TOGETHER: In Prayer (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Good morning everyone, I’m Thealyssa, and it’s an absolute honor and privilege to be here with you today. I want you to have a look at these photos on the screen, what is something that is common amongst all of them?
引言
大家早上好！我是茶莉莎Thealyssa，非常荣幸今天能在这里和大家一起。
请大家看看屏幕上的这些照片，它们之间有什么共同之处呢？
They all show people or animals working TOGETHER! If you don’t already know, last week we started a series in the book of Ephesians called TOGETHER. And today, we will be looking at the big idea that:
它们都展示了人或动物一起合作！如果你还不知道的话，上周我们开始了一系列以弗
所书的讲道，主题是“在一起”。今天，我们将探讨一个重要的观点：
Together we pray for each other’s walk with God I’ve been given the mammoth task of covering 2 passages today. Both are prayers that model for us how we should pray with and for each other. I love this quote by D A Carson: “… If we follow Paul’s example… we will learn to pray for others…In short, our praying will be shaped by our profound desire to seek what is best for the people of God.” D A Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation.
我们一起为彼此与神同行祷告
今天我被赋予了一个艰巨的任务，要讲解两段经文。这两段经文都是祷告，为我们示
范了如何为彼此祷告。我非常喜欢卡森的这句话：
“……如果我们效法保罗的榜样……我们将学会为他人祷告……总之，我们的祷告将
由我们对神的子民追求最佳状态的深切愿望所塑造。”—— 卡森D A Carson，《灵性复
兴的呼召》。
The first prayer is from Ephesians 1:15-23. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
第一段祷告来自以弗所书1:15-23。
15 因此，我既听见你们信从主耶稣，亲爱众圣徒， 16 就为你们不住地感谢神，祷告
的时候，常提到你们， 17 求我们主耶稣基督的神，荣耀的父，赐给你们属灵的智慧和
启示，使你们真知道他。 18 并且照明你们心中的眼睛，使你们知道他的恩召有何等指
望，他在圣徒中得的基业有何等丰盛的荣耀； 19 并知道他向我们这信的人所显的能力
是何等浩大， 20 就是照他在基督身上所运行的大能大力，使他从死里复活，叫他在天
上坐在自己的右边， 21 远超一切执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的，和一切有名的，
不但是今世的，连来世的也都超过了。 22 又将万有服在他的脚下，使他为教会作万有
之首。 23 教会是他的身体，是那充满万有者所充满的。
WOW! What an incredible prayer!! I don’t need to preach anymore. That was amazing. Haha. Before we dive in, I Just want to touch on prayer. What is prayer?
Prayer is a way to communicate with God. I love how John Mark Comer puts it in his book
哇！这是多么令人难以置信的祷告啊！！我都不需要再讲了。真是太棒了。哈哈。
在我们深入探讨之前，我想先谈谈祷告。什么是祷告？
祷告是一种与神沟通的方式。我喜欢馬克． 寇默在他的书中对祷告的描述：
‘Practicing the Way’
Prayer is
- Talking to God
- Talking with God
- Listening to God
- Being with God
《践行之道》
祷告是
• 与神说话
• 与神交流
• 聆听神
• 与神同在
Prayer is a HUGE topic. But because our series in Ephesians is focussing on Unity and Togetherness, today I want to focus on the theme that: Together we pray for each other’s walk with God. Throughout the service, there will be opportunities for you to pause and pray, both individually and with others.
祷告是一个非常大的主题。但我们在以弗所书的系列讲道中聚焦于团结和共同性，今
天我想要重点讨论这个主题：我们一起为彼此与神同行祷告。
在整个礼拜过程中，会有机会暂停并让大家祷告，无论是个人祷告还是与他人一起祷
告。
Paul begins in verse 15 with “For this reason”, meaning, Because of what I’ve just said in verses 1-14 about what God has done for us – choosing, redeeming, forgiving, lavishing and sealing us, Paul continues, “ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you…” This brings us to our first point for today, that
保罗在第15 节以“因此”开始，这意味着，因为我刚才在1-14 节中所说的神为我们
所做的一切——选择、救赎、赦免、丰盛和印记——保罗继续说：“自从我听见你们信
从主耶稣，亲爱众圣徒，就为你们不住地感谢神……”
这引出了我们今天的第一个要点，那就是：
1) We’re challenged to pray Continually
Paul models here a persistent, unceasing prayer life. In fact, he prays continually for other churches too, as we can see in these verses from Thessalonians and Colossians! “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you....” Colossians 1:9
1）我们被挑战要不断祷告
保罗在这里示范了一个坚持不懈、不断祷告的生活。
事实上，他也不断为其他教会祷告，正如我们在帖撒罗尼迦前书和歌罗西书中的这些
经文所看到的！
“我们为你们众人常常感谢神，祷告的时候提到你们。”——帖撒罗尼迦前书1:2
“因此，我们自从听见的日子，也就为你们不住地祷告......”——歌罗西书1:9
How encouraging it must’ve been for the Ephesians to discover that Paul, usually really busy, and now suffering in prison, constantly prayed for them! My spiritual mentor Heather messaged me the other day saying “You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.” She often messages me to see how I’m going, or to share an encouraging verse God impressed on her heart for me. I feel so touched, supported, and cared for, knowing that she is praying for me daily. What is your prayer life like? Do you wake up early before work to pray? Maybe you only pray before making a big life decision, or when going through a hard time? Maybe you’ve never prayed before?
