Drawing on the Grace of God— Now

We . . . plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain —2 Corinthians 6:1

The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested (2 Corinthians 6:4). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer.

“. . . in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors . . .” (2 Corinthians 6:5)— in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

“. . . having nothing . . . .” Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. “. . . and yet possessing all things”— this is poverty triumphant (2 Corinthians 6:10).

---

總趁現在

我們……勸你們，不可徒受他的恩典。 （林後六1）

你昨天所得的恩典，今天已不合用了。恩典是神豐盛的恩寵；你隨時隨地都可以取用。 [在許多的忍耐、患難、窮乏、困苦]－－這些都是忍耐的考驗。你在這些事上有沒有失去神的恩典？你有沒有說：[算啦，這次不計其內。 ]問題不在於禱告求神幫助；乃是現在就取用神的恩典。我們往往把祈禱當作工作的準備，但在聖經裡根本不是如此。祈禱是支取神恩典的一種操練。

不要說：[我只管忍受一下，等到苦難過去就好好的禱告禱告。 ]現在就祈禱吧！在正有需要時，支取神的恩典吧。祈禱是最實際的事，而不是虔誠的一種反射行動。禱告是支取神恩典最後學習的功課。

[鞭打、監禁、擾亂、勞動]－－在這一切事上不斷支取神的恩典，會使你成為別人眼中的奇蹟。現在就支取，不是等一會才做。屬靈的字彙中有一個詞語，就是現在。不管環境怎樣，只管不斷支取神的恩典。你支取神的恩典一個最大的明證，就是在你受人羞辱時，所表彰的除了神的恩典之外，再無別的。

[一無所有……]不再有任何保留。要把你最好的傾盡，常常貧窮無有。對神所賜的禮​​物，絕不精打細算地收藏。這就是貧窮中的勝利。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你今天賜下你的恩典