《飲飲食食，重新得力》Day31
《禁食：對準神的心意》
4 我聽見這話，就坐下哭泣，悲哀幾日，在天上的上帝面前禁食祈禱，說：5「耶和華－天上的上帝，大而可畏的上帝啊，祢向愛祢、守祢誡命的人守約施慈愛。6 願祢睜眼看，側耳聽，祢僕人晝夜在你面前為你眾僕人以色列民的祈禱，承認我們以色列人向祢所犯的罪；我與我父家都有罪了。7 我們向祢所行的甚是邪惡，沒有遵守祢藉著僕人摩西所吩咐的誡命、律例、典章。8 求祢記念所吩咐你僕人摩西的話，說：『你們若犯罪，我就把你們分散在萬民中；9 但你們若歸向我，謹守遵行我的誡命，你們被趕散的人雖在天涯，我也必從那裏將他們招聚回來，帶到我所選擇立為我名的居所。』10 這都是祢的僕人、祢的百姓，就是祢用大力和大能的手所救贖的。11 主啊，求祢側耳聽祢僕人的祈禱，和喜愛敬畏祢名眾僕人的祈禱，使祢僕人現今亨通，在王面前蒙恩。」(尼希米記一4-11)
16「你們禁食的時候，不可像那假冒為善的人，臉上帶著愁容；因為他們把臉弄得難看，故意叫人看出他們是禁食。我實在告訴你們，他們已經得了他們的賞賜。17 你禁食的時候，要梳頭洗臉，18不叫人看出你禁食來，只叫你暗中的父看見；你父在暗中察看，必然報答你。」(馬太福音六16-18)
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws You gave Your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the instruction You gave Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If You are unfaithful, I will scatter You among the nations, 9 but if You return to me and obey my commands, then even if Your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10 “They are Your servants and your people, whom You redeemed by Your great strength and Your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give Your servant success today by granting Him favor in the presence of this man.” (Nehemiah 1:4-11)
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)
分享：我們過去談了不少食物在聖經中的意義，今天要來討論的是「禁食」。聖經中的禁食，與現代人為了健康、減肥而不吃東西不同，它是一種刻意放下身體需求、轉向神的屬靈操練。
還記得那位曾作波斯王酒政、後來回耶路撒冷修城牆的尼希米嗎？當他聽到耶路撒冷城牆被毁，百姓遭難時，他第一個反應是哭泣悲哀，在神面前禁食祈禱。其中《尼希米記》所記的禁食禱告，更充滿對神的尊崇、認罪、重申神的應許，並真誠地祈求神的施恩引導。(參尼希米記一4-11)
尼希米此處的禁食禱告，或許始於對現實情況的打擊，盡顯哀傷和謙卑；然而，這不是要透過禁食祈禱來改變神的計劃，而是一種在哀痛中，主動放下身體食慾的需求，轉而對焦神的聖名、信實和應許，來尋求神的心意與幫助。這樣的禁食，不是企圖操控神，而是讓我們歸回神、重新對準祂的心意，為即將踏上的使命得著屬靈的力量與方向。
禁食不單要將食慾放下，耶穌更透徹地指出禁食要對抗更大的身體慾望和虛榮。他提醒門徒，不要像假冒為善的人那樣刻意表現痛苦的樣子，博取人的稱讚，而是要在暗中禁食，專注於天父的面前：「你父在暗中察看，必然報答你。」(馬太福音六18) 這亦重申禁食是將外在的私慾放下，將心靈調轉，仰望、對準神的心意。
美國馬鞍峰教會創辦人華理克牧師 (Rev. Rick Warren) 指出：「當我們禁食時，我們不只是捨棄一餐，而是捨棄依靠自己的方式，選擇讓神的旨意來主導。我經歷過最清晰的異象，往往就是在禁食期間臨到的。」因此，在帶領教會轉型與尋求神引導的關鍵時刻，他往往會與團隊一起禁食禱告。
是的，享用美食故然能讓我們體會神的供應和賜予，禁食亦能讓我們放下自己的方式和慾望來認準神的心意。這最重要的是我們願意透過或飲食、或禁食開放心靈，經歷與主更深的連結與塑造。
反思：在這個月裡，嘗試挑選一餐來禁食，用那段時間安靜禱告，將注意力從飲食轉向神。
禱告：親愛的天父，求祢教導我如何在禁食中尋見祢，不是為了叫祢成就我的心願，而是讓我被祢塑造、更新。就像尼希米一樣，學會在困境中對準祢的心意；又跟隨主耶穌的教導，在安靜中禁食，領受從祢而來的賜予與方向。奉主名求，阿們。
詩歌分享《全心敬拜》
Posted in 2025-6G