从迷惘到信靠
最崇高的祷告
经文
但以理书九1-19
1玛代族亚哈随鲁的儿子大利乌立为迦勒底国的王元年，
2就是他在位第一年，我但以理从书上得知耶和华的话临到先知耶利米，论耶路撒冷荒凉的年数，七十年为满。
3我便禁食，披麻蒙灰，定意向主神祈祷恳求。
4我向耶和华我的神祈祷、认罪，说：主啊，大而可畏的神，向爱主、守主诫命的人守约施慈爱。
5我们犯罪作孽，行恶叛逆，偏离你的诫命典章，
6没有听从你仆人众先知奉你名向我们君王、首领、列祖，和国中一切百姓所说的话。
7主啊，你是公义的，我们是脸上蒙羞的；因我们犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民，并以色列众人，或在近处，或在远处，被你赶到各国的人，都得罪了你，正如今日一样。
8主啊，我们和我们的君王、首领、列祖因得罪了你，就都脸上蒙羞。
9主我们的神是怜悯饶恕人的，我们却违背了他，
10也没有听从耶和华我们神的话，没有遵行他藉仆人众先知向我们所陈明的律法。
11以色列众人都犯了你的律法，偏行，不听从你的话；因此，在你仆人摩西律法上所写的咒诅和誓言都倾在我们身上，因我们得罪了神。
12他使大灾祸临到我们，成就了警戒我们和审判我们官长的话；原来在普天之下未曾行过像在耶路撒冷所行的。
13这一切灾祸临到我们身上是照摩西律法上所写的，我们却没有求耶和华我们神的恩典，使我们回头离开罪孽，明白你的真理。
14所以耶和华留意使这灾祸临到我们身上，因为耶和华我们的神在他所行的事上都是公义；我们并没有听从他的话。
15主我们的神啊，你曾用大能的手领你的子民出埃及地，使自己得了名，正如今日一样。我们犯了罪，作了恶。
16主啊，求你按你的大仁大义，使你的怒气和忿怒转离你的城耶路撒冷，就是你的圣山。耶路撒冷和你的子民，因我们的罪恶和我们列祖的罪孽被四围的人羞辱。
17我们的神啊，现在求你垂听仆人的祈祷恳求，为自己使脸光照你荒凉的圣所。
18我的神啊，求你侧耳而听，睁眼而看，眷顾我们荒凉之地和称为你名下的城。我们在你面前恳求，原不是因自己的义，乃因你的大怜悯。
19求主垂听，求主赦免，求主应允而行，为你自己不要迟延。我的神啊，因这城和这民都是称为你名下的。
信息分享
现在我们来看哈巴谷怎么样由敬拜转向祷告──这个祷告成了圣经其中一个最著名的祈求：「耶和华啊，求你在这些年间复兴你的作为，在这些年间显明出来；在发怒的时候以怜悯为念」（哈三2）。
我们必须注意到在这个祷告里面，先知对神的态度完全改变了。他对神的做法再没有任何质疑。甚至神告诉他即将要发生可怕的事情，他也没有提出抗议。他也没有祈求神扭转祂的审判。相反的，就是神向他说明自己所做的事是恰当的，犹大即将受到的惩罚也是她应得的，哈巴谷也谦卑地接受。他的祷告包含完全顺从神旨意的态度。
我选了但以理的祷告作为今天的阅读经文，是因为他同样显出这种态度。好像哈巴谷一样，但以理也谦卑和顺从神的旨意。然而哈巴谷是怎样扭转他的态度的呢？我认为那是因为他改变了自己的属灵焦点，由注视犹大转向注视神。哈巴谷将注意力集中在犹大和迦勒底人时感到困扰，但当他将注意力集中在神身上的时候，便进入属灵的光照中。他开始从神的观点看事物。因此他只关心神的荣耀──再没有别的。当我们关注神的荣耀，超越其他一切的时候，就是在实践一种最崇高的祷告。
「耶和华啊，求你复兴你的作为」
进深研究
弗六1-7；诗四十8，一四三10
1. 我们要怎样实行神的旨意？
2. 诗人怎样回应神的旨意？
祈祷
神啊，求您帮助我将祷告提升到这个层次。教导我怎样以您所看重的事情，来定立自己的优先次序；又求您帮助我，学习将您的荣耀列为首要的事情。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
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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