2016年4月22日
圣灵代求 The Spirit Delivers
读经: 罗马书8章19-27节
Reading: Romans 8:19-27
我们的软弱有圣灵帮助，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。-罗马书8章26节
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26
全年读经: 撒母耳记下14-15章;路加福音17章1-19节
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14–15; Luke 17:1-19
不久之前，爱尔兰仍有许多偏乡小镇没有门牌号码或邮递区号。如果有三位名叫陈彼得的居民同住在一个镇上，那位刚搬来此地的陈彼得就不可能立即收到他的邮件，因为邮差会先把邮件送给其他两位名为陈彼得的镇民。刚搬到镇上的陈彼得说：「我的邻居会先把信仔细地读过一遍，然后才恍然大悟地说：『这应该不是我的。』」为了停止这种误投误送的现象，爱尔兰政府最近终于制定了他们的邮递区号系统，以确保邮件能正确无误地传递。
有时，我们祷告的时候，可能也会觉得需要透过一些帮助，才能将心中所想的传递给上帝。我们或许不知道该说些什么，也不知该如何表达我们最深切的渴望。使徒保罗在罗马书8章提到，圣灵会帮助我们祈求，将我们说不出来的「叹息」传达给天父。「我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告」（26节）。圣灵总是按照上帝的旨意祈求，天父也知道圣灵的心意。
不要灰心，因为上帝垂听我们的祷告，而且祂知道我们心中最深的需要。
天父，感谢祢赐下圣灵，让我在祷告时得着帮助。
谢谢祢垂听我的祷告，也谢谢祢深爱着我。
即使你无法用言语表达心声，但上帝仍听见。
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Until recently, many towns in rural Ireland didn't use house numbers or postal codes. So if there were three Patrick Murphys in town, the newest resident with that name would not get his mail until it was first delivered to the other two Patrick Murphys who had lived there longer. "My neighbors would get it first," said Patrick Murphy (the newest resident). "They'd have a good read, and they'd go, 'No, it's probably not us.' " To end all this mail-delivery confusion, the Irish government recently instituted its first postal-code system which will ensure the proper delivery of the mail.
Sometimes when we pray we feel like we need help delivering to God what is on our heart. We may not know the right words to say or how to express our deep longings. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit helps us and intercedes for us by taking our unspeakable "groanings" and presenting them to the Father. "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (v. 26). The Spirit always prays according to God's will, and the Father knows the mind of the Spirit.
God hears us when we pray and He knows our deepest needs.
Be encouraged that God hears us when we pray and He knows our deepest needs.
Thank You, Father, for giving me Your Spirit to help me when I pray. Thank You for hearing my prayers and for loving me.
When you can't put your prayers into words, God hears your heart.