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第十二篇　要用灵平衡话

灵的操练与神的建造

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　　读经：约六63。
　
　　历代能叫召会得供应的，就是主的话和主的灵。不论在什么时候，什么地方，召会所得到的复兴，所得着真实地供应，若不是从主的话得到的，就是从主的灵得着的。召会历史给我们看见，在有的场合，有的情形，召会所得到的供应，是重在话；但这不是说里面就没有灵，因为如果失去灵，话就变作死的字句，并不能叫召会得着真实地供应。在另一种场合，另一种情形，召会所得的供应是重在灵；但有经历的人都知道，灵来供应的时候，也少不了话。因为若没有丰富的话语作凭借，作内容，即使灵很强，也是强而不富，这样的供应就不够丰满。
　　比方，三十年前在中国北方兴起的灵恩运动，单纯从灵的一面说，那的确是相当活、相当强。然而，在那个运动里，话语太贫穷，没有多少话释放给神的儿女。因此，他们的聚会虽然活，虽然强，却显得相当贫穷，因为里面缺少丰富的话语作凭借，作内容。
　　神智慧的安排乃是用话，也用灵，来平衡供应召会。召会需要话的供应，也需要灵的供应。召会所需要的话，乃是在灵里供应；召会所需要的灵，乃是借着话启示、开导。没有话，召会是贫穷的；没有灵，召会是死弱的。换句话说，若只有话而缺少灵，必定是死弱的；若只有灵而缺少话，定规是贫穷的。我们应该清楚看见，神智慧的备办，乃是话与灵两面都平衡。
　
　　圣经启示我们，神来与我们发生关系，一面是话，一面也是灵。神虽然是神，是主，但如果神单纯是神，单纯是主，而不是话，也不是灵，你我怎能了解祂，认识祂，摸着祂，接触祂？乃是借着祂是话，又是灵，我们才能认识祂，接触祂。话将祂说明、启示出来。祂的话开通我们的思路，启迪我们的思想，使我们了解祂，认识祂。而灵乃是叫我们接触祂，碰着祂，得着祂，经历祂，并享受祂。如果我们的神，我们的主，只是神，只是主，而从来不是话，也不是灵，你我今天如何能认识这一位奥妙的神？又有谁能接触这一位超越的主？所以神是话，也是灵，乃是祂对人类莫大的恩待。这也是约翰福音中一个重要的信息。
　　一1节说，“话就是神。”倒过来说，神就是话。四24节说，“神是灵。”六63节说，主所说的话，就是灵。这一节把话和灵连在－约翰福音一起。总结来说，神是话，神也是灵，神这话就是灵。这几句话没有记载在马太、马可、路加福音，独独记载在约翰福音，因为约翰是专专说到那位奇妙、奥秘、无法揣摩、无法接触的神，现在竟然来将祂自己给人认识，给人接触，给人摸着，给人得着，给人享受。而这位奇妙的主，奥秘的神，把祂自己给人认识并摸着的方法，乃在于祂是话，也是灵。请想想看，祂若不是话，你怎能认识这位奇妙的主？祂若不是灵，你怎能摸着这一位奥秘的神？所以我们敬拜祂是话，也是灵；我们能认识祂，也能摸着祂。
　
　　神赐给我们这些蒙恩者的两件大礼物：一件是外面的圣经，就是话；另一件是里面的圣灵，也就是灵。今天，圣经和圣灵，乃是神两面的化身，赐给了人类。我们不只有圣经在我们手中，还有圣灵在我们灵里。我们不只外面有一本话，说明神自己，叫我们可以常常阅读，借此开启我们的思想，开导我们的思路，使我们了解祂，认识祂，明白祂。我们还有一位灵，就是神的本身，进到我们灵里，叫我们了解之后，能凭着所了解的，在灵里接受祂，经历祂，吃祂，喝祂，享受祂。这是神两面恩典的备办，任何一面都不可忽略。
　　神是话，神也是灵，这到底怎么经历呢？请记得，神的话若是摆在我们跟前，给我们听见了，听懂了，并接受到里面，立刻就变作灵。请想想看，许多时候你读圣经，你读的是主的话，领会的也是话，但等到这话给你领会、了解、明白了，你有一点读进去，受了这话的感动，接受到里面了，立刻你就觉得这进到里面的好像是话，却又不是话，乃是一种灵感。这就是话进到你里头，变作灵了。你读的时候是话，接受到里面就是灵。摆在你跟前是话，一进到你里面就变作灵。听道也是如此，我们听见讲台上所说的话，了解，明白，受了感动，里面立刻接受。很希奇，我们这样一接受，里面就有灵感。我们听到的是话，但进到里面却变作灵。不仅如此，连我们读一本属灵书报，或听弟兄姊妹一点见证，也都是话。我们听见这些话，就了解，就恍然大悟，觉得看见一点光，懂得一点属灵的事。这些都是话，但我们把话一接受到里头，立刻就变作灵感了。
　　在此我们看见，话乃是神在外面对我们的说明，在外面给我们的启示，来启发我们的思想，开通我们的思路，叫我们对祂有了解。等我们一旦了解了，我们里头定规有感动；一感动，我们就接受这话；我们一接受这话，到里头就成了灵；一成了灵，就是生命；是生命就是供应。所以，话若没有进到里面变作灵，永远不能是生命；不是生命，也永远不是供应。请记得，圣经是神的话，摆在我们外面，是为着启发我们，启示我们，开通我们，叫我们思路通达，认识神，认识神的作为，认识神的性情，认识神的丰富。一旦我们对于神的某一点明白了，了解了，受了感动，而接受进来，这一接受，立刻就在我们里面变成灵，使我们得到生命的供应。请想想看，你的经历是不是这样？
　
　　我们既清楚看见，神的智慧有这两面的备办，毫无疑问，我们的路也是两面。一面要听神的话，读神的话；另一面，要接触神的灵，与神的灵交通。这意思是，我们必须一面对付神的话，一面对付神的灵。换句话说，我们必须一面接触神的话，一面接触神的灵。
　　我们接触神的话，乃是用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用心思了解、明白，同时还加上用心接受。你爱不爱神，喜欢不喜欢神，爱不爱神的话，要不要神的话，这是心接受的问题。你若喜欢神，爱神，也爱神的话，要神的话，你眼里看到的，耳中听见的，思想中明白的，你的心就都会接受。有的人眼睛明亮，耳朵聪敏，头脑也很清楚，圣经中写的，讲台上讲的，他都明白，都领会，但他不爱神，也不要神的话。他是懂得了，但不感兴趣；懂是懂了，却不愿意接受。这没有别的办法，只有等神怜悯他。所以，我们每一次到聚会中，都必须有一颗爱神的心，羡慕神，喜欢神，因此愿意听祂的话。我们有了这样一颗心，然后再用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用头脑领会，心里自然就接受了。这就是我们对付神的话，接触神的话。
　
　　然而，只有这一面不够，我们还必须用灵对付神的灵，用灵接触神的灵。接触话，对付话，是用眼看，用耳听，用头脑明白，并用心接受。接触灵，对付灵，没有第二条路，只有用灵祷告。这不是听的问题，不是看的问题，不是了解的问题，甚至不是接受的问题，乃是用灵祷告的问题。也许你说，“我不太懂什么叫作用灵祷告？”但至少你懂得什么叫作祷告。你开头祷告，也许不在灵里，但这不要紧，你只要祷告再祷告，结果终归是在灵里祷告。
　　比方，小孩子学走路，开头他不会走，就乱走一场；有时用手爬着走，有时用臀部坐着走。然而，他就是这样走来走去，末了自然而然会用脚走了。祷告也是如此。初祷告时，你不一定会用灵；但是祷告再祷告，最终定规是进到灵里。不要说初蒙恩的，即使是得救多年，长久事奉主的人，有时祷告也好像摸不着灵。然而你还是要祷告，摸不着灵也要祷告；祷告五分钟摸不着灵，祷告八分钟；八分钟摸不着灵，祷告十分钟；十分钟摸不着灵，祷告一刻钟。你要有忍耐，不要灰心，一直祷告下去，担保你最后一定摸着灵，这是定规的。走路是该用脚，虽然开头不会，但是一直走，走到末了，就能按正规用脚走了。同样的，祷告要用灵，开头你祷告不知怎样用灵，但只要你一直祷告，祷告再祷告，多多祷告，常常祷告，到有一天，你就进到正轨，定规是用灵祷告了。
　　我们是一个完整的人，有眼睛、耳朵、思想、心情，还有一个灵；因此，当神来与我们这个完整的人交通时，必须各面都顾到。祂不能只是灵而不是话，也不能只是话而不是灵。如果祂只是灵，可能我们的灵能接触到祂的灵，但我们的思想、思路不通、不了然，就觉得莫名其妙，不知是怎么回事。另一面，如果祂只是话，不是灵，就不过仅仅叫我们了解祂，明白祂，我们的灵还是不能触着祂。
　　我们这个人是多面、不简单地，我们有灵，也有思想，凡进入我们灵里的，一定要先通过我们的思想。比方，我站在讲台上，什么话都不说，或者说一些你们听不懂的话，你们的思路就不能被打通，结果你们什么也没有接受到灵里。反之，我若在聚会中说话，句句话都是明白的，你们听得懂，这样就开启了你们的思路，属灵的供应就从你们开启的思路，进到你们灵里。你们了解的有多少，你们灵里的接受就有多少；你们明白的有多少，里面受的影响也有多少。
　　同样的，神之于我们，头一步是话，祂用这话开启我们，叫我们能了解祂，认识祂。第二步是灵，神使我们了解祂之后，就叫我们用灵接受祂，接触祂；我们一接触祂，我们所读的话就进到我们里头变作灵，变作生命。灵是神的本质、神的本身，话是神的一个凭借；若是我们只接受话，这是不够的。我们要接受神，开头是接受神的话，最终乃是接受话里的灵。所以，我们不能只用头脑，只用心接受，最终还是必须用灵。我们不能只看、只听、只了解、明白、只用心接受；我们至终还得用灵接触，用灵接受。用灵接触、接受的方法，只有祷告。
　
　　为什么我们一直注意操练灵，调灵，作祭司，回到灵里，进入至圣所这些事？乃是要平衡我们往日的偏枯，补上我们从前的差缺。神历来复兴召会，供应召会，一面是借着话，一面是借着灵；有时是重在话，有时是重在灵。四十多年前，当神在东方，在我们中间作复兴的工作，供应召会起，直到现今这段时间，的确是重在话。所以，我们在东方的见证和工作，以及各地的召会建立，同工、长老们兴起与产生，可以说都是借着话。我们是靠讲道产生了工作，产生了召会，也产生了同工和各等事奉的人。四十年来，我们一直重在话的一面。然而至今，我们深深觉得，只注重话这一面，而轻忽灵这一面，就不免偏枯。并且长此下去，恐怕会落到一种境地，话语过重而灵过轻。甚至到一个地步，话失去了灵，而变成空的道理、死的字句，没有灵的运行。这就是我们常提起，所谓“弟兄们”的问题；我们深怕会重蹈他们的复辙。
　　因此，我们有很重的负担，觉得必须平衡，必须用灵平衡话。在已过年日中，讲道讲得很属灵，很能感动人，很能叫人摸着天，比我们高明的，大有人在；然而他们的后果，相当虚空。这就是因为话太多，道太多，而缺乏灵的缘故。这些光景使我们深受警惕；因此，我们不能重蹈复辙，不能再吃已过的人所吃的亏，容让那种偏枯的情形继续存在。为这缘故，近年来我们一直注重灵的加强。当我们说到神的建造，尤其要看神建造的蓝图时，主提醒我们不能单从道的一面，话的一面，往前建造；乃必须平衡，必须带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，叫灵能够起来，叫灵能够调和。
　　这事的确不易，但我们并非如今才知这个困难。我们开始带领弟兄姊妹操练灵，学习作祭司，在灵里供职时，就已经说过，要带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，操练灵，比讲道还要困难，还要麻烦。讲道给人听，只要措辞好，比喻恰当，材料高明，人就喜欢接受。但是要带人祷告，把人的灵带起来，人就裹足不前了。说的直截了当，人就懒惰了。人会说这很难，既没有什么道给我们听，又要我们祷告，这太难了。然而，一切平衡的事，在初初平衡的时期都得忍痛，不能顾虑那么多。
　
　　我们中间有偏枯的情形，乃是偏在道的一面。特别聚会时，因为有人讲道，所以屋里屋外都满了人，大家都来听道。比方，前几年我们在台北有生命读经聚会，每周都有好几次，六个月下来，人数并没有什么减少。再譬如，一次长达十天的聚会，讲建造的信息，天天都是二千三百人左右。然而，当负责弟兄报告要祷告时，马上减去一千多人。我们把这事摆在你们良心面前，请你们凭良心判断，这个正常不正常？二千三百人十天都来听道，但一说到要祷告，立刻减去了一千人，这对不对？按理，二千三百人天天听道，应该也是二千三百人天天祷告。人如何用眼睛，用耳朵，用头脑，用心思，用心接触神的话，也得同样用灵接触神的灵。
　　或许你会问，祷告和听道同样重要么？是的。我们曾说过，传福音的时候，不论有多少人受感动，也不管受了多大、多深的感动，甚至感动得流泪，若不开口祷告，不用灵祷告，就没有人能得救。有一个朋友，每一次来听福音都感动得流泪，但是始终没有祷告。不仅外面没有祷告，连里面的默祷都没有，请问这一个受感动的人得救了没有？我可以很确定的说，他没有得救。在已过年日中，我所接触的，有一部分就是这样的人。
　　举一个实例，有一天，一个人来见我，说他二十多年前在某地听人讲道，实在受感动，所以接着又去听。一连听了几个晚上，越听越受感动，末了甚至落泪，但他自己觉得二十年来并没有得救。我问为什么，他自己也说不明白。我就问他：“你受感动的时候祷告了没有？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你觉得不觉得自己有罪？”他说，“我觉得。”我再问：“你承认不承认耶稣基督？”他说，“我真愿意承认。”我就再问他：“你有没有祷告？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你散会后如何呢？”他说，“散会后，传道人走了，大家都走了，没有人帮助我，我也没有再去聚会，里面的感动就渐渐消失了。”在这里就看见，不管人在听道时受多大的感动，不开口祷告，不运用灵祷告，他的灵就不能碰着神的灵。这是一个不需要争辩的事实。
　　人听道受了那么大的感动，一次过一次的受感动，独独因为缺乏祷告，他就不能得救。同样的，请想想看，如果你读经只读不祷，那个读经对你有多少帮助？你听道受感动，却没有照着感动祷告，那个道对你的帮助不会有多少。以台北召会为例，我们在会所里，一直讲道，已经十多年了。按着所讲的道，按着弟兄姊妹所听的道，光景应该比今天好上几倍。然而看看今天，道听了再听，属灵的光景却仍停滞不前。虽不能说一点长进都没有，但还得承认收效比该有的情形差得太多、太远。
　　我们一次次的聚会，道一篇篇的讲，圣经一卷卷的查，弟兄姊妹听了再听，结果却远不及我们所期望的。原因何在？乃在于听的多，明白的多，但祷告的少。至今多少还有一点果效，乃是因弟兄姊妹蒙怜悯，还有一点祷告。我恭敬的把这些问题摆在众人面前，请你们安静的想想，若是你们每一个人听了一篇道之后，都不让它过去，而是把它完全化作祷告，听懂多少，就化祷多少，那个后果和今天比会如何？那个丰富会是多少倍？
　　因着神的怜悯，我们中间有真理，有启示，并且有话语的恩赐。许多的讲道，许多的信息，实在是高，实在是有价值，有分量。当时听的人，没有一个不欣赏，没有一个不感动。这是无庸置疑的。然而今天回头看，这些道所产生的效果，离我们所想像、所预期的，实在差得太多。原因何在？是听得不够么？不，反而是听得太多。用耳朵听，用头脑听，赞美着听，欣赏着听，受感动的听，但是祷告得太少。相信我们众人都会承认，我们的祷告的确非常少。我们听了再听，听了再听，可惜听过之后祷告太少；所以留下的后果，相形之下，就差得太远了。
　　我们要接受历史的教训，不能再重蹈复辙。如果我们还要讲道，而缺少祷告，恐怕后果要相当差。我在主面前，深深痛心懊悔往日的工作。我对自己说，不能再走已往的路了。我虽然不能轻看主的话，但也不能偏在话的这一面，而疏忽主的灵。我不能只带领弟兄姊妹，听了又听，却没有多少的祷告。特别聚会二千三百多人，祷告聚会一下减去一千多。这一个风气必须转，这一个偏枯必须平衡。
　　使徒行传给我们看见，当时听道的有多少人，祷告的也有多少人。二章说有三千得救的人，得救之后，都坚定持续在使徒的教训和交通里，持续擘饼和祷告（41~42）。他们不只是听道，不只是交通，不只是擘饼，他们还祷告。我们若是能平衡到一个地步，祷告聚会的人数，和听道的人数一样多，那个情形就正常了。所有的负责弟兄们，都必须有这个看见。我在这里并不是轻看所讲的道，我承认我们所讲的道有其功效。3、－使徒行传四十年来，我们是靠讲道供应召会。若是不讲道，我们不会有今天这个局面。然而如今，主明明给我们看见，只靠道的一面是不够的，只重在道这一面是不行的。如果要偏重，目前宁可偏重灵的一面，为着要平衡。我们如何注重道，也要如何注重灵；如何用话供应，也要如何用灵供应。
　　所有服事话语的弟兄们，应该要认识祭司的生活。祭司的生活一切都是基督，他们所穿的、所披戴的、所吃的、所喝的、以及所居住的，－使徒行传一切的一切，莫不都是基督。今后各地召会传讲信息时，应该要转到这一面。这一条线，不知要讲多少篇道才够。然而，当我和弟兄们再有一点交通，再观察一点实际的情况时，觉得我们的灵操练得还不够，我们灵的光景还不够强。所以，我们必须在讲祭司生活以前，再专特的加强众人对祷告操练灵的注意。若是不然，以众人现在灵里的光景看来，我们往后这样长时期的释放话语，众人的灵一定跟不上，结果必定收不到预期的果效。所以，盼望弟兄姊妹的灵能相当的强，最少在常聚会的人中，除了同工、长老、家负责这些事奉的人之外，还要有一半以上的人，灵是活的、强的，往后的道才能讲下去。
　　调灵这件事，是没有季节性的。并非前几个月大家调灵，现在就不需要了；也非调过几次，就足够了。调灵乃是一生一世的事，随时都需要使灵活泼新鲜。我们每听了一篇道，就要立刻祷告；每读一段圣经节，立刻要祷告；每得着一些属灵的认识，立刻要祷告。因为你若不祷告，所有的道最深不过仅仅到你心里，还不能到你灵里。你听见了，明白了，心是爱慕、接受了，但那不过仅仅到你心里，你的灵还没有动；这个道不过是道而已，还没有变作灵。乃是等到你用灵祷告过，用灵把话消化了，这话才进到灵里变作灵，才真正的叫你得到生命的供应。盼望这样的交通，能加重弟兄姊妹对于灵的感觉。
　
　　使徒们在徒六4说，“我们要坚定持续地祷告，并尽话语的职事。”使徒们是持续的祷告，并尽话语职事。你我应该信，彼得祷告的时间，比他讲道的时间还要多；他祷告的时间，比他预备讲道的时间更多。甚至可能他没有用多少时间预备；如果他有预备，相信他的预备都是在于祷告。他是在祷告里预备讲道，在祷告里预备讲道的灵，在祷告的灵里把他的道讲出去。然而，我们的传讲呢？恐怕我们是用一小时的工夫翻书本、列纲目，却不一定用半小时祷告。我们几乎是只讲道不祷告，起码是多讲道少祷告。所以，我们的道出去时，不过是摸着人的头脑，不能摸着人的灵。
　　五旬节那一天，使徒彼得的道讲过之后，人就觉得扎心（徒二37）；人不是觉得道动听，乃是有一个东西摸着他们的深处。为什么会有这个结果呢？因为那些话是从灵里说出来的。所以，彼得的话就是灵，就是生命。许多时候，我们讲台上的话不过是话，既缺少灵，又缺少生命。因为我们是从头脑里预备的，也是从头脑里讲出去的，灵里并没有多少动。
　　当然，传信息的弟兄不尽然是这样。大家多少都知道，传信息时，灵应该要出去。因此，他们虽然用许多时间在条理的预备上，但多少还有一点祷告预备灵，所以多少还有一点果效。如果连这一点祷告都没有，我们的讲台就全数是字句，必定虚空到极点。然而，只有一点的祷告是不够的。特别是作话语执事的人，应该清楚今后该多花时间祷告，少花时间在条理上的预备。甚至不必在条理上预备，乃要把所有的时间都用在祷告上。我们要从祷告里摸着感觉，从祷告里摸着神的思路，从祷告里把话语讲出去。若是这样，即使我们的条理差一点，也无关紧要；只要话出去叫人听得清楚，灵跟着出去叫人摸着，就已经足够。实在说，人听道并不重在明白条理，乃是重在灵里有所得着。
　
　　总而言之，你我要俯伏在神面前，承认祂是智慧的神，祂是话，也是灵。祂给我们圣经，也给我们圣灵。你我今天若是要好好事奉祂，正当地路乃是用我们的眼睛、耳朵、心思以及心，对付祂的话；并且用我们的灵，对付祂的灵。我们不只听祂的话，读祂的话，还要在灵里祷告。我们要用全人─眼、耳、心思、心和灵，事奉神。我们自己要这样学习，也要带弟兄姊妹同样学习。我们再也不能只听、只读，而缺少祷告。盼望你读经一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告；听道一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告。你听多少就祷告多少，读多少就祷告多少。若是这样，你就会觉得效果不知比今天丰实多少倍。
　　我们已经说了再说，我们中间讲得多，听得多，但是祷告非常少，所以灵显得非常贫弱。有些弟兄姊妹从岁首到年终，每一个主日，每一个聚会，都来听道，几乎篇篇道都听了，但是你和他一同祷告，他的灵和没得救的人差不多，真是濒于死寂。请问各地负责弟兄，你们那里平常聚会的圣徒，他们祷告的灵如何，是不是也这样？是活的，还是死的？是强的，还是弱的？是新鲜的，还是老旧的？我想大半的回答都是反面的。这一种灵里贫、弱、死、旧的光景该怎么办？怎样才能扭转？只有一条路，就是要他们多祷告；听道要祷告，读经也要祷告。
　　我们永远不能作一个带领别人，而自己不是这样的人。我们要弟兄姊妹祷告，自己就得先祷告；我们要弟兄姊妹多祷告，自己就得先多祷告。我要大声疾呼：我们事奉的人祷告太少了。我们谈话太多，商量事情太多，彼此交谈太多，研读太多，听得太多，看得太多，就是祷告太少。当然我们承认，照着我们该明白的，我们明白的还是差得很远。但是把这些和祷告相比较，祷告比这些更少、更贫穷。我们缺少在神面前真实地祷告，缺少花时间在祷告上。
　
　　或许有的弟兄姊妹会问，祷告的题目在哪里？祷告的话语怎么办？答案就在诗篇。诗篇中有长篇、短篇的，多半是祷告。其中没有多少像我们今天这样，一套一套的祷告辞句；其中多是感赞的话，称赞神的美德，歌颂神的荣耀，感谢神的慈爱，赞美神的作为。我们今天落到一个地步，几乎不会赞美，不会感谢，不会说称颂的话。我们除了求平安，求好处，求一点属灵的事之外，几乎再也没有话语祷告。然而，诗篇不是这样，一篇一篇的诗篇中，有长篇大论的祷告，多是赞美、称颂、敬拜、感谢、述说主的荣美。为什么他们能，我们不能？因为我们缺少操练。你若天天祷告，常常祷告，多花时间祷告，慢慢就会看见，你赞美的话多了，感谢的话多了，称颂的话也多了。
　　有位弟兄告诉我，在一场聚会里讲到对主的认识，材料好像太多了，枯燥无味，并且只是死板的逐条列举，无法消化应用。要知道，材料丰富固然是好，但也需要用够多的祷告才能予以消化。若是弟兄姊妹肯把对于主的认识那些圣经节，好好默想，操练化作祷告，其中就有许多可以祷告的题目和话语。这些祷告才是馨香，能献给神，蒙神悦纳。
　
　　总而言之，我们要清楚看见，我们偏重了一面，亏缺了另一面；道讲太多，灵操练太少；道听太多，祷告太少。今后我们不是不注重道，可能我们比从前还要更加注重道，但我们也同样注重灵。我们不要偏，乃要平衡，要用灵平衡道。我们怎样注意道，也要怎样注重灵。我们每一位在神的话上都有好的领受，在神的灵上也都有好的接触。这样，我们才能头脑通达，灵里也刚强。我们要能在话和灵这两面有平衡的发展，神的建造才有出路。
　　原刊于一九六一年十一月“话语职事”第一百二十五期
　　读经：约翰福音六章六十三节。
--------本段经节汇集--------
约6:63  
赐人生命的乃是灵，肉是无益的；我对你们所说的话，就是灵，就是生命。
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　　历代能叫召会得供应的，就是主的话和主的灵。不论在什么时候，什么地方，召会所得到的复兴，所得着真实地供应，若不是从主的话得到的，就是从主的灵得着的。召会历史给我们看见，在有的场合，有的情形，召会所得到的供应，是重在话；但这不是说里面就没有灵，因为如果失去灵，话就变作死的字句，并不能叫召会得着真实地供应。在另一种场合，另一种情形，召会所得的供应是重在灵；但有经历的人都知道，灵来供应的时候，也少不了话。因为若没有丰富的话语作凭借，作内容，即使灵很强，也是强而不富，这样的供应就不够丰满。　　比方，三十年前在中国北方兴起的灵恩运动，单纯从灵的一面说，那的确是相当活、相当强。然而，在那个运动里，话语太贫穷，没有多少话释放给神的儿女。因此，他们的聚会虽然活，虽然强，却显得相当贫穷，因为里面缺少丰富的话语作凭借，作内容。　　神智慧的安排乃是用话，也用灵，来平衡供应召会。召会需要话的供应，也需要灵的供应。召会所需要的话，乃是在灵里供应；召会所需要的灵，乃是借着话启示、开导。没有话，召会是贫穷的；没有灵，召会是死弱的。换句话说，若只有话而缺少灵，必定是死弱的；若只有灵而缺少话，定规是贫穷的。我们应该清楚看见，神智慧的备办，乃是话与灵两面都平衡。
　
　　圣经启示我们，神来与我们发生关系，一面是话，一面也是灵。神虽然是神，是主，但如果神单纯是神，单纯是主，而不是话，也不是灵，你我怎能了解祂，认识祂，摸着祂，接触祂？乃是借着祂是话，又是灵，我们才能认识祂，接触祂。话将祂说明、启示出来。祂的话开通我们的思路，启迪我们的思想，使我们了解祂，认识祂。而灵乃是叫我们接触祂，碰着祂，得着祂，经历祂，并享受祂。如果我们的神，我们的主，只是神，只是主，而从来不是话，也不是灵，你我今天如何能认识这一位奥妙的神？又有谁能接触这一位超越的主？所以神是话，也是灵，乃是祂对人类莫大的恩待。这也是约翰福音中一个重要的信息。　　一章一节说，“话就是神。”倒过来说，神就是话。四章二十四节说，“神是灵。”六章六十三节说，主所说的话，就是灵。这一节把话和灵连在一起。总结来说，神是话，神也是灵，神这话就是灵。这几句话没有记载在马太、马可、路加福音，独独记载在约翰福音，因为约翰是专专说到那位奇妙、奥秘、无法揣摩、无法接触的神，现在竟然来将祂自己给人认识，给人接触，给人摸着，给人得着，给人享受。而这位奇妙的主，奥秘的神，把祂自己给人认识并摸着的方法，乃在于祂是话，也是灵。请想想看，祂若不是话，你怎能认识这位奇妙的主？祂若不是灵，你怎能摸着这一位奥秘的神？所以我们敬拜祂是话，也是灵；我们能认识祂，也能摸着祂。
　
