從迷惘到信靠
最崇高的禱告
經文
但以理書九1-19
1瑪代族亞哈隨魯的兒子大利烏立為迦勒底國的王元年，
2就是他在位第一年，我但以理從書上得知耶和華的話臨到先知耶利米，論耶路撒冷荒涼的年數，七十年為滿。
3我便禁食，披麻蒙灰，定意向主神祈禱懇求。
4我向耶和華我的神祈禱、認罪，說：主啊，大而可畏的神，向愛主、守主誡命的人守約施慈愛。
5我們犯罪作孽，行惡叛逆，偏離你的誡命典章，
6沒有聽從你僕人眾先知奉你名向我們君王、首領、列祖，和國中一切百姓所說的話。
7主啊，你是公義的，我們是臉上蒙羞的；因我們猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民，並以色列眾人，或在近處，或在遠處，被你趕到各國的人，都得罪了你，正如今日一樣。
8主啊，我們和我們的君王、首領、列祖因得罪了你，就都臉上蒙羞。
9主我們的神是憐憫饒恕人的，我們卻違背了他，
10也沒有聽從耶和華我們神的話，沒有遵行他藉僕人眾先知向我們所陳明的律法。
11以色列眾人都犯了你的律法，偏行，不聽從你的話；因此，在你僕人摩西律法上所寫的咒詛和誓言都傾在我們身上，因我們得罪了神。
12他使大災禍臨到我們，成就了警戒我們和審判我們官長的話；原來在普天之下未曾行過像在耶路撒冷所行的。
13這一切災禍臨到我們身上是照摩西律法上所寫的，我們卻沒有求耶和華我們神的恩典，使我們回頭離開罪孽，明白你的真理。
14所以耶和華留意使這災禍臨到我們身上，因為耶和華我們的神在他所行的事上都是公義；我們並沒有聽從他的話。
15主我們的神啊，你曾用大能的手領你的子民出埃及地，使自己得了名，正如今日一樣。我們犯了罪，作了惡。
16主啊，求你按你的大仁大義，使你的怒氣和忿怒轉離你的城耶路撒冷，就是你的聖山。耶路撒冷和你的子民，因我們的罪惡和我們列祖的罪孽被四圍的人羞辱。
17我們的神啊，現在求你垂聽僕人的祈禱懇求，為自己使臉光照你荒涼的聖所。
18我的神啊，求你側耳而聽，睜眼而看，眷顧我們荒涼之地和稱為你名下的城。我們在你面前懇求，原不是因自己的義，乃因你的大憐憫。
19求主垂聽，求主赦免，求主應允而行，為你自己不要遲延。我的神啊，因這城和這民都是稱為你名下的。
信息分享
現在我們來看哈巴谷怎麼樣由敬拜轉向禱告──這個禱告成了聖經其中一個最著名的祈求：「耶和華啊，求你在這些年間復興你的作為，在這些年間顯明出來；在發怒的時候以憐憫為念」（哈三2）。
我們必須注意到在這個禱告裡面，先知對神的態度完全改變了。他對神的做法再沒有任何質疑。甚至神告訴他即將要發生可怕的事情，他也沒有提出抗議。他也沒有祈求神扭轉祂的審判。相反的，就是神向他說明自己所做的事是恰當的，猶大即將受到的懲罰也是她應得的，哈巴谷也謙卑地接受。他的禱告包含完全順從神旨意的態度。
我選了但以理的禱告作為今天的閱讀經文，是因為他同樣顯出這種態度。好像哈巴谷一樣，但以理也謙卑和順從神的旨意。然而哈巴谷是怎樣扭轉他的態度的呢？我認為那是因為他改變了自己的屬靈焦點，由注視猶大轉向注視神。哈巴谷將注意力集中在猶大和迦勒底人時感到困擾，但當他將注意力集中在神身上的時候，便進入屬靈的光照中。他開始從神的觀點看事物。因此他只關心神的榮耀──再沒有別的。當我們關注神的榮耀，超越其他一切的時候，就是在實踐一種最崇高的禱告。
「耶和華啊，求你復興你的作為」
進深研究
弗六1-7；詩四十8，一四三10
1. 我們要怎樣實行神的旨意？
2. 詩人怎樣回應神的旨意？
祈禱
神啊，求您幫助我將禱告提升到這個層次。教導我怎樣以您所看重的事情，來定立自己的優先次序；又求您幫助我，學習將您的榮耀列為首要的事情。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
From Confusion to Confidence
The highest form of prayer
Bible reading:
Daniel 9:1-19
1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom—
2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: "Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.
9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;
10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.
12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.
14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 "Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.
16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.
18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
Message
We look now at how Habakkuk moves from worship to prayer - a prayer, by the way, which has become one of the best-known petitions of Scripture: "O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2, NKJ).
We cannot help but notice, in this prayer the prophet's attitude toward God has completely changed. There is no longer any questioning of His way. He does not even protest at what God has told him about the terrible things that are going to happen. Nor does he petition God to reverse His judgment. Instead, there is a humble recognition that what God says He is about to do is perfectly proper and that the punishment that is to come upon Judah is one that she deserves. Habakkuk's prayer contains an attitude of complete submission to the will of God.
I have chosen the prayer of Daniel for today's reading because he too displays this attitude. Like Habakkuk, Daniel also came to a place of humiliation and submission to the divine will. But how did Habakkuk arrive at this position? I think it was because he had changed his spiritual focus from gazing at Judah to gazing at God. When Habakkuk focused his gaze on Judah and the Chaldeans he was troubled, but when he focused his gaze on God, he moved into the realm of spiritual light and illumination. He saw things from God's point of view. Thus he is concerned for the glory of God - and nothing else. We practise the highest form of prayer when our concern for God's glory transcends all other priorities.
"O Lord, revive Your work"
Prayer
O God, help me lift my praying to this high place. Teach me how to bring my priorities in line with Your priority and how to make my primary concern the glory of God. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 6:1-7
Psalm 40:8; 143:10
1. How are we to carry out the will of God?
2. How did the Psalmist respond to God's will?
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