到那日，你们要奉我的名祈求。（约十六26）
我们往往以为十字架是我们要捱过去的东西；我们捱过去，是为了要走进去。其实十字架对我们只有一个意义－－完全绝对的与耶稣基督合而为一，没有什么比祷告更能实现我们与主合一。
“你们没有祈求以先，你们所需用的，你们的父早已知道了。”这样还有何需求呢？祷告的目的不是为求答允；而是与神完全的合一。如果祷告是为求答允，我们就会对神抱怨不满。其实神每次都有回答，不过并非一定照我们所期望的。我们灵里面的抱怨，只表示我们不甘愿在祷告上与主合一。在此不是要证明神听祷告，而是要作神恩惠的活证。“我并不是要为你们求父，因父已经爱你们。”你与神的关系有没有这样密切，以致主耶稣的祷告生活，成为你祷告生活的唯一理由？主耶稣代祷的生命，是否成了你有力的生命？“到那日”，你既与主完全合一，就再没有分别了。
当祷告不蒙应允，千万不要归咎别人，这是撒旦常用的网罗。祷告不蒙应允，其中必有原因，就是神要给你深切的教训，这教训不是为别人，乃是单单为你。
祈祷◆“愿你赦免我隐而未现的过错。求你拦阻仆人不犯任意妄为的罪。”噢，如此我便能够发现你在我里面所展示的平安和纯洁！
August 6 The Cross In Prayer
“At that day ye shall ask in My name.” John 16:26
We are too much given to thinking of the Cross as something we have to get through; we get through it only in order to get into it. The Cross stands for one thing only for us – a complete and entire and absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is nothing in which this identification is realized more than in prayer.
“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? The idea of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with Our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove God answers prayer; we are here to be living monuments of God's grace.
“I say not that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.” Have you reached such an intimacy with God that the Lord Jesus Christ's life of prayer is the only explanation of your life of prayer? Has Our Lord's vicarious life become your vital life? “At that day” you will be so identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.
When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to fix the blame on someone else. That is always a snare of Satan. You will find there is a reason which is a deep instruction to you, not to anyone else.