灵里的言辞 Soul Speech

  转载 Donald K. McKim 书籍《Everyday Prayer with the Reformers》

有时我们并没有完全投入地祷告，我们可能只是读着祷告文的文字，或者我们可能说出一些熟悉的属灵词语，而没有思想它们的含义。我们甚至可能陷入一种意识流的状态，没有充分地思考我们所说出来的话，所以祷告可能变得机械化。

Sometimes we slip into praying that does not engage us fully. We may read prayers and just read words on a page. Or we may say certain familiar phrases without thinking of their meaning. We may even engage in a kind of stream of consciousness in which we offer prayer without considering fully and completely that we are saying. Prayers can also become rote.

但诗人一开始的祷告是：“耶和华啊，我的心仰望你”（诗篇25:1）。诗人从灵里的深处祷告，这种祷告是诗人全心投入的祈祷。

But the psalmist begins by praying, "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul" (Ps. 25:1). The psalmist is praying from his soul. This prayer is engaging the totality of the psalmist's self.

乔治·多纳姆在探讨『祷告』这课题时说道：“一般上，祷告要求我们使用灵里的言辞，而不仅仅是口中的言语，是灵里的高升（诗篇25:1），是灵里的倾诉（诗篇62:8），是用灵祷告（以弗所书6:18），并且是真实的祷告（诗篇145:18）。”

George Downame, in discussing prayer, wrote that "in the soul generally it is required, that our prayer be speech of the soul, and not of the mouth only, a lifting up of our hearts (Ps.25:1) and a powering forth of the soul (Ps. 62:8), a praying in spirit (Eph. 6:18), and in truth (Ps. 145:18)."

多纳姆有一个引人注目的比喻。我们的祷告应该是“灵里的言辞”（参见诗篇86:4；143:8）。灵魂的言辞是全心的投入——不仅仅是口中的言语，更是心灵和我们最深处的言语。这是向神倾诉我们的心。我们完全专注于我们祷告的对象——神。在祷告中，练习灵里的言辞！

Downame has an arresting image. Our prayer should be "soul speech" (see Ps.86:4; 143:8). Soul speech engages our whole self -- not just words of the mouth, but words of the heart and our innermost being. This is the pouring forth of our heart and soul of God. We are totally focused on God, the One to whom we are praying. In prayer, practice soul speech!

祷告焦点：操练将你的祷告视为“灵魂的言辞”。把你内心最深处的掏出来，把最深的感受化为言语，作为祷告献给神。

Prayer Point: Practice thinking of your prayers as "soul speech". Take that which is deepest within you. Put your deepest feelings into words and offer them as a prayer to God.