太六5~6　你们祷告的时候，不可像那假冒为善的人，因为他们爱站在会堂里，并十字街口祷告，为要叫人看见。我实在告诉你们，他们已经充分地得了他们的赏赐。你祷告的时候，要进你的密室，关上门，祷告你在隐密中的父，你父在隐密中察看，必要报答你。

　　虽然主说到赏赐（太六1、5），但这里重要的事不是赏赐，乃是在生命里长大。在明处长大的圣徒，不是健康的长大。我们都需要一些生命中隐密的长大，一些对基督隐密的经历。我们需要隐密地祷告主、敬拜主、接触主并与主交通，也许连最亲近我们的人，也不知道或领会我们在作什么。我们需要这些对主隐密的经历，因为这样的经历杀死我们的己和我们的肉体。虽然怒气和情欲很丑陋，但最阻挠我们生命长大的乃是己。……己喜爱得荣耀，肉体喜爱被人注视（马太福音生命读经，二九○至二九一页）。

　　Matt. 6:5-6 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, enter into your private room, and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

　　Although the Lord speaks about the matter of reward (Matt. 6:1, 5), the important thing here is not the reward, but the growth in life. [Those] who grow openly do not grow in a healthy way. We all need some secret growth in life, some secret experiences of Christ. We need to pray to the Lord, worship the Lord, contact the Lord, and fellowship with the Lord in a secret way. Perhaps not even the one closest to us will know or understand what we are doing. We need these secret experiences of the Lord because such experiences kill our self and our flesh. Although anger and lust are ugly, the thing that most frustrates us from growing in life is the self....The self loves to be glorified, and the flesh loves to be gazed upon. (Life-study of Matthew, p. 260)

　　我们该多多祷告，但不要让别人知道我们有多少祷告。……你若天天祷告而不告诉别人，或者不让别人知道，这表示你是健康的，并且你正在长大。然而，假定你一直告诉别人你有多少祷告，你若这样作，不仅要失去赏赐，你也不健康，不会在生命里长大。……你的义行若在隐密中，你就能确信自己是在生命里长大，并且是健康的。但无论何时你在义行上显扬自己，你就不健康。这样的显扬大大阻挠了你在生命里长大。

　　宇宙指明神是隐藏的，神是隐密的。虽然祂作了许多事，人却不知道祂作了那些事。我们也许看见了神所作的事，但我们没有人见过祂，因为祂总是隐藏的，总是隐密的。神的生命属于这样隐密和隐藏的性质。我们若凭着自己的生命爱人，这生命就想要在人面前炫耀自己。但我们若凭着神的爱爱人，这爱就始终是隐藏的。我们人的生命喜爱炫耀、公开显扬，但神的生命总是隐藏的。假冒为善的人就是有外面的表显，里面却空无一物的人。他所有的一切仅仅是外面的表演，里面没有实际。这完全与神的性情和祂隐藏的生命相对。虽然神的内涵极其丰富，但表显出来的只有一点点。我们若凭着这神圣的生命而活，也许会多多祷告，但别人不会知道我们祷告了多少。

　　我们基督徒捐出一百元时，最好只让别人知道我们捐了一角。我们所作的比别人所看见的多。我们在天然的生命里，绝不能实行这样的施舍，只有在神圣的生命，不喜欢显扬的生命里，才可能这样实行。这是本段话的重点。

　　我们若认真要成为国度的子民，就必须学习凭着我们父隐藏的生命而活。我们不可凭着自己天然的生命而活，这生命总是炫耀自己。我们若凭着我们父隐藏的生命而活，我们会作许多事而不公开显扬。反之，我们所作的一切都会在隐密中，从人眼前隐藏。

　　国度子民在祷告的事上，和在施舍的事上一样，不要公开显扬〔太六5〕。……要得人称赞的祷告，虽可从人得着赏赐，却不能从父得着答应，所以是徒然的祷告。

　　我们的祷告该在隐密中〔6〕。……国度子民必须有密室祷告的经历，在隐密中接触他们的天父，经历对父隐密的享受，并从祂接受隐密的回答（马太福音生命读经，二九一至二九三、二九五至二九六页）。

　　参读：马太福音生命读经，第二十一篇。

　　We should pray much, yet not let others know how much we pray....If you pray every day without telling others or letting them know about it, it means that you are healthy and that you are growing....[If] you always tell others how much you pray,...you will not only lose your reward, but you will not grow in life or be healthy....If your righteous deeds are in secret, you may be assured that you are growing in life and are healthy. But any time you exhibit yourself in your righteous deeds, you are not healthy. Such an exhibition greatly frustrates your growth in life.

　　The universe indicates that God is hidden, that God is secret. Although He has done a great many things, people are not aware that He has done them. We may have seen the things done by God, but none of us has ever seen Him, for He is always hidden, always secret. God's life is of such a secret and hidden nature. If we love others by our own life, this life will seek to make a display of itself before men. But if we love others by the love of God, this love will always remain hidden. Our human life loves to make a display, a public show, but God's life is always hidden. A hypocrite is one who has an outward manifestation without having anything within. Everything he has is merely an outward show; there is no reality inwardly. This is absolutely contrary to God's nature and to His hidden life. Although God has so much within Him, only a little is manifested. If we live by this divine life, we may pray much, but others will not know how much we have prayed.

　　When we Christians give a hundred dollars, it is better that we only let others know that we have given a dime. We do more than what is visible to others. We can never practice this kind of giving in our natural life. It is possible only in the divine life, the life that does not enjoy making a show. This is the crucial point in this portion of the Word.

　　If we are serious about being the kingdom people, we must learn to live by the hidden life of our Father. We must not live by our natural life, which is always making a display of itself. If we live by our Father's hidden life, we shall do many things without making any public show of them. Rather, all that we do will be in secret, hidden from the eyes of others.

　　In praying, as in giving alms, the kingdom people are not to make a public show [Matt. 6:5]....Prayer to seek man's praise may gain a reward from men, but it does not receive an answer from the Father. Thus, it is vain prayer.

　　Our prayer should be in secret [v. 6]....The kingdom people must have some experience of prayer in their private room, contacting their heavenly Father in secret, experiencing some secret enjoyment of the Father, and receiving some secret answer from Him. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 261-262, 264)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 21