今日靈修默想:「求主垂聽,求主赦免,求主應允而行,為你自己不要遲延。我的神啊,因這城和這民,都是稱為你名下的。」(但9:19) 

默想一:但以理的禱告讓我們學到什麼?他在神在人前算是義人,但他沒有自以為義,他沒有怪罪於先祖和同胞們所犯的罪。他說:『我們犯罪作孽,行惡叛逆,偏離袮的誡命典章。』(但9:5)他把自己引進『我們』裡跟同胞們一樣得罪神,也要一起悔改認罪,求神的饒恕。他的禱告情詞迫切、真誠謙卑,是在神的旨意裡的禱告。他沒有只求自己的福分,乃是為著神的榮耀。 

默想二:你最近都在為哪些事情禱告?你禱告的焦點放在哪裡?是放在自己的需要上呢,還是放在神身上?你是在為自己求聖靈的恩賜呢,還是求對上帝有更深的認識?真正的禱告,不是為扭轉上帝的心意,而是透過禱告,更明白祂的旨意。蒙神垂聽只有『義人祈禱所發的的力量是大有功效的』(雅5:16)。你禱告多少會顯示你多麼看中與神的關係,也表明你多麼倚靠神。 

禱告:大而可畏的神啊,我感謝袮。因袮向愛袮,守袮誡命的人守約施慈愛。我能在袮面前懇求,不是因自己的義,乃因袮的大憐憫。主啊!不論我身在何處,禱告就是爭戰。不論我在哪裡,我的責任就是守望禱告。求袮的聖靈時刻充滿我,讓我善用袮賜給我的禱告特權,盡本分地為自己、教會、為社區、為世界有需要的地方禱告。奉主耶穌的名禱告,阿們! 

“Today’s spiritual meditation”: “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name ” (Daniel 9:19) 

Meditation one: What has Daniel’s prayer taught us? He was righteous before God and man, but he did not justify himself as righteous, and he did not blame the sins of his ancestors and fellow men. He said, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.” (Daniel 9:5) He placed himself into “us” and sinned against God just like his fellow countrymen. He also had to repent and confess his sins, and asked for God’s forgiveness. His prayers were earnest, sincere and humble, and these were prayers in the will of God. He did not only seek his own blessings, but for the glory of God. 

Meditation two: What have you been praying about recently? What is the focus of your prayers? Do you put it on your own needs, or on God? Are you asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit for yourself, or are you asking for a deeper knowledge of God? The real prayer is not to change God’s will, but through prayers to understand His will better. Only “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16). How much you pray will show how much you value your relationship with God and how much you trust in God. 

Prayer: Great and awesome God, I thank You. For You keep Your covenant and show mercy to those who love You and keep Your commandments. I am able to plead before You, not because of my own righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. Oh God! Prayer is fighting, no matter where I am. Wherever I am, my duty is to watch and pray. May Your Holy Spirit fill me all the time, so that I can make good use of the privilege of prayer that You have given me to do my duty to pray for myself, for the church, for the community, and for the needs of the world. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen! 

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