但九19 主啊，求你垂听！主啊，求你赦免！主啊，求你倾听并行事！我的神啊，为你自己的缘故，求你不要迟延；因你的城和你的民，都是称为你名下的。

　　太二六39 祂就稍往前走，面伏于地，祷告说，我父啊，若是可能，就叫这杯离开我；然而不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。

　　一个够水准的祷告，必须能说这不是人为着自己祷告，乃是人为着神祷告。所有真实的祷告，都不是人为着自己祷告，也不是人为着别人祷告，乃是人为着神祷告。连我们为罪人的得救，为弟兄姊妹的复兴代祷，都该是为着神祷告。……祷告最高的意义，就是叫神能得着祂的权益（就是权柄和利益）。从表面看，你的祷告可以为着许多的人，为着许多的事，或是为着你的自己，但是你必须追到一个根源，叫你能说，“神啊，我这些祷告都是为着你。我这些祈求能不能得着成就是非常小的事，但你在这些事上的权益是一件大的事。……连我为召会祷告也是这样；召会冷也罢，热也罢，好也罢，坏也罢，死也罢，活也罢，这都是一些小的问题，但是你的计划、你的见证、你的权益，能不能得到该得的地位，这才是个大的问题。所以我不是为着召会复兴祷告，乃是为着你的权益祷告。”（李文集一九五九年第四册，三六至三七页）。

　　Dan. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your own name.

　　Matt. 26:39 And going forward a little, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.

　　A prayer that is up to the standard must be one in which man is not praying for himself or for others but for God. Even when we pray for sinners to be saved or for the brothers and sisters to be revived, we ought to be praying for God…The highest meaning of prayer is that it is a means by which God may gain His authority and benefit. Apparently, you may be praying for many people, for many things, or for yourself, but you must be able to go to the root of the matter and say, “O God, all these prayers are for Your sake. Whether or not my prayers are answered is of very little significance, but Your authority and benefit in these matters are of immense importance… The same is true when I pray for the church. Whether the church is cold or hot, good or bad, dead or living—these are of small concern compared to whether or not Your plan, Your testimony, and Your authority can benefit and gain their rightful places. Therefore, I am not praying for the revival of the church but for Your authority and benefit.” (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” p. 28)

　　求主用血遮盖我，让我交通一点自己的经历。有好多次当我在财物上、需用上有了缺乏的时候，……我刚刚跪到神面前去，里面就问说，“你是为着自己祷告呢，还是为着神祷告？”每

　　一次里面这样问的时候，我都伏在神的面前对神说，“神，如果是为着我这个人，就是穷死了、饿死了，都没有关系。但是你知道，在这里有你的权益，有你的宝座。所以我虽然向你要一点财物，还不是为着我自己，乃是为着你。……”你看这是一个厉害的祷告。

　　我们必须用这个摸着一个最深、最厉害的原则来测量我们的祷告。你如果这样来测量，就会发现，连在祷告这样神圣的事上，你的里头大多还是满了自己，大多没有经过神的纯洁！无论是祷告的目的、动机，还是盼望，你的里面都是搀杂的。不错，你在祷告神，但你的心全数是自己在那里求。不错，你求神给你恩典，但都是你的成分在里面。你在许多祷告的事上，满了自己的搀杂。所以你必须接受神的对付，叫你有一天能对神说，“神，我在这里祷告，不是为着我自己，乃是为着你。”

　　我们若是学过这样的功课，在神面前就没有苦求，也没有可怜地求，我们都能在那里很雄壮地求，因为不是为着自己，乃是为着神。……但以理是一个在神里头经过，也让神在他里头经过的人；他是和神一同祷告，也让神和他一同祷告的人。所以他能在那里说，为着你自己来作这件事〔但九19〕。

　　所有正确的祷告，也都是人的话语说出神的心意来。不错，是你在那里说话，但却是神在那里把祂的心意发表出来。……所以真实的祷告都不是发表我们的意思，乃是把神的心意从我们的祷告里发表出来。……任何一个够水准的祷告，都不是从人发起的，乃是从神发起的。这个发起就是指着神把祂的心意涂抹到人里面来。人接受了这个心意，再变作祷告的话向神说出来，这就是祷告。……我们去祷告，必须先安静在神面前，和神有交通，让神把祂的心意涂抹在我们里面，这样我们的祷告才能发表神的心意（李文集一九五九年第四册，三七至四一页）。

　　参读：祷告，第三章。

　　May the Lord cover me with His blood and allow me to share something from my own experience. There were quite a few times when I suffered want in material things and necessities…As I knelt down before God, there was an asking within: “Are you praying for yourself, or are you praying for God’s sake?”

　　Whenever there was such an asking within, I prostrated myself before God and said to Him, “O God, if it were for myself, it would not matter if I suffered poverty and starvation even unto death, but Your authority and benefit are involved. Although I am asking for some material things from You, it is still not for my own sake but for Your sake…” You see, this is a proper prayer.

　　You must touch this deep and tremendous principle and measure your prayers by it. Then you will discover, even in such a divine matter as prayer, how much you are still filled with yourself and how little you have passed through God’s purification. Whether it is in the intention, the motive, or the expectation of your prayer, there is mixture within you. Yes, you are praying to God, but in your heart you are praying wholly on your own and for your own sake. Therefore, you must be dealt with by God until one day you become able to say, “O God, I am praying not for myself but for Your sake. In my motive, intention, and expectation there is no place for me; rather, everything is for Your sake.”

　　If we would learn such a lesson, we would no longer need to implore God or beg for His pity; instead, we would be able to pray bravely and strongly, for we would be praying not for ourselves but for God’s sake…Daniel was one who passed through God and allowed God to pass through him. He was also one who prayed with God and allowed God to pray with him. Hence, he could pray, “O Lord, hear…for Your own sake” [Dan. 9:19].

　　Every proper prayer is also man speaking forth the intention of God. Yes, it is you who are speaking, but it is God who is expressing His heart’s intent…True prayers do not express our ideas; rather, they express God’s intention through our utterance. Every prayer which is up to the standard is not initiated by man but by God. This initiation means that God anoints His intention into man. After man receives this intention, he converts it into words and utters them to God. This is prayer…When we pray, we must first be quiet before God, fellowship with Him, and allow Him to anoint His intention into us; thus our prayer can express God’s intention. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 29-31)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 3