天天吸取话中的水（弗五26）；这样，我们就能“往下扎根，向上结果”（赛三七31）。─引用经文
G. Colossians 2:7 puts being rooted and being built up together; this is because being rooted is for growing, and growing is genuine building (Eph. 4:15-16; 1 Cor. 3:6, 9); the only way to become deeply rooted in Christ is to contact Him as the soil in order to daily absorb the water in the word (Eph. 5:26); in this way we "take root downward and bear fruit upward" (Isa. 37:31).
八 我们需要天天与基督有个人、私下接触的时间，花时间吸取基督（太六6，十四22~23，可一35）；这会使我们自然而然地在基督里行事为人并活出基督，为着基督团体的彰显（西二6~7）：─引用经文
H. We need to take time to absorb Christ day by day by having a personal and private time with Him (Matt. 6:6; 14:22-23; Mark 1:35) so that spontaneously we will walk in Christ and live out Christ for the corporate expression of Christ (Col. 2:6-7):
1 我们每天都需要有充分的时间来祷告，这使我们能更多吸取神的丰富；许多圣徒早晨花时间与主同在，然而，他们却没有吸取多少祂的丰富，原因在于他们太匆忙了；我们如果匆匆忙忙，就无法把基督的丰富吸收进来作养分─参诗一一九48、97。
1. Our daily need is to allow adequate time for prayer, which will enable us to absorb more of the riches of our God; in the morning many saints may spend time with the Lord, but they may not absorb much of His riches because they are in too much of a hurry; we cannot absorb the riches of Christ into us as our nourishment if we are in a hurry—cf. Psa. 119:48, 97.
2 我们必须花更多个人和私下的时间与主同在，为着吸取主；我们必须操练我们的灵，更多花时间在灵里爱慕主、赞美祂、向祂献上感谢并且自由地对祂说话；这样，当我们享受神作我们的筵席时，神就使我们生长─太二二4，启三20。
2. We must spend more personal and private time with the Lord in order to absorb Him; we must exercise our spirit to spend more time in our spirit to adore the Lord, to praise Him, to offer thanks to Him, and to speak to Him freely; then God will give us the growth as we enjoy Him as our banquet—Matt. 22:4; Rev. 3:20.
3 我们借着神是灵、是生命以及是欢喜快乐的话（约六57、63，耶十五16），而接受神作我们新的养分和新鲜的享受，神就加增到我们里面来，这就是祂叫我们生长（书一8~9，诗一一九15、48）。─引用经文
3. The addition of God into us by receiving Him as our new nourishment and fresh enjoyment through His words of spirit, life, gladness, and joy (John 6:57, 63; Jer. 15:16) is the growth that He gives (Josh. 1:8-9; Psa. 119:15, 48).
4 我们若是个人且私下的，天天花相当的时间与主同在，为着吸取神，祂的脸作为救恩就要成为我们脸上的救恩─四二5、11。
4. If we spend a considerable amount of personal and private time with the Lord daily in order to absorb God, the salvation of His countenance will become the salvation of our countenance—42:5, 11.
叁 祷告的意义也是要我们发表神；在诗篇二十七篇四节，大卫说他所渴望的不仅是瞻仰耶和华的荣美，更是要“在祂的殿里求问”：求问乃是让神在我们里面说话，这样，祷告中向祂所说的话事实上就是神在我们里面的说话，是神的发表：─引用经文
III. The meaning of prayer is also for us to express God; in Psalm 27:4 David says that he desired not only to behold the beauty of Jehovah but also "to inquire in His temple"; to inquire is to let God speak within us so that the words spoken to Him in prayer are actually God's speaking within us, God's expressions:
一 真实的祷告乃是我们来到神面前，让神在我们里面说话，把神对我们所说的向祂发表回去─“你说，你们当寻求我的面；那时我的心向你说，耶和华啊，你的面我正要寻求。”（8）
A. Real prayer is our coming to God, letting God speak within us, and expressing to God what He has spoken back to Him—"When You say, Seek My face, / To You my heart says, Your face, O Jehovah, will I seek" (v. 8).
二 约翰十五章七节说，“你们若住在我里面，我的话也住在你们里面，凡你们所愿意的，祈求就给你们成就”；这节陈明三个非常重要的点：
B. John 15:7 says, "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you"; this verse presents three crucial points:
1 第一，我们要住在主里面，就是留在与主的交通里。
1. First, we must abide in the Lord, which is to remain in fellowship with the Lord.
2 第二，主的话必须住在我们里面；当我们住在主里面，与主有不断的交通，主就在我们里面说话。
2. Second, the Lord's words must abide in us; when we abide in the Lord and are in constant fellowship with Him, He speaks within us.
3 第三，我们向主的祈求，乃是从主在我们里面说话而来的；如果我们与主有交通，祂就在我们里面说话；这样，我们就有话向主祈求，向主祷告。
3. Third, our asking the Lord comes from the Lord's speaking within us; if we are in fellowship with the Lord, He will speak within us, and then we will have the words with which to ask Him, that is, to pray to Him.