　　神赐给我们这些蒙恩者的两件大礼物：一件是外面的圣经，就是话；另一件是里面的圣灵，也就是灵。今天，圣经和圣灵，乃是神两面的化身，赐给了人类。我们不只有圣经在我们手中，还有圣灵在我们灵里。我们不只外面有一本话，说明神自己，叫我们可以常常阅读，借此开启我们的思想，开导我们的思路，使我们了解祂，认识祂，明白祂。我们还有一位灵，就是神的本身，进到我们灵里，叫我们了解之后，能凭着所了解的，在灵里接受祂，经历祂，吃祂，喝祂，享受祂。这是神两面恩典的备办，任何一面都不可忽略。　　神是话，神也是灵，这到底怎么经历呢？请记得，神的话若是摆在我们跟前，给我们听见了，听懂了，并接受到里面，立刻就变作灵。请想想看，许多时候你读圣经，你读的是主的话，领会的也是话，但等到这话给你领会、了解、明白了，你有一点读进去，受了这话的感动，接受到里面了，立刻你就觉得这进到里面的好像是话，却又不是话，乃是一种灵感。这就是话进到你里头，变作灵了。你读的时候是话，接受到里面就是灵。摆在你跟前是话，一进到你里面就变作灵。听道也是如此，我们听见讲台上所说的话，了解，明白，受了感动，里面立刻接受。很希奇，我们这样一接受，里面就有灵感。我们听到的是话，但进到里面却变作灵。不仅如此，连我们读一本属灵书报，或听弟兄姊妹一点见证，也都是话。我们听见这些话，就了解，就恍然大悟，觉得看见一点光，懂得一点属灵的事。这些都是话，但我们把话一接受到里头，立刻就变作灵感了。　　在此我们看见，话乃是神在外面对我们的说明，在外面给我们的启示，来启发我们的思想，开通我们的思路，叫我们对祂有了解。等我们一旦了解了，我们里头定规有感动；一感动，我们就接受这话；我们一接受这话，到里头就成了灵；一成了灵，就是生命；是生命就是供应。所以，话若没有进到里面变作灵，永远不能是生命；不是生命，也永远不是供应。请记得，圣经是神的话，摆在我们外面，是为着启发我们，启示我们，开通我们，叫我们思路通达，认识神，认识神的作为，认识神的性情，认识神的丰富。一旦我们对于神的某一点明白了，了解了，受了感动，而接受进来，这一接受，立刻就在我们里面变成灵，使我们得到生命的供应。请想想看，你的经历是不是这样？
　
　　我们既清楚看见，神的智慧有这两面的备办，毫无疑问，我们的路也是两面。一面要听神的话，读神的话；另一面，要接触神的灵，与神的灵交通。这意思是，我们必须一面对付神的话，一面对付神的灵。换句话说，我们必须一面接触神的话，一面接触神的灵。　　我们接触神的话，乃是用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用心思了解、明白，同时还加上用心接受。你爱不爱神，喜欢不喜欢神，爱不爱神的话，要不要神的话，这是心接受的问题。你若喜欢神，爱神，也爱神的话，要神的话，你眼里看到的，耳中听见的，思想中明白的，你的心就都会接受。有的人眼睛明亮，耳朵聪敏，头脑也很清楚，圣经中写的，讲台上讲的，他都明白，都领会，但他不爱神，也不要神的话。他是懂得了，但不感兴趣；懂是懂了，却不愿意接受。这没有别的办法，只有等神怜悯他。所以，我们每一次到聚会中，都必须有一颗爱神的心，羡慕神，喜欢神，因此愿意听祂的话。我们有了这样一颗心，然后再用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用头脑领会，心里自然就接受了。这就是我们对付神的话，接触神的话。
　
　　然而，只有这一面不够，我们还必须用灵对付神的灵，用灵接触神的灵。接触话，对付话，是用眼看，用耳听，用头脑明白，并用心接受。接触灵，对付灵，没有第二条路，只有用灵祷告。这不是听的问题，不是看的问题，不是了解的问题，甚至不是接受的问题，乃是用灵祷告的问题。也许你说，“我不太懂什么叫作用灵祷告？”但至少你懂得什么叫作祷告。你开头祷告，也许不在灵里，但这不要紧，你只要祷告再祷告，结果终归是在灵里祷告。　　比方，小孩子学走路，开头他不会走，就乱走一场；有时用手爬着走，有时用臀部坐着走。然而，他就是这样走来走去，末了自然而然会用脚走了。祷告也是如此。初祷告时，你不一定会用灵；但是祷告再祷告，最终定规是进到灵里。不要说初蒙恩的，即使是得救多年，长久事奉主的人，有时祷告也好像摸不着灵。然而你还是要祷告，摸不着灵也要祷告；祷告五分钟摸不着灵，祷告八分钟；八分钟摸不着灵，祷告十分钟；十分钟摸不着灵，祷告一刻钟。你要有忍耐，不要灰心，一直祷告下去，担保你最后一定摸着灵，这是定规的。走路是该用脚，虽然开头不会，但是一直走，走到末了，就能按正规用脚走了。同样的，祷告要用灵，开头你祷告不知怎样用灵，但只要你一直祷告，祷告再祷告，多多祷告，常常祷告，到有一天，你就进到正轨，定规是用灵祷告了。　　我们是一个完整的人，有眼睛、耳朵、思想、心情，还有一个灵；因此，当神来与我们这个完整的人交通时，必须各面都顾到。祂不能只是灵而不是话，也不能只是话而不是灵。如果祂只是灵，可能我们的灵能接触到祂的灵，但我们的思想、思路不通、不了然，就觉得莫名其妙，不知是怎么回事。另一面，如果祂只是话，不是灵，就不过仅仅叫我们了解祂，明白祂，我们的灵还是不能触着祂。　　我们这个人是多面、不简单地，我们有灵，也有思想，凡进入我们灵里的，一定要先通过我们的思想。比方，我站在讲台上，什么话都不说，或者说一些你们听不懂的话，你们的思路就不能被打通，结果你们什么也没有接受到灵里。反之，我若在聚会中说话，句句话都是明白的，你们听得懂，这样就开启了你们的思路，属灵的供应就从你们开启的思路，进到你们灵里。你们了解的有多少，你们灵里的接受就有多少；你们明白的有多少，里面受的影响也有多少。　　同样的，神之于我们，头一步是话，祂用这话开启我们，叫我们能了解祂，认识祂。第二步是灵，神使我们了解祂之后，就叫我们用灵接受祂，接触祂；我们一接触祂，我们所读的话就进到我们里头变作灵，变作生命。灵是神的本质、神的本身，话是神的一个凭借；若是我们只接受话，这是不够的。我们要接受神，开头是接受神的话，最终乃是接受话里的灵。所以，我们不能只用头脑，只用心接受，最终还是必须用灵。我们不能只看、只听、只了解、明白、只用心接受；我们至终还得用灵接触，用灵接受。用灵接触、接受的方法，只有祷告。
　
　　为什么我们一直注意操练灵，调灵，作祭司，回到灵里，进入至圣所这些事？乃是要平衡我们往日的偏枯，补上我们从前的差缺。神历来复兴召会，供应召会，一面是借着话，一面是借着灵；有时是重在话，有时是重在灵。四十多年前，当神在东方，在我们中间作复兴的工作，供应召会起，直到现今这段时间，的确是重在话。所以，我们在东方的见证和工作，以及各地的召会建立，同工、长老们兴起与产生，可以说都是借着话。我们是靠讲道产生了工作，产生了召会，也产生了同工和各等事奉的人。四十年来，我们一直重在话的一面。然而至今，我们深深觉得，只注重话这一面，而轻忽灵这一面，就不免偏枯。并且长此下去，恐怕会落到一种境地，话语过重而灵过轻。甚至到一个地步，话失去了灵，而变成空的道理、死的字句，没有灵的运行。这就是我们常提起，所谓“弟兄们”的问题；我们深怕会重蹈他们的复辙。　　因此，我们有很重的负担，觉得必须平衡，必须用灵平衡话。在已过年日中，讲道讲得很属灵，很能感动人，很能叫人摸着天，比我们高明的，大有人在；然而他们的后果，相当虚空。这就是因为话太多，道太多，而缺乏灵的缘故。这些光景使我们深受警惕；因此，我们不能重蹈复辙，不能再吃已过的人所吃的亏，容让那种偏枯的情形继续存在。为这缘故，近年来我们一直注重灵的加强。当我们说到神的建造，尤其要看神建造的蓝图时，主提醒我们不能单从道的一面，话的一面，往前建造；乃必须平衡，必须带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，叫灵能够起来，叫灵能够调和。　　这事的确不易，但我们并非如今才知这个困难。我们开始带领弟兄姊妹操练灵，学习作祭司，在灵里供职时，就已经说过，要带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，操练灵，比讲道还要困难，还要麻烦。讲道给人听，只要措辞好，比喻恰当，材料高明，人就喜欢接受。但是要带人祷告，把人的灵带起来，人就裹足不前了。说的直截了当，人就懒惰了。人会说这很难，既没有什么道给我们听，又要我们祷告，这太难了。然而，一切平衡的事，在初初平衡的时期都得忍痛，不能顾虑那么多。
　
　　我们中间有偏枯的情形，乃是偏在道的一面。特别聚会时，因为有人讲道，所以屋里屋外都满了人，大家都来听道。比方，前几年我们在台北有生命读经聚会，每周都有好几次，六个月下来，人数并没有什么减少。再譬如，一次长达十天的聚会，讲建造的信息，天天都是二千三百人左右。然而，当负责弟兄报告要祷告时，马上减去一千多人。我们把这事摆在你们良心面前，请你们凭良心判断，这个正常不正常？二千三百人十天都来听道，但一说到要祷告，立刻减去了一千人，这对不对？按理，二千三百人天天听道，应该也是二千三百人天天祷告。人如何用眼睛，用耳朵，用头脑，用心思，用心接触神的话，也得同样用灵接触神的灵。
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但以理书二章（略，若需要被汇集，请勾选“不忽略整章”）
但以理书二章（略，若需要被汇集，请勾选“不忽略整章”）
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　　或许你会问，祷告和听道同样重要么？是的。我们曾说过，传福音的时候，不论有多少人受感动，也不管受了多大、多深的感动，甚至感动得流泪，若不开口祷告，不用灵祷告，就没有人能得救。有一个朋友，每一次来听福音都感动得流泪，但是始终没有祷告。不仅外面没有祷告，连里面的默祷都没有，请问这一个受感动的人得救了没有？我可以很确定的说，他没有得救。在已过年日中，我所接触的，有一部分就是这样的人。　　举一个实例，有一天，一个人来见我，说他二十多年前在某地听人讲道，实在受感动，所以接着又去听。一连听了几个晚上，越听越受感动，末了甚至落泪，但他自己觉得二十年来并没有得救。我问为什么，他自己也说不明白。我就问他：“你受感动的时候祷告了没有？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你觉得不觉得自己有罪？”他说，“我觉得。”我再问：“你承认不承认耶稣基督？”他说，“我真愿意承认。”我就再问他：“你有没有祷告？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你散会后如何呢？”他说，“散会后，传道人走了，大家都走了，没有人帮助我，我也没有再去聚会，里面的感动就渐渐消失了。”在这里就看见，不管人在听道时受多大的感动，不开口祷告，不运用灵祷告，他的灵就不能碰着神的灵。这是一个不需要争辩的事实。　　人听道受了那么大的感动，一次过一次的受感动，独独因为缺乏祷告，他就不能得救。同样的，请想想看，如果你读经只读不祷，那个读经对你有多少帮助？你听道受感动，却没有照着感动祷告，那个道对你的帮助不会有多少。以台北召会为例，我们在会所里，一直讲道，已经十多年了。按着所讲的道，按着弟兄姊妹所听的道，光景应该比今天好上几倍。然而看看今天，道听了再听，属灵的光景却仍停滞不前。虽不能说一点长进都没有，但还得承认收效比该有的情形差得太多、太远。　　我们一次次的聚会，道一篇篇的讲，圣经一卷卷的查，弟兄姊妹听了再听，结果却远不及我们所期望的。原因何在？乃在于听的多，明白的多，但祷告的少。至今多少还有一点果效，乃是因弟兄姊妹蒙怜悯，还有一点祷告。我恭敬的把这些问题摆在众人面前，请你们安静的想想，若是你们每一个人听了一篇道之后，都不让它过去，而是把它完全化作祷告，听懂多少，就化祷多少，那个后果和今天比会如何？那个丰富会是多少倍？　　因着神的怜悯，我们中间有真理，有启示，并且有话语的恩赐。许多的讲道，许多的信息，实在是高，实在是有价值，有分量。当时听的人，没有一个不欣赏，没有一个不感动。这是无庸置疑的。然而今天回头看，这些道所产生的效果，离我们所想像、所预期的，实在差得太多。原因何在？是听得不够么？不，反而是听得太多。用耳朵听，用头脑听，赞美着听，欣赏着听，受感动的听，但是祷告得太少。相信我们众人都会承认，我们的祷告的确非常少。我们听了再听，听了再听，可惜听过之后祷告太少；所以留下的后果，相形之下，就差得太远了。　　我们要接受历史的教训，不能再重蹈复辙。如果我们还要讲道，而缺少祷告，恐怕后果要相当差。我在主面前，深深痛心懊悔往日的工作。我对自己说，不能再走已往的路了。我虽然不能轻看主的话，但也不能偏在话的这一面，而疏忽主的灵。我不能只带领弟兄姊妹，听了又听，却没有多少的祷告。特别聚会二千三百多人，祷告聚会一下减去一千多。这一个风气必须转，这一个偏枯必须平衡。　　使徒行传给我们看见，当时听道的有多少人，祷告的也有多少人。二章说有三千得救的人，得救之后，都坚定持续在使徒的教训和交通里，持续擘饼和祷告（41~42）。他们不只是听道，不只是交通，不只是擘饼，他们还祷告。我们若是能平衡到一个地步，祷告聚会的人数，和听道的人数一样多，那个情形就正常了。所有的负责弟兄们，都必须有这个看见。我在这里并不是轻看所讲的道，我承认我们所讲的道有其功效。三、四十年来，我们是靠讲道供应召会。若是不讲道，我们不会有今天这个局面。然而如今，主明明给我们看见，只靠道的一面是不够的，只重在道这一面是不行的。如果要偏重，目前宁可偏重灵的一面，为着要平衡。我们如何注重道，也要如何注重灵；如何用话供应，也要如何用灵供应。
--------本段经节汇集--------
使徒行传二章（略，若需要被汇集，请勾选“不忽略整章”）
徒2:41  
于是领受他话的人，就受了浸，那一天约添了三千人。
徒2:42  
他们都坚定持续在使徒的教训和交通里，持续擘饼和祷告。
徒2:3  
又有舌头如火焰向他们显现出来，分开落在他们各人身上，
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　　所有服事话语的弟兄们，应该要认识祭司的生活。祭司的生活一切都是基督，他们所穿的、所披戴的、所吃的、所喝的、以及所居住的，一切的一切，莫不都是基督。今后各地召会传讲信息时，应该要转到这一面。这一条线，不知要讲多少篇道才够。然而，当我和弟兄们再有一点交通，再观察一点实际的情况时，觉得我们的灵操练得还不够，我们灵的光景还不够强。所以，我们必须在讲祭司生活以前，再专特的加强众人对祷告操练灵的注意。若是不然，以众人现在灵里的光景看来，我们往后这样长时期的释放话语，众人的灵一定跟不上，结果必定收不到预期的果效。所以，盼望弟兄姊妹的灵能相当的强，最少在常聚会的人中，除了同工、长老、家负责这些事奉的人之外，还要有一半以上的人，灵是活的、强的，往后的道才能讲下去。　　调灵这件事，是没有季节性的。并非前几个月大家调灵，现在就不需要了；也非调过几次，就足够了。调灵乃是一生一世的事，随时都需要使灵活泼新鲜。我们每听了一篇道，就要立刻祷告；每读一段圣经节，立刻要祷告；每得着一些属灵的认识，立刻要祷告。因为你若不祷告，所有的道最深不过仅仅到你心里，还不能到你灵里。你听见了，明白了，心是爱慕、接受了，但那不过仅仅到你心里，你的灵还没有动；这个道不过是道而已，还没有变作灵。乃是等到你用灵祷告过，用灵把话消化了，这话才进到灵里变作灵，才真正的叫你得到生命的供应。盼望这样的交通，能加重弟兄姊妹对于灵的感觉。
　
　　使徒们在行传六章四节说，“我们要坚定持续地祷告，并尽话语的职事。”使徒们是持续的祷告，并尽话语职事。你我应该信，彼得祷告的时间，比他讲道的时间还要多；他祷告的时间，比他预备讲道的时间更多。甚至可能他没有用多少时间预备；如果他有预备，相信他的预备都是在于祷告。他是在祷告里预备讲道，在祷告里预备讲道的灵，在祷告的灵里把他的道讲出去。然而，我们的传讲呢？恐怕我们是用一小时的工夫翻书本、列纲目，却不一定用半小时祷告。我们几乎是只讲道不祷告，起码是多讲道少祷告。所以，我们的道出去时，不过是摸着人的头脑，不能摸着人的灵。
--------本段经节汇集--------
徒6:4  
但我们要坚定持续地祷告，并尽话语的职事。
使徒行传一章（略，若需要被汇集，请勾选“不忽略整章”）
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　　五旬节那一天，使徒彼得的道讲过之后，人就觉得扎心（徒二37）；人不是觉得道动听，乃是有一个东西摸着他们的深处。为什么会有这个结果呢？因为那些话是从灵里说出来的。所以，彼得的话就是灵，就是生命。许多时候，我们讲台上的话不过是话，既缺少灵，又缺少生命。因为我们是从头脑里预备的，也是从头脑里讲出去的，灵里并没有多少动。
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徒2:37  
众人听了，觉得扎心，就对彼得和其余的使徒说，诸位，弟兄们，我们当怎样行？
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　　当然，传信息的弟兄不尽然是这样。大家多少都知道，传信息时，灵应该要出去。因此，他们虽然用许多时间在条理的预备上，但多少还有一点祷告预备灵，所以多少还有一点果效。如果连这一点祷告都没有，我们的讲台就全数是字句，必定虚空到极点。然而，只有一点的祷告是不够的。特别是作话语执事的人，应该清楚今后该多花时间祷告，少花时间在条理上的预备。甚至不必在条理上预备，乃要把所有的时间都用在祷告上。我们要从祷告里摸着感觉，从祷告里摸着神的思路，从祷告里把话语讲出去。若是这样，即使我们的条理差一点，也无关紧要；只要话出去叫人听得清楚，灵跟着出去叫人摸着，就已经足够。实在说，人听道并不重在明白条理，乃是重在灵里有所得着。
　
　　总而言之，你我要俯伏在神面前，承认祂是智慧的神，祂是话，也是灵。祂给我们圣经，也给我们圣灵。你我今天若是要好好事奉祂，正当地路乃是用我们的眼睛、耳朵、心思以及心，对付祂的话；并且用我们的灵，对付祂的灵。我们不只听祂的话，读祂的话，还要在灵里祷告。我们要用全人─眼、耳、心思、心和灵，事奉神。我们自己要这样学习，也要带弟兄姊妹同样学习。我们再也不能只听、只读，而缺少祷告。盼望你读经一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告；听道一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告。你听多少就祷告多少，读多少就祷告多少。若是这样，你就会觉得效果不知比今天丰实多少倍。　　我们已经说了再说，我们中间讲得多，听得多，但是祷告非常少，所以灵显得非常贫弱。有些弟兄姊妹从岁首到年终，每一个主日，每一个聚会，都来听道，几乎篇篇道都听了，但是你和他一同祷告，他的灵和没得救的人差不多，真是濒于死寂。请问各地负责弟兄，你们那里平常聚会的圣徒，他们祷告的灵如何，是不是也这样？是活的，还是死的？是强的，还是弱的？是新鲜的，还是老旧的？我想大半的回答都是反面的。这一种灵里贫、弱、死、旧的光景该怎么办？怎样才能扭转？只有一条路，就是要他们多祷告；听道要祷告，读经也要祷告。　　我们永远不能作一个带领别人，而自己不是这样的人。我们要弟兄姊妹祷告，自己就得先祷告；我们要弟兄姊妹多祷告，自己就得先多祷告。我要大声疾呼：我们事奉的人祷告太少了。我们谈话太多，商量事情太多，彼此交谈太多，研读太多，听得太多，看得太多，就是祷告太少。当然我们承认，照着我们该明白的，我们明白的还是差得很远。但是把这些和祷告相比较，祷告比这些更少、更贫穷。我们缺少在神面前真实地祷告，缺少花时间在祷告上。
　
　　或许有的弟兄姊妹会问，祷告的题目在哪里？祷告的话语怎么办？答案就在诗篇。诗篇中有长篇、短篇的，多半是祷告。其中没有多少像我们今天这样，一套一套的祷告辞句；其中多是感赞的话，称赞神的美德，歌颂神的荣耀，感谢神的慈爱，赞美神的作为。我们今天落到一个地步，几乎不会赞美，不会感谢，不会说称颂的话。我们除了求平安，求好处，求一点属灵的事之外，几乎再也没有话语祷告。然而，诗篇不是这样，一篇一篇的诗篇中，有长篇大论的祷告，多是赞美、称颂、敬拜、感谢、述说主的荣美。为什么他们能，我们不能？因为我们缺少操练。你若天天祷告，常常祷告，多花时间祷告，慢慢就会看见，你赞美的话多了，感谢的话多了，称颂的话也多了。
--------本段经节汇集--------
诗篇一篇（略，若需要被汇集，请勾选“不忽略整章”）
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　　有位弟兄告诉我，在一场聚会里讲到对主的认识，材料好像太多了，枯燥无味，并且只是死板的逐条列举，无法消化应用。要知道，材料丰富固然是好，但也需要用够多的祷告才能予以消化。若是弟兄姊妹肯把对于主的认识那些圣经节，好好默想，操练化作祷告，其中就有许多可以祷告的题目和话语。这些祷告才是馨香，能献给神，蒙神悦纳。
　
　　总而言之，我们要清楚看见，我们偏重了一面，亏缺了另一面；道讲太多，灵操练太少；道听太多，祷告太少。今后我们不是不注重道，可能我们比从前还要更加注重道，但我们也同样注重灵。我们不要偏，乃要平衡，要用灵平衡道。我们怎样注意道，也要怎样注重灵。我们每一位在神的话上都有好的领受，在神的灵上也都有好的接触。这样，我们才能头脑通达，灵里也刚强。我们要能在话和灵这两面有平衡的发展，神的建造才有出路。　　原刊于一九六一年十一月“话语职事”第一百二十五期
　Scripture Reading: John 6:63
　
THE BALANCED SUPPLY OF THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT
　The church receives the supply from the Word and from the Spirit. The church is always revived and supplied by the Word and by the Spirit. According to church history, in some situations the supply to the church was focused on the Word. However, this does not mean that the Spirit was not involved, because once the Spirit is lost, the Word becomes dead letters and is unable to supply the church. In other situations the supply to the church was focused on the Spirit, but the Spirit cannot supply without the Word. Without the rich Word as the means and content, the Spirit is powerful but not rich in our experience. Thus, without the Word, the Spirit cannot render the supply in a full way.
　With regard to the Spirit, the Pentecostal movement that emerged in China thirty years ago was living and powerful, but it was poor with regard to the release of the Word to the children of God. The meetings of the Pentecostal movement were living and strong, but they were poor because they were short of the rich Word as the means and content.
　According to God’s wise arrangement, the church is to be supplied by the Word and the Spirit in a balanced way. The church needs the supply from both the Word and the Spirit. The Word that the church needs is supplied by the Spirit; the Spirit that the church needs is revealed and unveiled through the Word. Without the Word, the church is poor; without the Spirit, the church is dead and weak. In other words, if there is the Word but not the Spirit, the church will be dead and weak. If there is the Spirit but not the Word, the church will be poor. We must see that in His wisdom, God’s provision is a balanced combination of the Word and the Spirit.
　
GOD BEING THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT
　The Bible reveals that God, in His desire to have a relationship with man, is the Word and the Spirit. God is the Lord, but if He is not also the Word and the Spirit, we cannot understand, know, touch, and contact Him. We can know Him and contact Him because He is both the Word and the Spirit. The Word explains and reveals God. His Word opens our mind and enlightens us so that we may understand and know Him. The Spirit enables us to contact, touch, gain, experience, and enjoy Him; otherwise, we have no way to know such a mysterious God. God’s being both the Word and the Spirit is His great grace to mankind. This is also a crucial point in the Gospel of John.
