9月25日靈修禱文|DEVOTION

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

How can we rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances? Joyful is a mental state. Prayer is an act to come close to God. And to give thanks in all circumstances seems to mean to be thankful even under very bad circumstances. Rejoice and pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, are not easy to achieve, if we rely on ourselves. I think the gist of Paul's words is perseverance. If we continue to pursue unceasingly and persevere in our practice of godliness, we are close to the goal. Just as Paul said, "I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13)

May the Lord help us not to be lazy, but persevere in the practice of rejoicing and praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all circumstances. It is because if we are lazy and do not seek to improve, we will lack strength all the more and will not pursue growth. May Father God have mercy on us, and may we regain strength because Lord Jesus' blood blotted out our sin and because the Holy Spirit the Counselor lives in us.

Rev. Eddie Chu

帖前五16至18

怎樣可以常常喜樂，不住的禱告，凡事謝恩？喜樂是一種心態，禱告是親近神的表現，而凡事謝恩似乎指無論任何境況都要感恩，持久地喜樂、恆久的禱告和凡事謝恩都不是說了就能做到的，人憑著自己實在難以達成。我覺得保羅以上幾句話，重要在持續去做--不住地，凡事我地 continue to pursue，以堅持不懈的態度在操練虔誠，才不會遠離目標，正如保羅說：「我不是以為自己已經得著了，我乃是忘記背後，努力面前，向著標竿直跑。」(腓三13)

求主助我們不要怠惰，持久而去操練—追求喜樂、多禱告，凡事謝恩；因為懈怠和不思求進的心會令我們更加乏力，不再追求成長。求天父施憐憫，靠主耶穌的寶血塗抹我們的過犯，又藉保惠師聖靈的同在，重新得力。

朱裕文 牧師