T-9.II:The Answer to Prayer

1. 1Everyone who ever tried to use prayer to ask for something has experienced what appears to be failure. 2This is not only true in connection with specific things that might be harmful, but also in connection with requests that are strictly in line with this course. 3The latter in particular might be incorrectly interpreted as “proof” that the course does not mean what it says. 4You must remember, however, that the course states, and repeatedly, that its purpose is the escape from fear.

2. 1Let us suppose, then, that what you ask of the Holy Spirit is what you really want, but you are still afraid of it. 2Should this be the case, your attainment of it would no longer be what you want. 3This is why certain specific forms of healing are not achieved, even when the state of healing is. 4An individual may ask for physical healing because he is fearful of bodily harm. 5At the same time, if he were healed physically, the threat to his thought system might be considerably more fearful to him than its physical expression. 6In this case he is not really asking for release from fear, but for the removal of a symptom that he himself selected. 7This request is, therefore, not for healing at all.

3. 1The Bible emphasizes that all prayer is answered, and this is indeed true. 2The very fact that the Holy Spirit has been asked for anything will ensure a response. 3Yet it is equally certain that no response given by Him will ever be one that would increase fear. 4It is possible that His answer will not be heard. 5It is impossible, however, that it will be lost. 6There are many answers you have already received but have not yet heard. 7I assure you that they are waiting for you.

4. 1If you would know your prayers are answered, never doubt a Son of God. 2Do not question him and do not confound him, for your faith in him is your faith in yourself. 3If you would know God and His Answer, believe in me whose faith in you cannot be shaken. 4Can you ask of the Holy Spirit truly, and doubt your brother? 5Believe his words are true because of the truth that is in him. 6You will unite with the truth in him, and his words will be true. 7As you hear him you will hear me. 8Listening to truth is the only way you can hear it now, and finally know it.

5. 1The message your brother gives you is up to you. 2What does he say to you? 3What would you have him say? 4Your decision about him determines the message you receive. 5Remember that the Holy Spirit is in him, and His Voice speaks to you through him. 6What can so holy a brother tell you except truth? 7But are you listening to it? 8Your brother may not know who he is, but there is a light in his mind that does know. 9This light can shine into yours, giving truth to his words and making you able to hear them. 10His words are the Holy Spirit’s answer to you. 11Is your faith in him strong enough to let you hear?

6. 1You can no more pray for yourself alone than you can find joy for yourself alone. 2Prayer is the restatement of inclusion, directed by the Holy Spirit under the laws of God. 3Salvation is of your brother. 4The Holy Spirit extends from your mind to his, and answers you. 5You cannot hear the Voice for God in yourself alone, because you are not alone. 6And His answer is only for what you are. 7You will not know the trust I have in you unless you extend it. 8You will not trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or believe that it is for you unless you hear it in others. 9It must be for your brother because it is for you. 10Would God have created a Voice for you alone? 11Could you hear His answer except as He answers all of God’s Sons? 12Hear of your brother what you would have me hear of you, for you would not want me to be deceived.

7. 1I love you for the truth in you, as God does. 2Your deceptions may deceive you, but they cannot deceive me. 3Knowing what you are, I cannot doubt you. 4I hear only the Holy Spirit in you, Who speaks to me through you. 5If you would hear me, hear my brothers in whom God’s Voice speaks. 6The answer to all prayers lies in them. 7You will be answered as you hear the answer in everyone. 8Do not listen to anything else or you will not hear truly.

8. 1Believe in your brothers because I believe in you, and you will learn that my belief in you is justified. 2Believe in me by believing in them, for the sake of what God gave them. 3They will answer you if you learn to ask only truth of them. 4Do not ask for blessings without blessing them, for only in this way can you learn how blessed you are. 5By following this way you are seeking the truth in you. 6This is not going beyond yourself but toward yourself. 7Hear only God’s Answer in His Sons, and you are answered.

9. 1To disbelieve is to side against, or to attack. 2To believe is to accept, and to side with. 3To believe is not to be credulous, but to accept and appreciate. 4What you do not believe you do not appreciate, and you cannot be grateful for what you do not value. 5There is a price you will pay for judgment, because judgment is the setting of a price. 6And as you set it you will pay it.

10. 1If paying is equated with getting, you will set the price low but demand a high return. 2You will have forgotten, however, that to price is to value, so that your return is in proportion to your judgment of worth. 3If paying is associated with giving it cannot be perceived as loss, and the reciprocal relationship of giving and receiving will be recognized. 4The price will then be set high, because of the value of the return. 5The price for getting is to lose sight of value, making it inevitable that you will not value what you receive. 6Valuing it little, you will not appreciate it and you will not want it.