　 John 1:1 says, “The Word was God.” In other words, God is the Word. Verse 24 of chapter 4 says, “God is Spirit.” Verse 63 of chapter 6 says that the Lord’s words are spirit and are life. This verse links the Word and the Spirit. God is the Word and the Spirit, and God as the Word is the Spirit. These verses are not found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke; they are only in John, because John speaks of the wonderful, mysterious, unfathomable, invisible God who can now be known, contacted, touched, gained, and enjoyed by men. The way to know and touch such a wonderful and mysterious Lord depends on His being the Word and the Spirit. If He were not the Word, we could not know Him, and if He were not the Spirit, we could not touch Him. Therefore, we worship Him as the Word and the Spirit. As such, we can know and touch Him.
　
TWO GREAT GIFTS
　God gives two great gifts to those who are saved: the Holy Bible, that is, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible and the Spirit, who is God Himself, have been given to mankind. We have not only the Holy Bible in our hand but also the Holy Spirit in our spirit. The Bible explains God, and we can read it any time. It opens our mind and guides our thoughts so that we may know, understand, and comprehend God. Furthermore, the Spirit, who is God Himself, has entered our spirit so that after knowing God, we can receive, experience, eat, drink, and enjoy Him in our spirit, based on the words in the Bible that we have read. This is God’s twofold provision of grace, neither aspect of which should be neglected.
　God is the Word, and God is the Spirit. How do we experience Him as such? The Word of God that is not only presented to us but also heard, understood, and received into us becomes the Spirit. We read and comprehend the Bible, but after we take it in and are touched by it, we receive inspiration. This is how the Word becomes the Spirit in us. We read the Word, but after we take it in, it becomes the Spirit. The Bible in our hands is the Word, but when the word is in us, it is the Spirit. This also applies to the messages that we hear. The words that we understand and are touched by should be received into us, and then we will receive inspiration. We hear the words, but they become the Spirit who enters into us. When we read a spiritual book or listen to the testimonies of the saints, we first read, hear, and understand the words, and then we are enlightened by the words. As soon as we receive these words into us, they immediately become the Spirit.
　The Word is God explained and revealed to open our mind and enlighten our thoughts so that we may understand Him. After we understand, we receive inspiration. When we receive inspiration from the Word, it becomes the Spirit in us. This Spirit is the life supply. Hence, if the Word does not come into us and become the Spirit, it cannot become our supply. The Word of God that is in our hand inspires, unveils, and enlightens us so that we may know God and know His deeds, His nature, and His riches. The words that we receive become the Spirit in us for our life supply.
　
RECEIVING THE WORD OF GOD WITH OUR HEART
　God in His wisdom has provided us with the Word and the Spirit. In order for us to receive this provision, on the one hand, we need to contact the Word, but on the other hand, we need to contact the Spirit in fellowship. This means that we must contact the Word and the Spirit.
　We contact the Word of God by using our eyes to read, our ears to hear, our mind to understand and comprehend, and our heart to receive. Whether we love God and His Word is related to our heart. If we love God and desire His Word, our heart will receive what our eyes see, our ears hear, and our mind understands. Some saints are able to understand and comprehend what is written in the Bible and spoken in a message because their eyes are bright, their ears are sharp, and their minds are clear. However, they do not love God, nor do they want His Word. Although they can understand, they are not interested. Although they can comprehend, they are not willing to receive. Such a situation requires God’s mercy. Every time we come to the meeting, we must have a heart that loves, desires, and seeks God and thus is willing to contact His Word. Then our eyes will see, our ears will hear, and our mind will understand. Furthermore, our heart will receive. This is the way to contact the Word of God.
　
CONTACTING THE SPIRIT OF GOD BY PRAYING WITH OUR SPIRIT
　It is not adequate for us to contact only the Word. We must also use our spirit to contact the Spirit. In contacting the Word, we use our eyes, our ears, our mind, and our heart. The only way to contact the Spirit is by praying with our spirit. Some may say that they do not understand what it means to pray with their spirit. However, they should at least understand what it means to pray. When we begin to pray, we might not use our spirit, but as long as we continue to pray, we will eventually pray in our spirit.
　A child who is learning to walk is a good example. Initially, he does not know how to walk, but eventually, he learns how to use his legs to walk. Some believers do not know how to use their spirit in prayer. Even some of the saints who have been serving the Lord for a long time do not touch the Spirit in prayer. Such saints should pray more. If they do not touch the Spirit during the first five minutes, they should pray for eight minutes. If they do not touch the Spirit in eight minutes, they should pray for ten minutes. If they do not touch the Spirit in ten minutes, they should pray for fifteen minutes. There is no need to be impatient or discouraged; they should continue praying, because eventually, they will certainly touch the Spirit. A child practices to walk, and eventually, he is able to walk with his feet in a proper way. Likewise, we need to pray until we are able to pray with our spirit. As long as we continue to pray, we will learn to pray with our spirit to touch the Spirit.
　We have a body, a soul, and a spirit; hence, when God fellowships with us, He must take care of each part. He cannot be only the Spirit and not the Word, nor can He be only the Word and not the Spirit. If He were only the Spirit, our spirit might be able to contact Him, but our mind would not understand, and we would be confused, not knowing what is going on. However, if He were only the Word and not the Spirit, we would have the capacity to comprehend and understand Him but not be able to touch Him in our spirit.
　Human beings are multifaceted and complex. We have a spirit, and we also have a soul, which includes our mind. Whatever enters our spirit must pass through our mind. If we do not understand a message, it will not pass through our mind, and as a result, we will not receive it into our spirit. If our mind is open, we will understand what is spoken, and the spiritual supply will enter into our spirit through our opened mind. How much we receive in our spirit is determined by how much we understand.
　God reaches us first through the Word, through which He unveils us, so that we may understand and know Him. However, He is also the Spirit. God causes us to understand Him, and then He causes us to receive and contact Him in our spirit. As soon as we contact Him, the words that we read will enter into us as spirit and life. The Spirit is the essence of God, His being, and the Word is the means to convey God. In order to receive God, we must first receive the Word of God and then receive the Spirit in the Word. We cannot use only our mind or our heart to receive God. We need to use our spirit. Looking, listening, comprehending, understanding, and receiving with our heart are not sufficient; we must use our spirit in order to contact and receive Him. Prayer is the only way to contact and receive God with our spirit.
　
BALANCING THE WORD WITH THE SPIRIT
　Because of our shortage in the past, we have been speaking concerning exercising the spirit, blending in the spirit, serving as priests, and entering into the Holy of Holies. God always uses the Word and the Spirit to revive and supply the church. Sometimes the Word is emphasized, and at other times the Spirit is emphasized. More than forty years ago the Lord began a work of revival to supply the churches in the Far East. Since then, the emphasis has been on the Word. As such, our testimony and work, the establishment of local churches, and the raising up and producing of co-workers and other serving ones have all come about through the Word. Through our ministering the word, we have brought forth the work, churches, and co-workers and serving ones. In the past forty years we have focused on the Word. If we continue to focus on the Word but neglect the Spirit, we will become unbalanced and dry. Eventually, we might fall into a state in which, instead of conveying the Spirit, the Word turns into empty doctrine and dead letters. We would lose the operation of the Spirit. This is the problem that the Brethren experienced. We are afraid of repeating their mistake.
　I have a heavy burden that we would be balanced in the Word and the Spirit. There have been many ministers of the word whose messages were more spiritual and inspiring than the messages we give. However, these ministers were short of the Spirit, and as a result, they ministered doctrine. These cases serve as a warning to us. We must not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us by allowing an unbalanced and dry situation to exist. Therefore, we are focusing on the strengthening of the Spirit. When we spoke of the building of God, especially the blueprint of His building, He reminded us not to approach the building in the way of doctrine but to be balanced by leading the saints to be blended in spirit.
　It is more troublesome to lead the saints to exercise their spirit, to function as priests, and to minister in the spirit than it is to give a message. As long as the brothers have good utterance and use proper illustrations and superior content, the saints are willing to receive what is spoken. But when we ask them to pray, they hesitate. They seem to say that it is too difficult to pray. In order to learn a new skill, we must be willing to endure some pain.
　
LISTENING TO THE MESSAGES WITH PRAYER
　Our situation is unbalanced because it is leaning toward doctrine. Everyone attends the conferences because there is someone giving the messages. The saints come to hear messages. A few years ago we conducted Life-study meetings in Taipei. For six months the number of those in attendance did not decrease. We also held a ten-day conference concerning building, and every day there were around two thousand three hundred saints in attendance. However, when the responsible brothers announced that we want to pray, the number of saints immediately dropped by one thousand. We should ask ourselves whether this is normal. Two thousand three hundred saints came to hear messages for ten days, but as soon as we announced our desire to pray, the number dropped by one thousand. If two thousand three hundred saints come every day to listen to messages, it seems reasonable that the same two thousand three hundred saints would pray every day. If we use our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to contact the Word of God, we should use our spirit to contact the Spirit.