对以弗所的信徒来说，发现保罗，虽然通常非常忙碌，现在还在监狱中受苦，却不断
为他们祷告，真是令人鼓舞！
我的属灵导师希德前几天给我发了消息，说：“你一直在我的思念和祷告中。”她经常
给我发消息，看看我怎么样，或者分享一些神感动她的经文。我感到非常感动、支持
和被关怀，因为我知道她每天都为我祷告。
你的祷告生活是怎样的呢？你会在上班前早早起床祷告吗？也许你只在做重大人生决
定时或者经历困难时才祷告？也许你从未祷告过？
I think it’s important to have dedicated times to pray and commune with God. But can I challenge you to also pray continually? If prayer is talking with God, you don’t need fancy words. We can pray with our eyes wide open. We can pray silently or out loud. We can pray 1 word, or 1 paragraph. When we’re driving, changing a nappy, cooking a meal, going for a walk. Someone recently told me to pray before I have a consult, but also during a consult, talking to my patients and God simultaneously. I’ve been putting this into practice and it has been amazing.
I love what Pete Grieg says in a podcast on Unceasing Prayer: “Every moment can be a portal into God’s presence”. Pete Greig, Unceasing Prayer. We don’t have to wait until dawn or dusk to meet with God! It poses a challenge to us: will we pray like this, not only for ourselves, but with and for other people?
我认为有专门的时间来祷告和与神交流是很重要的。但我也想挑战你们，不仅要有专
门的祷告时间，还要不断地祷告。如果祷告是与神交谈，你不需要用华丽的词语。我
们可以在眼睛睁开的时候祷告。我们可以默默地祷告，也可以大声祷告。我们可以祷
告一个词，或者一段话。无论是在开车、换尿布、做饭，还是散步的时候。最近有人
告诉我，在咨询之前要祷告，但也要在咨询过程中同时与患者和神对话。我已经在实
践中体会到这一点，并且感到非常惊喜。
我喜欢皮特·格里格在关于《不间断祷告》的播客中说的话：“每一刻都可以是进入神
同在的门户。”—— 皮特·格里格Pete Greig，《不间断祷告》
我们不必等到黎明或黄昏才能与神相遇！
这对我们提出了一个挑战：我们是否愿意这样祷告，不仅为自己，也为他人？
However some of us here are probably wondering, why bother praying if God already knows what we need before we ask him? Will my prayers change God’s mind, what is the point? Why pray when you can ask Chat GPT? Why ask for our daily bread when you can go to countdown? Well, prayer isn’t about asking God for stuff like asking a genie to fulfil our wishes. It’s not about providing for ourselves, or even our church, like taking cash from an ATM. It’s not a religious tickbox to earn good points.
然而，我们当中有些人可能会疑惑，如果神已经在我们呼求之前知道我们的需要，那
么祷告有什么意义呢？我的祷告会改变神的心意吗？祷告的目的是什么？既然可以问
Chat GPT，为什么还要祷告？既然可以去超市买面包，为什么还要祈求每日的食物？
其实，祷告并不是像向神灯精灵许愿那样请求东西。祷告也不是像从自动取款机取钱
那样满足我们自己或教会的需要。祷告不是为了打勾宗教的考核表来赚取好分数。
Just as a trellis supports the growth of the branches and their connection to the vine, spiritual practices like prayer support our abiding in Christ. The more we talk with a friend and hang out with them, the closer our friendship. Likewise prayer is about growing fellowship with our heavenly father. And God is not some far away being hanging out past Jupiter, with Elon Musk out in space. God is so close, he’s INSIDE us! As Ephesians 3:17 says, Christ makes his home in our hearts! So why pray? Because prayer enables us to encourage each other. Prayer deepens our dependence on God and friendship with him. And prayer actually changes things!
