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“Men ought always to pray.” Luke 18:1
“人应当常常祷告。”（路加福音 18:1）
I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words, do you pray?
我想向你提出一个问题。只有三个词：你祷告吗？
The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether you have family prayers in your house or not, your relations know. But whether you pray in private or not, is a matter between yourself and God.
这个问题只有你自己能回答。你是否参加主日敬拜，你的牧师知道；你家里是否有家庭祷告，你的亲人知道；但你是否在私下里祷告，则只有你与神知道。
I beseech you in all affections to attend to the subject I bring before you. Do not say that my question is too close. If your heart is right in the sight of God, there is nothing in it to make you afraid. Do not turn off my question by replying that you say your prayers. It is one thing to say your prayers and another to pray. Do not tell me that my question is unnecessary. Listen to me for a few minutes, and I will show you good reasons for asking it.
我以满怀诚恳恳求你认真对待我摆在你面前的这个主题。不要说我的问题太尖锐；若你的心在神面前是正直的，这个问题没什么可让你惧怕。也不要用“我有念祷告词”来搪塞我。念祷文是一回事，真正祷告又是另一回事。也别说我的问题是多余的。请听我说几分钟，我会给出充分的理由，说明为何要提出这个问题。
Prayer is the most important subject in practical religion. All other subjects are second to it. Reading the Bible, listening to sermons, attending public worship, going to the Lord’s Table—all these are very important matters. But none of them are so important as private prayer.
在实践性的信仰生活中，祷告是最重要的主题。其他都排在其次。读圣经、听讲道、参加公共敬拜、领受主的圣餐——这些都很重要，但没有一件比个人祷告更重要。
I propose in this paper to offer seven clear reasons why I use such strong language about prayer. I draw to these reasons the attention of every thinking man into whose hands this paper may fall. I venture to assert with confidence that they deserve serious consideration.
我打算在本文中给出七个清楚的理由，解释我为何以如此强烈的语气谈论祷告。我盼望凡读到这篇文字且肯思想的人都能留心这些理由。我斗胆并有把握地宣称：这些理由值得你严肃思考。
A Call to Prayer was one of J.C. Ryle’s best received works in his day and has remained so ever since. It is a direct exhortation to pray fervently and without ceasing. “I want the times we live in to be praying times. I want the Christians of our day to be praying Christians. I want the church to be a praying church. My heart’s desire and prayer in sending forth this tract is to promote a spirit of prayerfulness. I want those who never prayed yet, to arise and call upon God, and I want those who do pray, to see that they are not praying amiss.”—from the Conclusion.
《呼吁祷告》是莱尔当年最受欢迎的作品之一，直到今天仍然如此。这本小册子直接劝勉人热切并不住地祷告。“我愿我们所处的时代成为祷告的时代。我愿这一代的基督徒成为祷告的基督徒。我愿教会成为祷告的教会。我发出这本小册子的心愿与祷告，就是要兴起一颗祷告的心。我愿那些从未祷告过的人起来求告神；也愿那些已经祷告的人看见自己并非错误地祷告。”——摘自〈结语〉
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
目录
- Prayer Is Needful to Salvation
1）祷告是得救所必需的 - The Habit of Prayer: Mark of a True Christian
2）祷告的习惯：真基督徒的标志 - Prayer: The Most Neglected Duty
3）祷告：最常被忽略的本分 - Prayer Produces Great Encouragement
4）祷告带来极大的鼓舞 - Diligence in Prayer, the Secret of Holiness
5）殷勤祷告，成圣的秘诀 - Prayer and Backsliding
6）祷告与灵性退后 - Prayer and Contentment
7）祷告与知足 - Advice to the Unregenerate
8）给未重生者的劝勉 - Counsel to the Saints
9）给圣徒的劝勉