第四週■週一

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晨興餧養

提前二1 ～ 2『所以我勸你，第一要爲萬人祈求、禱告、代求、感謝；爲君王和一切有權位的也該如此，使我們可以十分敬虔莊重的過平靜安寧的生活。』

我們若要有正確的召會生活，首先必須有禱告的生活。領頭的人，就是那些在召會中服事話語的人，該領頭有這樣禱告的生活。禱告的職事乃是地方召會行政和牧養的先決條件。因此，保羅勸提摩太要爲萬人祈求、禱告、代求、感謝。〔提前二1。〕這是保羅說到神的經綸，並囑咐提摩太要爲神的經綸打那美好的仗以後，首次論到召會生活積極方面的話。提摩太必須領頭有禱告的生活。…今天在主的恢復裏要有正確召會生活的先決條件，是要有禱告的生活。正確的召會乃是禱告的召會。沒有禱告的召會是可憐的。…所有在主恢復裏的人都必須多多禱告，並抵擋不禱告的罪。召會中的長老必須接受保羅的囑咐，『第一』要禱告。〔1。〕（提摩太前書生命讀經，三一至三二頁。）

信息選讀

每當我們聽見一些關於某個召會的好消息或壞消息，我們就該禱告。不要討論那情況，不要閒談，也不要批評。只要禱告！照樣，你若聽見關於聖徒或長老的事，要爲那人禱告。…我們若操練自己有禱告的生活，召會就會活潑且拔高。若有人願作今日的提摩太，領頭禱告，別人會跟隨。這可由羊羣跟隨幾隻頭羊的方式作例證。

我們不該說這麼多，甚至不該作這麼多，乃該更多禱告。你若聽見聖徒輭弱或退後，不要談論那人，也不要批評他；此外，不要立刻去看望他，而要爲他禱告。你該不該看望他，在於主的引導。…不要擅自作任何事情。主若沒有引導你看望退後的聖徒，你就不該憑自己看望他。甚至在看望聖徒上，我們也可能是僭越的。…但若藉着我們的禱告，主確實引導我們看望某人，那個看望就會有果效。

每當我們聽見聖徒中間的難處，我們也該禱告。我們不該認爲自己是老練的，並有資格解決難處。…我們若知道弟兄們中間的難處，就應當在我們的禱告中將這事帶到主面前。

長老們照顧召會，應當作的第一件事就是禱告。不要沒有禱告就作決定。也不要不先爲某人禱告，就批評他或稱讚他。在作任何事情之前，我們都需要禱告。不僅如此，我們的禱告不該輕率或膚淺；我們的禱告必須透徹。惟有我們爲一件事透徹禱告以後，纔可以爲這事作決定，並非單憑我們自己，乃與主是一並照着祂的引導而作決定。長老們若這樣實行，我們所在地的召會生活就會拔高並正確。…我們若摸着提前二章一至七節裏保羅的靈，就會感覺他的負擔：在召會生活裏領頭的人，必須有禱告的生活。在這些經文裏，保羅似乎告訴提摩太：『我已給你看見神經綸的清楚圖畫，及其如何與不同的教訓相對。我也已向你指出，主在祂的憐憫裏，使我成爲祂經綸的榜樣。我也已鄭重的囑咐你，要爲神的經綸打那美好的仗。如今在我靈裏深處有負擔勸你要禱告。我勸你要爲萬人祈求、禱告、代求、感謝。不要以爲教導在禱告之前。不，禱告必須是第一，教導是其次。』（提摩太前書生命讀經，三二至三四頁。）

參讀：提摩太前書生命讀經，第三至四篇。

WEEK 4 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

1 Tim. 2:1-2 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity.

If we would have a proper church life, we must first have a prayer life. The leading ones, those who minister the word in the church, should take the lead to have such a prayer life. A prayer ministry is the prerequisite for the administration and shepherding of a local church. Thus, Paul exhorts Timothy that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men [1 Tim. 2:1]. This is the first word concerning the positive aspect of the church life that Paul gives after speaking of God’s economy and after charging Timothy to war the good warfare for God’s economy. Timothy had to take the lead to have a prayer life. A prerequisite for having a proper church life in the Lord’s recovery today is to have a prayer life. A proper church is a praying church. A church that is without prayer is pitiful...All in the Lord’s recovery must be prayerful and stand against the sin of prayerlessness. The elders in the churches must take up Paul’s charge to “first of all” pray [v. 1]. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, second edition, p. 25)

Today’s Reading

Whenever we hear some news, good or bad, concerning a particular church, we should pray. Do not discuss the situation, do not gossip about it, and do not criticize. Just pray! Likewise, if you hear something about a saint or about an elder, pray...If we exercise ourselves to have a prayer life, the church will be living and uplifted. If some would be today’s Timothys to take the lead to pray, the others will follow. This can be illustrated by the way a flock of sheep follows the few who take the lead.

Instead of talking so much and even instead of working so much, we should pray more. Should you hear that a saint is weak or backsliding, do not talk about that person, and do not criticize him. Moreover, do not immediately go to visit him. Instead, pray for him. Whether or not you should visit him depends on the Lord’s leading...Do not do anything presumptuously. If the Lord does not lead you to visit a backsliding saint, you should not visit him on your own. It is possible that even in visiting the saints, we may be presumptuous...But if through our prayer the Lord definitely leads us to visit a certain one, that visitation will be effective.

We should also pray whenever we hear of problems among the saints. We should not presume that we are experienced and qualified to solve problems...If we learn about a problem between brothers, we should bring this matter to the Lord in our prayer.

The first thing the elders should do in caring for the church is pray. Do not make decisions without praying. Do not either criticize someone or praise him without first praying for him. Before doing anything, we need to pray. Furthermore, our prayers should not be light or superficial; they must be thorough. Only after we have prayed for a matter thoroughly should we make a decision concerning it, not by ourselves independently but in oneness with the Lord and according to His leading. If the elders practice in this way, the church life in their locality will be uplifted and proper...If we touch Paul’s spirit in 1 Timothy 2:1-7, we will sense his burden that those who take the lead in the church life must have a prayer life. In these verses Paul seems to be telling Timothy, “I have shown you a clear picture of God’s economy and how it is versus different teachings. I have also pointed out to you that, in His mercy, the Lord has made me a pattern of His economy. I have also charged you solemnly to war the good warfare on behalf of God’s economy. Now deep in my spirit is the burden to exhort you to pray. I exhort that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men. Do not think that teaching comes before prayer. No, prayer must be first, and teaching, second.” (Life-study of 1 Timothy, second edition, pp. 26-27)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Timothy, msgs. 3-4