Bible Reading：1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-24
閱讀聖經：帖撒羅尼迦前書第5章12至24節
'Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus' (vv. 16-18).
「要常常喜樂，不住的禱告，凡事謝恩；因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意。」（16-18節/CUV）
It's so important to give thanks to God when we pray. To thank him for what's he's done, and for what he's going to do in the days to come. To thank him for the new day, the blue sky, the rainfall, for creation. To thank him for blessing after blessing after blessing.
我們在禱告時，向上帝謝恩是十分要緊的。要感謝祂所作成的，並祂未來之日將要作成的。要為新的一天、湛藍的天空、施恩降雨、祂的創造，感謝祂。要感謝祂的賜福、又賜福、不斷賜福。
We must thank God just for who he is. Praise includes this. Do we come before God with a strong sense of who he is? Can we even begin to comprehend it all? The psalmist put it this way:
我們應當為了上帝是 神(或祂一切屬性作為的偉大)而稱謝祂。讚美當包括這點才是。來到祂的面前禱告，我們是否對祂具有強烈的感受？甚至開始能夠領會這一切的意義呢？詩人這樣說：
'Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no-one can fathom’
(Psalm 145:3)
「耶和華本為大，該受大讚美；其大無法測度。」(詩篇145:3/CUV)
We need to thank God for the gift of life, daily. In praising him we are to bless, worship, glorify, extol and magnify him. To be filled with a positive spirit of thanksgiving, thanking him for our health and well-being. We must not be unrealistic or false in our positive spirit - for bad things do happen to good people. Tragedies happen, sorrow may come, people get sick. But thanking him for what we do possess, at least for this day, is a true sign of gratitude.
我們必須為生命的恩賜，天天感謝祂。我們稱頌，是在感謝、敬拜、讚美、頌揚、推崇祂。請用被恩感充滿的靈，為我們的健康和生活的福祉來感謝祂吧。我們不能用不切實際或虛假的心靈－以惡報善。某天有災難發生、有悲情臨到、有人要生病。但至少這天還能夠為我們確實所持有的感謝祂吧，這才是真實的感激之情的表示。
We need to thank God, in our prayers, for family and friends. They're not to be taken for granted. They're to be treasured and cherished. And let's not forget to thank God for our Salvation Army corps or our church; the people of God, the community of believers. For each member helps us grow and mature in our faith.
我們必須在禱告裡為我們的家人和朋友向上帝感恩。他們不應被視為理所當然。他們需要珍惜和愛護。讓我們也不要忘記為我們的救世軍部隊或教會；屬神的子民、信徒的團契交通，感謝神。因為每一個成員，可以幫助我們在信仰上長大和成熟。
I close with a word from Brother Lawrence. He says that prayer has to do with 'a simple attentiveness and a loving gaze upon God'. May we always thank God for his loveliness, and continue to gaze upon his beautiful countenance - now, and always.
我要用勞倫斯弟兄(Brother Lawrence)的一句話來做結尾。他說祈禱必須具有「一種純粹注目於上帝而充滿愛的目光」。願我們永遠為著上帝的美好感謝祂，而且目光不住凝望著祂的榮面－從今，直到永遠。
我們必須為生命的恩賜，天天感謝祂。我們稱頌，是在感謝、敬拜、讚美、頌揚、推崇祂。請用被恩感充滿的靈，為我們的健康和生活的福祉來感謝祂吧。我們不能用不切實際或虛假的心靈－以惡報善。某天有災難發生、有悲情臨到、有人要生病。但至少這天還能夠為我們確實所持有的感謝祂吧，這才是真實的感激之情的表示。
We need to thank God, in our prayers, for family and friends. They're not to be taken for granted. They're to be treasured and cherished. And let's not forget to thank God for our Salvation Army corps or our church; the people of God, the community of believers. For each member helps us grow and mature in our faith.
我們必須在禱告裡為我們的家人和朋友向上帝感恩。他們不應被視為理所當然。他們需要珍惜和愛護。讓我們也不要忘記為我們的救世軍部隊或教會；屬神的子民、信徒的團契交通，感謝神。因為每一個成員，可以幫助我們在信仰上長大和成熟。
I close with a word from Brother Lawrence. He says that prayer has to do with 'a simple attentiveness and a loving gaze upon God'. May we always thank God for his loveliness, and continue to gaze upon his beautiful countenance - now, and always.
我要用勞倫斯弟兄(Brother Lawrence)的一句話來做結尾。他說祈禱必須具有「一種純粹注目於上帝而充滿愛的目光」。願我們永遠為著上帝的美好感謝祂，而且目光不住凝望著祂的榮面－從今，直到永遠。
作者 Major Beverly Ivany
中譯 Major Sephen Liang 梁少校
選自 Words Of Life － ISBN 978 1 444 70264 4 － 20120503
版權聲明：英文原文來自 The Salvation Army SP&S Ltd 出版發行的《Words of Life》。文中所引用聖經譯本(例如 CUV)經文來源內容除外，作者和出版者保留著作權利。引用或連結轉貼敬請取得同意並附上出處來源。
中譯 Major Sephen Liang 梁少校
選自 Words Of Life － ISBN 978 1 444 70264 4 － 20120503
版權聲明：英文原文來自 The Salvation Army SP&S Ltd 出版發行的《Words of Life》。文中所引用聖經譯本(例如 CUV)經文來源內容除外，作者和出版者保留著作權利。引用或連結轉貼敬請取得同意並附上出處來源。
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