三 当我们真正地摸着神、接触神并吸取神时，祂就在我们里面说话；然后我们就照着祂内里的说话祷告；祷告就是进到神面前、遇着神、亲近祂和神有了交流并吸取祂，使祂能在我们里面对我们说话；当我们用祂对我们所说的话向祂祷告时，我们的祷告就将神发表出来。
C. When we really touch, contact, and absorb God, He will speak within us; then we pray according to His inner speaking; to pray is to go to God, meet Him, draw near to Him, commune with Him, and absorb Him so that He can speak to us inwardly; when we pray to Him with His words to us, our prayer expresses God.
四 我们在与主接触的事上，需要学习以下的原则：
D. In our contact with the Lord, we need to learn the following principles:
1 我们在祷告中不该支配主（参二4）；反之，我们该像大数的扫罗那样问：“主啊，我当作什么？”而不是说，“主啊，我要这样作。”（徒二二10）─引用经文
1. We should not direct the Lord in our prayer (cf. 2:4); instead, like Saul of Tarsus, we should ask, "What shall I do, Lord?" not "This is what I will do, Lord" (Acts 22:10).
2 我们亲近主，与祂接触时，祂就使我们看见我们的需要，把我们身上的难处、错处、污点和罪点出来；我们接受活水的路，就是向主承认这些罪─约四15~18。
2. When we draw near to the Lord and contact Him, He causes us to see our needs and points out our problems, faults, stains, and sins; the way for us to take the living water is to confess these sins to the Lord—John 4:15-18.
3 我们亲近主以接触祂时，该寻求主自己，就是那看不见、属灵的事，而不是看得见、物质的事─六27、31~33，林后四18，来十一27。
3. When we draw near to the Lord to contact Him, we should seek the Lord Himself as the unseen spiritual matters, not the seen physical matters—6:27, 31-33; 2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 11:27.
4 人的意见阻挡主的大能，所以必须等我们软弱到绝境，失败到尽头，完全到死地，主才在我们里面显明祂自己，向我们显为复活的大能─约十一3、5~6、17、21、25~26、32~35、38、41~44，林后一8~9。
4. Human opinions frustrate the Lord's power, so not until we are hopelessly weak, an utter failure, and completely dead, will the Lord manifest Himself in us and to us as resurrection power—John 11:3, 5-6, 17, 21, 25-26, 32-35, 38, 41-44; 2 Cor. 1:8-9.
5 我们亲近主时，需要让祂在我们身上随意作事─约十三6~9，路一37~38。
5. When we draw near to the Lord, we need to let Him do what He wills in us—John 13:6-9; Luke 1:37-38.
6 甚至在我们对主冷淡无情，或落到世界里的时候，祂还要向我们显现；我们会失败和改变，主绝不会失败或改变─约二一1~25，赛四九15~16，耶三一3。
6. Even when we are cold and indifferent toward the Lord or have fallen into the world, He will manifest Himself to us; we may fail and change, but the Lord never fails or changes—John 21:1-25; Isa. 49:15-16; Jer. 31:3.
五 求问的祷告最尊重神；大卫知道如何祷告，因为他常求问耶和华（撒上二三2、4，三十8，撒下二1，五19、23）；神借申言者拿单对大卫说话之后，大卫“坐在耶和华面前”（七18），并对主说，“照你所说的而行”（25下）；然后他告诉主，因为祂的说话，“仆人心中才敢向你如此祷告。”（27）─引用经文
E. Inquiring prayers honor God; David knew how to pray because he often inquired of Jehovah (1 Sam. 23:2, 4; 30:8; 2 Sam. 2:1; 5:19, 23); after God spoke to David through Nathan the prophet, David "sat before Jehovah" (7:18) and told the Lord, "Do as You have spoken" (v. 25b); he then told the Lord that because of His speaking, "Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You" (v. 27).
肆 最好的祷告，乃是人和神作朋友的祷告；亚伯拉罕是神的朋友；在创世记十八章，天上的神降卑自己来与亚伯拉罕作朋友：
IV. The best prayer is to pray to God as a friend; Abraham was the friend of God; in Genesis 18 the God of heaven humbled Himself in order to befriend Abraham:
一 亚伯拉罕受割礼之后，他的天然力量被了结，他就活在与神亲密的交通里，并成为神的朋友─十三3~4、18，十七1~16，代下二十7，赛四一8，雅二23。
A. After he was circumcised and his natural strength was terminated, Abraham lived in intimate fellowship with God and became God's friend—13:3-4, 18; 17:1-16; 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23.
二 亚伯拉罕在神面前荣耀的代求，乃是两个朋友之间富有人性、亲密的谈话，是照着神心头愿望的揭示而有的亲密谈话─创十八1~33。
B. The glorious intercession that Abraham made before God was a human, intimate conversation between two friends, an intimate talk according to the unveiling of God's heart's desire—Gen. 18:1-33.
