1998秋季长老
总题：为着生机建造基督的身体所需要的工作、生活异象（一）
第八篇　发展个人的祷告生活
Message Eight Developing a Personal Prayer Life
读经：路十一1，太六6，徒十9，西四2
Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:6; Acts 10:9; Col. 4:2
壹　祷告的意义：
I.　The meaning of prayer:
一　祷告是人与神彼此的接触。
A.　Prayer is the mutual contact between man and God.
1　祷告不仅是人接触神，也是神接触人。
1.　Prayer is not just man contacting God but God contacting man.
2　祷告就是人与神之间的交流。
2.　Prayer is the flowing between man and God.
二　祷告乃是人呼吸神，得着神，而给神得着。
B.　Prayer is man breathing God, obtaining God, and being obtained by God:
1　真实的祷告，乃是人吸入神。
1.　Real prayer is man breathing in God.
2　真实的祷告，乃是在神前的呼吸，使我们和神彼此接触，并彼此得着。
2.　Real prayer is an exhaling and inhaling before God, causing us and God to contact each other and to obtain each other.
三　祷告乃是人与神合作同工，让神借着人发表祂自己和祂的心意，而成功祂的旨意─罗八26~27，雅五17。
C.　Prayer is man cooperating and co-working with God, allowing God to express Himself through man and thus accomplish His purpose—Rom. 8:26-27; James 5:17:
1　一个祷告的人必定与神合作，与神同工，让神从他里面并借着他，把神自己和神的心意发表出来。
1.　A praying one will cooperate with God, work together with God, and allow God to express Himself and His desire from within him and through him.
2　真实的祷告，使我们这个人与神完全调和，使我们成为一个双层的人物─神调着人。
2.　Real prayers cause our being to be wholly mingled with God, causing us to become a person of two parties—God mingled with man.
贰　祷告与否认己─可八34，九29
II.　Prayer and the denial of the self:
一　祷告的意思是说，我们体会自己是一无所有、一无所能的。
A.　To pray means that we realize that we are nothing and that we can do nothing.
二　祷告是真正的否认己。
B.　Prayer is the real denial of the self:
1　祷告就是否认己，看见自己是一无所是，一无所能的
1.　To pray is to deny ourselves, knowing that we are nothing and that we can do nothing.
2　马可九章二十九节的“祷告”这辞，实际上是指“不再是我，乃是基督”─加二20。
2.　The word prayer in Mark 9:29 actually means "no longer I, but Christ"—Gal. 2:20.
3　祷告就是实际的宣告，‘不是我，乃是基督。’
3.　To pray is actually to declare, "Not I, but Christ."
叁　祷告与那灵─犹20，弗六18。
III.　Prayer and the Spirit—Jude 20; Eph. 6:18:
一　在圣经里，那灵是与我们的祷告相联的。
A.　In the Bible the Spirit is linked with our prayer.
二　祷告与那灵乃是一。
B.　Praying and the Spirit are one.
三　我们若没有祷告，就没有那灵。
C.　If we are without prayer, we will be without the Spirit.
四　我们接触那灵惟一的路，乃是借着祷告。
D.　The only way that we can touch the Spirit is by prayer.
肆　祷告与活力
IV.　Prayer and vitality:
一　祷告使我们有活力。
A.　Prayer makes us vital.
二　有活力的意思就是，在我们的灵里得释放。
B.　To be vital means to be released in our spirit.
三　除了借着祷告，没有别的路能使我们有活力。
C.　There is no other way to be vital except by prayer.
伍　坚定持续的祷告─西四2。
V.　Persevering in prayer—Col. 4:2:
一　我们若要留住我们从主所得的恩典，就必须坚定持续的祷告。
A.　If we would persevere the grace we have received from the Lord, we need to persevere in prayer.
二　我们必须坚定持续的祷告，因为祷告与争战有关。
B.　We need to persevere in prayer because prayer involves a battle.
三　我们想要坚定持续的祷告以前，首先该为祷告的事与主办交涉，把自己献给祂，好叫我们有正确的祷告生活。
C.　Before we try to persevere in prayer, we should first make a deal with the Lord concerning prayer, offering ourselves to Him to have a proper prayer life.
四　我们每天该划出定时祷告的时间。
D.　We should set aside certain times each day for prayer.