　Some might ask whether prayer is as important as the messages. Yes, it is. When we preach the gospel, people might be deeply touched and even moved to tears, but if they do not open their mouths to pray, no one will be saved. There is a certain gospel friend who is moved to tears every time he hears the gospel, but he has never prayed. Consequently, he still is not saved.
　One day a person came to see me and said that more than twenty years ago he was moved when he heard a gospel message, so he attended a few gospel meetings. The more he listened, the more he was touched, and he was even moved to tears. However, he felt that he was not saved. When I asked whether he had prayed, he said that he did not pray when he was touched, even though he felt that he was sinful. Because no one helped him to pray and repent, he stopped going to the gospel meetings, and his inward feeling gradually disappeared. This example shows that no matter how much a person is moved by a message, if he does not open his mouth to pray with his spirit, he cannot touch the Spirit. This is an undisputed fact.
　A person may be greatly touched many times, but he cannot be saved without prayer. This same principle applies to reading the Bible and listening to messages. We have been giving messages for more than a decade. If we consider the messages that have been given, our situation should be many times better than what it is today. However, in spite of the many messages that we have heard, our spiritual condition has not changed very much. Although we cannot say that there has been no growth, we must admit that we are not where we should be.
　The brothers and sisters have heard many messages, but the result is far less than what we expected; we have not prayed enough. I respectfully present this problem before all of you. Please consider, what would be our situation if, after every message, the saints would bring what they understood to the Lord in prayer?
　By God’s mercy we have the truth, revelation, and the ministry of the word. The messages are truly high and weighty. Those who hear the messages appreciate them and are touched by them. However, the impact produced by these messages is far less than what we anticipated. It seems as though we have heard too much. We hear with our ears and our mind, and we appreciate what we hear. Our heart is touched, but we must admit that we pray too little; hence, the effect is far less than it should be.
　We must learn from history and not repeat the mistakes of the past. If we continue giving messages without adequate prayer, the result will be poor. I deeply regret the work we have done in the past. We cannot take the way of just the Word. Although we cannot disregard the Word, we should not neglect the Spirit. We must not lead the saints to listen to messages without prayer. When the number of saints in a conference drops by one thousand in a prayer meeting, there is an unbalanced situation that must be corrected.
　In Acts the number of those who heard the message given by Peter was also the number who prayed. Chapter 2 says that three thousand people were saved. After they were saved, they all “continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers” (vv. 41-42). Not only did they listen to the message, fellowship, and break bread, but they also prayed. If the same number of saints that came to listen to the message attended the prayer meeting, our situation would be normal, and we would be balanced. I am not despising the messages that we give; they are effective. In the past thirty to forty years we have supplied the churches through ministering the word, without which we would not have our present growth. However, the Lord has shown us that this way is not adequate. We must also focus on the Spirit in order to balance our present situation. Just as we have focused on the Word, we should likewise focus on the Spirit. Just as we have supplied the churches with the Word, we should likewise supply them with the Spirit.
　The brothers who minister the word should know the living of the priests. Christ is everything in the living of the priests. Christ is what they wear, eat, and drink, and He is also where they dwell. All the churches should focus on the living of the priests in the ministry of the word. However, before we focus on the living of the priests, we must lead the saints into exercising their spirit by prayer; otherwise, the spirit of the saints will not match the word that is spoken, and it will not be as effective. Not only the co-workers, elders, and responsible ones must have a strong spirit; the saints who attend the meetings regularly must also have strong spirits. Then we can continue and minister concerning the living of the priests.
　Blending in spirit is not a seasonal matter. Blending in spirit is a lifelong matter. We need to pray immediately after we hear a message, we need to pray immediately after we read a portion of the Bible, and we need to pray immediately after we gain spiritual knowledge. If we do not pray, at most the words will enter into our heart; they will not enter into our spirit. We will have heard words and understood them, and our heart will desire and receive them, but they will enter only into our heart; our spirit will not be moved. As a result, the words will be only words to us; they will not convey the Spirit. It is not until we pray in our spirit, digesting the words we have heard with our spirit, that the words can enter into our spirit and become spirit and life to us. I hope that this word will strengthen our feeling concerning the Spirit.
　
GIVING MESSAGES WITH MUCH PRAYER
　In Acts 6:4 the apostles said that they would “continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.” The apostles continually prayed and ministered the word. We should believe that Peter spent more time praying than ministering the word and that he spent more time praying than preparing to minister the word. I believe that the preparation for his messages was prayer. He prepared the spirit of speaking through prayer, and he released his message in the spirit of prayer. How about our speaking? Perhaps we spend one hour searching for material and compiling an outline, but we do not pray for half an hour. We speak, but we do not pray, or we speak much, but we pray little. As a result, our messages touch the mind of the saints instead of their spirit.
　On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter gave a message that pricked people in their heart (2:37). The words touched the depths of their being. Those words were spoken from the spirit and were spirit and life. What we speak from the podium is mainly words; there is not much spirit and life. We speak from our mind; therefore, our spirit does not move.
　We know that the messages should convey the Spirit. Therefore, the speaking brothers spend a little time to prepare their spirit in prayer. Without this prayer our messages would be letters and complete vanity. However, we need to spend more time in prayer and less time preparing for the messages. We should spend all our time in prayer. We need to touch the feeling of God and His thoughts in prayer, and we need to speak these thoughts and feelings in prayer. Then even if the logic of the message is not that strong, the spirit of the saints will still be touched. Frankly speaking, what matters in a message is not the logic but the importance of the Spirit.
　
EXERCISING IN ORDER TO LEAD OTHERS
　We must prostrate ourselves before the Lord and acknowledge that He is the wise God. He is the Word and the Spirit. He gave us the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit. If we want to serve Him in a proper way, we must use our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to deal with His Word, and we must use our spirit to deal with His Spirit. Not only do we contact His Word, but we must also pray in our spirit. We need to use our whole being—eyes, ears, mind, heart, and spirit—to serve God. We must learn this before we can lead the saints into this practice. We can no longer listen and read without praying. It is best to read the Bible for a certain amount of time and then pray for the same amount of time. The amount of time that we spend to listen to a message or to read the Word is the amount of time that we should spend in prayer. If this would be our practice, the outcome will be very rich.
　We have said that we speak much but pray very little, so our spirit seems poor and weak. Some saints have come to every Lord’s Day meeting for one year and have heard every message, but their spirit is as dead as that of an unsaved person. The responsible brothers in every locality should consider the condition of the spirit of prayer of the saints who are in the meetings regularly. Is their spirit living or dead, strong or weak, fresh or old? The saints need to pray after every message, and they need to pray after reading the Bible.
　We cannot lead others into something that we do not practice. If we want the saints to pray, we must pray first. If we want the saints to pray much, we must pray much. There is not enough prayer among the serving ones. We discuss, fellowship, and study much, but we pray too little. We cannot say that we know enough, but our prayer cannot compare with what we know. We are short of genuine prayer; we do not spend enough time in prayer.
　
THE TOPICS AND WORDS OF PRAYER
　Perhaps some saints would ask, what are the topics for prayer, or what words should they use? The answer is in the Psalms. Some psalms are long and others are short. Most of them are prayers, and they do not use routine words. They are words of praise to appreciate the virtues of God, extol His glory, thank Him for His lovingkindness, and praise His doings. When we pray, we do not praise, thank, or extol the Lord; instead, we ask for peace, benefits, and spiritual things. The Psalms are prayers that are filled with praise, worship, and thanks, and they declare the glory of the Lord. Our prayers do not match these prayers, because we lack practice. If we would pray frequently every day, we will have more words of praise, thanks, and extolment.
　One of the brothers gave a message concerning the knowledge of the Lord, but the material seemed dry and tasteless, so the saints could not digest or apply it. It is good to have rich material, but we also need to have much prayer in order to digest it. If the saints would be willing to consider the verses concerning the knowledge of the Lord and turn them into prayer, they will have many topics to pray over. Such prayers would be fragrant and acceptable to God.
　
BUILDING IN BALANCE
　In the past we overemphasized the Word but neglected the Spirit. We gave many messages, but we did not exercise our spirit enough. This does not mean that we should neglect the Word but that we should pay equal attention to the Spirit. We do not want to be unbalanced. We want to balance the Word with the Spirit. Just as we have focused on the Word, we will now focus on the Spirit. Every saint must receive the Word and contact the Spirit in a good way. Then we will not only understand with our mind, but our spirit will also be strong. We need a balanced development in both the Word and the Spirit so that there will be a way for God’s building.
 