三 甚至在成为肉体以前（约一14），耶和华作为基督，就在人的形状里带着人的身体，向亚伯拉罕显现，并在人的水平上与他交谈（创十三18，十八1~22）；当亚伯拉罕享受与神甜美的交通时，他从神得着关于以撒的出生和所多玛毁灭的启示。─引用经文
C. Even before the incarnation (John 1:14) Jehovah as Christ appeared to Abraham in a human form, with a human body, and communed with him on a human level (Gen. 13:18; 18:1-22); as Abraham was enjoying sweet fellowship with God, he received a revelation from Him regarding the birth of Isaac and the destruction of Sodom.
四 以撒的出生与基督来作恩典有关，所多玛的毁灭与神对罪的审判有关；这意即基督必须进来，罪必须出去。
D. The birth of Isaac is related to the coming of Christ as grace, and the destruction of Sodom is related to God's judgment upon sin; this means that Christ must come in and sin must go out.
五 神向亚伯拉罕启示祂要毁灭所多玛的心意，因为祂在寻找一个代求者来为罗得代求（16~22，十九1，参来七25，赛五九16，结二二30）；神想要拯救罗得，好保护经由路得（她是摩押人，是罗得的后裔）而有的基督家谱（创十九37，得一4，太一5）。─引用经文
E. God revealed to Abraham His intention to destroy Sodom, because He was seeking an intercessor to intercede for Lot (vv. 16-22; 19:1; cf. Heb. 7:25; Isa. 59:16; Ezek. 22:30); God wanted to save Lot in order to protect Christ's genealogy through Ruth, a Moabitess and a descendant of Lot (Gen. 19:37; Ruth 1:4; Matt. 1:5).
六 所以，在神与亚伯拉罕亲密的交通中，神没有提起罗得的名字，乃是以奥秘的方式启示祂心头的愿望；正确的代求不是由人发起，乃是由于神的启示；因此，这样的代求发表神的愿望，并完成神的旨意─创十八17、20~23，十九27~29，诗二七4~8，来四16，七25，雅五17。
F. Thus, in God's intimate fellowship with Abraham, in a mysterious way, without mentioning Lot's name, God revealed His heart's desire; the proper intercession is not initiated by man but by God's revelation; thus, it expresses God's desire and carries out God's will—Gen. 18:17, 20-23; 19:27-29; Psa. 27:4-8; Heb. 4:16; 7:25; James 5:17.
七 表面上，亚伯拉罕是为所多玛代求；实际上，他是用暗示为罗得代求（创十四12，十八23，十九1、27~29），这表明我们该为神那些漂流到世界里的子民代求。─引用经文
G. Apparently, Abraham was interceding for Sodom; actually, he was interceding for Lot by implication (Gen. 14:12; 18:23; 19:1, 27-29), showing that we should intercede for God's people who have drifted into the world.
八 在亚伯拉罕为罗得的代求里，他不是照着神的爱和神的恩向神恳求，乃是照着神义的法则向神挑战；神的义比祂的爱和恩更约束祂─十八23~25，罗一17。
H. In Abraham's intercession for Lot, he did not beg God according to His love and grace; he challenged God according to His righteous way; God's righteousness binds Him much more than His love and grace do—18:23-25; Rom. 1:17.
九 代求乃是照着神里面的心意与神亲密地谈话；为此我们必须学习逗留在神面前─创十八25~32。
I. Intercession is an intimate conversation with God according to the inward intention of His heart; for this we must learn to linger in the presence of God—Gen. 18:25-32.
十 亚伯拉罕的代求不是结束于亚伯拉罕的说话，乃是结束于神的说话；这表明真正的代求是神在我们的说话里说话─33节，约十五7，罗八26~27。
J. Abraham's intercession did not terminate with Abraham's speaking but with God's, showing that genuine intercession is God's speaking in our speaking—v. 33; John 15:7; Rom. 8:26-27.
十一 在我们与神亲密的交通里，我们得着启示，一切不可能对基督都成为可能─创十八10~15，二一1~8，路十八27。
K. In our intimate fellowship with God, we receive the revelation that all the impossibilities become possibilities with Christ—Gen. 18:10-15; 21:1-8; Luke 18:27.
伍 在我们祷告的第一面，我们进入与神的交通中，神就会把祂工作的负担涂抹在我们里面，把神的心意启示给我们：然后我们祷告的第二面是求问主，就着主的旨意和工作的负担祈求主；这样我们就与神配合，与神同工，完成祷告的目的─赛六二6~7，四五11，结二二30，但九2~4，撒上十二23，林前三9，林后六1上。
V. During the first aspect of our prayer, we enter into fellowship with God, who then anoints us with His burden for the work and reveals His intention to us; the second aspect of our prayer is then to inquire of the Lord by petitioning Him concerning His will and His burden for the work; then we carry out the purpose of prayer by coordinating with God to co-work with God—Isa. 62:6-7; 45:11; Ezek. 22:30; Dan. 9:2-4; 1 Sam. 12:23; 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1a.