正如格架支撑树枝的生长和与藤蔓的连接，灵修实践如祷告也支持我们在基督里的常
在。我们越是与朋友交谈并与他们相处，我们的友谊就越加亲密。同样，祷告就是与
我们的天父建立更深的团契。
而神并不是在木星之外的遥远地方与埃隆·马斯克一起在太空中漂浮。神如此靠近，
他甚至在我们里面！正如以弗所书3:17 所说，基督在我们的心里安家！
那么，为什么要祷告？因为祷告使我们能够彼此鼓励。祷告加深了我们对神的依赖和
与神的友谊。并且，祷告实际上会改变事情！
You see, prayers un-prayed will be prayers unanswered. Makes sense right? One of my favourite bible stories is when Elisha and his servant are surrounded by enemies. His servant is terrified, and Elisha prays, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17
How amazing, that Elisha’s prayer enabled his servant to see that God’s armies were greater than their enemies! Together we pray for each other’s walk with God. Do you remember what it says in the Lord’s Prayer? Jesus’model for how to pray, is a plural prayer, “Our Father… Give us today our daily bread… forgive us our sins… lead us not into temptation...” Matthew 6:9-13 So not only are we to pray continually by ourselves for ourselves, but we are called to also pray together, for others!
你看，未祷告的祷告将不会得到回应，这很有道理，对吧？我最喜欢的圣经故事之一
是以利沙和他的仆人被敌人包围的故事。仆人非常害怕，而以利沙祷告说：“耶和华
啊，求你开他眼睛，使他看见。”于是，耶和华开了仆人的眼睛，他看到山上满了火焰
的马匹和战车，围绕着以利沙。——列王纪下6:17
多么奇妙啊，以利沙的祷告使他的仆人看到神的军队比敌人更强大！
我们一起为彼此与神同行祷告。
你还记得主祷文中说了什么吗？耶稣为我们祷告的模式是一个复数的祷告，“我们的
父……今天赐给我们日用的饮食……赦免我们的罪……不要让我们遇见试探……”—
—马太福音6:9-13
所以，我们不仅要为自己不断祷告，还被呼召一起为他人祷告！
Just like penguins huddling together to conserve heat and shelter each other from the intense winds, praying for each other is essential for survival. We cannot walk this Christian life alone – we need to link arms. If a brother falls, we help him up. If a sister has a need, we help her fill it. We rejoice with one another, we weep with each other. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
就像企鹅聚在一起以保持温暖并保护彼此免受强风的侵袭，彼此祷告对我们的属灵生
命至关重要。我们无法单独走这条基督徒的道路——我们需要携手并肩。如果一个弟
兄跌倒了，我们帮助他起来。如果一个姐妹有需要，我们帮助她满足需要。我们彼此
欢喜，也彼此哭泣。加拉太书6:2 说：“你们要担当彼此的重担，这样就能履行基督的
律法。”——加拉太书6:2
What does praying continually for each other look like for you?
- Is there a habit I have that can be replaced with prayer? (e.g. social media scrolling,
driving in the car listening to music)
- Is it practicing to turn my mind to God whenever my mind wanders or worries?
- Is it praying with my eyes wide open – in every activity of everyday?
- Is it praying intentionally for a specific person every morning for a month?
- Is it joining a community (e.g. connect group, alpha) where we can regularly lift each
other in prayer?
- Is it asking a friend to be a prayer buddy, whom you can pray with once a week?
- If I’m already in a group, is it taking the step to be vulnerable and share a personal
prayer request that I’ve not shared with anyone before?
为彼此不断祷告对你来说是什么样的呢？
（逐一列出）
• 有没有什么习惯可以用祷告来代替？（例如：社交媒体浏览、开车时听音乐）
• 是否是练习在思绪游离或担忧时，转向神？
• 是否是在每一项日常活动中，睁开眼睛祷告？
• 是否是每天早晨为某个特定的人祷告一个月？
• 是否是加入一个社区（例如：小组、Alpha 课程），在这里我们可以定期为彼此
祷告？
• 是否是邀请一个朋友成为祷告伙伴，每周一起祷告？
• 如果我已经在一个小组中，是否要迈出一步，勇敢地分享一个之前从未与任何
人分享过的个人祷告请求？
2) Secondly, we’re challenged to pray Thankfully
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 Paul rejoices over his Christian brothers and sisters. He celebrates with them and what God is doing in their lives. We are now going to do something a bit different to our usual pattern; we are going to pause and have communion. Communion is a time when we take crackers and juice, to remember Jesus’ body on the cross and his blood shed for us. If you consider yourself a Christian, please join us as we take the elements. During this time, along with thanking Jesus, I’d like us all to silently pray and give thanks for someone. Maybe it’s a friend, a spouse, a mentor, the person sitting beside you. Let’s thank God for this person.
