第一週 • 週三
晨興餧養
但九19 主阿，求你垂聽！主阿，求你赦免！主阿，求你傾聽並行事！我的神阿，為你自己的緣故，求你不要遲延；因你的城和你的民，都是稱為你名下的。
太二六39 祂就稍往前走，面伏於地，禱告說，我父阿，若是可能，就叫這杯離開我；然而不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。
一個彀水準的禱告，必須能說這不是人為着自己禱告，乃是人為着神禱告。所有真實的禱告，都不是人為着自己禱告，也不是人為着別人禱告，乃是人為着神禱告。連我們為罪人的得救，為弟兄姊妹的復興代禱，都該是為着神禱告。…禱告最高的意義，就是叫神能得着祂的權益（就是權柄和利益）。從表面看，你的禱告可以為着許多的人，為着許多的事，或是為着你的自己，但是你必須追到一個根源，叫你能說，『神阿，我這些禱告都是為着你。我這些祈求能不能得着成就是非常小的事，但你在這些事上的權益是一件大的事。…連我為召會禱告也是這樣；召會冷也罷，熱也罷，好也罷，壞也罷，死也罷，活也罷，這都是一些小的問題，但是你的計畫、你的見證、你的權益，能不能得到該得的地位，這才是個大的問題。所以我不是為着召會復興禱告，乃是為着你的權益禱告。』（李常受文集一九五九年第四冊，三六至三七頁）。
信息選讀
求主用血遮蓋我，讓我交通一點自己的經歷。有好多次當我在財物上、需用上有了缺乏的時候，…我剛剛跪到神面前去，裏面就問說，『你是為着自己禱告呢，還是為着神禱告？』每一次裏面這樣問的時候，我都伏在神的面前對神說，『神，如果是為着我這個人，就是窮死了、餓死了，都沒有關係。但是你知道，在這裏有你的權益，有你的寶座。所以我雖然向你要一點財物，還不是為着我自己，乃是為着你。…』你看這是一個厲害的禱告。
我們必須用這個摸着一個最深、最厲害的原則來測量我們的禱告。你如果這樣來測量，就會發現，連在禱告這樣神聖的事上，你的裏頭大多還是滿了自己，大多沒有經過神的純潔！無論是禱告的目的、動機，還是盼望，你的裏面都是攙雜的。不錯，你在禱告神，但你的心全數是自己在那裏求。不錯，你求神給你恩典，但都是你的成分在裏面。你在許多禱告的事上，滿了自己的攙雜。所以你必須接受神的對付，叫你有一天能對神說，『神，我在這裏禱告，不是為着我自己，乃是為着你。』
我們若是學過這樣的功課，在神面前就沒有苦求，也沒有可憐地求，我們都能在那裏很雄壯地求，因為不是為着自己，乃是為着神。…但以理是一個在神裏頭經過，也讓神在他裏頭經過的人；他是和神一同禱告，也讓神和他一同禱告的人。所以他能在那裏說，為着你自己來作這件事〔但九19〕。
所有正確的禱告，也都是人的話語說出神的心意來。不錯，是你在那裏說話，但卻是神在那裏把祂的心意發表出來。…所以真實的禱告都不是發表我們的意思，乃是把神的心意從我們的禱告裏發表出來。…任何一個彀水準的禱告，都不是從人發起的，乃是從神發起的。這個發起就是指着神把祂的心意塗抹到人裏面來。人接受了這個心意，再變作禱告的話向神說出來，這就是禱告。…我們去禱告，必須先安靜在神面前，和神有交通，讓神把祂的心意塗抹在我們裏面，這樣我們的禱告纔能發表神的心意（李常受文集一九五九年第四冊，三七至四一頁）。
參讀：禱告，第三章。
WEEK 1 — DAY 3
Morning Nourishment
Dan. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your own name.
Matt. 26:39 And going forward a little, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.
A prayer that is up to the standard must be one in which man is not praying for himself or for others but for God. Even when we pray for sinners to be saved or for the brothers and sisters to be revived, we ought to be praying for God…The highest meaning of prayer is that it is a means by which God may gain His authority and benefit. Apparently, you may be praying for many people, for many things, or for yourself, but you must be able to go to the root of the matter and say, “O God, all these prayers are for Your sake. Whether or not my prayers are answered is of very little significance, but Your authority and benefit in these matters are of immense importance… The same is true when I pray for the church. Whether the church is cold or hot, good or bad, dead or living—these are of small concern compared to whether or not Your plan, Your testimony, and Your authority can benefit and gain their rightful places. Therefore, I am not praying for the revival of the church but for Your authority and benefit.” (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” p. 28)
Todays Reading
May the Lord cover me with His blood and allow me to share something from my own experience. There were quite a few times when I suffered want in material things and necessities…As I knelt down before God, there was an asking within: “Are you praying for yourself, or are you praying for God’s sake?” Whenever there was such an asking within, I prostrated myself before God and said to Him, “O God, if it were for myself, it would not matter if I suffered poverty and starvation even unto death, but Your authority and benefit are involved. Although I am asking for some material things from You, it is still not for my own sake but for Your sake…” You see, this is a proper prayer.
You must touch this deep and tremendous principle and measure your prayers by it. Then you will discover, even in such a divine matter as prayer, how much you are still filled with yourself and how little you have passed through God’s purification. Whether it is in the intention, the motive, or the expectation of your prayer, there is mixture within you. Yes, you are praying to God, but in your heart you are praying wholly on your own and for your own sake. Therefore, you must be dealt with by God until one day you become able to say, “O God, I am praying not for myself but for Your sake. In my motive, intention, and expectation there is no place for me; rather, everything is for Your sake.”
If we would learn such a lesson, we would no longer need to implore God or beg for His pity; instead, we would be able to pray bravely and strongly, for we would be praying not for ourselves but for God’s sake…Daniel was one who passed through God and allowed God to pass through him. He was also one who prayed with God and allowed God to pray with him. Hence, he could pray, “O Lord, hear…for Your own sake” [Dan. 9:19].
Every proper prayer is also man speaking forth the intention of God. Yes, it is you who are speaking, but it is God who is expressing His heart’s intent…True prayers do not express our ideas; rather, they express God’s intention through our utterance. Every prayer which is up to the standard is not initiated by man but by God. This initiation means that God anoints His intention into man. After man receives this intention, he converts it into words and utters them to God. This is prayer…When we pray, we must first be quiet before God, fellowship with Him, and allow Him to anoint His intention into us; thus our prayer can express God’s intention. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 29-31)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 3
