罗八26~27 ……那灵也照样帮同担负我们的软弱；我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是那灵亲自用说不出来的叹息，为我们代求。那鉴察人心的，晓得那灵的意思，因为祂是照着神为圣徒代求。

　　许多人一听见祷告这个辞，马上就领会说，祷告就是人来求告神，祷告就是因为人这里有了缺乏，需要物质的供应；或者有了疾病，需要医治；或者有了其他的难处，需要解决，所以就到神面前去求告，求神供应，求神医治，求神解决。……但是……这些并不是圣经里面所说，关乎祷告的正确意义。这个定义虽然不敢说错，但是太浅显，不够深刻，也不够准确。

　　真实的祷告，就是神人二者互相的接触。祷告不光是人来接触神，也是神来接触人。……一个真实够得上水准的祷告，定规会有一种光景，神人二者互相交流，叫人触着神，也叫神触着人；叫人和神有联结，叫神也和人有联结。所以祷告最高、最准确的一个定义，就是神人互相接触（李文集一九五九年第四册，二一、二五页）。

　　Rom. 8:26-27 …In like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the.Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God.

　　Many people, upon hearing the term prayer, immediately think that it means man coming before God to make supplication. Because man is in want and needs material supply, or is sick and needs healing, or has other problems and needs some solution, he goes before God, asking Him to supply his needs, heal his sickness, and solve his problems…However,…this is not the proper meaning of prayer as it is revealed in the Bible. We dare not say that such a definition is wrong, but it is too superficial and lacks both depth and accuracy.

　　Real prayer is the mutual contact between God and man. Prayer is not just man contacting God but also God contacting man…Every prayer that is truly up to the standard surely will have a condition of mutual flowing between God and man so that man may actually touch God and God may actually touch man; thus, man is united with God, and God with man. Therefore, the highest and most accurate meaning of prayer is that it is the mutual contact between God and man. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 17, 19-20)

　　一个真实的祷告，也是人来呼吸神，如同呼吸空气一样。当你这样呼吸神的时候，自然就得着神，如同呼吸空气，得着空气一样；结果不光神作了你的享受，给你得着，并且你的全人也都降服神，归向神，让神完全得着。你祷告越多，你充满神就越多。

　　一个够得上祷告的祷告，虽然可能求一件事也得到成全，但最终的后果乃是叫这一个祈求的人更摸着神，也让神更得着他。真实的祷告乃是来吸取神自己，得着神自己，而让神得着我们。所有在神之外求那些人事物的，都不是祷告的本质，不过是祷告的外皮，或者说是祷告的附属品。真实的祷告，本质的祷告，都是你在那里触着神、呼吸神、享受神、得着神、充满神，而让神得着你这个人。

　　一个弟兄或是姊妹，若真学会了前两点祷告的秘诀，……他这一个祷告的人定规是和神合作，与神同工的，也定规让神从他里面，借着他把神自己和神的心意发表出来，最终成功了神的旨意。这就是罗马八章二十六至二十七节所说的，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，乃是那灵在我们里面照着神来代求。真的，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告。

　　真实的祷告都是圣灵在人里面，借着人发表神的心意。换句话说，真实的祷告，都是双层人物的祷告。什么是双层人物的祷告？那就是说，不是人自己在那里祷告神，乃是圣灵调在人里头、穿着人、带着人和人一起来祷告。从外面看是人祷告，从里面看却又是圣灵祷告。这就是两层的人物在同一个时候发表同一个祷告。

　　“那灵……照着神为圣徒代求。”〔罗八27〕意思就是圣灵在我们里面照着神来祷告，也就是神借着祂的灵在我们里面来祷告，所以这一个祷告定规是发表神自己，当然也发表神的心意。

　　真实的祷告乃是配合圣经，在神面前一呼一吸，叫我们和神，神和我们彼此接触，互相得着，结果我们和神就得以完全合作，完全同工，神就借着我们发表祂的自己和祂的心意，最终成功祂的旨意。这就是圣经里所说祷告简要的定义（李文集一九五九年第四册，二五至三一页）。

　　参读：祷告，第一章。

　　A real prayer is also man breathing in God just as he breathes in air. While you are thus breathing in God, spontaneously you are obtaining God, just as when you breath in air, you receive air. Consequently, not only is God obtained by you to become your enjoyment, but also your whole being surrenders to God, turns unto God, and is wholly gained by God. The more you pray, the more you will be filled with God.

　　The ultimate result of a prayer should be that the intercessor gains more of God and is gained more by God, although the thing which he has asked of God may also be fulfilled.

　　Real prayer is to inhale God Himself, to obtain God, and to be obtained by God. All those prayers for people, affairs, and things that are outside God are not the essence of prayer but are merely the outer skin or accessories of prayer. A real prayer, a prayer of essence, is one in which you actually contact God, breathe Him, enjoy Him, obtain Him, are filled with Him, and allow Him to gain your being.

　　If a brother or sister has really learned the secret of prayer,…such a praying one will certainly cooperate with God, work together with God, and allow God to express Himself and His desire from within him and through him, ultimately accomplishing God’s purpose. This is according to Romans 8:26 and 27, which tell us that we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s purpose. Actually, we do not know how to pray.

　　Real prayers are the Holy Spirit within man expressing God’s desire through man. In other words, real prayers are prayers involving two parties. They are not simply man alone praying to God, but they are the Spirit mingling with man, putting on man, and joining with man in prayer. Outwardly it is man praying, but inwardly it is the Spirit praying. This means that two parties express the same prayer at the same time.

　　“The Spirit…intercedes…according to God” [Rom. 8:27]. This means that the Holy Spirit prays in us according to God; that is, God prays in us through His Spirit. Thus, such a prayer certainly expresses God’s intention as well as God Himself.

　　Real prayer always matches the Scriptures; it is an exhaling and inhaling before God, causing us and God, God and us, to contact one another and to obtain one another. Consequently, we wholly cooperate and work with God, and God expresses Himself and His desire through us, ultimately accomplishing His purpose. This is a fundamental meaning of prayer in the Bible. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 20-24)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 1