2）其次，我们被挑战要感恩祷告
“我为你们不住地感谢神，祷告的时候常提到你们。”——以弗所书1:16
保罗为他的基督徒弟兄姐妹感到喜乐。他与他们一同庆祝，以及庆祝神在他们生活中
所做的事情。
现在我们要做一些不同于平常的事情；我们要暂停并进行圣餐。圣餐是一个我们吃饼
喝汁，来纪念耶稣的身体在十字架上的牺牲和他的宝血为我们流出的时候。如果你认
为自己是基督徒，请和我们一起领受圣餐。
在这个时间里，除了感谢耶稣外，我希望我们都默默地为某个人祷告并感恩。也许是
一个朋友、配偶、导师，或者坐在你旁边的人。让我们感谢神赐给我们这样的人。
3) Thirdly, we’re challenged to pray Specifically
Paul doesn’t just pray generic prayers like, “O Lord please bless those Ephesians, amen.” As we read his letters, we see that he prays different things for different churches. In this prayer, Paul specifically asks the Father to give them deeper knowledge for 3 things they already have in Christ:
1. To know God better (vs 17)
2. To know the hope to which he has called them (vs 18)
3. To know the incomparably great power for us who believe (vs 19)
3）第三，我们被挑战要祷告的具体
保罗并不仅仅祷告一些泛泛的祷告，比如：“主啊，请赐福那些以弗所人，阿门。”
当我们阅读他的信件时，我们会发现他为不同的教会祷告不同的内容。
在这段祷告中，保罗特别请求父神赐给他们对基督中已经拥有的三样事物更深的认
识：
1. 更好地认识神（第17 节）
2. 认识神呼召他们的盼望（第18 节）
3. 认识对我们这些信的人极其伟大的神的能力（第19 节）
What does it mean to know God?
Well imagine getting to know a celebrity from afar. You can read their autobiographies, watch their youtube and tik tok videos, listen to their music. But until you actually meet them and spend time with them, you won’t get to know them. How they act in bad traffic, what their go-to meal is in a café, how they treat loved ones and strangers, their quirks, their values, their personality. Likewise, we can go to bible studies, serve in church, feed the homeless, listen to sermons, read theological books… but unless we spend time just being with God, and truly seek him above all things, we will not know him personally.
How desperately sad, that we can acquire so much knowledge in our professional life and have so many close friends we know well, and yet settle for knowing God only superficially! May we pray for each other to not only know about God, but to truly know God. Paul then prays for the Ephesians that “your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called...” Ephesians 1:18 NLT
认识神意味着什么呢？
试想一下从远处了解一位名人。你可以阅读他们的自传，观看他们的YouTube 和抖音
视频，听他们的音乐。但直到你真正见到他们并与他们共度时光，你才会真正了解他
们。他们在糟糕交通中的表现，他们在咖啡馆里的常点餐点，他们对亲人和陌生人的
态度，他们的小习惯、价值观和个性。
同样，我们可以参加圣经学习、在教会服务、喂养无家可归者、听讲道、阅读神学书
籍……但除非我们花时间与神亲密相处，并真正将他放在首位，否则我们不会真正认
识他。
多么令人沮丧的是，我们在职业生涯中可以获得如此多的知识，拥有许多亲密的朋
友，却满足于对神仅有肤浅的认识！
愿我们为彼此祷告，不仅仅是知道关于神的事，而是确实认识神。
保罗接着为以弗所的信徒祷告，“愿你们的心灵得到光照，使你们能够明白他召唤你
们的盼望有何等的丰盛……”——以弗所书1:18 NLT
Hope, in the earthly sense, is really desiring for something to happen, but there’s no guarantee it will. Like, I hope that broccoli is on sale this week. I hope I get that promotion. I hope is stops raining. Paul says God gives us confident hope. This hope is not based on a distant concept but a certain truth! The overwhelming evidence of Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us a confident hope that is unique in this world. And what is this hope God has called us to? “the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” Ephesians 1:18 We usually think about what we will inherit from God, of how happy we’ll be in heaven. But Paul says the opposite! God Almighty, has prepared for himself, to enjoy forever, US as HIS inheritance! He wants to enjoy company with mere human beings and shower us with abundant blessings forever!?
It’s mind-blowing.
