6. Manna issue 96 - Lessons in Effective Prayer 有效禱告的課程
Raymond Chou—San Jose, California, USA 美國加州聖荷西
Prayer is an integral part of being a Christian.
Most of us understand how important prayer is for ourselves
and as intercession for others and the work of the church.
But we may have, on occasion, asked ourselves
—whether we are new or "veteran" Christians
—"How do I know if God has heard my prayer?"
Some have prayed for a long time but have found no resolution to their problems.
So we cannot help wondering why God seems so responsive to others
but aloof and uncaring about our concerns and prayers.
禱告是成為基督徒不可或缺的一部分。
我們大多數人都明白，禱告對自己，
為他人及教會事工的代禱，有多重要。
但我們有時會問自己，
—無論我們是新加入，還是“老”基督徒，
—“我怎麼知道神到底有沒有垂聽我的禱告呢？”
有些人已經禱告了很長的時間，但問題仍未解決。
因此，我們忍不住會想，為什麼神似乎對別人那麼關心，
而對我們的關切和禱告卻顯得那麼冷漠和無動於衷。
The Scriptures assure us that God heeds prayers
(Jer 29:12–13).
Like any loving parent, our heavenly Father wants to grant us the good things we ask Him for
(Mt 7:9–11).
The reason for unanswered supplication must thus lie with us.
We should ask ourselves, "How can I make my prayer more effective?"
Jesus Himself teaches us four essential lessons.
聖經向我們保證，神會垂聽禱告
（耶 29：12–13）。
像任何慈愛的父母一樣，我們的天父想要賜給我們所求的美好事物
（太 7：9–11）。
因此，未得應允禱告的原因必定出於我們自已。
我們應該問自己：“我如何才能讓自已的禱告更有功效？”
耶穌親自教導我們四個重要的課題。
DO NOT BE HYPOCRITES 不可偽善
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."
(Mt 6:5)
“5你們禱告的時候，不可像那假冒為善的人，
愛站在會堂裡和十字路口上禱告，
故意叫人看見。
我實在告訴你們，他們已經得了他們的賞賜。”
（太 6：5）
The first lesson Jesus taught His disciples was not to be hypocrites in prayer.
He pointed out that the Pharisees stood in prominent places
and offered loud prayers because they enjoyed being seen.
A hasty conclusion from this negative example is
that we should not pray in locations where others can see us.
Some Christians further suggest that people should not even pray together in the chapel.
However, this extreme stance is not the Lord’s intent.
耶穌教導門徒的第一課，就是禱告時不要假冒偽善。
他指出，法利賽人站在顯眼的地方，
大聲禱告，因為他們喜歡被人看見。
從這個負面例子所得出含糊的結論是，
我們不應該在別人可看見的地方禱告。
有一些基督徒進一步建議，人們甚至不應該在教堂裡一起禱告。
然而，這種極端立場並不是主的本意。
When Jesus lambasted the Pharisees as hypocrites,
He wanted to highlight the divergence between the Pharisees’ inner and outer selves.
What lay within their hearts and minds was far from what their reverent actions suggested.
Their communication with God through prayer did not spring from an inner piety
but had become just another way to garner the praise of others.
Jesus emphatically warned His disciples against such hypocritical prayers.
For His true followers, any external manifestation of devotion
must spring from and be consistent with an inner sincerity and faith.
當耶穌嚴厲批評法利賽人假冒偽善的時候，
祂想要強調法利賽人內心與外在行為之間的分歧。
他們內心與頭腦中的想法，與他們外表虔誠行為的表現相去甚遠。
他們禱告與神的交流並非出自內心的虔誠，
而只是另一種獲取他人讚美的方式。
耶穌強烈警告祂的門徒，要反對這種偽善的禱告。
給祂的真追隨者，任何外在的虔誠表現，
都必須源自於且符合內心的虔誠和信心。
Hence, regardless of where we pray today, we must do so sincerely.
