按着神的心意祈求
约翰壹书五章1至15节
1凡信耶稣是基督的，都是从神而生，凡爱生他之神的，也必爱从神生的。
2我们若爱神，又遵守他的诫命，从此就知道我们爱神的儿女。
3我们遵守神的诫命，这就是爱他了，并且他的诫命不是难守的。
4因为凡从神生的，就胜过世界；使我们胜了世界的，就是我们的信心。
5胜过世界的是谁呢？不是那信耶稣是神儿子的么？
6这借着水和血而来的，就是耶稣基督；不是单用水，乃是用水又用血，
7并且有圣灵作见证，因为圣灵就是真理。
8作见证的原来有三：就是圣灵、水，与血，这三样也都归于一。
9我们既领受人的见证，神的见证更该领受了（该领受：原文作大），因神的见证是为他儿子作的。
10信神儿子的，就有这见证在他心里；不信神的，就是将神当作说谎的，因不信神为他儿子作的见证。
11这见证就是神赐给我们永生；这永生也是在他儿子里面。
12人有了神的儿子就有生命，没有神的儿子就没有生命。
13我将这些话写给你们信奉神儿子之名的人，要叫你们知道自己有永生。
14我们若照他的旨意求甚么，他就听我们，这是我们向他所存坦然无惧的心。
15既然知道他听我们一切所求的，就知道我们所求于他的，无不得着。
信息分享
有些祈求是永远合乎神的心意的。你若为到亲人或朋友的得救向神祈求，永远都合乎神的心意，因为神的心意是要人人得救，不愿意有一人沉沦。可是，至于其他事情，我们又怎能知道是否合乎神的心意呢？圣经告诉我们，我们可借着以下途径来明白神的心意：
借着神的话语──圣经。
神已经借着祂的话语，将祂的心意向我们显明。凡是神在圣经中确切应许会赐给我们的东西，都一定合乎神的心意。例如，雅各书教导说，我们中间若有缺少智慧的，只要向神求，神就必赐给我们(雅一5)。因此，我们必须多读圣经，以致能明白神究竟给予我们甚么应许。
借着圣灵。
若遇到有些事情，是圣经的应许并没有提及的，我们就当倚靠圣灵的帮助来寻求神的心意。(罗八章14、26-27节。)圣灵不单引导我们去明白神的心意，更会与我们一同祷告，并为我们代求。
借着顺服的心。
当我们还是在一片迷蒙之中，未能明白神的心意，我们在祷告的时候，就应该学像救主在客西马尼园祷告那样，向神表明自己愿意完全顺服祂的心意：「不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。」这种顺服的祷告，神定必垂听。
我们稍后将会看看神会如何回应我们的祷告。但无论如何，我们必须紧记：凡是按照祂的心意、奉祂儿子的名向祂发出的祈求，神终必垂听。
经训：
「我爱耶和华，因为他听了我的声音和恳求。」诗篇一一六篇1节
PRAYING IN THE WILL OF GOD
1 John 5: 1 - 15
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Message
There are some things that are always in his will. If you are praying for the salvation of a loved one or friend, you will always be in his will, because God is not willing that anyone should be lost, but that EVERYONE should come to know Christ. What about other matters however? How can we know his will about them?
By his Word, the Bible.
God has revealed his will in the book he has given us. When anything is definitely promised in the Bible, we know it is God's will to give it to us. For example, he has said that if I need wisdom, I can ask for it and he will give it to me (James 1:5). We need to study his book therefore, if we are going to discover these promises for ourselves.
By his Spirit.
Many things we need to know about may not be covered by a promise from the Bible. Here we have the help of the Spirit of God. (See Romans 8:14, 26, 27.) As we pray, the Holy Spirit will lead us and pray with us and for us.
By submission.
If we do not know his will, then we need to add to our prayers the words our Saviour used in Gethsemane. 'Nevertheless not my will but yours be done.'
That kind of prayer will always bring God's answers. Later in this series we will look at the answers God gives when we pray. But remember, God never fails to hear prayer when it is offered in the name of his Son and 'according to his will'.
A VERSE FOR TODAY:
I love the Lord because he hears my voice.
Psalm 116:1