經文: 「聖靈所結的果子，就是仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、溫柔、節制。」— [聖經·加拉太書 5章22-23a節]
在禱告的題目上，我們已經學到兩樣功課，就是每天早上我們必須來到天父施恩寶座前，求祂賜下更新的靈，並求聖靈教導我們、幫助我們。第三個功課是，將今日的經文牢記在心。
基督徒以為只要向上帝求如何禱告，他們就懂得如何禱告，然而事實並非如此；聖靈會強化我們屬靈的生命，使我們禱告得更好。當我們求上帝教導我們能禱告得更好，有一點很重要的，就是必須打開我們的心，願意接受上帝恩典的影響，讓我們禱告的渴望被激發，我們自己也願意降服在聖靈的運行之下。這樣的降服包括在上帝面前，用禱告的心，迫切地求上帝讓我們擁有這些聖靈的果子，也就是說，我們要常常這樣禱告：「上帝啊，我的心等候祢，求祢用聖靈充滿我的心，幫助我能結出聖靈的果子。」
讓我們來思想前三個果子：「仁愛、喜樂、和平」，這是強壯屬靈生命的三個特色。這裡的愛是指對上帝的愛，對耶穌的愛，對弟兄姐妺及眾人的愛。這裡的喜樂是指各樣的需要得滿足，並對我們份內工作擁有的勇氣與信心。平安則是指上帝接納我們的本相而賜下的平安，保守我們的心思意念，處於一個不被震動干擾的狀態。
在最後晚餐席上，耶穌對門徒就提到這三個果子：「你們要住在我的愛裡。」；「我的喜樂要在你們裡面。」；「我留下平安給你們。」難道我們不渴望聖靈在我們心中結出完美成熟的果子？畢竟我們所求是對的，就該大膽坦然無懼地來向天父求，大大地張口要。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
[每日靈修 10月8日]
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
『 The Fruit of the Spirit 』
Scripture: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” — [Galatians 22:23]
We have seen what the two first lessons are on prayer. We must pray the Father every morning to give us the Spirit anew, and then pray the Spirit to teach us and help us. Here is a third lesson-commit to memory the text at the head of this chapter.
Christians often think that they have only to ask God to teach them to pray, and He will do it at once. This is not always the case. What the Spirit does is so to strengthen our spiritual lives that we are able to pray better. When we ask Him to teach us, it is important that we open our hearts to His gracious influence, so that our desires are stirred, and we first of all surrender ourselves to the working of the Spirit. This surrender consists in naming before Him the fruits of the Spirit, with the earnest prayer to be filled with these fruits. So that the benefit of learning the text by heart will be, that as we pray for the teaching of the Spirit, we may say: “Here is my heart, fill it with the fruits of the Spirit.”
Think of the first three fruits, Love, Joy, Peace, the three chief characteristics of a strong faith life. Love to God and to Christ, to the brethren and to all men. Joy, the proof of the perfect fulfilment of every need, of courage and faith for all the work we have to do. Peace, the blessed state of undisturbed rest and security in which the peace of God that passes all understanding can keep our hearts and minds.
In the last discourse with His disciples, Christ used these three words, with the word “my” before them. “Abide in my love.” “That my joy might remain in you.” “My peace I give unto you.” Shall we not lay before the Spirit as the great desire of our hearts that He may make these fruits reach perfection within us? Then at last we shall be able to pray aright, and always ask more and more of our Heavenly Father.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 8 October 」