　　读经：约翰福音六章六十三节。
 
　Scripture Reading: John 6:63
　　历代能叫召会得供应的，就是主的话和主的灵。不论在什么时候，什么地方，召会所得到的复兴，所得着真实地供应，若不是从主的话得到的，就是从主的灵得着的。召会历史给我们看见，在有的场合，有的情形，召会所得到的供应，是重在话；但这不是说里面就没有灵，因为如果失去灵，话就变作死的字句，并不能叫召会得着真实地供应。在另一种场合，另一种情形，召会所得的供应是重在灵；但有经历的人都知道，灵来供应的时候，也少不了话。因为若没有丰富的话语作凭借，作内容，即使灵很强，也是强而不富，这样的供应就不够丰满。

　　比方，三十年前在中国北方兴起的灵恩运动，单纯从灵的一面说，那的确是相当活、相当强。然而，在那个运动里，话语太贫穷，没有多少话释放给神的儿女。因此，他们的聚会虽然活，虽然强，却显得相当贫穷，因为里面缺少丰富的话语作凭借，作内容。

　　神智慧的安排乃是用话，也用灵，来平衡供应召会。召会需要话的供应，也需要灵的供应。召会所需要的话，乃是在灵里供应；召会所需要的灵，乃是借着话启示、开导。没有话，召会是贫穷的；没有灵，召会是死弱的。换句话说，若只有话而缺少灵，必定是死弱的；若只有灵而缺少话，定规是贫穷的。我们应该清楚看见，神智慧的备办，乃是话与灵两面都平衡。
 
　The church receives the supply from the Word and from the Spirit. The church is always revived and supplied by the Word and by the Spirit. According to church history, in some situations the supply to the church was focused on the Word. However, this does not mean that the Spirit was not involved, because once the Spirit is lost, the Word becomes dead letters and is unable to supply the church. In other situations the supply to the church was focused on the Spirit, but the Spirit cannot supply without the Word. Without the rich Word as the means and content, the Spirit is powerful but not rich in our experience. Thus, without the Word, the Spirit cannot render the supply in a full way.

