Prayer that pleaseth 蒙神喜悦的祷告

取自《Everyday Prayer with the Reformers》

《Psalm 诗篇 31》

1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!

2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;

4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.

7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,

8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.

9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.

12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.

13 For I hear the whispering of many-- terror on every side!-- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!

17 O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol.

18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

20 In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.

22 I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

1（大卫的诗，交与伶长。）耶和华啊，我投靠你；求你使我永不羞愧；凭你的公义搭救我！
2求你侧耳而听，快快救我！作我坚固的磐石，拯救我的保障！
3因为你是我的岩石，我的山寨；所以，求你为你名的缘故引导我，指点我。
4求你救我脱离人为我暗设的网罗，因为你是我的保障。
5我将我的灵魂交在你手里；耶和华诚实的神啊，你救赎了我。
6我恨恶那信奉虚无之神的人；我却倚靠耶和华。
7我要为你的慈爱高兴欢喜；因为你见过我的困苦，知道我心中的艰难。
8你未曾把我交在仇敌手里；你使我的脚站在宽阔之处。
9耶和华啊，求你怜恤我，因为我在急难之中；我的眼睛因忧愁而乾瘪，连我的身心也不安舒。
10我的生命为愁苦所消耗；我的年岁为叹息所旷废。我的力量因我的罪孽衰败；我的骨头也枯乾。
11我因一切敌人成了羞辱，在我的邻舍跟前更甚；那认识我的都惧怕我，在外头看见我的都躲避我。
12我被人忘记，如同死人，无人记念；我好像破碎的器皿。
13我听见了许多人的谗谤，四围都是惊吓；他们一同商议攻击我的时候，就图谋要害我的性命。
14耶和华啊，我仍旧倚靠你；我说：你是我的神。
15我终身的事在你手中；求你救我脱离仇敌的手和那些逼迫我的人。
16求你使你的脸光照仆人，凭你的慈爱拯救我。
17耶和华啊，求你叫我不致羞愧，因为我曾呼吁你；求你使恶人羞愧，使他们在阴间缄默无声。
18那撒谎的人逞骄傲轻慢，出狂妄的话攻击义人；愿他的嘴哑而无言。
19敬畏你、投靠你的人，你为他们所积存的，在世人面前所施行的恩惠是何等大呢！
20你必把他们藏在你面前的隐密处，免得遇见人的计谋；你必暗暗地保守他们在亭子里，免受口舌的争闹。
21耶和华是应当称颂的，因为他在坚固城里向我施展奇妙的慈爱。
22至於我，我曾急促地说：我从你眼前被隔绝。然而，我呼求你的时候，你仍听我恳求的声音。
23耶和华的圣民哪，你们都要爱他！耶和华保护诚实人，足足报应行事骄傲的人。

24凡仰望耶和华的人，你们都要壮胆，坚固你们的心！

After their dismal performance on the baseball field, a manager said to his team, "We've got to go back to basics. This is a 'bat'. This is a 'ball'." Sometimes things are that basic!

因着在棒球场上有不佳的表现，经理对他的球队说：“我们必须回到最基础。看，这是一个‘球棒’；看，这是一个‘球’。”有时候事情就是要回到基础！

In our Christian faith, we also have basics: key things to keep in mind and use. There are basics in our theological beliefs. There are basics in our Christian life. One mark of Christian living is prayer.

在我们的基督信仰中，我们也有基要的要点，也有需要牢记和使用的关键事物。我们的神学信仰有基本要点，我们的基督徒生活也有基本要点。其中一个基督徒生活的标记就是祷告。

What are the "basics" of prayer? What features of prayer are pleasing to God?

那么祷告的基要要素又是什么呢？怎样的祷告是蒙神喜悦的呢？

One summary of prayer is from William Tyndale: "If thy prayer be thanks in heart, or calling to God for help, with trust in him according to his promise, then thy prayer pleaseth." Put simply, prayer that pleases God thanks God, call on God, and trusts in God.

威廉·丁道尔对祷告的一种结论是：“如果你的祷告是发自内心的感恩，或是按照神的应许信靠祂、呼求祂的帮助，那么你的祷告就是蒙神喜悦的。” 换言之，蒙神喜悦的祷告包括感谢神，呼求神，与信靠神。

Thanks, calls, and trusts. These three aspects of prayer are basics. The psalmist proclaimed, "I trust in You, O Lord; I say. 'You are my God'" (Ps 31:14). In prayer we affirm God is our God. God is the God to whom we pray with thanks in our hearts -- grateful for all God has done.

感谢、呼求和信靠。这三方面是祷告的基本要素。诗人宣告说：“耶和华啊，我倚靠你；我说：‘你是我的神’”（诗篇 31:14）。在祷告中，我们确认神是我们的神。神是我们心里感恩祷告的对象——感谢祂所做的一切。

We call on God -- telling God of our needs and desires. We pray with trust in the Lord, who is our God.

我们呼求神 -- 告诉祂我们的需要和渴望。我们怀着对神的信靠来祷告，因祂是我们的神。

Prayer Point : Think of there three basics of prayer for your prayers today: give thanks, call on God, and express your trust in your God.

祷告重点：今天的祷告里，记住祷告的这三个基本要素：感谢神，呼求神，并表达你对神的信靠。