希望，在世俗的意义上，实际上是渴望某件事发生，但没有保证它会发生。比如，我
希望这周西兰花打折。我希望我能得到晋升。我希望雨停。
保罗说，神赐给我们的是充满信心的盼望。这种盼望不是基于一个遥远的概念，而是
一个确凿的真理！耶稣的死亡和复活的压倒性证据给了我们一种在这个世界上独特的
充满信心的盼望。那么，神呼召我们得到的是什么盼望呢？“在他圣徒中得着丰盛荣
耀的基业。”——以弗所书1:18
我们通常会想到我们将从神那里继承什么，以及我们在天堂中将会有多么快乐。但保
罗却说相反！全能的神，为自己准备了一个永远享受的产业，那就是我们作为他的产
业！他想要享受与凡人同在，并永远将丰盛的祝福洒在我们身上！？这真是令人难以
置信。
4) Fourthly, we’re Challenged to pray BIG prayers
Paul talks about “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 1:19-20
WOW! Think about some of the most powerful things on this planet – nuclear power, the US military, some would say AI… but none of those things can raise someone from the dead! That is truly incredible power.
A month ago I made the silly mistake of chatting with my friend in my car with the headlights on and my engine off. Yes, you know what happened, the car battery ran flat. We so happened to be outside Jess Anderson’s house, and so we knocked on the door and she and Josh, her then fiancé, tried to jumpstart my car. First we connected my car battery wit his car battery using the cables, waited a while, but nothing happened. We tried with different cables. We tried with another flatmate’s car. We tried waiting for at least 5 minutes. But every time I tried to start my car, it just didn’t have enough juice. So I called AA and the guy came in his van, and connected my battery to his. Immediately, he said, “Turn on your car.” I was thinking, Seriously? We’re not even going to wait 10 seconds? But I obeyed his instructions, and Voila! The car started. He said, “Blast the air con, turn on all the lights.” So I did. And it was incredible!!! The amount of POWER in his battery was incomparably greater than the feeble batteries of my friends’ cars. As I drove home I was still flabbergasted, and it dawned on me. God’s power, that is incomparably great, that can raise a human being from death to life, is available to us?!! Wow!
4）第四，我们被挑战要祷告大祷告
保罗提到“他对我们信徒所施的那无比伟大的能力。这能力就是他在基督身上所施的
力量，曾使基督从死里复活，把他安置在天上的右边。”——以弗所书1:19-20
哇！想一想这个星球上最强大的东西——核能、美国军队，有些人会说是人工智
能……但这些东西都无法让死人复活！这才是真正的不可思议的力量。
一个月前，我犯了一个很傻的错误，在车里和朋友聊天时开着车灯却关了引擎。没
错，你知道发生了什么，车的电池没电了。巧的是，我们正好在杰西·安德森的家门
口，于是我们敲了门，她和当时的未婚夫乔什尝试给我的车打火。首先我们用电缆把
我的车电池和他的车电池连接起来，等了一会儿，但没有任何反应。我们试了不同的
电缆。我们试了另一位室友的车。我们试着等了至少5 分钟。但每次我尝试启动我的
车时，电池都没有足够的电量。所以我打电话给AA，AA 那个家伙开着他的面包车来
了，把我的电池连接到他的车上。他立即说：“启动你的车。”我当时在想，真的？
我们连等10 秒钟都不等？但我照他的指示做了，结果车子启动了。他说：“把空调开
到最大，所有灯都打开。”于是我照做了。结果真的很不可思议！！！他的电池中的
能量远远大于我朋友们的电池。当我开车回家的时候，我仍然惊讶不已，突然明白
了。神的力量，那种无比伟大的力量，可以让一个人从死亡中复活，竟然可以施行在
我们身上？！！哇！
Do you believe that? Ephesians 3:14-21 is the 2nd passage I was given to cover today, and it continues this theme of power: 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 Wow! Again, another incredible prayer!
你相信这一点吗？
以弗所书3:14-21 是我今天需要讲解的第二段经文，它继续探讨这一主题：力量。
14 因此，我在父面前屈膝，15 使天上地上的各家都得名于他。 16 求他按着他荣耀的
丰富，借着他的灵，刚强你们的心灵， 17 使基督因信住在你们的心里；使你们的爱心
有根有基， 18 能和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等宽广、高深、长阔， 19 知道这爱
是过于人所能知的，使你们充满了神的一切丰盛。
20 神能照着运行在我们心里的大能，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。 21
愿荣耀归给他，在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，直到世世代代，永永远远！阿门。——
以弗所书3:14-21
哇！再次看到一篇令人惊叹的祷告！
What is this love Paul talks about? God IS LOVE. “…God is love.” 1 John 4:8 “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10
All that God is, and all that God says and all that God does and has done is infused by his love. Love is the very reason for which we were created. From all eternity you were in the mind of God. It gave him pleasure to dream you into being. God loved you before there was a you. You were known and purposed and willed in his heart. Psalm 139 says, He knit you together in your mother’s womb. Zephaniah says, God delights in you, the thought of you brings him joy! Even if you never did anything else in your life, if you woke up tomorrow with a stroke and were a conscious vegetable; you have so much value because God loves you. Not because of what you’ve done or who you are, but because of who HE is. He loves us to the point of death.
