禱告學校
路加福音十一章1至13節
1耶穌在一個地方禱告;禱告完了,有個門徒對他說:求主教導我們禱告,像約翰教導他的門徒。
2耶穌說:你們禱告的時候,要說:我們在天上的父(有古卷只作:父阿):願人都尊你的名為聖。願你的國降臨;願你的旨意行在地上,如同行在天上(有古卷無願你的旨意云云)。
3我們日用的飲食,天天賜給我們。
4赦免我們的罪,因為我們也赦免凡虧欠我們的人。不叫我們遇見試探;救我們脫離兇惡(有古卷無末句)。
5耶穌又說:你們中間誰有一個朋友半夜到他那裡去,說:朋友!請借給我三個餅;
6因為我有一個朋友行路,來到我這裡,我沒有甚麼給他擺上。
7那人在裡面回答說:不要攪擾我,門已經關閉,孩子們也同我在床上了,我不能起來給你。
8我告訴你們,雖不因他是朋友起來給他,但因他情詞迫切的直求,就必起來照他所需用的給他。
9我又告訴你們,你們祈求,就給你們;尋找,就尋見;叩門,就給你們開門。
10因為,凡祈求的,就得著;尋找的,就尋見;叩門的,就給他開門。
11你們中間作父親的,誰有兒子求餅,反給他石頭呢?求魚,反拿蛇當魚給他呢?
12求雞蛋,反給他蠍子呢?
13你們雖然不好,尚且知道拿好東西給兒女;何況天父,豈不更將聖靈給求他的人麼?
信息分享
門徒所求的,不是要耶穌給他們講解「如何禱告」的道理,他們是希望耶穌教導他們如何切實地向神祈禱。坊間有很多論及禱告的書籍,我們讀後必有裨益。然而,除非我們把學到的道理真正實踐出來,否則知道一切道理亦與我們無益。我們閱讀園藝或烹飪的書籍也是同一道理:除非我們真正活學活用,否則知道一切理論也對我們無所助益。
究竟甚麼是「禱告」?禱告就是與神交談,換言之,不單是我們向神傾訴,我們也要留心聽神對我們說話。禱告的時候,我們要真心誠意地向神剖白我們的心意、我們的生命和我們的境遇。同時,我們也要毫無保留地向神表達我們對祂的愛,並為到祂在我們生命中的一切作為,向祂表示感恩。
禱告可以包含很豐富的內容,但向神發出感謝和讚美,卻是絕不可少。當然,我們還可以為到具體的需要向神祈求。總而言之,當我們禱告的時候,我們是來到神的面前「傾心吐意」,就如舊約的哈拿一樣(參看撒母耳記上一章15至16節)。
在接著的一個星期,我們將會細心查看聖經之中有關禱告的一些教導。但在開始之前,讓我們都像門徒一樣,先真誠地請求主:「主啊,求你教導我們禱告。」
THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER
Luke 11: 1 - 13
1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?
8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Message
It means not only 'Lord teach us how to pray' but also 'Lord, teach us to do it'. There are a great many books which have been written on prayer and it would help us to read them. But unless we put into practice what we already know or learn, it will not do anything for us. In the same way we could read books on gardening or on farming, but unless we get out and work they will not help us at all.
What do you mean by 'prayer'? It is talking to God, but it also includes listening to him. It is opening our hearts and our lives to him, opening our circumstances to him. It is also telling him of our love and giving him our thanks for what he has done for us.
Prayer means many things but it usually includes thanking God, which is praise, and asking God for something, which is petition. It is also the overflow of our hearts as Hannah said in 1 Samuel 1: 15-16 'I have poured out my soul before the Lord'.
Over the next week or so we will look at some of the things the Bible says about prayer. But could we make this our very sincere request today and for each day of our studies in prayer, 'Lord teach me to pray'? Will you do that now?