If we attend prayer sessions
as though they are tasks to check off the to-do list or pray routinely
but without the heart to draw closer to God,
then our actions lack the sincerity that Jesus demands.
因此，無論我們今天在哪裡禱告，我們都必須虔誠的禱告。
如果我們參加禱告會，
好像他們就是完成待辦事項清單的任務，或是例行的禱告，
但內心沒有想要親近神的心，
那麼我們的行為就缺乏耶穌所要求的虔誠。
Reminder 1:
Prayer is not just a physical action and outward display of devotion to Jesus;
it must reflect our inner sincerity.
提醒 1：
禱告不僅是獻給耶穌身體行動和外在表現，
它必須反映自已內心的真誠。
PRAY WITH A HEART CENTERED ON GOD 以心專注神的禱告
"But you, when you pray, go into your room,
and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place;
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
(Mt 6:6)
“6你禱告的時候，要進你的內屋，
關上門，禱告你在暗中的父；
你父在暗中察看，必然報答你。”
（太 6：6）
Secondly, Jesus taught His disciples to go to a secret place, close the door, and pray.
But Jesus was not speaking of a physical space.
Locking ourselves in a physical room
will not cut us off from the world's distractions.
Our thoughts and emotions may still dwell on all manner of things
lying on the other side of the door.
Perhaps it is the news we were reading,
the errands we were supposed to run, or the work we must do.
其次，耶穌教導祂的門徒去一個秘密的地方，關上門並祈禱。
但耶穌並不是在談論一個具體的空間。
將自己鎖在一個物質的房間裡，
並不會切斷我們與世界的干擾。
我們的思想和情緒可能仍然停留在門另一邊的各種事物上。
也許是我們剛讀的新聞，
我們要進行的任務，或是我們必須完成的工作。
In a world where our computers, smartphones, and smarter watches
handcuff us to the world 24/7,
Jesus wants us to consciously and consistently close the door of our hearts when we pray.
Switch off the troubling panoply of daily anxieties
and the tempting notification alerts
so that we have a quiet place to meditate on our faith and commune with God in prayer.
Only through such quiet contemplation can we reflect on our relationship with God
and think about the path He wants us to take.
在一個有電腦、智慧手機和智能錶的世界，
讓我們 24 小時，每周 7 天被控制，
耶穌希望我們在禱告時，有意識且持續的關上心門。
擺掉那些日常煩惱各式各樣的困擾，
和那些引誘人的通知提示，
使我們有一個安靜的地方來深思自已的信仰，並在禱告中與神交流。
只有通過這樣的安靜沉思，我們才能反省自已與神的關係，
並思考祂希望我們去選擇的道路。
A Grave Misfortune 一場嚴重的不幸
There is one alone, without companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
But he never asks,
"For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?"
This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
(Eccl 4:8)
8有人孤單無二，
無子無兄，
竟勞碌不息，
眼目也不以錢財為足。
他說：
我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？
這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
（傳 4：8）
The protagonist of this passage is very pitiful.
He toils ceaselessly but does not know why and for whom he is suffering.
Today, our busyness may hinder us from progressing along our path of faith.
Worse, we are so distracted
that we may unknowingly stumble onto the wrong path and lose our salvation.
This would be a grave misfortune indeed.
這段經文的人物其實非常的可憐。
他不停的勞碌，但卻不知道自己為何受苦，也不知道為誰而受苦。
今日，我們忙碌可能會妨礙自已信仰道路的進步。
更糟的是，我們很會分心，
以至於自已可能不知不覺跌倒且踏上錯誤的道路，失去自已的救恩。
這確實是一種極大的不幸。
Jesus' lesson in prayer highlights the need
to set aside a time and place to calm our hearts
so that we can seek after God in quietude.
Perhaps we have judiciously set aside time to pray each day,
yet feel no improvement in our faith and attitude towards God.
If so, consider finding a better time and place to pray.
Subsequently, when we start praying,
we must consciously pull our minds away from the shows we were watching,
the games we were playing, and the work we were doing.
