十月十一日
我们当诚心向天上的神举手祷告。（哀3：41）
祷告的动作教我们知道自己的不配，对于我们这些骄傲的人这是一个很好的教训。若是神不叫我们祷告就把恩典赐给我们的话，我们永也不会知道我们是怎样地贫穷；而真实的祷告乃是缺乏的清单，需要的表册，隐贫的揭露。当人祈求神的丰富时，就是承认自己的空虚；一个健全的基督徒，常是倒空自己多求神的供给，常在自己里面贫穷，而在耶稣里面丰富；自己要像水一样地软弱，但靠神的大能而作大事。
祷告既然是敬拜神，因此祷告便叫人常常五体投地。撇开神的应允不谈，单单祷告本身就是基督徒的大福分。赛跑的人因平日的练习在赛跑时便有力量，我们这从事人生赛跑的人，也当从平时热切的祷告获得能力。祷告能使神的雏鹰展翅高翔，上凌云霄；祷告爲神的战士束起腰来，使他们用强劲的筋肉向前奋战；一位恳切祷告的人离开密室时，犹如太阳的出洞房，或是壮士的欢然奔向前程。祷告是摩西高举的手，它击杀亚玛力人，比约书亚的刀剑更爲锋利，所杀的更多；它是在先知房中所射的得胜箭，预先战胜了亚兰人。祷告用神的能力爲软弱的人束腰，把人的愚妄变成神的智慧，幷且把神的平安赐给受苦的人。我们不知道祷告有什麽不能成就的事！伟大、全权全能的神啊！我们爲你的施恩座感谢你，它是彰显你慈爱的最好的证据。求你帮助我们今天能多多善用你的施恩座！
October
11
“Let
us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the
heavens.”–Lamentations 3:41
The act of prayer teaches us our
unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are.
If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them we should never
know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue
of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to
divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of
a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the
Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water
personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of
prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be,
in the very dust. Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a
great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by
daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed
labour of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets, that they may
learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God’s warriors, and
sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An
earnest pleader cometh out of his closet, even as the sun ariseth from the
chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is
that uplifted hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of
Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat
to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human
folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We
know not what prayer cannot do! We thank thee, great God, for the mercy-seat, a
choice proof of thy marvellous lovingkindness. Help us to use it aright
throughout this day!
