3月20日 與神為友
我所要作的事，豈可瞞著亞伯拉罕呢？（創十八17）
與神為友的快樂。這一章說出與神真正為友的快樂，較之祈禱時偶爾感到他同在是大有不同。若與神親密到一個地步，不需要求他向你指示他的心意。這樣，你的信心生活就進入成長的階段了。與神的關係正常，生命就自由快樂；你就是神的旨意，你一切憑理智所作出的決定，就是他在你身上的旨意，除非他有特別的攔阻。你與神有美好愉快的友誼，便可以決定一切事情，因為就是決定錯了，他總會阻止；他一阻止，就該立刻停止。
與神為友的困難。亞伯拉罕為什麼停止了禱告？他與神的關係還未夠親密，所以在神未答應他的要求之前，便不敢前進。這時他與神的關係，仍有待改進。我們禱告時，若突然中止，說：“唔，我不敢肯定，這也許不是神的旨意。”這樣，你還有另一些階段要經歷。我們認識神還未及耶穌的深切，也未達到他要我們應有的認識——“使他們合而為一，像我們合而為一。”試想想你最後禱告的事是什麼？是專注於自己的需求呢？還是神自己？是堅持要得一些聖靈的恩賜？還是要見神的面？“你們沒有祈求以先，你們所需用的，你們的父早已知道了。”所以，祈求的目的是使你更認識神。“要以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裡所求的賜給你。”不住的禱告，使對神有更完全的認識。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，“願禰晝夜看顧這殿。”願禰保守和護衛它，遠離所有與禰心意相違的東西，並且使我們每一個都成為禰內心深處所切望的人。
March 20 Friendship With God
“Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?”
Genesis 18:17
Its Delights. This
chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with
occasional feelings of His presence in prayer. To be so much in contact with
God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the
final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly
related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God’s
will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He
checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing
that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at
once.
Its Difficulties.
Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He was not intimate enough yet to go
boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired
in his relationship to God. Whenever we stop short in prayer and say – “Well, I
don’t know; perhaps it is not God’s will,” there is still another stage to go.
We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us
to be – “That they may be one even as we are one.” Think of the last thing you
prayed about – were you devoted to your desire or to God? Determined to get
some gift of the Spirit or to get at God? “Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things
ye have need of before ye ask Him.” The point of asking is that you may get to
know God better. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the
desires of thine heart.” Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding
of God Himself.