Turn off our phone notifications,
and turn our hearts towards our Father in heaven.
耶穌祈禱的教導強調有需要，
撥出時間和找到地方來平靜自已的心，
以便可以平靜安穩的尋求神。
也許我們每天明智的安排時間禱告，
但在信仰和對神的態度上自已覺得沒有任何改善。
如果是這樣，要思考找出一個更好的時間和地方來祈禱。
隨後，當我們開始禱告時，
我們必須有意識的把自已心思從自已所看的節目，
所玩的遊戲，和所做的工作拉出來。
關閉手機通知，
將自已的心轉向天父。
Reminder 2:
Shut down and shut out all distractions around us to draw closer to God in prayer.
提醒 2：
關閉並排除我們周圍的一切干擾，以便禱告中更親近神。
PRAY WITH SINCERITY 虔誠禱告
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.
For they think that they will be heard for their many words"
(Mt 6:7)
“7你們禱告，不可像外邦人，用許多重複話，
他們以為話多了必蒙垂聽。”
（太 6：7）
Continuing His teaching,
Jesus reminded His disciples not to use vain repetitions in prayer.
Is the True Jesus Church guilty of this error of mindless repetition,
since we teach believers praying for the Holy Spirit
to say "Hallelujah, praise the Lord"?
繼續祂的教導，
耶穌提醒祂的門徒，在禱告時不要重複使用空洞的詞語。
真耶穌教會到底有沒有犯了這種盲目重複的錯誤，
因為我們教導信徒禱告祈求聖靈，
只要說“哈利路亞，讚美主”？
The correct understanding of Jesus’ reminder lies in these phrases:
"vain" and "many words."
The heathen supplicated their deities with repetitive phrases.
But to our Lord, these were empty and vain words chanted without much thought and commitment.
We will be guilty if we repeat our prayers
without any consideration of the words we mouth
and fail to carry out the actions of repentance we promised.
正確理解耶穌提醒，取決於這些詞語：“空洞“和“多言“。
外邦人用重複的詞語祈求他們的神祇。
但對我們的主來說，這些只是沒有想法和承諾的空洞虛無話語複頌。
如果我們重複自已禱告詞的時候，
若沒有思考自已口中所說的話語，
卻沒有履行自已承諾悔改的行動，我們就是有罪了。
Prayers are not granted simply because of the volume of words and promises or how long we kneel.
The Lord Jesus focuses on the sincerity underlying our words
and our resolve to carry out what we have said in prayer.
Critically, we must pray in spirit and truth
(Jn 4:24).
The Bible records examples of both long and short prayers that God has answered.
What did these have in common?
They were sincere and heartfelt.
Elijah prayed seven times for rain with unwavering faith
(1 Kgs 18:41–45).
In contrast, Abraham's servant made a quick, silent prayer
when seeking a wife for Isaac.
After he finished his short prayer, God immediately showed him the way
(Gen 24:12–15).
禱告沒有得蒙應允，並不是只因為言語和承諾的數量，或是我們能跪下時間的長短。
主耶穌注重我們話語背後的虔誠意，
和我們決心去實踐禱告中所表示的內容。
關鍵是，我們必須用心靈和誠實禱告
（約 4：24）。
聖經記載了神所應允兩種長短時間禱告的例子。
這些例子有什麼共同點呢？
它們都是虔誠和真心的。
以利亞帶著沒有動搖的信心禱告求雨七次
（王上 18：41-45）。
相比之下，亞伯拉罕的僕人做了一個簡短的默禱，
在為以撒尋找妻的時候。
他剛結束簡短禱告之後，神立即指示他道路
（創 24：12-15）。
Reminder 3: Pray what we mean, and mean what we pray.
提醒 3：禱告時言之有物，心口如一
Another important aspect is that
these sincere prayers were made by faithful and upright people.
Today, for our prayers to be answered,
we must walk according to the Holy Spirit’s bidding and the truth.
An effective prayer does not start when we kneel.
The outcome of our prayer is predetermined by our spiritual actions in our daily life.
