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October 31
"Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
(Romans 8:26,27)
 THIS is the deep mystery of prayer. This is the delicate divine mechanism which words cannot interpret, and which theology cannot explain, but which the humblest believer knows even when he does not understand.
 Oh, the burdens that we love to bear and cannot understand! Oh, the inarticulate out-reachings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend! And yet we know they are an echo from the throne and a whisper from the heart of God. It is often a groan rather than a song, a burden rather than a buoyant wing. But it is a blessed burden, and it is a groan whose undertone is praise and unutterable joy. It is "a groaning which cannot be uttered." We could not ourselves express it always, and sometimes we do not understand any more than that God is praying in us, for something that needs His touch and that He understands.
 And so we can just pour out the fullness of our heart, the burden of our spirit, the sorrow that crushes us, and know that He hears, He loves, He understands, He receives; and He separates from our prayer all that is imperfect, ignorant and wrong, and presents the rest, with the incense of the great High Priest, before the throne on high; and our prayer is heard, accepted and answered in His name.
          -A. B. Simpson.
 It is not necessary to be always speaking to God or always hearing from God, to have communion with Him; there is an inarticulate fellowship more sweet than words. The little child can sit all day long beside it busy mother and, although few words are spoken on either side, and both are busy, the one at his absorbing play, the other at her engrossing work, yet both are in perfect fellowship. He knows that she is there, and she knows that he is all rihgt. So the saint and the Saviour can go on for hours in the silent fellowship of love, and he be busy about the most common things, and yet conscious that every little thing he does is touched with the complexion of His presence, and the sense of His approval and blessing.
 And then, when pressed with burdens and troubles too complicated to put into words and too mysterious to tell or understand, how sweet it is to fall back into His blessed arms, and just sob out the sorrow that we cannot speak!
          -Selected.
神的聖靈是我們必須的,就正如空氣是所有生物必須的一樣;我們缺少空氣就無法存活。我們良善的靈是神的靈在其中居住並運行的結果;當初神將聖靈吹入被造人的驅體之內,是我們靈命的源頭,使我們有屬天的本性。也唯有人能接觸神,與祂合而為一,使他在我們裏面有蒙福的運行。
「你也許會問,我們怎能求如此遠離我們神的聖靈的引導?當一個人喜樂或飢餓時,他是最瞭解自己;神的靈也有相同的情況,聖靈與其他的靈不同於愛的本性,讓我講給你知道:『神是長久忍耐,憐憫為懷而不輕易發怒;祂有無限的良善、廣大的愛,祂樂於在自己裏面的交通,把每件事包含在自己的喜樂之內,祂無惡念而只存良善。』這就是神的靈的本性,你也有靈,就可證明你接受祂的引導和運行。
「假如你極渴慕你的心有祂那樣長久忍耐、不變的溫柔,及寬廣的愛心;假如能儘量以良善與人相交,無疑的,聖靈必在你裏面居住並管理。假如你不渴慕其中任何一種神的本性,那忍耐和聖靈直接而繼續的啟示,無法在你心中產生功效。請切記,要藉著這些德性察驗神的靈是否在你裏面運行。約翰的話可給我們一些警惕:『神將祂的靈賜給我們,從此就知道我們住在祂裏面,祂也住在我們裏面』。」
讓我們深信聖靈的感動能使我們確知祂的同在,將靈魂完全降服於祂,像小孩般地完全依靠順服祂,有無愧的良心供祂居住,彰顯出主的靈所發出的榮光來。
「你們若有信心像一粒芥菜種,……」馬太福音十七章20節
我們以為神因為我們的信心而賞賜我們,在開始的階段裡也許是如此;但是我們不應用信心去賺取甚麼。信心能叫我們與神發生正當的關係,並把神的機會還給神。如果你是一個聖徒,與神的本身發生了接觸,神就要常常敲出你經驗的底板。神要你理會這是信心的生活,不是享受祂祝福的生活。你早年的信心生活窄狹而嚴切,穩定在一種很狹小的經驗中,充滿了愉快和甜蜜,後來神撤去祂的祝福,為的是教你藉著信心行走。這時你對於祂的價值,比你感覺愉快的證據的時日還大得多。
信心的本性必要經過試驗,而信心的真試驗,不是我們覺得難於倚靠神,卻是我們的心要明瞭神的品性。信心要經過靜默孤獨的休息才能真實的表達出來。切不可使信心的試驗與生活平常的訓練是混雜一起。我們所稱謂的信心試驗,多半是我們在生之年所不可避免的結果。聖經所謂的信心是信靠神,拒絕與祂牴觸的任何事情──「無論神怎樣,我要永遠忠誠於祂的品性。」「祂雖然殺我,我還要倚靠祂」──這是全部聖經表現信心最偉大的語句。
「……我的恩典夠你用的,因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全……」哥林多後書十二章9節
當雅各在伯特利祈求的那個夜晚,神允許危機臨到他,使他能緊緊地抓住神。也因為雅各走過了這狹窄、危險的道路,他的信心以及屬神的知識增加了,他的生命也得到了新的力量,以及更多的勝利。
神藉著多年來的痛苦管教,迫使大衛學習到信靠祂的大能及信實,並且讓大衛建立起信心及敬虔的原則。這些原則,可說是身為以色列王事業成功的必要條件。
如果保羅沒有經歷極大的困難,他就無法學習到神的恩典夠我們用的功課,而教會也無法從他的經驗中學習到這偉大的應許。事實上,若不是考驗及危險,我們當中一定有很多人對神所知極為有限,對祂的信任也不多,更別談在大苦難中懂得從祂那裡得到戰勝困境的恩典。