11. 1Never forget, then, that you set the value on what you receive, and price it by what you give. 2To believe that it is possible to get much for little is to believe that you can bargain with God. 3God’s laws are always fair and perfectly consistent. 4By giving you receive. 5But to receive is to accept, not to get. 6It is impossible not to have, but it is possible not to know you have. 7The recognition of having is the willingness for giving, and only by this willingness can you recognize what you have. 8What you give is therefore the value you put on what you have, being the exact measure of the value you put upon it. 9And this, in turn, is the measure of how much you want it.

12. 1You can ask of the Holy Spirit, then, only by giving to Him, and you can give to Him only where you recognize Him. 2If you recognize Him in everyone, consider how much you will be asking of Him, and how much you will receive. 3He will deny you nothing because you have denied Him nothing, and so you can share everything. 4This is the way, and the only way to have His answer, because His answer is all you can ask for and want. 5Say, then, to everyone:

6Because I will to know myself, I see you as God’s Son and my brother.

1. 凡是曾想祈求某些具体东西的人，都会有过“好似不灵”的经验。
这不限于祈求有害之物，连完全符合本课程原则的祈求，都可能带给你类似感受。
尤其是后面那种经验，很可能被误解为本课程说话不算话的“证据”。
然而，别忘了本课程的反复叮咛，它的宗旨只是帮你摆脱恐惧。
2. 我们不妨假定一下，你向圣灵所求的确实是你想要之物，问题出在你对它仍然心怀畏惧。
在这心态下，你若获得俯允，也不能算是如愿以偿。
这就是为什么某些疗愈境界未必出现具体的疗愈征兆。
某人可能因害怕肉体折磨而祈求生理上的治愈。
就算他的身体已经治愈了，他的思想体系所承受的威胁可能远比生理病症更为可怕。
这种心态下的祈求未必真想由恐惧中解脱，它只祈求上主解除他自己过去所选的某种症状而已。
因此，这类祈求根本不是为了疗愈。
3. 圣经一再说了，上主俯允了所有的祈祷，此言不虚。
只要有人向圣灵提出任何祈求，保证他会获得俯允。
圣灵的答复绝不会加深人的恐惧，这也是同样必然的事。
问题是人们可能对祂的答复充耳不闻。
纵然如此，圣灵的答复也不可能失落的。
你已经接到许多答复，只是听若罔闻而已。
我可以向你保证，祂的答复一直都在那儿等候着你。
4. 如果你想要确认自己的祈祷受到俯允，绝不可怀疑上主之子。
切莫质疑他，也不要迷惑他，因为你对他的信心，就是你对自己的信心。
如果你想知道上主以及祂的答复，相信我吧！因我对你的信心从未动摇过。
你岂能一边真心祈求圣灵，一边却猜疑自己的弟兄？
相信弟兄的话语真实不虚，因为真相就在他内。
唯有在他内，你才能与真理结合，因为弟兄的话语真实无比。
只有聆听他，你才会听到我的声音。
只有聆听真理，你才可能“当下”听到，并且明白它的真义。
5. 你的弟兄会带给你什么讯息，全然操之于你。
他会对你说什么话？
你想要他说什么？
