“Have Our Focus and Priority in Life Been Twisted 我們生命中的焦點和優先次序已被扭曲嗎?“(Matthew 馬太福音 6:9-10)
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
所以你們要這樣祈禱:‘我們在天上的父,願你的名被尊為聖,願你的國降臨,願你的旨意成就在地上,如同在天上一樣。
It is true that God is the mighty sovereign of the universe who created, governs and will judge all things including all of us – but He is also to us our holy and glorious Father in heaven. This first part of the Lord’s Prayer rightly recognizes whom we pray to focusing upon that both privileged and eternal relationship between our living Father and us as His chosen community. God’s name, kingdom and will have the top priority which all His beloved children must observe in their life. God is more than able to do His will without our prayer or cooperation; yet He invites the participation of our prayers, our heart, and our actions in seeing His will be done on earth (where disobedience against Him prevails) as it is in heaven.
真確的,神是宇宙大能的君王,祂創造了和統治著萬有,並且必審判萬物包括我們所有人 – 但對我們來說,祂也是我們在天上聖潔又榮耀的父。這主禱文的首部份理所當然地確認我們向誰祈禱,聚焦在我們永活的父與作為祂揀選群體的我們之間,那既享有特權又永恆的關係。神的名、國度和旨意必須擁有最高的優先次序,所有蒙祂愛的兒女在生命中必定要遵從這優先次序。沒有我們的禱告或配合,神是完全有能力成就祂的旨意的;然而,祂邀請我們用禱告、熱心和行動來見證祂的旨意行在地上(而其中不聽從反抗祂盛行),如同行在天上。
Prayer: Almighty Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, it is very sad and heart-breaking to see that today broken or even abused relationships among people and families prevailing and one root cause is failure in recognizing you as the Lord of life. Many want to guard their own name and reputation. We might say ‘your will be done’ with fatalism and resentment that there would nothing we could do about it anyway or hated it. Help us to do your will with a heart of perfect love and trust because we know it is the best for us. Change us where we could not understand or accept your will and empower us to resist the tendency to protect and promote ourselves first and instead to put your name, kingdom and will first. Amen.
禱告: 全能的父、天地的主啊,看見今天在人群和家庭之中,破碎或甚至虐待的關係盛行,令人十分哀傷心碎,而其一根本的原由是在確認你是生命之主上的失敗。許多人要守護自己的名字和聲望,我們或許帶著宿命論和怨恨說「你做你想做的」,而不管怎樣我們也作不了甚麽,或是討厭極了。求你幫助我們有著全備的愛心和信靠去行你的旨意,因為我們曉得這是對我們最好的,在不能理解或接受你的旨意上改變我們,並使我們有力量去抵抗那先要保障和推崇自己的傾向,把你的名、國度和旨意放在首位而取代之。阿們。