Often as a result of our upbringing and experiences, we come to think that somehow, God is out to get us. That he’s a mean old guy in the sky and if we do something wrong, he will punish us.
保罗谈到的这种爱是什么呢？神就是爱。
“……神就是爱。”——约翰一书4:8
“神差他独生子到世上来，使我们因他得生命，这就是爱：不是我们爱神，而是神爱
我们，差他的儿子为我们的罪作了赎罪祭。”——约翰一书4:9-10
神的一切本质、言语和作为都充满了他的爱。爱是我们被创造的根本原因。自永恒以
来，你就在神的心意中。创造你让他感到喜悦。神在你还不存在的时候就已经爱你。
你在他的心里被知道、被计划、被期望。诗篇139 说，他在你母亲的腹中编织了你。
西番雅书说，神因你而喜乐，想到你就带给他喜悦！
即使你一生中再也没有做任何事情，如果你明天醒来时中风成为一个有意识的植物
人；你仍然有如此大的价值，因为神爱你。不是因为你做了什么，或你是谁，而是因
为他是谁。他爱我们到死的地步。
常常因为我们的成长经历，我们会觉得神好像是要惩罚我们的。他好像是天上的一个
刻薄老头，只要我们做错了什么，他就会惩罚我们。
A.W. Tozer said: ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.’ A.W. Tozer And I totally agree. We all need healing of our false views of God. If we view God as someone distant or passive or uncaring because our earthly father was this way, it will affect the way we see our worth, the way we act towards others, and our outlook on life. It infiltrates into our bones and can turn us into someone bitter or someone absolutely in awe of the creator.
Paul prays that the Ephesians would “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”, what kind of phrase is that, to know something that is beyond knowing? Well I have a friend named Jerry and he’s given me permission to share his story. There was a time when Jerry was going through a really rough patch in life. He came to the point of suicide, and held a knife to his neck. He told God to get his dad to text him a poem, otherwise he would press the knife down on his neck. The context of this is that whenever Jerry and his dad talked, it was only ever about the businesses that their family ran. They never talked about anything else. As soon as Jerry finished praying, his phone beeped. And it was a text from his dad with a link to poems from Jerry’s favourite poet. Not just 1 poem, but 10 poems. Isn’t this incredible? God doesn’t just say, “I see you, I care about you, I love you.” He says, “I love you I love you ….. (repeat 10x). This is a love that surpasses knowledge.
陶恕曾说：“当我们想到神时，我们心中所浮现的东西是关于我们最重要的事。”——
陶恕A.W. Tozer
我完全同意这一点。我们都需要改变对神的错误看法。如果我们将神视为一个远离或
被动或不关心的存在，因为我们在地上的父亲是这样的，这将影响我们对自身价值的
看法、我们对待他人的方式以及我们对生活的展望。这种看法会渗透到我们的骨子
里，使我们变成一个愤世嫉俗的人或一个对创造者充满敬畏的人。
保罗祈祷以弗所的信徒能够“认识那超越知识的基督的爱”，这是什么样的短语呢，认
识一种超越知识的爱？
我有一个朋友叫杰瑞，他让我分享他的故事。曾经有一段时间，杰瑞正经历着生活中
的艰难时刻。他到了自杀的地步，拿着刀子抵在脖子上。他告诉神，如果他的爸爸不
发一首诗给他，他就会用刀子割伤自己的脖子。背景是，杰瑞和他的爸爸每次谈话，
只谈论他们家经营的生意，从未谈论其他任何事情。杰瑞刚祷告完，他的手机就响
了。是他爸爸发来的短信，里面有链接到杰瑞最喜欢的诗人的十首诗。不是一首诗，
而是十首诗。这不是很不可思议吗？神不仅仅说，“我看见你，我关心你，我爱你。”
他还说，“我爱你，我爱你……（重复10 次）。”这是一种超越知识的爱。
And Paul prays that we would grasp how huge Christ’s love is, TOGETHER. 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, Paul ties increased understanding of Christ’s love with increased togetherness and unity among His people.
Together we pray for each other’s walk with God. May we pray these BIG prayers for each other!