你会收到什么讯息？全凭你决定如何看待他而定。
别忘了，圣灵活在他内，天音会透过他向你发言。
如此神圣的弟兄，除了真相以外，他还可能告诉你什么？
然而，你在聆听吗？
你的弟兄未必知道自己的本来面目，可是他的自性光明知道一切真相。
这光明会照耀你的心灵，且赋予弟兄的话语一切真相，使你不得不侧耳倾听。
他的话语即是圣灵对你的答复。
问题是，你对弟兄的信心是否足以让自己真正虚心受教？
6. 你不可能只为自己找到喜悦的，同样的，你也无法仅为你自己祈求。
所谓祈祷，即是圣灵在上主天律的指引下再次重申了生命的“涵摄性”。
救恩属于你的弟兄。
圣灵将救恩由你的心灵推恩至弟兄的心灵，成了祂给“你”的答复。
你不可能单独在自己心内听到圣灵之声，因为你不是单独存在的生命。
圣灵的答复只可能针对你的实相而发。
你绝不会知道我对你有多大的信任，除非你已经把这信任同样地推恩到弟兄身上。
你也不会信任圣灵的指引，更不会相信那是为你而设的，除非你已在他人身上听到这一指引。
圣灵的指引必是为你弟兄而设的，因为那原是要给你的。
上主怎么可能只为你一人创造天音？
除了上主给所有圣子的答复以外，你还可能听见什么答复？
你希望我如何聆听你，你就得如何聆听你的弟兄，因为你并不真想隐瞒我任何事情。
7. 我如上主一般地深爱着你的生命真相。
你的自欺也许蒙蔽得了你，却蒙蔽不了我。
我深知你的真相，故不可能怀疑你。
我只聆听你内在的圣灵，祂会透过你向我发言。
你若想要听到我，只需聆听上主天音透过弟兄所说的话。
一切祈祷的答复都在他们内。
只要你能在每个人身上听出答复，那就是给你的答复。
不要听从其他声音，否则你就会错失真正的答复。
8. 相信你的弟兄吧，因为我相信了你；你迟早会懂得我对你的信心是有凭有据的。
看在上主已将一切赐给了他们的份上，相信他们吧！你才可能相信我。
如果你懂得只向他们的真相请教，他们必会答复你的。
除非你祝福他们，否则不要祈求祝福；因为唯有祝福他们，你才可能明白自己是多么有福。
依此而行，你才可能找到自己内在的真相。
我所要教你的，不是如何超越自我，而是如何迈向真我。
只聆听上主置于圣子内的“答复”吧！那正是祂给你的答复。
9. 不信，就是抵制、作对或攻击。
相信，便是接纳、同心协力之意。
相信，并非轻信盲从，而是接纳、欣赏与感激。
你不会欣赏自己不信任的东西，也不可能感激自己所藐视之物。
你得为自己的评判付出代价，因为评判本身就是一种定价。
你一旦定了价，你就得为它付出代价。
10. 倘若你把“付出”与“获得”画上等号，你必会设法降低定价，同时提高回报。
可别忘了，定价等于定值，为此，你的回报必会比照你评判此物的价值而定。
“付出”既然与“给予”密切相关，那“付出”便不能算是一种损失；至此，你终于看出“给予”与“接受”之间的互惠关系了。
那么，为了高回报，你必得抬高此物的价值。
你若为了获得它而不惜罔顾它的真实价值，那么即使你得到它也不可能珍惜的。
一旦贬低了它的价值，你就难以欣赏它，更不会想要它了。
11. 千万不要忘了，是你为自己所获之物设定价值的，你付出的代价就成了它的身价。
你若相信自己能以极低的价格换取贵重之物，这信念暗示了你相信自己能与上主讨价还价。
上主的天律公正无私，而且完美一致。
你给出什么，就会得到什么。
得到代表接受，而非获取。
你不可能一无所有，你却可能不知道自己拥有。
若要认出自己拥有，必须心甘情愿地给出；而且必须给得心甘情愿，才能认出自己拥有的一切。
于是，你给出什么成了你为自己拥有之物所定的身价，你赋予它的身价又成了此物在你心目中的价值。
同时也反映出你真正想要它的程度。
12. 因此，你只能向圣灵祈求你所献给祂之物；你在何处认出祂来，那正是你献给祂的礼物。
如果你在每个人身上都能认出圣灵，想一想，你能从祂那儿求得多少东西，又会获得多少礼物？
圣灵绝不会拒绝你任何一物的，因为你也不会拒绝祂任何一物，如此，你俩才能共享一切。
这是你获得圣灵答复的唯一途径，祂的答复是你所能要求的，也是你真正想要的一切。
因此，你应向每一个人这样说：
我愿视你为上主之子及我的弟兄，因为我要知道自己的真相。
1.任何人若曾試圖以祈禱來求取某些事物，就會經歷過表面上的失敗。
這一結論不僅適用於可能有害的特定事物，也成立於恪守這部課程的要求。
這可能會被錯誤的詮釋為課程的內容名不符實的「證據」，特別是後者。
然而，你必須牢記這部課程一再重申的觀點：它的目的即是協助你逃脫恐懼。
2.為此，讓我們假設你向聖靈祈求的乃是你真心想要之物，但你仍對此心懷恐懼。
果真如此，得到它就已不再是你想要的結果。
所以，療癒的狀態即便已被達致，某些特定形式的療癒則否。
一個人可能會祈求身體的療癒，因為肉體的傷害令他恐懼。
