| 祈求愛心 | |
| 經文: 「願主叫你們彼此相愛的心，並愛眾人的心，都能增長，充足，如同我們愛你們一樣，好使你們當我們主耶穌同祂眾聖徒來的時候，在我們父上帝面前，心裡堅固，成為聖潔，無可責備。」（帖撒羅尼迦前書三：12～13） | |
| 多麼偉大的祈禱！主可以使我們滿溢主愛而彼此相愛，就像保羅愛他所帶領的信徒那樣：上帝可以保守他們的心在聖潔裡無可責備。若沒有愛，這是做不到的，藉著上帝的能力及弟兄姐妹們的愛，可以激勵信徒追求聖潔的生活，讓我們常常這樣禱告，為自己也為周圍的人。你為追求聖潔禱告嗎？那麼就向弟兄姐妹們顯出衷心誠懇的愛。 「每逢為你們眾人祈求的時候，常是歡歡喜喜的祈求。……我所禱告的，就是要你們的愛心在知識和各樣見識上多而又多，……靠著耶穌基督結滿了仁義的果子。」（腓一：4～11）使徒保羅不停地為眾信徒代求，以愛心的增長做為首要的訴求，讓我們效法保羅。 「我願意你們曉得，我為你們和……一切……的人，是何等的盡心竭力；要叫他們的心得安慰，因愛心互相聯絡，以致豐豐足足在悟性中有充足的信心。」（西二：1～2）保羅認為對上帝悟性的認識，與信徒彼此間愛心的聯絡，兩者是相輔相成的。上帝是愛——持續永不止息的愛，這樣的愛只有在基督徒間願彼此關懷扶持，且願為對方而活，而不是自私地僅為自己而活時，才能顯露出來。 保羅的這些禱告，可成為我們默想的題材，也是禱告的內容，讓我們常常深思這經文的涵意，存記在心反覆思想，就像草地經太陽光照、雨水滋潤，就發旺生長；上帝的話也像種子一般，深植在我們心田，經上帝大愛的澆灌，就要在我們心中長出新生命。 親愛的弟兄姐妹們，若你覺得自己不會禱告，把這些談到全能者「大愛」的經文，拿來反覆琢磨思想，你就會得著堅定的確據，喜樂的相信上帝為你所做的事，並知道上帝要用愛充滿你，且堅定你的信心，讓你能活在祂面前，活出愛主、愛人的見證。主啊！教導我們如此禱告！ | |
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| PRAY FOR LOVE | |
| Scripture: "The Lord make you to increase and abound in lave one another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you; to the end that He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness."—1 THESS. iii. 12, 13. | |
| What a prayer! That the Lord would make them to abound in love towards each other, even as Paul did towards them: that He would strengthen their hearts to be unblameable in holiness. Without love this was impossible. Their hearts would be strengthened for a life of true holiness through the love of the brethren, by the power of God. Let us use this prayer often, both for ourselves and for those around us. Do you pray for holiness? Then show it by a hearty love to the brethren! In 2 Thess. iii. 5 we read: "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God." Yes, that is what the Lord Jesus will do for us, give us a heart always directed to the love of God. Lord, by Thy great love, grant me a heart of love! "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy. I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge . . . that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness" (Phil. i. 4-11). The Apostle, in his constant prayer for those in his charge, makes Love the chief thing. Let us do the same. "I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, that your hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, unto all riches of understanding" {Col. ii. 1, 2). Paul considers it indispensable for their growth in the knowledge of God that the hearts of the believers should be knit together in love. God is love—everlasting, endless love. That love can only be experienced when Christians are knit together in love, and live for others, and not only for themselves. These four prayers of Paul give us abundant matter for meditation and prayer. Take time to let these heavenly thoughts grow m your heart. As the sun freely gives its light and heat to the grass and grain, that they may grow and bring forth fruit, so God is far more willing to give His love to us in ever-increasing measure. O Christian, if you feel as if you cannot pray, take these words of divine love, and ponder them in your heart. You will gain a strong and a joyous assurance of what God is able to do for you. He will make you to abound in love, and strengthen your heart to live before Him in holiness and love of the brethren, teach me so to pray! | |
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