六。與別的基督徒一塊禱告
因為禱告是基督徒的特權之一，難怪基督徒敬拜神的聚會，都會包括禱告。禱告是什麼呢？最簡單，可以形容禱告為我們與神說話。我們與創造天地、萬物、人類的神說話。
基督徒以禱告來讚美和感謝神。聖經里的一卷書是詩篇。詩篇的作者時常用禱告詞讚美神，榮耀宇宙中的大主宰。譬如，詩篇113篇寫道：“你們要讚美耶和華。耶和華的僕人哪！你們要讚美，要讚美耶和華的名。耶和華的名是應當稱頌的，從現在直到永遠。從日出之地到日落之處，耶和華的名都該受讚美。耶和華高過萬國，他的榮耀超越諸天。…你們要讚美耶和華”（詩篇113:1-4, 9c）。
基督徒聚會敬拜神時也藉着禱告誠心誠意地承認我們的罪孽，求神赦免我們的罪。大衛王寫了禱告詞，作為我們的榜樣，如下：“神啊！求你按着你的慈愛恩待我，照着你豐盛的憐憫塗抹我的過犯。求你徹底洗凈我的罪孽，潔除我的罪” （詩篇51:1-2）。
禱告的時候我們把內心及生命上的需要，都告訴神。耶穌訓練他的門徒禱告說，“我們每天所需的食物，求你今天賜給我們；赦免我們的罪，好像我們饒恕了得罪我們的人” （馬太福音6:11）。
我們也為別的人代求，請求神賜福、賜力量、賜智慧給他們。請神為他醫病、解決問題、指示旨意等。保羅為在歌羅西城的基督徒求神說：“…我們…不停地為你們禱告祈求，願你們藉著一切屬靈的智慧和悟性，可以充分明白 神的旨意，使你們行事為人對得起主，凡事蒙他喜悅；在一切善事上多結果子，更加認識 神；依照他榮耀的大能得着一切能力，帶着喜樂的心，凡事忍耐寬容；並且感謝父… （歌羅西書1:9-12）。”
基督徒聚會的祈禱應該是熱心、迫切、誠懇、積極的禱告詞。如果基督徒不參加教會的敬拜聚會，他就失去了良好的機會與弟兄姐妹們一塊禱告。他無法獲得一群基督徒一塊禱告所給予的屬靈力量。如果參加聚會，他才會知道弟兄姐妹們的需要，才曉得弟兄姐妹的苦與樂。他才會知道誰生病，誰生孩子，誰過生日，誰生氣，誰生財，誰的計劃生效等。這樣，才可以按照個人的需要而為別人禱告。眾弟兄姐妹也會按照您的需要而為您禱告。我們不要忘記耶穌的弟弟雅各所說的，“義人祈禱所發出的力量，是大有功效的”（雅各書5:16b）。
基督徒參加每周日的敬拜聚會非常重要。虔誠的基督徒不要缺席任何主日聚會。除非生病等因素之外，他儘可能的參加，在神的面前，與眾弟兄姐妹一起感謝、讚美、敬拜天上的天父，一塊禱告。但願您我都在其中！
Why Christians Attend Worship Every Sunday
06: To Pray with Other Christians
By Edward Short
Prayer is a privilege that Christians enjoy, so it’s no wonder that whenever Christians assemble to worship God on Sundays, prayer is included in the meeting. What is prayer? Simply stated, prayer is talking to God. Prayer is talking to the creator of the heavens and the earth, the creator of all things, the creator of mankind.
Christians utilize prayer to praise and thank God. The writers of the Biblical Psalms often composed prayers that praised God as the sovereign of the universe. For example, Psalms 113 states: “Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time on and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens… Praise the LORD!” (1-4, 9c).
Christians pray with sincerity and conviction during worship; we confess sins to God and ask him to forgive us. King David penned a prayer which serves as our example: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalms 51:1-2).
In prayer, we tell God the innermost thoughts of our hearts and the most important needs of our lives. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray: “Give us this day out daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:11-12).
We also pray on behalf of others. We ask God to bless them, give them strength and give them wisdom. We petition God to heal their illnesses, solve other problems, and to make known his will for them. Paul prayed for the Christians in Colossae as follows: “…we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light” (1:9-12 NRSV).
The prayers during a Christian assembly should be fervent, urgent, sincere and positive. If a Christian doesn’t attend the corporate worship, he looses out on an opportunity to pray with other Christians. He misses the spiritual strength that is available when a group of Christians pray together. By attending the worship service, he can know the various needs his brothers and sisters have; he’ll know both their difficulties and their joys. He’ll know who’s sick, what family has a new baby, who’ll have a birthday, who has received a financial windfall or has succeeded in some other way, and even who is unhappy with the church. In this way then, he can pray for each person according to his or her needs. And his Christian brothers and sisters can also pray for him according to his needs. Let’s not forget what James said: “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b NRSV).
It’s very important for Christians to take part in the worship service each Sunday. Devout Christians don’t want to miss a single Lord’s day activity. Other than illness and other such situations, one does his best to assemble in God’s presence with other Christians where they unite their voices in thanksgiving, praise, worship and prayer. I hope that you are among their number!