司布真每日靈修(夜) Evening by Evening
一月十五日
經文: 但我專心祈禱。（詩篇一○九：4）
撒謊者的舌頭在忙碌地毀謗大衛的名譽，但是他並未替自己辯護。代之，他將此案陳明在最高法庭中的偉大君王前，向祂懇求。要回答狠毒的話，最安全的方法就是祈禱。詩人並不是以冷淡之心情祈禱，他將自己投入在禱告中。他扯緊每一條肌腱全心全意投入。這是任何人能在施恩座前蒙垂聽的唯一方法。人若不能竭力迫切地懇，不能激烈渴望地懇求，他的懇求就完全無效。有一位老聖徒說：「要熱切禱告，就好像在天國的大門前放置一尊大砲將大門轟開。」大多數人的共同錯誤是在禱告中輕易地分散注意力。我們的思想徘徊浮遊，不能向著目標前進。我們的思緒常像水銀瀉地，無法集中，四處滾散。這是何等大的罪孽！這種行為傷害了我們自己，更糟糕的是羞辱了上帝。想一想若有一個人向一位王子陳情時，手中還玩弄著一根羽毛或是一支蒼蠅拍子，這是何等不敬！我們的禱告必須是連續、持久的。大衛不只是呼求一聲就墮入沈默，他虔誠地不斷大聲呼求，一直到天上的祝福降下。我們絕不能使祈禱變為只是偶而進行的工作，那必須是我們每日的事務，我們的習慣、甚至是我們的職業。像藝術家一樣地投入他們的模型，又像詩人一般地專注於他們的創作，我們也必須讓自己沈醉於禱告之中。我們必須沈浸在禱告之中，永不停止祈求。
Evening, January 15
Scripture: "But I give myself unto prayer."(Psalm 109:4)
Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great King himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the exercise—threw his whole soul and heart into it—straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man's proper self is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. "Fervent prayer," says an old divine, "like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open." The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a feather or catching a fly?
Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and more prevalent in supplication.
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