願神得著當得的榮耀
約翰福音十七章1至10節
1耶穌說了這話，就舉目望天，說：父阿，時候到了，願你榮耀你的兒子，使兒子也榮耀你；
2正如你曾賜給他權柄管理凡有血氣的，叫他將永生賜給你所賜給他的人。
3認識你─獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。
4我在地上已經榮耀你，你所託付我的事，我已成全了。
5父阿，現在求你使我同你享榮耀，就是未有世界以先，我同你所有的榮耀。
6你從世上賜給我的人，我已將你的名顯明與他們。他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我，他們也遵守了你的道。
7如今他們知道，凡你所賜給我的，都是從你那裡來的；
8因為你所賜給我的道，我已經賜給他們，他們也領受了，又確實知道，我是從你出來的，並且信你差了我來。
9我為他們祈求，不為世人祈求，卻為你所賜給我的人祈求，因他們本是你的。
10凡是我的，都是你的；你的也是我的，並且我因他們得了榮耀。
信息分享
在學習禱告的過程中，我們今天要學的，也許是當中最難的一項功課；因為它教導我們：我們祈求神去成就某事的目的，乃是為了讓神得著當得的榮耀。這項祈求聽起來容易，但讓我們先停下來想一想：我們通常是為到甚麼事情向神祈求的？是否只為滿足我們本身的心願和期望？抑或，我們之所以為到那些事情向神祈求，完全是為了讓神得著榮耀？也就是說，當神成就我們的祈求，神就會得著榮耀。
舉例說，一位信主的姊妹，為甚麼要求神幫助她的丈夫戒除酒癮呢？是為免他飲醉之後大吵大鬧，使她的生活不得安寧？是為了使她不再在人前丟臉？抑或，她為他禱告，是希望神賜他救恩，使他成為一個新人，以致他能榮耀神？這兩種心態之間只有微妙的分別：一是為了解決自己的困擾，一是為了神的榮耀。神當然會為我們解決困擾，然而，我們卻有否記掛著神的榮耀？
然而，我們從經文之中，卻看到基督全心全意地祈求神得著榮耀。祂向神禱告說：「願你榮耀你的兒子」，祂為甚麼這樣祈求呢？祂這樣祈求是為了甚麼目的？難道是為了自己？不，讓我們看看緊接的下一句：「使兒子也榮耀你。」
因此，我們應該經常檢視自己的禱告。我們所祈求的，全是為了滿足自己嗎？只懂得祈求神賜予自己各樣好處嗎？抑或，我們能夠真誠地向神說：「父啊，我祈求你成就這事，為的是讓人看見你是一位垂聽和應允禱告的神。我會將頌讚和榮耀全歸於你！」
經訓：
「凡求告耶和華的，就是誠心求告他的，耶和華便與他們相近。」
詩篇一四五篇18節
PRAYER, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
John 17: 1 - 10
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
Message
Here is perhaps the hardest lesson of all to learn in the school of prayer. Our prayers must be for the glory of God. That sounds simple or easy, but stop and think about it for a moment. Why do we ask God for certain things? Just because we want them? Or can we honestly say that we are asking for them so that God can be glorified in answering our prayer?
Why does a Christian wife want her drunken husband to be saved? So that he will be easier to live with? So that she won't have to go to church on her own any more? It is easy for us who are not in her position to say she should only ask for his salvation so that God might be glorified. What if we were in her position? Would we find it easy to pray for the husband's salvation so that God might be glorified and not because he would be easier to live with?
But this is how Christ prayed. What did he ask God for? 'Father, glorify your son.' Why did he want this? Why did he ask for it? Read the rest of the verse. 'So that your son might glorify you.'
It would be good for us to look at the requests we send up to God. Are they selfish prayers? Are we asking only for our own good? Or can we honestly say 'Father I am asking for this so that others may see you are a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God and I will give all the praise and all the glory to you!'
A BERSE FOR TODAY:
The Lord is near to all who call upon him … in truth and sincerity.
Psalm 145: 18