3月20日 与神为友

我所要作的事,岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢?(创十八17)

与神为友的快乐。这一章说出与神真正为友的快乐,较之祈祷时偶尔感到他同在是大有不同。若与神亲密到一个地步,不需要求他向你指示他的心意。这样,你的信心生活就进入成长的阶段了。与神的关系正常,生命就自由快乐;你就是神的旨意,你一切凭理智所作出的决定,就是他在你身上的旨意,除非他有特别的拦阻。你与神有美好愉快的友谊,便可以决定一切事情,因为就是决定错了,他总会阻止;他一阻止,就该立刻停止。

与神为友的困难。亚伯拉罕为什么停止了祷告?他与神的关系还未够亲密,所以在神未答应他的要求之前,便不敢前进。这时他与神的关系,仍有待改进。我们祷告时,若突然中止,说:“唔,我不敢肯定,这也许不是神的旨意。”这样,你还有另一些阶段要经历。我们认识神还未及耶稣的深切,也未达到他要我们应有的认识——“使他们合而为一,像我们合而为一。”试想想你最后祷告的事是什么?是专注于自己的需求呢?还是神自己?是坚持要得一些圣灵的恩赐?还是要见神的面?“你们没有祈求以先,你们所需用的,你们的父早已知道了。”所以,祈求的目的是使你更认识神。“要以耶和华为乐,他就将你心里所求的赐给你。”不住的祷告,使对神有更完全的认识。

祈祷◆噢,主啊,“愿祢昼夜看顾这殿。”愿祢保守和护卫它,远离所有与祢心意相违的东西,并且使我们每一个都成为祢内心深处所切望的人。

March 20 Friendship With God

“Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” Genesis 18:17

Its Delights. This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with occasional feelings of His presence in prayer. To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God’s will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at once.

Its Difficulties. Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He was not intimate enough yet to go boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired in his relationship to God. Whenever we stop short in prayer and say – “Well, I don’t know; perhaps it is not God’s will,” there is still another stage to go. We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us to be – “That they may be one even as we are one.” Think of the last thing you prayed about – were you devoted to your desire or to God? Determined to get some gift of the Spirit or to get at God? “Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him.” The point of asking is that you may get to know God better. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding of God Himself.