When we feel weak in our prayers, God’s Spirit helps us in ways we can’t imagine.

圣灵以超乎想像的方式帮助我们祷告。

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Romans 8:26 

我们的软弱有圣灵帮助。-罗马书8章26节

At a dedication ceremony during which a Bible translated into a local African language was presented, the area chief was presented with his own copy. In appreciation, he lifted the Bible to the skies and exclaimed, “Now we know God understands our language! We can read the Bible in our own native mother-tongue.”

在一个圣经奉献礼上，一名非洲族长拿到了以他们的方言所翻译的圣经，他兴奋地高举手中的圣经喊着：“现在我们知道上帝了解我们的语言！我们可以阅读用我们的母语所写成的圣经了。”

No matter our language, our heavenly Father understands it. But often we feel unable to express our deepest longings to Him. The apostle Paul encourages us to pray regardless of how we feel. Paul speaks of our suffering world and our own pain: “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22), and he compares that to the Holy Spirit’s work on our behalf. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness,” he writes. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (v. 26).

其实无论世上的哪一种语言，天父都了解。然而，我们却常常觉得无法向祂表达内心最深处的渴望。使徒保罗鼓励我们尽管祷告，不论心中的感受如何。当他谈到这个苦难的世界，以及我们所受的痛苦时，他说：“一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦”（罗马书8章22节），并提及圣灵为了我们而动工：“我们的软弱有圣灵帮助，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。”（26节）

God’s Holy Spirit knows us intimately. He knows our longings, our heart-language, and our unspoken words, and He helps us in our communication with God. His Spirit draws us to be transformed into the image of God the Son (v. 29).

圣灵清楚知道我们的一切。祂深知我们的渴望、内心的感受，以及未说出口的话语，帮助我们与上帝交流。圣灵还吸引、更新我们，使你我具有上帝儿子的形象（29节）。

Our heavenly Father understands our language and speaks to us through His Word. When we think our prayers are weak or too short, His Holy Spirit helps us by speaking through us to the Father. He yearns for us to talk with Him in prayer.

天父了解我们的语言，并透过圣经对我们说话。我们觉得自己的祷告软弱无力，或太过简短，圣灵就会在我们向天父说话时，来帮助我们。祂渴望我们在祷告中，向祂倾诉心声。

Thank You, Lord, for understanding my language and innermost longings. When my prayers are weak and dry, bear me up through Your Spirit.

主啊，感谢祢了解我的语言，以及我最深的渴望。当我的祷告没有力量，索然无味时，求祢藉由圣灵来帮助我。

Romans 8:22-30    NIV

8 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerlyfor our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for usthrough wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

罗马书 8:22-30

8 我们知道，一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦，直到如今。 23 不但如此，就是我们这有圣灵初结果子的，也是自己心里叹息，等候得着儿子的名分，乃是我们的身体得赎。 24 我们得救是在乎盼望。只是所见的盼望不是盼望。谁还盼望他所见的呢？25 但我们若盼望那所不见的，就必忍耐等候。26 况且，我们的软弱有圣灵帮助。我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。 27 鉴察人心的，晓得圣灵的意思，因为圣灵照着神的旨意替圣徒祈求。 28 我们晓得万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按他旨意被召的人。 29 因为他预先所知道的人，就预先定下效法他儿子的模样，使他儿子在许多弟兄中做长子； 30 预先所定下的人又召他们来，所召来的人又称他们为义，所称为义的人又叫他们得荣耀。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Our inability to know what to ask for when we pray is part of a bigger story. According to Paul’s letter to the Romans, there’s a lot more we can’t do for ourselves. We also can’t avoid the consequences of our own choices, change our own hearts, make ourselves right with God, or even live up to our own expectations (Romans 4:5; 6:23; 7:18–21). Yet Paul doesn’t leave us helpless and hopeless. He begins and ends chapter 8 showing us how to rise on wings of wonder. Could anything lift us higher than to know that we also can’t do anything that would cause the God who is for us to stop helping and loving us? (vv. 11, 31–39).

我们在祷告时，有时会不知该如何祈求，但这只不过是我们的部分挑战。在保罗写给罗马教会的书信中，提到很多我们不能为自己做的事，例如：我们无法避免自己的选择所带来的后果，无法改变自己的内心，无法使自己与上帝和好，甚至无法活出我们对自己的期望（罗马书4章5节，6章23节，7章18-21节）。然而，保罗的陈述并不会让我们感到无助和绝望。他在第8章的开头和结尾告诉我们，如何倚靠基督和圣灵的帮助。因为没有任何事情会让顾念我们的上帝停止帮助我们、爱我们，还有什么比知道这一点，更能坚固我们的信心呢？（11、31-39节）

整理：于姊妹