保罗祈祷我们能一起领会基督爱有多么广阔、深远。
“18 能和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等宽广、高深、长阔，”
保罗将对基督爱更深的理解与在基督徒中的团结联系在一起。
让我们一起为彼此的属灵旅程祷告，并为彼此祈求这些伟大的祷告！
The context of this passage in chapter 3 comes after vs 13, which says: “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” Ephesians 3:13 Paul is suffering, he’s in prison. His prayer makes no reference to external circumstances. He doesn’t say ‘O lord protect them. O lord get me out of prison so I can help them.’ But he asks that God may “…strengthen [them] with power through his Spirit in [their] inner being.” Eph 3:16 He highlights the absolute priority of the inner life over the outer life. When we are rooted in God’s love, knowing who we are in him, we can experience a strength and power that withstands life’s circumstances.
- Do I have practices that enable me to allow God’s Spirit to strengthen my inner being? Like spending time in silence and solitude with him? Listening to worship music? Memorizing scripture? Being in nature? Having a weekly Sabbath? Saying God’s truths over myself? Slowing my life down enough so I can focus on his voice above distractions?
- Do I believe that God loves me this much? That if I did absolutely nothing to contribute to society, He still loves me the same?
在这一章的第3 节之前，保罗提到：“我为你们所受的苦难，你们不要灰心；这些苦
难是你们的荣耀。” ——以弗所书3:13
保罗正在受苦，他在监狱中。他的祷告没有提及外在的环境。他没有说：“哦主啊，
保护他们。哦主啊，让我出狱，好去帮助他们。”而是祈求神 “…按照他丰富的荣
耀，借着他的灵，在你们内在的生命中使你们刚强。” ——以弗所书3:16
他强调了内在生活相对于外在生活的绝对优先性。当我们扎根于神的爱中，知道我们
在他里面的身份时，我们可以体验到一种能够抵御生活环境的力量和能力。
• 我是否有一些使我能够让圣灵加强我内在生命的习惯？比如与他独处的沉默时
间？听敬拜音乐？背诵经文？亲近自然？每周安息日？对自己宣告神的真理？
让我的生活慢下来，以便能够专注于他的声音，而不是分散注意力的事物？
• 我是否相信神如此爱我？即使我完全没有为社会做出任何贡献，他仍然同样爱
我吗？
Let’s learn from Paul, not just to pray for each other to be happy, to get that job, to do well at school exams, although those are great things. Let us also pray BIG prayers —that we might know God better, know the hope to which he’s called us, know the power we have because of Christ, and grasp how incredibly BIG his love is for us. Our lives here on earth are brief. So in the midst of this chaos, let us not forget what is most important – to know God, his love for us, and to make that known to others. Next time we are tempted not to pray, or don’t know what to pray for, try pray these beautiful passages out loud.
让我们向保罗学习，不仅仅为彼此的幸福、找到那份工作、在考试中表现出色祷告，
尽管这些都是很好的事情。让我们也为彼此祈求那些伟大的祷告——愿我们更深地认
识神，了解他呼召我们的希望，体会因基督而拥有的力量，并领会他对我们的爱有多
么巨大。我们在地上的生命是短暂的。在这纷乱之中，让我们不要忘记最重要的——
认识神，明白他对我们的爱，并将这份爱传递给他人。
下次我们被诱惑不祷告，或者不知道该为什么祷告时，可以试着大声祷告这些美丽的
经文。
Together we pray for each other’s walk with God.
Now we’re going to pause again, and this time I want you to circle up with 2 or 3 people around you to pray for each other. I’d love to encourage you to pray BIG prayers, focussing on these things Paul has highlighted:
1. Know God better
2. Know the hope to which he has called us
3. Know the incomparably great power for us who believe
大家一起为彼此的属灵旅程祷告。
现在我们将再一次暂停，这次请你们和周围的2 到3 个人围成一个圈，彼此祷告。我
鼓励你们祷告伟大的祷告，关注保罗所强调的这些方面：
1. 更深地认识神
2. 了解他呼召我们的盼望
3. 体会为我们信徒所拥有的无比伟大的力量
I hope you all had a chance to pray for each other, and if not, please feel free to continue after the service. We’re almost done, I’m up to my last point:
5) We’re Challenged to pray Worshipfully
Both prayers end by glorifying God for what He is doing through Jesus. He has authority over all demonic forces! He has risen and sits at God’s right hand! Paul shows that the goal of our prayers is that God is glorified and adored. I absolutely love 3:20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
我希望大家都有机会为彼此祷告，如果还没有，请在礼拜结束后继续祷告。我们快要
结束了，现在是最后一点：
5）我们被挑战要以敬拜的心祷告
这两段祷告都以荣耀神为结束。
他拥有对所有邪恶势力的权柄！他已经复活，坐在神的右边！保罗表明，我们祷告的
目标是使神得荣耀和敬拜。
我特别喜欢以弗所书3:20：“但愿荣耀归于神，他能照着运行在我们心里的大能，充
充足足地成就一切，超出我们所求所想的。”
What is infinite? Immeasurable, limitless, never-ending, boundless, incalculable, fathomless! I want you all to close your eyes for a moment. What is the most amazing thing you think God could do if you asked? Just have a think. If you could ask God to do anything, what would it be? Now open your eyes. May we dare to believe that God is able to do infinitely more than that!