　With regard to the Spirit, the Pentecostal movement that emerged in China thirty years ago was living and powerful, but it was poor with regard to the release of the Word to the children of God. The meetings of the Pentecostal movement were living and strong, but they were poor because they were short of the rich Word as the means and content.

　According to God’s wise arrangement, the church is to be supplied by the Word and the Spirit in a balanced way. The church needs the supply from both the Word and the Spirit. The Word that the church needs is supplied by the Spirit; the Spirit that the church needs is revealed and unveiled through the Word. Without the Word, the church is poor; without the Spirit, the church is dead and weak. In other words, if there is the Word but not the Spirit, the church will be dead and weak. If there is the Spirit but not the Word, the church will be poor. We must see that in His wisdom, God’s provision is a balanced combination of the Word and the Spirit.
　　圣经启示我们，神来与我们发生关系，一面是话，一面也是灵。神虽然是神，是主，但如果神单纯是神，单纯是主，而不是话，也不是灵，你我怎能了解祂，认识祂，摸着祂，接触祂？乃是借着祂是话，又是灵，我们才能认识祂，接触祂。话将祂说明、启示出来。祂的话开通我们的思路，启迪我们的思想，使我们了解祂，认识祂。而灵乃是叫我们接触祂，碰着祂，得着祂，经历祂，并享受祂。如果我们的神，我们的主，只是神，只是主，而从来不是话，也不是灵，你我今天如何能认识这一位奥妙的神？又有谁能接触这一位超越的主？所以神是话，也是灵，乃是祂对人类莫大的恩待。这也是约翰福音中一个重要的信息。

　　一章一节说，“话就是神。”倒过来说，神就是话。四章二十四节说，“神是灵。”六章六十三节说，主所说的话，就是灵。这一节把话和灵连在一起。总结来说，神是话，神也是灵，神这话就是灵。这几句话没有记载在马太、马可、路加福音，独独记载在约翰福音，因为约翰是专专说到那位奇妙、奥秘、无法揣摩、无法接触的神，现在竟然来将祂自己给人认识，给人接触，给人摸着，给人得着，给人享受。而这位奇妙的主，奥秘的神，把祂自己给人认识并摸着的方法，乃在于祂是话，也是灵。请想想看，祂若不是话，你怎能认识这位奇妙的主？祂若不是灵，你怎能摸着这一位奥秘的神？所以我们敬拜祂是话，也是灵；我们能认识祂，也能摸着祂。
 
　The Bible reveals that God, in His desire to have a relationship with man, is the Word and the Spirit. God is the Lord, but if He is not also the Word and the Spirit, we cannot understand, know, touch, and contact Him. We can know Him and contact Him because He is both the Word and the Spirit. The Word explains and reveals God. His Word opens our mind and enlightens us so that we may understand and know Him. The Spirit enables us to contact, touch, gain, experience, and enjoy Him; otherwise, we have no way to know such a mysterious God. God’s being both the Word and the Spirit is His great grace to mankind. This is also a crucial point in the Gospel of John.

　 John 1:1 says, “The Word was God.” In other words, God is the Word. Verse 24 of chapter 4 says, “God is Spirit.” Verse 63 of chapter 6 says that the Lord’s words are spirit and are life. This verse links the Word and the Spirit. God is the Word and the Spirit, and God as the Word is the Spirit. These verses are not found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke; they are only in John, because John speaks of the wonderful, mysterious, unfathomable, invisible God who can now be known, contacted, touched, gained, and enjoyed by men. The way to know and touch such a wonderful and mysterious Lord depends on His being the Word and the Spirit. If He were not the Word, we could not know Him, and if He were not the Spirit, we could not touch Him. Therefore, we worship Him as the Word and the Spirit. As such, we can know and touch Him.
　　神赐给我们这些蒙恩者的两件大礼物：一件是外面的圣经，就是话；另一件是里面的圣灵，也就是灵。今天，圣经和圣灵，乃是神两面的化身，赐给了人类。我们不只有圣经在我们手中，还有圣灵在我们灵里。我们不只外面有一本话，说明神自己，叫我们可以常常阅读，借此开启我们的思想，开导我们的思路，使我们了解祂，认识祂，明白祂。我们还有一位灵，就是神的本身，进到我们灵里，叫我们了解之后，能凭着所了解的，在灵里接受祂，经历祂，吃祂，喝祂，享受祂。这是神两面恩典的备办，任何一面都不可忽略。

　　神是话，神也是灵，这到底怎么经历呢？请记得，神的话若是摆在我们跟前，给我们听见了，听懂了，并接受到里面，立刻就变作灵。请想想看，许多时候你读圣经，你读的是主的话，领会的也是话，但等到这话给你领会、了解、明白了，你有一点读进去，受了这话的感动，接受到里面了，立刻你就觉得这进到里面的好像是话，却又不是话，乃是一种灵感。这就是话进到你里头，变作灵了。你读的时候是话，接受到里面就是灵。摆在你跟前是话，一进到你里面就变作灵。听道也是如此，我们听见讲台上所说的话，了解，明白，受了感动，里面立刻接受。很希奇，我们这样一接受，里面就有灵感。我们听到的是话，但进到里面却变作灵。不仅如此，连我们读一本属灵书报，或听弟兄姊妹一点见证，也都是话。我们听见这些话，就了解，就恍然大悟，觉得看见一点光，懂得一点属灵的事。这些都是话，但我们把话一接受到里头，立刻就变作灵感了。

　　在此我们看见，话乃是神在外面对我们的说明，在外面给我们的启示，来启发我们的思想，开通我们的思路，叫我们对祂有了解。等我们一旦了解了，我们里头定规有感动；一感动，我们就接受这话；我们一接受这话，到里头就成了灵；一成了灵，就是生命；是生命就是供应。所以，话若没有进到里面变作灵，永远不能是生命；不是生命，也永远不是供应。请记得，圣经是神的话，摆在我们外面，是为着启发我们，启示我们，开通我们，叫我们思路通达，认识神，认识神的作为，认识神的性情，认识神的丰富。一旦我们对于神的某一点明白了，了解了，受了感动，而接受进来，这一接受，立刻就在我们里面变成灵，使我们得到生命的供应。请想想看，你的经历是不是这样？
 
　God gives two great gifts to those who are saved: the Holy Bible, that is, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible and the Spirit, who is God Himself, have been given to mankind. We have not only the Holy Bible in our hand but also the Holy Spirit in our spirit. The Bible explains God, and we can read it any time. It opens our mind and guides our thoughts so that we may know, understand, and comprehend God. Furthermore, the Spirit, who is God Himself, has entered our spirit so that after knowing God, we can receive, experience, eat, drink, and enjoy Him in our spirit, based on the words in the Bible that we have read. This is God’s twofold provision of grace, neither aspect of which should be neglected.

　God is the Word, and God is the Spirit. How do we experience Him as such? The Word of God that is not only presented to us but also heard, understood, and received into us becomes the Spirit. We read and comprehend the Bible, but after we take it in and are touched by it, we receive inspiration. This is how the Word becomes the Spirit in us. We read the Word, but after we take it in, it becomes the Spirit. The Bible in our hands is the Word, but when the word is in us, it is the Spirit. This also applies to the messages that we hear. The words that we understand and are touched by should be received into us, and then we will receive inspiration. We hear the words, but they become the Spirit who enters into us. When we read a spiritual book or listen to the testimonies of the saints, we first read, hear, and understand the words, and then we are enlightened by the words. As soon as we receive these words into us, they immediately become the Spirit.

　The Word is God explained and revealed to open our mind and enlighten our thoughts so that we may understand Him. After we understand, we receive inspiration. When we receive inspiration from the Word, it becomes the Spirit in us. This Spirit is the life supply. Hence, if the Word does not come into us and become the Spirit, it cannot become our supply. The Word of God that is in our hand inspires, unveils, and enlightens us so that we may know God and know His deeds, His nature, and His riches. The words that we receive become the Spirit in us for our life supply.
　　我们既清楚看见，神的智慧有这两面的备办，毫无疑问，我们的路也是两面。一面要听神的话，读神的话；另一面，要接触神的灵，与神的灵交通。这意思是，我们必须一面对付神的话，一面对付神的灵。换句话说，我们必须一面接触神的话，一面接触神的灵。

　　我们接触神的话，乃是用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用心思了解、明白，同时还加上用心接受。你爱不爱神，喜欢不喜欢神，爱不爱神的话，要不要神的话，这是心接受的问题。你若喜欢神，爱神，也爱神的话，要神的话，你眼里看到的，耳中听见的，思想中明白的，你的心就都会接受。有的人眼睛明亮，耳朵聪敏，头脑也很清楚，圣经中写的，讲台上讲的，他都明白，都领会，但他不爱神，也不要神的话。他是懂得了，但不感兴趣；懂是懂了，却不愿意接受。这没有别的办法，只有等神怜悯他。所以，我们每一次到聚会中，都必须有一颗爱神的心，羡慕神，喜欢神，因此愿意听祂的话。我们有了这样一颗心，然后再用眼睛看，用耳朵听，用头脑领会，心里自然就接受了。这就是我们对付神的话，接触神的话。
 
　God in His wisdom has provided us with the Word and the Spirit. In order for us to receive this provision, on the one hand, we need to contact the Word, but on the other hand, we need to contact the Spirit in fellowship. This means that we must contact the Word and the Spirit.

　We contact the Word of God by using our eyes to read, our ears to hear, our mind to understand and comprehend, and our heart to receive. Whether we love God and His Word is related to our heart. If we love God and desire His Word, our heart will receive what our eyes see, our ears hear, and our mind understands. Some saints are able to understand and comprehend what is written in the Bible and spoken in a message because their eyes are bright, their ears are sharp, and their minds are clear. However, they do not love God, nor do they want His Word. Although they can understand, they are not interested. Although they can comprehend, they are not willing to receive. Such a situation requires God’s mercy. Every time we come to the meeting, we must have a heart that loves, desires, and seeks God and thus is willing to contact His Word. Then our eyes will see, our ears will hear, and our mind will understand. Furthermore, our heart will receive. This is the way to contact the Word of God.
　　然而，只有这一面不够，我们还必须用灵对付神的灵，用灵接触神的灵。接触话，对付话，是用眼看，用耳听，用头脑明白，并用心接受。接触灵，对付灵，没有第二条路，只有用灵祷告。这不是听的问题，不是看的问题，不是了解的问题，甚至不是接受的问题，乃是用灵祷告的问题。也许你说，“我不太懂什么叫作用灵祷告？”但至少你懂得什么叫作祷告。你开头祷告，也许不在灵里，但这不要紧，你只要祷告再祷告，结果终归是在灵里祷告。

　　比方，小孩子学走路，开头他不会走，就乱走一场；有时用手爬着走，有时用臀部坐着走。然而，他就是这样走来走去，末了自然而然会用脚走了。祷告也是如此。初祷告时，你不一定会用灵；但是祷告再祷告，最终定规是进到灵里。不要说初蒙恩的，即使是得救多年，长久事奉主的人，有时祷告也好像摸不着灵。然而你还是要祷告，摸不着灵也要祷告；祷告五分钟摸不着灵，祷告八分钟；八分钟摸不着灵，祷告十分钟；十分钟摸不着灵，祷告一刻钟。你要有忍耐，不要灰心，一直祷告下去，担保你最后一定摸着灵，这是定规的。走路是该用脚，虽然开头不会，但是一直走，走到末了，就能按正规用脚走了。同样的，祷告要用灵，开头你祷告不知怎样用灵，但只要你一直祷告，祷告再祷告，多多祷告，常常祷告，到有一天，你就进到正轨，定规是用灵祷告了。

　　我们是一个完整的人，有眼睛、耳朵、思想、心情，还有一个灵；因此，当神来与我们这个完整的人交通时，必须各面都顾到。祂不能只是灵而不是话，也不能只是话而不是灵。如果祂只是灵，可能我们的灵能接触到祂的灵，但我们的思想、思路不通、不了然，就觉得莫名其妙，不知是怎么回事。另一面，如果祂只是话，不是灵，就不过仅仅叫我们了解祂，明白祂，我们的灵还是不能触着祂。

　　我们这个人是多面、不简单地，我们有灵，也有思想，凡进入我们灵里的，一定要先通过我们的思想。比方，我站在讲台上，什么话都不说，或者说一些你们听不懂的话，你们的思路就不能被打通，结果你们什么也没有接受到灵里。反之，我若在聚会中说话，句句话都是明白的，你们听得懂，这样就开启了你们的思路，属灵的供应就从你们开启的思路，进到你们灵里。你们了解的有多少，你们灵里的接受就有多少；你们明白的有多少，里面受的影响也有多少。

　　同样的，神之于我们，头一步是话，祂用这话开启我们，叫我们能了解祂，认识祂。第二步是灵，神使我们了解祂之后，就叫我们用灵接受祂，接触祂；我们一接触祂，我们所读的话就进到我们里头变作灵，变作生命。灵是神的本质、神的本身，话是神的一个凭借；若是我们只接受话，这是不够的。我们要接受神，开头是接受神的话，最终乃是接受话里的灵。所以，我们不能只用头脑，只用心接受，最终还是必须用灵。我们不能只看、只听、只了解、明白、只用心接受；我们至终还得用灵接触，用灵接受。用灵接触、接受的方法，只有祷告。
 
　It is not adequate for us to contact only the Word. We must also use our spirit to contact the Spirit. In contacting the Word, we use our eyes, our ears, our mind, and our heart. The only way to contact the Spirit is by praying with our spirit. Some may say that they do not understand what it means to pray with their spirit. However, they should at least understand what it means to pray. When we begin to pray, we might not use our spirit, but as long as we continue to pray, we will eventually pray in our spirit.

