第四週■週二

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晨興餧養

提前二4『祂願意萬人得救，並且完全認識真理。』

        8『所以，我願男人無忿怒，無爭論，舉起虔聖的手，隨處禱告。』

保羅在提前二章一節題起祈求、禱告、代求和感謝。禱告是一般的，帶着敬拜和交通的成分；祈求是專一的，爲着特殊的需要。代求，原文意，個人傾心吐意的親近神；卽在神面前關心別人的事，爲他們求益處。此外，我們必須獻上感謝。…某一召會的情況若美好，那是因着神，不是因着召會。…所以，我們不該稱讚召會或個人，而該感謝神。（提摩太前書生命讀經，三四頁。）

信息選讀

保羅題起祈求、禱告、代求、感謝時，他的靈對禱告的重要非常有負擔。他要他親愛的屬靈孩子禱告。我要一再強調這個事實，惟有我們有禱告的生活，纔能有正確的召會生活。我能見證，我的禱告從未像已過幾年這麼多。我也能見證，我看見我的禱告得着確實的答應。最近，我的活動暫時受限制，使我能休息，並顧到我的健康。我聽見某些需要，就爲這些需要禱告。可能主限制我，使我對禱告比工作更重要的事實有深刻的印象。願我們都學習這功課：要有美好召會生活的路乃是禱告。這是要緊的。我們的談話若轉爲禱告，我們所在地的召會就會變化。

我們該爲萬人禱告，因爲我們的救主神願意萬人得救，並且認識真理。〔參4。〕神的願望需要我們的禱告使其實現。

我們隨處禱告時，該舉起虔聖的手。手象徵我們的所作所爲。因此，虔聖的手表徵虔聖的生活，就是虔誠屬於神，聖的生活。這樣聖的生活，能加強我們禱告的生活。倘若我們的手不聖，我們的生活就不是聖而爲着神的；我們的禱告就沒有支持的力量，在禱告中就沒有虔聖的手可以舉起。

在禱告中，我們不該舉目觀看別人，卻該舉起虔聖的手。你若以批評的方式觀察長老和聖徒，你的禱告生活就會被消殺。但你若舉起虔聖的手，你的禱告就會得加強。

在八節保羅也勸弟兄們禱告，『無忿怒，無爭論。』忿怒與爭論殺死我們的禱告。忿怒是出於我們的情感，爭論是出於我們的心思。要有禱告的生活，並且不住的禱告，我們的情感和心思就必須規律到正常的情況，受我們靈中那靈的管治。

爭論，原文指引起爭辯的爭論。保羅這裏所說的不是正常或一般的爭論，乃是滿了爭辯的爭論。我們若要正確的禱告，就必須避免這點。…保羅所說不要有爭辯的爭論，與他勸人舉起虔聖的手有關。我們若閉上眼睛，舉起手來，就能禱告。但我們若睜開眼睛打量別人，並爭論他們的情況，我們就不能禱告。…但我們若舉起手來，避免起爭執的爭論，我們就能正確的禱告。

我從經歷中曉得，我們的禱告生活會受我們情緒的影響。我若不保守自己在正確的情緒中，我的禱告生活就被置於死。忿怒總是破壞我們的禱告生活一段期間。一位弟兄若對妻子發脾氣，他也許發覺自己幾天無法正確的禱告。我們若要有禱告的生活，就必須學習不情緒化，或對別人發怒。憑着主的恩與我們的靈同在，我們必須操練嚴格的管制我們的情感。（提摩太前書生命讀經，三四至三六、四三至四四頁。）

參讀：倪柝聲文集第二輯第十八册，第五十五篇。

WEEK 4 — DAY 2

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Morning Nourishment

1 Tim. 2:4 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.

             8 I desire therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and reasoning.

In 1 Timothy 2:1 Paul mentions petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings. Prayer is general, having worship and fellowship as its essence. Petitions are special and are for particular needs. The Greek word rendered “intercessions” denotes an approaching of God in a personal and confiding manner, that is, an intervening, an interfering, before God in others’ affairs for their benefit. In addition, we must offer thanksgiving...If the situation in a certain church is good, it is because of God, not because of the church...Therefore, instead of praising a church or a person, we should give thanks to God. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, 2nd edition, pp. 27-28)

Today’s Reading

Paul’s spirit was very burdened concerning the importance of prayer. He wanted his dear spiritual children to pray. Again and again I would emphasize the fact that we can have a proper church life only if we have a prayer life. I can testify that I have never prayed more than I have during the past several years. I can also testify that I have seen definite answers to my prayers. Recently, my activity was limited for a time so that I could rest and care for my health. When I heard about certain needs, I prayed for them. Perhaps the Lord limited me that He might impress me with the fact that prayer is more important than work. May we all learn the lesson that the way to have a good church life is to pray. This is crucial. If our talking is turned into praying, the church in our locality will be transformed.

We should pray on behalf of all men because God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to know the truth [cf. v. 4]. Our prayer is required for the carrying out of God’s desire.

When we pray in every place, we should lift up holy hands. Hands symbolize our doings. Hence, holy hands signify a holy living, a living that is pious and that belongs to God. Such a holy life strengthens our prayer life. If our hands are not holy, our living is not holy and is not for God; we then have no supporting strength to pray, no holy hands to lift up in prayer.

If you are watchful over the elders and the saints in a critical way, your prayer life will be killed. But if you lift up holy hands, your prayer will be strengthened.

In verse 8 Paul also urges the brothers to pray “without wrath and reasoning.” Wrath and reasoning kill our prayer. Wrath is of our emotion, and reasoning is of our mind. To have a prayer life and pray unceasingly, our emotion and mind must be regulated to be in a normal condition, under the control of the Spirit in our spirit.

The Greek word for reasoning means “disputatious reasoning.” What Paul is speaking of here is not normal or ordinary reasoning but a reasoning filled with disputation. We must avoid this if we are to pray properly. Paul’s word about not having disputatious reasonings is related to his admonition to lift up holy hands. If we close our eyes and lift up our hands, we will be able to pray. But if we open our eyes to consider others and reason about their situation, we will not be able to pray...But if we lift up our hands and refrain from disputatious reasoning, we will be able to pray in a proper way.

From experience I have learned that our prayer life can be affected by our mood. If I do not keep myself in a proper mood, my prayer life is put to death. Anger always destroys our prayer life for a period of time. If a brother loses his temper with his wife, he may find that he cannot pray properly for a few days. If we are to have a prayer life, we must learn not to be moody or angry with others. By the Lord’s grace that is with our spirit, we must exercise a strict control over our emotion. (Life-study of 1 Timothy, second edition, pp. 28-29, 34-35)

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 38, ch. 56