與此同時，他若在身體的層面獲得療癒，他的思想體系所受的威脅在他眼裏則會遠比它在身體上的表現來得恐怖。
准此而言，他不是真在祈求逃脫恐懼，而是經他選定的症狀能被移除。
為此之故，這種請求和療癒八竿子打不著。
3.《聖經》裡強調所有的祈禱都會得到回應，而這句話真實不虛。
有人曾向聖靈祈求的這一事實便已保證了祂會給出回應。
但祂給出的回應絕不會增添人們的恐懼，這也是不容置疑的事。
人們可能會聽不見祂的回應。
然而，他們卻不可能失去它。
仍有不少回應你雖已領受，卻尚未聽見。
我敢保證它們正等待著你。
4.你若想知曉自己的祈禱已獲回應，就絕不要質疑上主之子。
既不要質疑他，也不要迷惑他，因為你對他的信心即是你對自己的信心。
你若想知曉上主及祂的回應，就要相信我，因為我對你的信心不可動搖。
你若真心向聖靈發出祈求，又怎能懷疑自己的弟兄？
基於他內的真理，相信他說的話吧。
你將與他內的真理結合，如此他說的話便真實不虛。
一旦聽見他，就能聽見我。
聆聽真理則是此刻的你能聽見它、並最終明白它的唯一方法。
5.弟兄會帶給你什麼訊息，則取決於你。
他和你說了什麼？
你想要他說的又是什麼？
你收到的訊息取決於你對他做的決定。
不要忘了，聖靈就在他內，祂的天音會藉著弟兄向你發言。
你的弟兄如此神聖，又豈會告訴你非屬真理之事？
但你有聆聽嗎？
你的弟兄或許不明白自己是誰，但他內的光明卻知道這點。
這一光明能照入你的心，令他的話語真實不虛，且使你得以聽見。
他的話便是聖靈對你的回應。
你對他的信心是否大到讓你聽得見這些？
6.你不能只為自己祈禱，也不能只為自己求取喜樂。
在聖靈與上主之律的指引下，祈禱則無異於對涵融的重申。
救恩出自你的弟兄。
聖靈會從你的心延伸至他的心，進而答覆你。
你無法在自己心裏獨自聽見上主之音，因為你並非獨自一人。
而他的回應僅僅是為了你的真面目。
你若不延伸我對你的信任，就無法明白它。
你若不在他人之內聽見聖靈的指引，就無法信任它，或相信它是為了你而有的。
它必然是為了你的弟兄而有的，因為它是為了你而有的。
上主造出了天音，豈有可能只為你一人？
若不是祂回應了所有的聖子，你又豈能聽見祂的回應？
你要從弟兄那兒聽見你要我從你這兒聽見的話語，因為你不願我受騙。
7.我與上主對你的愛是基於你內的真理。
你或可自欺欺人，但你欺騙不了我。
我無法質疑你，因為我明白你的真面目。
我只聆聽你內的聖靈，祂會藉著你向我發言。
你若想聽見我，就要聆聽上主之音在我的弟兄內發言。
一切祈禱的回應都在他們內。
只需聆聽每個人內在的回應，你就會得到回應。
其餘的都別聽，否則你就聽不見真相。
8.相信你的弟兄吧，因為我相信了你，而你也會發現我對你的信任合情合理。
為了上主賜給他們的一切，你應相信他們，從而也相信我。
如果你已學會只向他們問求真理，他們就會回應你。
你若想祈求祝福，也別忘了祝福他們，因為只有這樣你才會發覺自己蒙受的祝福有多深。
一旦踏上這條路，你就是在自身之內找尋真理。
這不是在超越自己，而是在通向自己。
在祂的聖子內，你若只聆聽祂的回應，你就會得到回應。
9.不相信便是與之對立或發動攻擊。
相信則是接納並與之為伍。
相信有別於輕信，而是接納和領略之意。
只要是你不相信的，你就並未領略，而你若不珍視某物，就無法對它抱以感激。
你會為自己的判斷付出代價，因為判斷就是在定價。
定了多少的價，就會付出多少。
10.付出若是與拿取劃上等號，你就會壓低價格，並要求高昂的回報。
但是，你忘了定價即是評價，所以你得到的回報會和你判定的價值成正比。
付出若是和給予關聯在一起，就不會被視作失落，而你也會認清施與受的交互關係。
於是你會提高價格，因為回報的價值也高。
拿取的代價便是令你看不清價值，而你也難免珍視不了你所領受之物。
你既不珍視它，就無法領略或想要它。
11.那麼，千萬別忘了，你會為自己領受的一切設定價值，並藉著你所給予之物來為其定價。
相信自己有可能以少換多即是相信自己能與上主討價還價。
上主之律一向公平，且完全前後一貫。
怎麼施予，就怎麼領受。
但領受即是接納，而不是拿取。
你不可能不擁有，但卻可能不曉得自己擁有。
認清自己擁有就會願意給予，也只有藉著這一願心，你才可認清你所擁有之物。
為此，你所給予之物即是你所擁有之物在你眼裏的價值，因為它能分毫不差的量度出後者在你眼裏的價值。
而這又會量度出你有多想要它。
12.那麼，你只能藉著給予聖靈來向祂祈求，而你只能在認出祂時才能給予祂。
仔細想想，你若在每個人中認出祂來，你能向祂祈求的將有多少，而你能領受的又有多少。
祂什麼也不會拒絕你，因為你什麼也不曾拒絕祂，所以你可以共享一切。
這就是方法，也是獲得祂的回應的唯一方法，因為祂的回應即是你能祈求和想要的一切。
那麼，你應對每個人說：
我願了知自己，所以我把你視為上主之子和我的弟兄。