First Day. True Worship.
第一日 真 實 的 敬 拜
“Worship God.”—REV. xxii. 9.
Those who have read the booklet The Secret of Intercession have doubtless more than once asked: “What may be the reason that prayer and intercession are not a greater joy and delight? And is there any way in which we may become fitted to make fellowship with God our chief joy, and as intercessors to bring down His power and blessing on those for whom we pray?”
There may be more than one answer to the question. But the chief answer is undoubtedly: We know God too little. In our prayer, His presence is not waited for as the chief thing on which our heart is set. And yet it should be so. We think mostly of ourselves, our need, and weakness, our desire and prayer. But we forget that in every prayer God must be First, must be All. To seek Him, to find Him, to tarry in His presence, to be assured that His Holy Presence rests upon us, that He actually listens to what we say, and is working in us—it is this alone that gives the inspiration that makes prayer as natural and easy to us as is the intercourse of a child with his father.
And how is one to attain to this nearness to God and fellowship with Him? The answer is simple: We must give God time to make Himself known to us. Believe with your whole heart, that just as you present yourself to God as a supplicant, so God presents Himself to you as the Hearer of prayer. But you cannot realise this except as you give Him time and quiet. It is not in the multitude or the earnestness of your words in which prayer has its power, but in the living faith that God Himself is taking you and your prayer into His loving heart. He Himself will give the assurance that in His time your prayer will be heard.
The object of this little book is to help you to know the way thus to meet God in every prayer. We shall seek to give you each day one or more texts with which your heart can bow before God, waiting on Him to make them living and true in your experience.
Begin this day with the word:
“Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” Bow before Him in stillness, believing that He looks on you and will reveal His presence.
“My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.”
「敬拜神」(啟二十二：9)
讀過「代禱的訣要」的人常問說：為什麼禱告和代禱並不是一件大喜樂呢？難道我們沒有路可以與神相交以祂為樂，好像那些代禱者一樣為着所禱告的人帶下祂的能力和祝福麼？
對於這個問題有好幾個回答，但那最重要的回答就是：我們認識神太少了。在我們禱告的時候，我們並沒有將我們的心放在祂面前等候祂，好像是一件重要的事似的。但這件事卻是不可少的。我們常常想到我們自己，我們的需要，我們的軟弱，我們的盼望和我們的禱告。我們忘記了在每一個禱告中，神必須是第一，也必須是一切。去尋求祂，尋見祂，停留在祂面前，深信祂是聖潔的，與我們同在的，祂也實在聽了我們的禱告，也作工在我們裏面--只有這樣纔能使我們的禱告極其自然，極其容易，好像小孩子同他的父親講話一樣。
怎樣纔能這樣的親近神與神相交呢？回答是簡單的：我們必須給神時間，讓祂將自己啟示給我們。用你的全心相信這一個，當你將自己謙卑敬虔的獻給神的時候，祂就聽你的禱告。但是如果你不給祂時間，不安靜在祂面前，你就不能得着這個。不是人數的眾多和你禱告話語的熱切，會使禱告有力量。禱告的力量是在於有一個活的信心，相信神自己要將你和你的禱告帶到祂慈愛的寶座前。到了祂的時候，祂自己就要給你證實，你的禱告一定蒙垂聽。
本書的用意，是要幫助你，在每一個禱告裏去認識那一條遇見神的路。我們每天要給你一些話語，使你藉着這些話叫你的心能俯伏在神的面前等候祂，使這些話又真又活的成為你的經歷。
今天就用這些話來開始：
「哦，我的主！我將我的心舉起向着你」安靜的俯伏在祂面前，相信祂正在看着你，還要啟示祂的同在。「我的心渴慕神，渴慕那活的神。」