　A child who is learning to walk is a good example. Initially, he does not know how to walk, but eventually, he learns how to use his legs to walk. Some believers do not know how to use their spirit in prayer. Even some of the saints who have been serving the Lord for a long time do not touch the Spirit in prayer. Such saints should pray more. If they do not touch the Spirit during the first five minutes, they should pray for eight minutes. If they do not touch the Spirit in eight minutes, they should pray for ten minutes. If they do not touch the Spirit in ten minutes, they should pray for fifteen minutes. There is no need to be impatient or discouraged; they should continue praying, because eventually, they will certainly touch the Spirit. A child practices to walk, and eventually, he is able to walk with his feet in a proper way. Likewise, we need to pray until we are able to pray with our spirit. As long as we continue to pray, we will learn to pray with our spirit to touch the Spirit.

　We have a body, a soul, and a spirit; hence, when God fellowships with us, He must take care of each part. He cannot be only the Spirit and not the Word, nor can He be only the Word and not the Spirit. If He were only the Spirit, our spirit might be able to contact Him, but our mind would not understand, and we would be confused, not knowing what is going on. However, if He were only the Word and not the Spirit, we would have the capacity to comprehend and understand Him but not be able to touch Him in our spirit.

　Human beings are multifaceted and complex. We have a spirit, and we also have a soul, which includes our mind. Whatever enters our spirit must pass through our mind. If we do not understand a message, it will not pass through our mind, and as a result, we will not receive it into our spirit. If our mind is open, we will understand what is spoken, and the spiritual supply will enter into our spirit through our opened mind. How much we receive in our spirit is determined by how much we understand.

　God reaches us first through the Word, through which He unveils us, so that we may understand and know Him. However, He is also the Spirit. God causes us to understand Him, and then He causes us to receive and contact Him in our spirit. As soon as we contact Him, the words that we read will enter into us as spirit and life. The Spirit is the essence of God, His being, and the Word is the means to convey God. In order to receive God, we must first receive the Word of God and then receive the Spirit in the Word. We cannot use only our mind or our heart to receive God. We need to use our spirit. Looking, listening, comprehending, understanding, and receiving with our heart are not sufficient; we must use our spirit in order to contact and receive Him. Prayer is the only way to contact and receive God with our spirit.
　　为什么我们一直注意操练灵，调灵，作祭司，回到灵里，进入至圣所这些事？乃是要平衡我们往日的偏枯，补上我们从前的差缺。神历来复兴召会，供应召会，一面是借着话，一面是借着灵；有时是重在话，有时是重在灵。四十多年前，当神在东方，在我们中间作复兴的工作，供应召会起，直到现今这段时间，的确是重在话。所以，我们在东方的见证和工作，以及各地的召会建立，同工、长老们兴起与产生，可以说都是借着话。我们是靠讲道产生了工作，产生了召会，也产生了同工和各等事奉的人。四十年来，我们一直重在话的一面。然而至今，我们深深觉得，只注重话这一面，而轻忽灵这一面，就不免偏枯。并且长此下去，恐怕会落到一种境地，话语过重而灵过轻。甚至到一个地步，话失去了灵，而变成空的道理、死的字句，没有灵的运行。这就是我们常提起，所谓“弟兄们”的问题；我们深怕会重蹈他们的复辙。

　　因此，我们有很重的负担，觉得必须平衡，必须用灵平衡话。在已过年日中，讲道讲得很属灵，很能感动人，很能叫人摸着天，比我们高明的，大有人在；然而他们的后果，相当虚空。这就是因为话太多，道太多，而缺乏灵的缘故。这些光景使我们深受警惕；因此，我们不能重蹈复辙，不能再吃已过的人所吃的亏，容让那种偏枯的情形继续存在。为这缘故，近年来我们一直注重灵的加强。当我们说到神的建造，尤其要看神建造的蓝图时，主提醒我们不能单从道的一面，话的一面，往前建造；乃必须平衡，必须带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，叫灵能够起来，叫灵能够调和。

　　这事的确不易，但我们并非如今才知这个困难。我们开始带领弟兄姊妹操练灵，学习作祭司，在灵里供职时，就已经说过，要带领弟兄姊妹注意灵，操练灵，比讲道还要困难，还要麻烦。讲道给人听，只要措辞好，比喻恰当，材料高明，人就喜欢接受。但是要带人祷告，把人的灵带起来，人就裹足不前了。说的直截了当，人就懒惰了。人会说这很难，既没有什么道给我们听，又要我们祷告，这太难了。然而，一切平衡的事，在初初平衡的时期都得忍痛，不能顾虑那么多。
 
　Because of our shortage in the past, we have been speaking concerning exercising the spirit, blending in the spirit, serving as priests, and entering into the Holy of Holies. God always uses the Word and the Spirit to revive and supply the church. Sometimes the Word is emphasized, and at other times the Spirit is emphasized. More than forty years ago the Lord began a work of revival to supply the churches in the Far East. Since then, the emphasis has been on the Word. As such, our testimony and work, the establishment of local churches, and the raising up and producing of co-workers and other serving ones have all come about through the Word. Through our ministering the word, we have brought forth the work, churches, and co-workers and serving ones. In the past forty years we have focused on the Word. If we continue to focus on the Word but neglect the Spirit, we will become unbalanced and dry. Eventually, we might fall into a state in which, instead of conveying the Spirit, the Word turns into empty doctrine and dead letters. We would lose the operation of the Spirit. This is the problem that the Brethren experienced. We are afraid of repeating their mistake.

　I have a heavy burden that we would be balanced in the Word and the Spirit. There have been many ministers of the word whose messages were more spiritual and inspiring than the messages we give. However, these ministers were short of the Spirit, and as a result, they ministered doctrine. These cases serve as a warning to us. We must not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us by allowing an unbalanced and dry situation to exist. Therefore, we are focusing on the strengthening of the Spirit. When we spoke of the building of God, especially the blueprint of His building, He reminded us not to approach the building in the way of doctrine but to be balanced by leading the saints to be blended in spirit.

　It is more troublesome to lead the saints to exercise their spirit, to function as priests, and to minister in the spirit than it is to give a message. As long as the brothers have good utterance and use proper illustrations and superior content, the saints are willing to receive what is spoken. But when we ask them to pray, they hesitate. They seem to say that it is too difficult to pray. In order to learn a new skill, we must be willing to endure some pain.
　　我们中间有偏枯的情形，乃是偏在道的一面。特别聚会时，因为有人讲道，所以屋里屋外都满了人，大家都来听道。比方，前几年我们在台北有生命读经聚会，每周都有好几次，六个月下来，人数并没有什么减少。再譬如，一次长达十天的聚会，讲建造的信息，天天都是二千三百人左右。然而，当负责弟兄报告要祷告时，马上减去一千多人。我们把这事摆在你们良心面前，请你们凭良心判断，这个正常不正常？二千三百人十天都来听道，但一说到要祷告，立刻减去了一千人，这对不对？按理，二千三百人天天听道，应该也是二千三百人天天祷告。人如何用眼睛，用耳朵，用头脑，用心思，用心接触神的话，也得同样用灵接触神的灵。

　　或许你会问，祷告和听道同样重要么？是的。我们曾说过，传福音的时候，不论有多少人受感动，也不管受了多大、多深的感动，甚至感动得流泪，若不开口祷告，不用灵祷告，就没有人能得救。有一个朋友，每一次来听福音都感动得流泪，但是始终没有祷告。不仅外面没有祷告，连里面的默祷都没有，请问这一个受感动的人得救了没有？我可以很确定的说，他没有得救。在已过年日中，我所接触的，有一部分就是这样的人。

　　举一个实例，有一天，一个人来见我，说他二十多年前在某地听人讲道，实在受感动，所以接着又去听。一连听了几个晚上，越听越受感动，末了甚至落泪，但他自己觉得二十年来并没有得救。我问为什么，他自己也说不明白。我就问他：“你受感动的时候祷告了没有？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你觉得不觉得自己有罪？”他说，“我觉得。”我再问：“你承认不承认耶稣基督？”他说，“我真愿意承认。”我就再问他：“你有没有祷告？”他说，“没有。”我说，“你散会后如何呢？”他说，“散会后，传道人走了，大家都走了，没有人帮助我，我也没有再去聚会，里面的感动就渐渐消失了。”在这里就看见，不管人在听道时受多大的感动，不开口祷告，不运用灵祷告，他的灵就不能碰着神的灵。这是一个不需要争辩的事实。

　　人听道受了那么大的感动，一次过一次的受感动，独独因为缺乏祷告，他就不能得救。同样的，请想想看，如果你读经只读不祷，那个读经对你有多少帮助？你听道受感动，却没有照着感动祷告，那个道对你的帮助不会有多少。以台北召会为例，我们在会所里，一直讲道，已经十多年了。按着所讲的道，按着弟兄姊妹所听的道，光景应该比今天好上几倍。然而看看今天，道听了再听，属灵的光景却仍停滞不前。虽不能说一点长进都没有，但还得承认收效比该有的情形差得太多、太远。

　　我们一次次的聚会，道一篇篇的讲，圣经一卷卷的查，弟兄姊妹听了再听，结果却远不及我们所期望的。原因何在？乃在于听的多，明白的多，但祷告的少。至今多少还有一点果效，乃是因弟兄姊妹蒙怜悯，还有一点祷告。我恭敬的把这些问题摆在众人面前，请你们安静的想想，若是你们每一个人听了一篇道之后，都不让它过去，而是把它完全化作祷告，听懂多少，就化祷多少，那个后果和今天比会如何？那个丰富会是多少倍？

　　因着神的怜悯，我们中间有真理，有启示，并且有话语的恩赐。许多的讲道，许多的信息，实在是高，实在是有价值，有分量。当时听的人，没有一个不欣赏，没有一个不感动。这是无庸置疑的。然而今天回头看，这些道所产生的效果，离我们所想像、所预期的，实在差得太多。原因何在？是听得不够么？不，反而是听得太多。用耳朵听，用头脑听，赞美着听，欣赏着听，受感动的听，但是祷告得太少。相信我们众人都会承认，我们的祷告的确非常少。我们听了再听，听了再听，可惜听过之后祷告太少；所以留下的后果，相形之下，就差得太远了。

　　我们要接受历史的教训，不能再重蹈复辙。如果我们还要讲道，而缺少祷告，恐怕后果要相当差。我在主面前，深深痛心懊悔往日的工作。我对自己说，不能再走已往的路了。我虽然不能轻看主的话，但也不能偏在话的这一面，而疏忽主的灵。我不能只带领弟兄姊妹，听了又听，却没有多少的祷告。特别聚会二千三百多人，祷告聚会一下减去一千多。这一个风气必须转，这一个偏枯必须平衡。

　　使徒行传给我们看见，当时听道的有多少人，祷告的也有多少人。二章说有三千得救的人，得救之后，都坚定持续在使徒的教训和交通里，持续擘饼和祷告（41~42）。他们不只是听道，不只是交通，不只是擘饼，他们还祷告。我们若是能平衡到一个地步，祷告聚会的人数，和听道的人数一样多，那个情形就正常了。所有的负责弟兄们，都必须有这个看见。我在这里并不是轻看所讲的道，我承认我们所讲的道有其功效。三、四十年来，我们是靠讲道供应召会。若是不讲道，我们不会有今天这个局面。然而如今，主明明给我们看见，只靠道的一面是不够的，只重在道这一面是不行的。如果要偏重，目前宁可偏重灵的一面，为着要平衡。我们如何注重道，也要如何注重灵；如何用话供应，也要如何用灵供应。

　　所有服事话语的弟兄们，应该要认识祭司的生活。祭司的生活一切都是基督，他们所穿的、所披戴的、所吃的、所喝的、以及所居住的，一切的一切，莫不都是基督。今后各地召会传讲信息时，应该要转到这一面。这一条线，不知要讲多少篇道才够。然而，当我和弟兄们再有一点交通，再观察一点实际的情况时，觉得我们的灵操练得还不够，我们灵的光景还不够强。所以，我们必须在讲祭司生活以前，再专特的加强众人对祷告操练灵的注意。若是不然，以众人现在灵里的光景看来，我们往后这样长时期的释放话语，众人的灵一定跟不上，结果必定收不到预期的果效。所以，盼望弟兄姊妹的灵能相当的强，最少在常聚会的人中，除了同工、长老、家负责这些事奉的人之外，还要有一半以上的人，灵是活的、强的，往后的道才能讲下去。

　　调灵这件事，是没有季节性的。并非前几个月大家调灵，现在就不需要了；也非调过几次，就足够了。调灵乃是一生一世的事，随时都需要使灵活泼新鲜。我们每听了一篇道，就要立刻祷告；每读一段圣经节，立刻要祷告；每得着一些属灵的认识，立刻要祷告。因为你若不祷告，所有的道最深不过仅仅到你心里，还不能到你灵里。你听见了，明白了，心是爱慕、接受了，但那不过仅仅到你心里，你的灵还没有动；这个道不过是道而已，还没有变作灵。乃是等到你用灵祷告过，用灵把话消化了，这话才进到灵里变作灵，才真正的叫你得到生命的供应。盼望这样的交通，能加重弟兄姊妹对于灵的感觉。
 
　Our situation is unbalanced because it is leaning toward doctrine. Everyone attends the conferences because there is someone giving the messages. The saints come to hear messages. A few years ago we conducted Life-study meetings in Taipei. For six months the number of those in attendance did not decrease. We also held a ten-day conference concerning building, and every day there were around two thousand three hundred saints in attendance. However, when the responsible brothers announced that we want to pray, the number of saints immediately dropped by one thousand. We should ask ourselves whether this is normal. Two thousand three hundred saints came to hear messages for ten days, but as soon as we announced our desire to pray, the number dropped by one thousand. If two thousand three hundred saints come every day to listen to messages, it seems reasonable that the same two thousand three hundred saints would pray every day. If we use our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to contact the Word of God, we should use our spirit to contact the Spirit.

