大翻轉：從得勝開始，而非邁向得勝
作者：吉姆·歌珥
日期：2019年7月1日
中譯：Ling Tsao
來源：AP.Media 蒙允刊載
你不是魯蛇（失敗者）。我也不是魯蛇。沒有任何一位屬耶穌的人是魯蛇。我們不是奮力想要得勝，反而我們行事為人都該是從得勝的角度出發。事實上，單是這個真理就能影響全面的基督徒生活—尤其是我們的禱告生活。
是的，因為我們所禱告的那位，祂已經得著了屬靈最終的勝利。耶穌是永遠的得勝者！只要我們還活在世上，我們就扮演著非常重要的角色—我們有分於加略山上的得勝－但是我們不需要擔心我們的成敗會影響戰局。因為兩千年前耶穌滿身是血的，懸掛在十字架上，祂已經宣告「成了！」這最終的宣告「成了！」已經跨越時空在宇宙中迴響。祂的死，與祂神蹟的復活，已經永遠戰勝了悖逆與罪惡的黑暗。
宣告得勝
對我們每個人來說，生活裡總是會有高山與低谷，試煉與苦難，有風有浪，這些都是很平常的基督徒經歷：「...我們進入神的國，必須經歷許多艱難。」（徒14:22）。在神國裡，我們受苦是與我們有益，而非遭遇奇怪的是：「倒要歡喜；因為你們是與基督一同受苦，使你們在祂榮耀顯現的時候，也可以歡喜快樂。」（彼前4:13）這並不表示我們不需要盡力，但可以確定的是，得勝並不靠我們的努力。
得勝：我們的新生命是從這個立場來禱告。正如法庭的宣告，我們宣告神的掌權與神的偉大，我們宣佈好消息。
宣告神的得勝是大有能力的，所以聖經裡充滿了這些經文。我們必須讓我們的心對準神的心，讓這些得勝的經文成為我們的宣告。表達我們對天父的信任，即使前路看似黯淡無光。
神的國是靠宣告啟動的。當我們把大量神的話語藏在心裡，我們的口中就有很多真理可以宣告。即使我們滿心懼怕，我們還是可以憑信心宣告「自由！」我們可以站在房頂上，宣告神有無限量的憐憫！
宣告讚美
聖經作者們寫書時，總是從述說神的偉大開始。他們總是先把他們的需要與訴求放在一邊。他們都開始讚美祂：「我要宣告耶和華的名；你們要將大德歸與我們的神。祂是磐石，祂的作為完全；祂所行的無不公平，是誠實無偽的神，又公義，又正直。」（申32:3-4）
讚美不但是歡喜的聲音而且是個犧牲的行為，因為你必須付上代價。神配得我們獻上犧牲的讚美。因為讚美是屬靈爭戰的武器，能使我們從黑暗的堅固營壘中被釋放出來。：「凡以感謝獻上為祭的便是榮耀我；那按正路而行的，我必使他得著我的救恩。」（詩50:23）
有時我們就是需要從心中向神釋放出至高的讚美，用讚美甩掉頑固又久纏不去的仇敵—要高聲讚美。
讚美就像一件外袍－我們可以選擇穿戴讚美（參賽61:1-3）
而且當我們開始讚美主時，沉重的靈就開始散去。我們的外表也會改變，行為會改變，說話的口氣也會改變。因為我們穿上了讚美衣！
通常我們在凡事不順遂的時候讚美神，我們獻上的是真實的犧牲。我們可能正受著各樣逆境的衝擊，又灰心又軟弱。但我們景況最糟的時候卻是讚美神的最佳時刻。只要開口讚美神，你就來到祂的寶座前：「但祢是聖潔的，是用以色列的讚美為寶座（或譯：居所）的。」詩22:3）
單單讚美神的偉大，你就可以翻轉陰霾的景況進入得勝的氛圍。讚美神能從神的寶座建立了一個祂在地上同在的通道，當我們尊榮讚美神時，祂就以祝福來回應我們。
當約拿在人生的低谷時，他向神獻上犧牲的讚美，然後神才讓大魚從肚中將他吐出，釋放了他。這個犧牲的讚美不只讓他個人得自由，而且造成了整個尼尼微城的大復興。（參拿2:1-10）你是否也曾經歷人生的低谷？那就是你該轉換策略，運用宣告讚美大能的時候。
在新約裡，我們讀到保羅與西拉怎樣大聲讚美神就超自然的從監獄裡被釋放出來（參徒16:25-26）。我們能夠在人生最無望的當下，最黑暗的角落宣告祂威嚴偉大的名，就能斷開一切邪惡的鎖鏈。
宣告祝福
我們需要隨時預備好宣告祝福，這種含著禱告心態的宣告，會因被禱告的人而有所不同。例如：
1. 從領袖的角度宣告祝福：「願耶和華賜福給你，保護你。願耶和華使祂的臉光照你，賜恩給你。願耶和華向你仰臉，賜你平安。」（民6:24-26）
2. 會眾對領袖宣告祝福 ：「我還有末了的話：你們要靠著主，倚賴祂的大能大力作剛強的人。要穿戴神所賜的全副軍裝，就能抵擋魔鬼的詭計。—靠著聖靈，隨時多方禱告祈求；並要在此警醒不倦，為眾聖徒祈求，」（弗6:10-11、18）
3. 向家人的宣告祝福：「...至於我和我家，我們必定事奉耶和華。」（書24:15）
4. 向你居住的城市宣告祝福：「地和其中所充滿的，世界和住在其間的，都屬耶和華。...眾城門哪，你們要抬起頭來！永久的門戶，你們要把頭抬起！那榮耀的王將要進來！」（詩24:1、9）
