第一週 • 週一
晨興餧養
羅八26~27 …那靈也照樣幫同擔負我們的輭弱；我們本不曉得當怎樣禱告，只是那靈親自用說不出來的歎息，為我們代求。那鑒察人心的，曉得那靈的意思，因為祂是照着神為聖徒代求。
許多人一聽見禱告這個辭，馬上就領會說，禱告就是人來求告神，禱告就是因為人這裏有了缺乏，需要物質的供應；或者有了疾病，需要醫治；或者有了其他的難處，需要解決，所以就到神面前去求告，求神供應，求神醫治，求神解決。…但是…這些並不是聖經裏面所說，關乎禱告的正確意義。這個定義雖然不敢說錯，但是太淺顯，不彀深刻，也不彀準確。
真實的禱告，就是神人二者互相的接觸。禱告不光是人來接觸神，也是神來接觸人。…一個真實搆得上水準的禱告，定規會有一種光景，神人二者互相交流，叫人觸着神，也叫神觸着人；叫人和神有聯結，叫神也和人有聯結。所以禱告最高、最準確的一個定義，就是神人互相接觸（李常受文集一九五九年第四冊，二一、二五頁）。
信息選讀
一個真實的禱告，也是人來呼吸神，如同呼吸空氣一樣。當你這樣呼吸神的時候，自然就得着神，如同呼吸空氣，得着空氣一樣；結果不光神作了你的享受，給你得着，並且你的全人也都降服神，歸向神，讓神完全得着。你禱告越多，你充滿神就越多。
一個搆得上禱告的禱告，雖然可能求一件事也得到成全，但最終的後果乃是叫這一個祈求的人更摸着神，也讓神更得着他。
真實的禱告乃是來吸取神自己，得着神自己，而讓神得着我們。所有在神之外求那些人事物的，都不是禱告的本質，不過是禱告的外皮，或者說是禱告的附屬品。真實的禱告，本質的禱告，都是你在那裏觸着神、呼吸神、享受神、得着神、充滿神，而讓神得着你這個人。
一個弟兄或是姊妹，若真學會了前兩點禱告的祕訣，…他這一個禱告的人定規是和神合作，與神同工的，也定規讓神從他裏面，藉着他把神自己和神的心意發表出來，最終成功了神的旨意。這就是羅馬八章二十六至二十七節所說的，我們本不曉得當怎樣禱告，乃是那靈在我們裏面照着神來代求。真的，我們本不曉得當怎樣禱告。
真實的禱告都是聖靈在人裏面，藉着人發表神的心意。換句話說，真實的禱告，都是雙層人物的禱告。甚麼是雙層人物的禱告？那就是說，不是人自己在那裏禱告神，乃是聖靈調在人裏頭、穿着人、帶着人和人一起來禱告。從外面看是人禱告，從裏面看卻又是聖靈禱告。這就是兩層的人物在同一個時候發表同一個禱告。
『那靈…照着神為聖徒代求。』〔羅八27〕意思就是聖靈在我們裏面照着神來禱告，也就是神藉着祂的靈在我們裏面來禱告，所以這一個禱告定規是發表神自己，當然也發表神的心意。
真實的禱告乃是配合聖經，在神面前一呼一吸，叫我們和神，神和我們彼此接觸，互相得着，結果我們和神就得以完全合作，完全同工，神就藉着我們發表祂的自己和祂的心意，最終成功祂的旨意。這就是聖經裏所說禱告簡要的定義（李常受文集一九五九年第四冊，二五至三一頁）。
參讀：禱告，第一章。
WEEK 1 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 8:26-27 …In like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the.Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God.
Many people, upon hearing the term prayer, immediately think that it means man coming before God to make supplication. Because man is in want and needs material supply, or is sick and needs healing, or has other problems and needs some solution, he goes before God, asking Him to supply his needs, heal his sickness, and solve his problems…However,…this is not the proper meaning of prayer as it is revealed in the Bible. We dare not say that such a definition is wrong, but it is too superficial and lacks both depth and accuracy.
Real prayer is the mutual contact between God and man. Prayer is not just man contacting God but also God contacting man…Every prayer that is truly up to the standard surely will have a condition of mutual flowing between God and man so that man may actually touch God and God may actually touch man; thus, man is united with God, and God with man. Therefore, the highest and most accurate meaning of prayer is that it is the mutual contact between God and man. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 17, 19-20)
Todays Reading
A real prayer is also man breathing in God just as he breathes in air. While you are thus breathing in God, spontaneously you are obtaining God, just as when you breath in air, you receive air. Consequently, not only is God obtained by you to become your enjoyment, but also your whole being surrenders to God, turns unto God, and is wholly gained by God. The more you pray, the more you will be filled with God.
The ultimate result of a prayer should be that the intercessor gains more of God and is gained more by God, although the thing which he has asked of God may also be fulfilled.
Real prayer is to inhale God Himself, to obtain God, and to be obtained by God. All those prayers for people, affairs, and things that are outside God are not the essence of prayer but are merely the outer skin or accessories of prayer. A real prayer, a prayer of essence, is one in which you actually contact God, breathe Him, enjoy Him, obtain Him, are filled with Him, and allow Him to gain your being.
If a brother or sister has really learned the secret of prayer,…such a praying one will certainly cooperate with God, work together with God, and allow God to express Himself and His desire from within him and through him, ultimately accomplishing God’s purpose. This is according to Romans 8:26 and 27, which tell us that we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s purpose. Actually, we do not know how to pray.
Real prayers are the Holy Spirit within man expressing God’s desire through man. In other words, real prayers are prayers involving two parties. They are not simply man alone praying to God, but they are the Spirit mingling with man, putting on man, and joining with man in prayer. Outwardly it is man praying, but inwardly it is the Spirit praying. This means that two parties express the same prayer at the same time.
“The Spirit…intercedes…according to God” [Rom. 8:27]. This means that the Holy Spirit prays in us according to God; that is, God prays in us through His Spirit. Thus, such a prayer certainly expresses God’s intention as well as God Himself.
Real prayer always matches the Scriptures; it is an exhaling and inhaling before God, causing us and God, God and us, to contact one another and to obtain one another. Consequently, we wholly cooperate and work with God, and God expresses Himself and His desire through us, ultimately accomplishing His purpose. This is a fundamental meaning of prayer in the Bible. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 20-24)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 1