　Some might ask whether prayer is as important as the messages. Yes, it is. When we preach the gospel, people might be deeply touched and even moved to tears, but if they do not open their mouths to pray, no one will be saved. There is a certain gospel friend who is moved to tears every time he hears the gospel, but he has never prayed. Consequently, he still is not saved.

　One day a person came to see me and said that more than twenty years ago he was moved when he heard a gospel message, so he attended a few gospel meetings. The more he listened, the more he was touched, and he was even moved to tears. However, he felt that he was not saved. When I asked whether he had prayed, he said that he did not pray when he was touched, even though he felt that he was sinful. Because no one helped him to pray and repent, he stopped going to the gospel meetings, and his inward feeling gradually disappeared. This example shows that no matter how much a person is moved by a message, if he does not open his mouth to pray with his spirit, he cannot touch the Spirit. This is an undisputed fact.

　A person may be greatly touched many times, but he cannot be saved without prayer. This same principle applies to reading the Bible and listening to messages. We have been giving messages for more than a decade. If we consider the messages that have been given, our situation should be many times better than what it is today. However, in spite of the many messages that we have heard, our spiritual condition has not changed very much. Although we cannot say that there has been no growth, we must admit that we are not where we should be.

　The brothers and sisters have heard many messages, but the result is far less than what we expected; we have not prayed enough. I respectfully present this problem before all of you. Please consider, what would be our situation if, after every message, the saints would bring what they understood to the Lord in prayer?

　By God’s mercy we have the truth, revelation, and the ministry of the word. The messages are truly high and weighty. Those who hear the messages appreciate them and are touched by them. However, the impact produced by these messages is far less than what we anticipated. It seems as though we have heard too much. We hear with our ears and our mind, and we appreciate what we hear. Our heart is touched, but we must admit that we pray too little; hence, the effect is far less than it should be.

　We must learn from history and not repeat the mistakes of the past. If we continue giving messages without adequate prayer, the result will be poor. I deeply regret the work we have done in the past. We cannot take the way of just the Word. Although we cannot disregard the Word, we should not neglect the Spirit. We must not lead the saints to listen to messages without prayer. When the number of saints in a conference drops by one thousand in a prayer meeting, there is an unbalanced situation that must be corrected.

　In Acts the number of those who heard the message given by Peter was also the number who prayed. Chapter 2 says that three thousand people were saved. After they were saved, they all “continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers” (vv. 41-42). Not only did they listen to the message, fellowship, and break bread, but they also prayed. If the same number of saints that came to listen to the message attended the prayer meeting, our situation would be normal, and we would be balanced. I am not despising the messages that we give; they are effective. In the past thirty to forty years we have supplied the churches through ministering the word, without which we would not have our present growth. However, the Lord has shown us that this way is not adequate. We must also focus on the Spirit in order to balance our present situation. Just as we have focused on the Word, we should likewise focus on the Spirit. Just as we have supplied the churches with the Word, we should likewise supply them with the Spirit.

　The brothers who minister the word should know the living of the priests. Christ is everything in the living of the priests. Christ is what they wear, eat, and drink, and He is also where they dwell. All the churches should focus on the living of the priests in the ministry of the word. However, before we focus on the living of the priests, we must lead the saints into exercising their spirit by prayer; otherwise, the spirit of the saints will not match the word that is spoken, and it will not be as effective. Not only the co-workers, elders, and responsible ones must have a strong spirit; the saints who attend the meetings regularly must also have strong spirits. Then we can continue and minister concerning the living of the priests.

　Blending in spirit is not a seasonal matter. Blending in spirit is a lifelong matter. We need to pray immediately after we hear a message, we need to pray immediately after we read a portion of the Bible, and we need to pray immediately after we gain spiritual knowledge. If we do not pray, at most the words will enter into our heart; they will not enter into our spirit. We will have heard words and understood them, and our heart will desire and receive them, but they will enter only into our heart; our spirit will not be moved. As a result, the words will be only words to us; they will not convey the Spirit. It is not until we pray in our spirit, digesting the words we have heard with our spirit, that the words can enter into our spirit and become spirit and life to us. I hope that this word will strengthen our feeling concerning the Spirit.
　　使徒们在行传六章四节说，“我们要坚定持续地祷告，并尽话语的职事。”使徒们是持续的祷告，并尽话语职事。你我应该信，彼得祷告的时间，比他讲道的时间还要多；他祷告的时间，比他预备讲道的时间更多。甚至可能他没有用多少时间预备；如果他有预备，相信他的预备都是在于祷告。他是在祷告里预备讲道，在祷告里预备讲道的灵，在祷告的灵里把他的道讲出去。然而，我们的传讲呢？恐怕我们是用一小时的工夫翻书本、列纲目，却不一定用半小时祷告。我们几乎是只讲道不祷告，起码是多讲道少祷告。所以，我们的道出去时，不过是摸着人的头脑，不能摸着人的灵。

　　五旬节那一天，使徒彼得的道讲过之后，人就觉得扎心（徒二37）；人不是觉得道动听，乃是有一个东西摸着他们的深处。为什么会有这个结果呢？因为那些话是从灵里说出来的。所以，彼得的话就是灵，就是生命。许多时候，我们讲台上的话不过是话，既缺少灵，又缺少生命。因为我们是从头脑里预备的，也是从头脑里讲出去的，灵里并没有多少动。

　　当然，传信息的弟兄不尽然是这样。大家多少都知道，传信息时，灵应该要出去。因此，他们虽然用许多时间在条理的预备上，但多少还有一点祷告预备灵，所以多少还有一点果效。如果连这一点祷告都没有，我们的讲台就全数是字句，必定虚空到极点。然而，只有一点的祷告是不够的。特别是作话语执事的人，应该清楚今后该多花时间祷告，少花时间在条理上的预备。甚至不必在条理上预备，乃要把所有的时间都用在祷告上。我们要从祷告里摸着感觉，从祷告里摸着神的思路，从祷告里把话语讲出去。若是这样，即使我们的条理差一点，也无关紧要；只要话出去叫人听得清楚，灵跟着出去叫人摸着，就已经足够。实在说，人听道并不重在明白条理，乃是重在灵里有所得着。
 
　In Acts 6:4 the apostles said that they would “continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.” The apostles continually prayed and ministered the word. We should believe that Peter spent more time praying than ministering the word and that he spent more time praying than preparing to minister the word. I believe that the preparation for his messages was prayer. He prepared the spirit of speaking through prayer, and he released his message in the spirit of prayer. How about our speaking? Perhaps we spend one hour searching for material and compiling an outline, but we do not pray for half an hour. We speak, but we do not pray, or we speak much, but we pray little. As a result, our messages touch the mind of the saints instead of their spirit.

　On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter gave a message that pricked people in their heart (2:37). The words touched the depths of their being. Those words were spoken from the spirit and were spirit and life. What we speak from the podium is mainly words; there is not much spirit and life. We speak from our mind; therefore, our spirit does not move.

　We know that the messages should convey the Spirit. Therefore, the speaking brothers spend a little time to prepare their spirit in prayer. Without this prayer our messages would be letters and complete vanity. However, we need to spend more time in prayer and less time preparing for the messages. We should spend all our time in prayer. We need to touch the feeling of God and His thoughts in prayer, and we need to speak these thoughts and feelings in prayer. Then even if the logic of the message is not that strong, the spirit of the saints will still be touched. Frankly speaking, what matters in a message is not the logic but the importance of the Spirit.
　　总而言之，你我要俯伏在神面前，承认祂是智慧的神，祂是话，也是灵。祂给我们圣经，也给我们圣灵。你我今天若是要好好事奉祂，正当地路乃是用我们的眼睛、耳朵、心思以及心，对付祂的话；并且用我们的灵，对付祂的灵。我们不只听祂的话，读祂的话，还要在灵里祷告。我们要用全人─眼、耳、心思、心和灵，事奉神。我们自己要这样学习，也要带弟兄姊妹同样学习。我们再也不能只听、只读，而缺少祷告。盼望你读经一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告；听道一个钟头，就有一个钟头的祷告。你听多少就祷告多少，读多少就祷告多少。若是这样，你就会觉得效果不知比今天丰实多少倍。

　　我们已经说了再说，我们中间讲得多，听得多，但是祷告非常少，所以灵显得非常贫弱。有些弟兄姊妹从岁首到年终，每一个主日，每一个聚会，都来听道，几乎篇篇道都听了，但是你和他一同祷告，他的灵和没得救的人差不多，真是濒于死寂。请问各地负责弟兄，你们那里平常聚会的圣徒，他们祷告的灵如何，是不是也这样？是活的，还是死的？是强的，还是弱的？是新鲜的，还是老旧的？我想大半的回答都是反面的。这一种灵里贫、弱、死、旧的光景该怎么办？怎样才能扭转？只有一条路，就是要他们多祷告；听道要祷告，读经也要祷告。

　　我们永远不能作一个带领别人，而自己不是这样的人。我们要弟兄姊妹祷告，自己就得先祷告；我们要弟兄姊妹多祷告，自己就得先多祷告。我要大声疾呼：我们事奉的人祷告太少了。我们谈话太多，商量事情太多，彼此交谈太多，研读太多，听得太多，看得太多，就是祷告太少。当然我们承认，照着我们该明白的，我们明白的还是差得很远。但是把这些和祷告相比较，祷告比这些更少、更贫穷。我们缺少在神面前真实地祷告，缺少花时间在祷告上。
 
　We must prostrate ourselves before the Lord and acknowledge that He is the wise God. He is the Word and the Spirit. He gave us the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit. If we want to serve Him in a proper way, we must use our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to deal with His Word, and we must use our spirit to deal with His Spirit. Not only do we contact His Word, but we must also pray in our spirit. We need to use our whole being—eyes, ears, mind, heart, and spirit—to serve God. We must learn this before we can lead the saints into this practice. We can no longer listen and read without praying. It is best to read the Bible for a certain amount of time and then pray for the same amount of time. The amount of time that we spend to listen to a message or to read the Word is the amount of time that we should spend in prayer. If this would be our practice, the outcome will be very rich.

　We have said that we speak much but pray very little, so our spirit seems poor and weak. Some saints have come to every Lord’s Day meeting for one year and have heard every message, but their spirit is as dead as that of an unsaved person. The responsible brothers in every locality should consider the condition of the spirit of prayer of the saints who are in the meetings regularly. Is their spirit living or dead, strong or weak, fresh or old? The saints need to pray after every message, and they need to pray after reading the Bible.

　We cannot lead others into something that we do not practice. If we want the saints to pray, we must pray first. If we want the saints to pray much, we must pray much. There is not enough prayer among the serving ones. We discuss, fellowship, and study much, but we pray too little. We cannot say that we know enough, but our prayer cannot compare with what we know. We are short of genuine prayer; we do not spend enough time in prayer.
　　或许有的弟兄姊妹会问，祷告的题目在哪里？祷告的话语怎么办？答案就在诗篇。诗篇中有长篇、短篇的，多半是祷告。其中没有多少像我们今天这样，一套一套的祷告辞句；其中多是感赞的话，称赞神的美德，歌颂神的荣耀，感谢神的慈爱，赞美神的作为。我们今天落到一个地步，几乎不会赞美，不会感谢，不会说称颂的话。我们除了求平安，求好处，求一点属灵的事之外，几乎再也没有话语祷告。然而，诗篇不是这样，一篇一篇的诗篇中，有长篇大论的祷告，多是赞美、称颂、敬拜、感谢、述说主的荣美。为什么他们能，我们不能？因为我们缺少操练。你若天天祷告，常常祷告，多花时间祷告，慢慢就会看见，你赞美的话多了，感谢的话多了，称颂的话也多了。

　　有位弟兄告诉我，在一场聚会里讲到对主的认识，材料好像太多了，枯燥无味，并且只是死板的逐条列举，无法消化应用。要知道，材料丰富固然是好，但也需要用够多的祷告才能予以消化。若是弟兄姊妹肯把对于主的认识那些圣经节，好好默想，操练化作祷告，其中就有许多可以祷告的题目和话语。这些祷告才是馨香，能献给神，蒙神悦纳。
 
　Perhaps some saints would ask, what are the topics for prayer, or what words should they use? The answer is in the Psalms. Some psalms are long and others are short. Most of them are prayers, and they do not use routine words. They are words of praise to appreciate the virtues of God, extol His glory, thank Him for His lovingkindness, and praise His doings. When we pray, we do not praise, thank, or extol the Lord; instead, we ask for peace, benefits, and spiritual things. The Psalms are prayers that are filled with praise, worship, and thanks, and they declare the glory of the Lord. Our prayers do not match these prayers, because we lack practice. If we would pray frequently every day, we will have more words of praise, thanks, and extolment.

　One of the brothers gave a message concerning the knowledge of the Lord, but the material seemed dry and tasteless, so the saints could not digest or apply it. It is good to have rich material, but we also need to have much prayer in order to digest it. If the saints would be willing to consider the verses concerning the knowledge of the Lord and turn them into prayer, they will have many topics to pray over. Such prayers would be fragrant and acceptable to God.
　　总而言之，我们要清楚看见，我们偏重了一面，亏缺了另一面；道讲太多，灵操练太少；道听太多，祷告太少。今后我们不是不注重道，可能我们比从前还要更加注重道，但我们也同样注重灵。我们不要偏，乃要平衡，要用灵平衡道。我们怎样注意道，也要怎样注重灵。我们每一位在神的话上都有好的领受，在神的灵上也都有好的接触。这样，我们才能头脑通达，灵里也刚强。我们要能在话和灵这两面有平衡的发展，神的建造才有出路。

　　原刊于一九六一年十一月“话语职事”第一百二十五期
 
　In the past we overemphasized the Word but neglected the Spirit. We gave many messages, but we did not exercise our spirit enough. This does not mean that we should neglect the Word but that we should pay equal attention to the Spirit. We do not want to be unbalanced. We want to balance the Word with the Spirit. Just as we have focused on the Word, we will now focus on the Spirit. Every saint must receive the Word and contact the Spirit in a good way. Then we will not only understand with our mind, but our spirit will also be strong. We need a balanced development in both the Word and the Spirit so that there will be a way for God’s building.

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