5. 向以色列宣告祝福：「耶和華說：日子將到，我要使我的百姓以色列和猶大被擄的人歸回；我也要使他們回到我所賜給他們列祖之地，他們就得這地為業。這是耶和華說的。」（耶30:3）
從得勝的角度宣告祝福，我們為得勝做得勝的禱告。我們宣告我們的神是自有自足的神，我們把天上的福氣吸引到地上來。
大翻轉！
最後我們的禱告與宣告再次翻轉。我難以向你述說這是怎麼發生的，或發生的速度有多快。我只知道那時你已經停止要求，因為即使是在黑暗似乎已得勝的情況下，你心中卻有絕對的平安。你很確定神已經聽了你的禱告，神所給你最美好的回應就快來到了。
你開始感謝祂，讚美祂，為那還沒有看到的供應，知道時候到了就一定會收到。在這個時候，你所能做的事，就是以一種全新的心態讚美祂，當你這麼做，你的禱告就正中靶心了！
禱告練習
宣告耶穌在十字架上所完成的，我要更新我對祢的讚美，我的王，我愛祢，主啊，我要讓祢的光照在我身上，透過我照出。願祢的旨意行在我身上，主啊，我宣告天上是一無所缺的，我宣告天堂在人間。願祢的國降臨，祢的旨意成就在我所站立之地，降臨到地上。
我願與眾弟兄同心禱告，以至於祢的榮耀能擊中靶心，奉天上地下所向無敵耶穌的名禱告，大聲說阿們！
讓我們一同宣告祝福！
吉姆·歌珥 博士
與神相遇事工
The Big Shift: From Victory, NOT Toward Victory
James W. Goll
July 1，2019
You are not a loser. I am not a loser. None of us who belong to Jesus are losers. We do not labor toward victory, but from victory. In all reality, this one truth affects every aspect of the Christian life—especially our prayer lives!
Yes, the One to whom we pray has already won the spiritual battle once and for all. Jesus is the Victor! As long as we are on this earth, we will have a vital role to play—to help enforce the victory of Calvary—but we do not have to worry about the final outcome, because it was decided already a long time ago when Jesus, nailed to the blood-soaked Cross, declared, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Those three words resound across the universe and down the epochs of time. His death and subsequent, miraculous resurrection secured and sealed the victory over the darkness of rebellion and sin forevermore.
Proclamations of Victory
For each of us, life will involve many ups and downs, trials and tribulations, winds and waves. This is the normal Christian life: "...We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). In God's economy, our hardships work for us, not against us: "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:13 NIV). But this does not mean that the outcome is up for grabs, and for sure it does not depend on our own strength.