另一個重要的方面是，
這些虔誠的禱告是由忠信心和正直的人所發出的。
今日，要使我們的禱告得蒙應允，
我們必須按照聖靈的吩咐和真理行事。
有功效的禱告並不是由自已跪下時才會開始的。
我們禱告的結果，是由自已日常生活的屬靈行為所決定的。
"For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And his ears are attentive to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
(1 Pet 3:12)
“12因為，主的眼看顧義人；
主的耳聽他們的祈禱。
惟有行惡的人，主向他們變臉。”
（彼前 3：12）
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.
(Prov 28:9)
9轉耳不聽律法的，
他的祈禱也為可憎。
（箴 28：9）
The Bible is unequivocal.
Our prayer is detestable to God if we do not obey His commandments.
We may be sincere and fervent in prayer to Him.
We may have wept in repentance.
But if we get up from prayer and go forth to sin,
how can we expect Him to take our repentance seriously?
So, the Bible teaches us to worship in spirit and truth to seek God’s pleasure.
It is not just about how loud or long we pray;
we must live out the image of Christ.
聖經是不容置疑的。
如果我們沒有遵守神的誡命，我們的禱告是神所憎惡的。
我們可能虔誠且迫切向祂禱告，
我們可能會悔改流淚。
但如果我們禱告後站起來，繼續犯罪，
我們怎麼能指望祂會認真看待我們的悔改呢？
因此，聖經教導我們要以心靈和誠實來敬拜神，尋求神的喜悅。
這不僅是關於我們禱告有多大聲或時間有多長；
我們必須活出基督的形象。
Reminder 4: Pray like Christ; pray to be like Christ.
提醒 4：
像基督那樣禱告；祈求成為像基督。
DO NOT BE SWAYED BY OTHERS AROUND US 不要被我們周圍的人影響
"Therefore do not be like them.
For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
(Mt 6:8)
“8你們不可效法他們；
因為你們沒有祈求以先，你們所需用的，你們的父早已知道了。”
（太 6：8）
Concluding His lessons to the disciples,
Jesus warned them not to be like the Pharisees or the heathens they saw daily.
Jesus knows that we are easily influenced by our environment
and what we see the people around us say and do.
We mimic their behaviors and adopt their values to fit in.
耶穌在結束門徒的教導時，
警告他們不要像他們每天看到的法利賽人或外邦人。
耶穌知道，我們很容易受到環境的影響，
以及我們看到周圍的人所說的話和所做的事情。
我們模仿他們的行為，並接受了他們的價值觀並融入其中。
Some societal norms that we conform to make us better neighbors or citizens.
But we must be discerning and avoid those that affect our spirituality.
In his letter to young Timothy, the apostle Paul warned him
—and warns us today
—that in the last days:
有些我們要遵從的社會規範，使我們成為更好的鄰居或居民。
但我們必須分辨且避免那些影響我們靈命的事情。
使徒保羅寫信給年輕提摩太警告他，
—並且警告今日的我們，
—在末後的日子裡：
[M]en will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness
but denying its power. And from such people turn away.
(2 Tim 3:2–5)
2因為那時人要專顧自己、貪愛錢財、自誇、
狂傲、謗讟、違背父母、忘恩負義、心不聖潔、
3無親情、不解怨、好說讒言、不能自約、性情兇暴、不愛良善、
4賣主賣友、任意妄為、自高自大、愛宴樂、不愛神，
5有敬虔的外貌，
卻背了敬虔的實意；這等人你要躲開。
（提後 3：2-5）
Do not allow these people and such attitudes to affect our hearts when we pray.
在我們禱告時，不要讓這些人和這樣的態度影響我們的內心。
Besides desisting from wrong,
"do not be like them" means uncompromisingly doing what is right,
such as praying and attending services.
We should not become less fervent when we see other members being less fervent
or grow cold in faith when we see others backsliding.
Some people may hinder or taunt us
when we try to maintain our spirituality
or uphold our Christian principles.
