1. Prayer 祷告

1) Q. Is prayer just talking to God and asking Him to do things for us?
A. Talking to God can be considered prayer, but a real prayer is the mutual contact between God and man, where man contacts God and God contacts man.
问:祷告就只是和神交谈,让祂为我们作事吗?
答:和神交谈可以看作是祷告,但真实的祷告,是神人二者互相的接触。在这里人来接触神,神来接触人。


2) Q. If God can do anything He wants without my cooperation. Why are my prayers important to Him?
A. Through prayer man not only cooperates with God, but also works together with God, so that God and His desire may be expressed through man.
问:若是神可以作任何祂想作的事,不需要我的合作。那为什么我的祷告对祂还如此重要呢?
答:借着祷告,人不仅与神合作,也与神同工,让神的自己和祂的心意可以借着人得以发表。


3) Q. Besides being able to contact God, what are other benefits of prayer?
A. There are many benefits of prayer, but the greatest is that in our prayer before God and our contact with God, we receive mercy and find grace for timely help to meet our every need.
问:除了与神接触以外,祷告还有其他的益处吗?
答:祷告有许多益处,但是最大的益处乃是,当我们祷告在神面前、与神接触时,就从神领受怜悯,得着恩典,作我们应时的帮助,应付我们各方面一切的需要。


4) Q. When I am praying, should I talk to God only according to the thoughts in my mind?
A. When we pray, we should not just pray according to the thoughts in our mind, but according to the sense deep within our spirit.
问:当我祷告时,我可以光凭头脑的思想与神交谈吗?
答:我们祷告时,不要光凭头脑的思想,乃要凭深处灵里的感觉祷告。


5) Q. How do I stop my mind from wandering or from falling asleep when I pray?
A. It is easier for our mind to wander when we pray silently, but if we pray audibly we will not fall asleep, and our mind will not wander.
问:当我祷告时,我如何停止心思的游荡或睡着?
答:当我们不出声祷告时,我们的心思就很容易游荡,但是如果我们出声祷告,我们就不会睡着,我们的心思也不会游荡。


6) Q. What should I do when I sense there is something separating me from the Lord?
A. Because we are sinful, whenever we pray, we must ask the Lord to cleanse us with His precious blood, so that any barrier between us and Him can be removed.
问:当我感觉到我和主之间有些间隔时,该怎么办呢?
答:因为我们是有罪的,所以无论何时我们祷告,我们必须求主用祂的血洁净我们,除去我们和主之间的任何间隔。


7) Q. I usually pray when I feel like it or when the environment is just right for me to pray. Is this a proper attitude toward prayer?
A. Not only should we strive in prayer, but we should continue in prayer, because almost everything in our environment is contrary to prayer.
问:我通常在我想要祷告时或环境合适时才祷告,这样祷告的态度对吗?
答:我们不仅该持续祷告,更该奋力的持续祷告,因为在我们的环境中,几乎每件事都与祷告相对。


8) Q. Despite my busy schedule I want to have a normal prayer life. How do I do it?
A. First you should make a vow unto the Lord concerning your prayer life, then let Him bear the responsibility of reminding you to pray.
问:尽管日程很忙,我还想有一个正常的祷告生活,该怎么办呢?
答:首先你该为你的祷告生活和主办交涉,让祂负责来提醒你祷告。


9) Q. How important is it to set aside definite times each day for prayer even when faced with a busy daily schedule?
A. Prayer is our most important business. If we do not have this kind of attitude on a daily basis, we shall not be able to have a successful prayer life.
问:即使有着忙碌的日程安排,每天都该划出特定的时间来祷告,这有多重要呢?
答:祷告是我们最重要的事。如果每天我们没有这种态度,我们的祷告生活就无法成功。


10) Q. How can I bring back the vitality and eagerness that I had towards the Lord?
A. Prayer makes us vital and eager towards the Lord, and there is no other way to be vital and eager except by prayer.
问:我怎么才能找回从前向着主的活力和热切?
答:祷告使我们有活力并向神热切,除了祷告,没有别的路会使我们有活力并热切。