Victory: This is the perspective from which we must live and pray. Like court heralds, we proclaim God's sovereign greatness and we announce Good News.
Proclamations of God's victory are powerful, and that is why we find them throughout the Scriptures. Along with those who penned such proclamations, we must align our hearts with God's heart of victory, expressing our trust in His fatherly oversight even when the way ahead looks dark and foreboding.
The Kingdom of God is speech-activated. As we store up His Word in our hearts, we have an abundance of truth to proclaim with our mouths. Even in the face of fear, we can speak out of faith. We can proclaim, "Freedom!" We can declare God's extravagant mercy from the rooftops!
Proclamations of Praise
Purposefully, the writers of the books in Scripture always start by proclaiming God's greatness. Putting aside their needs and requests, they just praise Him for His own sake: "I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; His deeds are perfect. Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!" (Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NLT)
Praise is both a joyful sound as well as a sacrifice, because it will cost you something. The sacrifice of praise is worth it, always, because praise is a spiritual warfare weapon, a means of deliverance from the strongholds of darkness. "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God" (Psalm 50:23 NASB).
Sometimes we simply need to praise our way out of the entrapment of the enemy by releasing the high praise of God from our hearts—out loud.
Praise is like a mantle—we can choose to put it on like clothing (see Isaiah 61:1-3).
And when we begin to praise the Lord, heaviness of spirit disappears. We look different, act different and talk different when we put on a garment of praise!
Often, we praise God in the dark, and our effort can be a true sacrifice. We may be buffeted by adversities of all kinds, discouraged and weak. But one of the best times to praise the Lord is when you feel the worst. By opening your mouth in praise, you come into His throne room: "But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22:3).
All by itself, praising God's greatness shifts the atmosphere into one of victory. The proclamation of praise establishes a highway from God's throne to Earth and makes possible a visitation of His presence. As we glorify and praise the Lord, He returns our praises to us in the form of blessings.
It was not until Jonah offered up a sacrifice of praise, when he was at his lowest point, that God delivered him, causing the large fish to vomit him up. This resulted not only in his deliverance, but in revival for the populous city of Nineveh (see Jonah 2:1-10). Have you ever been at a low point? That is exactly when you need to shift into the power of proclamation.
In the New Testament, we read about how Paul and Silas were set free supernaturally from their prison cell as they declared vibrant praise to the Lord (see Acts 16:25-26). We can break the bars of the evil one when in our darkest moments and darkest places we proclaim the majesty of His great name.
The Proclamation of Blessings
We must always be prepared to turn and declare a proclamation of blessing. Such prayerful proclamations can take many forms, depending upon the people involved, for example:
1. A proclamation from the leaders to the people: "May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace" (Numbers 6:24-26 NLT).
2. A proclamation from the people to the leaders: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:10-11,18).
3. A proclamation over your family: "...But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15 TLB).
4. A proclamation over your city: "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it...Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!" (Psalm 24:1,9 NASB).
5. A proclamation over Israel: "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will bring My people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,' says the Lord" (Jeremiah 30:3 NIV).
From a position of victory, we pray prayers of victory. We proclaim the all-sufficiency of our God and we draw Heaven's blessings down to Earth.
The Big Shift!
Eventually our prayers and proclamations shift again. I can't tell you how this happens or how quickly. All I know is that there comes a time when you actually stop asking, because of an almost fierce and well-won peace that, even when the darkness still seems to prevail, makes you sure your prayers have been heard and that God's best answers are bound for their destination.
You start to thank Him and praise Him for the provision that may not yet be visible, confident that in due time it will become manifest. At that point, all you can do is praise Him anew, and you do. Your prayers are striking the mark!
Prayer Practice
Proclaiming and declaring what Jesus has accomplished on the Cross, I renew my praises for You, my King. I love You, Lord, and I want Your light to shine in me and through me. Have Your way, Lord. I declare that there is no lack in Heaven and I call forth Heaven to Earth. Your Kingdom come; Your will be done right where I am standing, here on Earth.
I join my prayers with others so that Your glory will strike the mark. Always in the invincible name of Jesus, with a big amen!
Let's Proclaim Together!
Dr. James W. Goll
God Encounters Ministries