Do not let their mockery deter us.
Instead, we should continue to
"put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another"
(Col 3:12–13).
Hold fast to the pattern of sound words that our Father has given us
because this make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus
(2 Tim 3:15–17).
When our thoughts and ways are right in the eyes of God,
He hears our prayers
(Prov 15:29).
除了避免做錯事，
“不要像他們一樣”還代表了不妥協的行正事，
比如禱告和參加聚會。
當我們看到其他信徒沒有那麼熱心的時候，自已就不應該因此而變得不熱心，
或者當我們看到別人墮落時，就不應該變得信心冷淡。
當我們努力保守靈命或是堅持基督教的原則時，
有些人可能會阻礙或是嘲笑我們。
不要讓他們的嘲笑阻礙我們。
相反的，我們應該繼續，
“12就要存（原文作穿；下同）憐憫，恩慈，謙虛，溫柔，忍耐的心。
13倘若這人與那人有嫌隙，總要彼此包容，彼此饒恕；”
（西 3：12–13）。
持守我們天父賜給我們那純正話語的規模，
因為這使我們因信基督耶穌有得救的智慧
（提後 3：15–17）。
當我們的思想和行為在神眼中為義，
祂就會聽我們的禱告
（箴 15：29）。
Reminder 5: In our prayers, do not let others affect our faith, peace and sincerity.
提醒 5：
在我們的禱告中，不要讓他人影響我們的信心，平安和虔誠。
A Timely Reminder 及時的提醒
God puts people in our lives to encourage us.
And they can be the most unlikely people.
In college, I had a roommate who bugged me every day.
Like clockwork, he would ask me:
"Have you done your homework?
Have you prayed today?
Have you read the Bible?"
He was not even Christian!
One day, I irritably told him that he nagged me more than my mom did!
"What does this have to do with you? You are an atheist,"
I said. He nodded and replied,
"I am not a Christian, but you are."
Suitably humbled, I obediently went to pray.
神安排一些人在我們生活中來鼓勵我們。
而這些人可能就是那最不可能的人。
在大學時，我有一個室友，他每天都來煩我。
他像時鐘一樣準時問我：
“你做完作業了嗎？
你今天禱告了嗎？
你讀聖經了嗎？”
他甚至都還不是基督徒！
有一天，我很生氣的對他說，他比我媽媽還要嘮叨！
“這跟你有什麼關係？你是個無神論者。”
他點了點頭，回答說：
“我不是基督徒，但你是。”
我適時被挫敗了，就順服去禱告。
CONCLUSION 結論
Besides teaching us how to pray
(Mt 6:9–13),
the Lord Jesus also teaches us how to pray effectively.
Prayer is an outward manifestation of our inward sincerity and faith in God.
It should not be an empty, superficial display.
Prayer is a time that has to be set aside for God,
and we ought not to be distracted by the things around us.
Moreover, the words we utter in prayer must be sincere,
with a genuine desire to act on the resolutions we make in prayer.
Finally, our prayer and attitude towards prayer should not be influenced by others,
nor should we be discouraged by those around us.
除了教導我們如何禱告之外
（太 6：9–13），
主耶穌還教導我們如何有效的禱告。
禱告是我們內心虔誠及信靠神的外在表現。
它不應該是空洞，表面的表現。
禱告是必須為神預留的時間，
我們不應該被周圍的事物所分心。
此外，我們禱告中所說的話必須是真誠的，
且懷著真心履行自已禱告所立下的決心。
最後，我們的禱告和對禱告的態度，不應該受他人所影響，
也不應該因為周圍的人而灰心。
May the Lord Jesus give us the wisdom to understand His lessons in prayer,
and the strength to persist with what we have learned,
so that we may continue to offer effective and edifying prayers for our church,
our family, and our faith.
願主耶穌賜給我們智慧在禱告中來理解祂的教導，
並賜給我們力量堅持自已所學會的，
以使我們能夠繼續為我們的教會，家庭和信仰，
獻上有攻效且造就人的禱告。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)