什么是无限的？不可测量的、无限的、无尽的、无边的、无法计算的、深不可测的！
我希望大家现在闭上眼睛。想一想，如果你请求神做一件最了不起的事情，那会是什
么？现在请睁开眼睛。
愿我们敢于相信，神能够做比那还要无限更多的事情！
As we come to a close, I’m reminded that one of our values at Gracecity is that “we sit at the feet of Jesus”. We can do this by:
- Praying continually for one another
- Praying thankfully for each other
- Praying specifically for one another
- Praying BIG prayers for each other
- And praying worshipfully together
Which of these areas do you want to grow in? Do you feel challenged to join a connect group, replace a habit with prayer, or change the focus of your prayers? We are soon going to enter into a time of worship. Why don’t you take this time to ask God to show you who you can commit to praying for each day for the next year, that they would know God better and find him more and more to be their deepest satisfaction and joy?
结论
在结束时，我想起了恩典之城的一个价值观，那就是“我们坐在耶稣的脚前”。我们
可以通过以下方式做到这一点：
• 持续为彼此祷告
• 感恩地为彼此祷告
• 具体地为彼此祷告
• 为彼此祷告时大胆祈求
• 一起以敬拜的心祷告
你想在哪些领域有所成长？你是否感到被挑战去加入一个小组、用祷告替代一个习
惯，或者改变你祷告的重点？
我们将很快进入敬拜的时间。为什么不利用这个时间向神祈求，求祂指引你可以每天
为哪一个人祷告，接下来的一年里，愿他们更深地认识神，并发现神是他们最深的满
足和喜乐？
And if you don’t yet know Jesus, I’d love to invite you to respond too. With all eyes closed and heads bowed, I’m going to say a prayer and if you would like to invite Jesus into your life, say this prayer after me in your heart.
Dear God, I want to invite you into my life. I acknowledge that Jesus is God, that he died in my place, and rose again. Would you become my Saviour, my father, the ruler of my life? I want to know you personally. I’m sorry for all my sin. Please come and take first place in my life. Show me who you are and how much you love me. Amen.
Now keeping your eyes closed, if you’ve just said that last prayer, could you just raise your hand a little so I can see. Yes God bless you. And please come up to the front to our prayer team at the end of the service, or if you’re online, please click on the button indicating you would like prayer. We would love to give you some resources to help you along this exciting new journey, and pray with you.
如果你还不认识耶稣，我也想邀请你回应这个呼召。请大家闭上眼睛，低下头，我将
祷告，如果你想邀请耶稣进入你的生活，请在心里跟着我一起祷告：
亲爱的神，我想邀请你进入我的生活。我承认耶稣是神，他为我死在十字架上，并且
复活了。你愿意成为我的救主、我的父亲、我生命的主宰吗？我想亲身认识你。我为
我的罪感到抱歉。请你来并在我的生活中居首位。向我显明你是谁，你有多么爱我。
阿门。
现在请保持眼睛闭着，如果你刚才祷告了这段话，请稍微举起你的手让我看到。是
的，愿神祝福你。请在礼拜结束后到前面的祷告团队那里，或者如果你在线上，请点
击表示你需要祷告的按钮。我们很愿意为你提供一些资源来帮助你开始这段激动人心
的新旅程，并与你一起祷告。
I’d love to end by praying Paul’s prayer over us: “ For this reason we kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. We pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that we, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
我希望以保罗的祷告为我们祈祷作为结束：
“因此，我们在天父面前跪下，祂是天上和地上每一个家族的源头。我们祈求，愿祂
照着祂荣耀的丰富，借着祂的灵在我们内心深处加添力量，使基督因信住在我们的心
里。我也祈求，我们在爱中扎根立足，与所有主的圣徒一同有能力明白基督的爱是多
么宽广、深远、高大、深邃，并认识这超越知识的爱，以致我们充满了神的一切丰
盛。现在愿那位能照着我们所求所想的，超乎我们所能想象的，按照祂在我们里面运
行的大能，得荣耀归于教会和基督耶稣，直到世世代代，永永远远！阿门。”
