（5）祷告/Pray

祷告对于基督徒来说是根本。我们祷告不仅是为了我们的需要也需要通过祷告与神交通。我们的神是活的神，祂要我们与祂每天交通。约翰福音16：24（耶稣讲）向来你们没有奉我的名求甚么、如今你们求就必得着、叫你们的喜乐可以满足。 当神答应我们的祷告，我们就知道祂爱我们，我们就有喜乐。倪柝声弟兄在《初信造就》书里有一章专门关于祷告（http://www.bodani.cn/article/?bk=100520&v=12#103462）。我下面先补充几点关键。

主祷词

每个基督徒都应该牢记主祷词：马太福音6:9 ……我们在天上的父、愿人都尊你的名为圣。 6:10 愿你的国降临。愿你的旨意行在地上、如同行在天上。 6:11 我们日用的饮食、今日赐给我们。 6:12 免我们的债、如同我们免了人的债。 6:13 不叫我们遇见试探．救我们脱离凶恶。〔或作脱离恶者〕因为国度、权柄、荣耀、全是你的直到永远、阿们。我们不仅应该能够背诵主祷词，我们祷告也应该以它为模式。首先，我们应该赞美神。第二，我们应该把神的国和神的旨意放在首要地位。马太福音 6:31 （耶稣说）所以不要忧虑、说、吃甚么、喝甚么、穿甚么。 6:32 这都是外邦人所求的．你们需用的这一切东西、你们的天父是知道的。 6:33 你们要先求他的国、和他的义这些东西都要加给你们了。 所以我们应该先寻求祂的国和祂的义。如果把先后关系摆正了，有时神会在没有祷告前就给你了。第三，6:11 我们日用的饮食、今日赐给我们。 耶稣教导我们要求每天的需求而不是财富和权力。第四是要赦免。第五是求不要遇见试探和脱离邪恶。我们的祷告应该包括这些部分。

我们可以从耶稣在祂被抓以前的祷告词学习。马太福音26:39 他就稍往前走、俯伏在地、祷告说、我父阿、倘若可行、求你叫这杯离开我．然而不要照我的意思、只要照你的意思。耶稣把神的旨意放在自己受难之上。保罗在《哥林多后书》12:7 ……所以有一根刺加在我肉体上、就是撒但的差役、要攻击我、免得我过于自高。 12:8 为这事、我三次求过主、叫这刺离开我。 12:9 他对我说、我的恩典够你用的．因为我的能力、是在人的软弱上显得完全．……保罗为一根刺受苦，他为此事祷告。但是神告诉他”我的恩典够你用的．因为我的能力、是在人的软弱上显得完全”。保罗顺服了。

祷告的次数

另一个问题是应该为一件事祷告多少次？上面保罗为他身上的刺祷告了三次。下面是另一个例子。《路加福音》18:1 耶稣设一个比喻、是要人常常祷告、不可灰心．18:2 说、某城里有一个官、不惧怕　神、也不尊重世人。 18:3 那城里有个寡妇、常到他那里、说、我有一个对头、求你给我伸冤。 18:4 他多日不准．后来心里说、我虽不惧怕　神、也不尊重世人．18:5 只因这寡妇烦扰我、我就给他伸冤吧．免得他常来缠磨我。18:6 主说、你们听这不义之官所说的话。 18:7 神的选民、昼夜呼吁他、他纵然为他们忍了多时、岂不终久给他们伸冤么。 所以，祷告什么和是否持续为某件事祷告是一件个人与神的事。通过祷告，一个基督徒对神会越来越了解，成为一个成熟的基督徒。

与别的基督徒一起祷告

应该鼓励与一群基督徒一起祷告。《马太福音》（耶稣说）18:19 我又告诉你们、若是你们中间有两个人在地上、同心合意的求甚么事、我在天上的父、必为他们成全。 18:20 因为无论在那里、有两三个人奉我的名聚会、那里就有我在他们中间。 与你熟知的基督徒交通你的需要和关切，然后一起祷告。

