双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：6月10日 祷告生活

6月10日

祷告生活

“耶稣却退到旷野去祷告。”路加福音5:16

耶稣把祷告看得比饮食更重要。圣经说，“次日早晨，天未亮的时候，耶稣起来，到旷野地方去，在那里祷告。”马可福音1:35

神子把祷告看得比聚会和医治更重要。圣经说，“但耶稣的名声越发传扬出去，有极多的人聚集来听道，也指望医治他们的病。耶稣却退到旷野去祷告。”（路加福音5:15-16）对我们的救主来说，与父神相交的宝贵时光比睡觉更重要，因为圣经说：“那时，耶稣出去，上山祷告，整夜祷告神；”（路加福音6:12）

耶稣在丧礼上祷告，死人复活；耶稣为五饼二鱼祝福，就以一个小男孩的午餐喂饱了众人；面对即将在加略山十字架上所受的酷刑，耶稣祷告说：“不要成就我的意思，只要成就你的意思。”

（路加福音22:42）耶稣为罪人预备了一条道路，使他可以来到圣洁上帝的面前悔改。

真正意义上的祷告，不应该是在恐惧和绝望中的呼求。很多人只是在压力很大、处于危险和面临危机时才祷告。我曾经在飞机上，遇到发动机熄火，这时人们就开始祷告；我也曾在飞机上遇到糟糕的雷雨天气，我周围的人开始祷告，他们或许从来没有想过要祷告；我曾经和一些士兵交谈过，他们告诉我自己从来没有祷告过，直到在战场上。人类似乎有种本能，就是在紧急的时候祷告。

俗话说，“散兵坑里没有无神论者”，就是说人在危机时才会相信神。但是这未免过于肤浅、缺乏真诚，并不是真正的基督信仰。

教会一直强调祷告是信徒信仰生活的最重要的部分。有不知名的智者说：“如果基督徒花同样多的时间去祷告而不是抱怨，那么很快他们就没有什么可抱怨的了。”

今日祷告：

天父，我们来到祢的面前向祢祷告、向祢寻求。天父，我们不仅在困境中向祢呼求，也在感恩、喜乐、悲伤和平安时向祢献上祷告。因为祢是我们的安慰者，是我们喜乐的源泉；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

June 10

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.Luke 5:16 NIV

Jesus considered prayer more important than food,for the Bible says that hours before breakfast,“Very early in the morning,while it was still dark,Jesus got up,left the house and went off to a solitary place,where he prayed”(Mark 1:35 NIV).

To the Son of God,prayer was more important than the assembling and the healing of great throngs.The Bible says,“Crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”(Luke 5:15-16,NIV).

The precious hours of fellowship with His heavenly Father meant much more to our Savior than sleep,for the Bible says,“Jesus went out into the hills to pray,and spent the night praying to God”(Luke 6:12,NIV).

He prayed at funerals,and the dead were raised.He prayed over the five loaves and two fishes,and fed a multitude with a little boy’s lunch.In the contemplation of His imminent suffering on Calvary’s cross He prayed,“Not my will,but yours”(Luke 22:42,NIV)and a way was made where by sinful man might approach a holy God.

Prayer,in the true sense,is not a futile cry of desperation born of fear and frustration.Many people pray only when they are under great stress,or in danger,or facing some crisis.I have been in airplanes when an engine died,then people started praying.I have flown through bad thunderstorms when people who may never have thought to pray before were praying all around me.I have talked to soldiers who told me that they never prayed until they were in the midst of battle.There seems to be an instinct in man to pray in times of dander.

We know“there are few atheists in foxholes,”but that kind of Christianity fails to reach into our everyday lives,and it is too shallow to be genuine.

Christian teachers down through the ages have urged the prominence that prayer should have in the lives of believers.Some anonymous wise man has said,“If Christians spent as much time praying as they do grumbling,they would soon have nothing to grumble about.”

Pray for the Day:

Father,we come to You to pray,to seek You,and to be in Your presence.Father,we call on You not only when we are in trouble,but also when we are thankful,when we’re joyful,in sorrow and in peace.For You are our comforter,and You are our source of joy;in Jesus’Name.