问题：

1）为什么祷告是重要的？

2）你应该祷告多少次？

3）你的祷告应该有哪些部分？

4）你应该向神求什么？你的需要还是你想要的？

5）对一项需要你应该祷告多少次？

6）什么事情你应该在一个基督徒群体里祷告？

读者应该自己读《初信造就》祷告一章 http://www.bodani.cn/article/?bk=100520&v=12#103462

Praying is essential to Christians. We pray not only for our needs but also to communicate with God through our prayer. Our God is a living God and He wants us to talk to Him daily. (Jesus said) John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. When God answers our prayer, we know that He loves us and we will fill with joy. Watchman Nee had written a detailed help on praying. It is in Chinese. I will translate some of it into English. Before that, I want to discuss key points of prayer.

Lord’s Prayer

Every Christian should memorise the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’

Not only we should recite the Lord’s prayer, our prayer should also model after the Lord’s prayer. First we should honor our God. Second, our top priority should be God’s kingdom and God’s will on earth. (Jesus said) Matthew 6:31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So we should seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. Sometimes God gives your needs without even your asking. Third, Verse 11 Give us today our daily bread. Notice that Jesus taught us not to ask wealth or power but our daily needs. It is important to ask your needs not your wants. Forth is on forgiveness. Fifth asks for not fall into temptation. Our prayer should include these parts.

We can learn from Jesus’ prayer right before he was arrested. Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus put God’s will above his own suffering. II Corinthians 12:7 ……. or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”…… Here we see that Paul suffered and he prayed for God to remove the thorn. But God told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul obeyed.

How Many Times Should You Pray?

Another question is how many times one should pray for a specific issue? The above example shows that Paul prayed three times. Let us consider another very different example. Luke 18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? Therefore, what to pray and whether or not keep praying is a personal thing between God and you. Through praying, a Christian gradually knows more and more of God and grows into maturity.

Pray with Other Christians

It is good to pray with a group of Christians. Matthew 18:19 (Jesus said) “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Discuss your needs and concerns with your fellow Christians and pray together.

Watchman Nee’s book “New Believers” has one chapter on prayer. It has two main sections. I. Basic Rights of Christians. II. Conditions for Your Prayers Answered. Below is the condensed version of this chapter.

It can be difficult for a new believer to learn how to pray. Some may take 30 years even 50 years to learn how to pray. On the other hand, a new Christian of a few days may pray. Christians have basic right: prayer may be answered. God gives us such right. John 16:24 tells us that not only that our prayer can be answered but also we will full of joy. If God rarely answers your prayer, then you need to search yourself for the reason.

We may ask a new believer whether he/she has prayed today and whether God has listened to his/her prayer. If God has not listened to his/her prayer, he/she need to learn how to pray.

Conditions of Prayer Answered

James 4:2 …… You do not have because you do not ask God. Matthew 7(Jesus said) :7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

At the beginning of Watchman Nee’s Christian life, a Christian asked him whether his prayer had been answered. He was surprised and he did not think that his prayer would be answered. After examining his prayer, he found that his prayer was too general, not clear whether God would has answered his prayer. His advice: be specific in your prayer. From the above Jesus’ teaching, if you need the door to open for you. You need to know the door. If you knock the wall, of course the door will not open for you.

One should pray according to one’s needs not covet. James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. This has been discussed earlier. When you pray, you should not pray in flesh, not ask more than you need. One should not ask God: give the Moon to me.

If we want our prayers answered by God, we must deal with our sins. Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened;

Note here that sin in the heart. One can be weak in many aspects but God may listen him/her. On the other hand, if you have sin in your heart, God will not listen to your prayer. Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,

but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Questions:

1) Why pray is important?

2) How often should you pray?

3) What parts should a prayer consist of?

4) What should you ask from God: you need or you want?

5) How many times should you pray for a particular need?

6) When should you pray in a group?