歌羅西書1:9-14

1:9 因此，我們自從聽見的日子，也就為你們不住地禱告祈求，願你們在一切屬靈的智慧悟性上，滿心知道上帝的旨意；
1:10 好叫你們行事為人對得起主，凡事蒙他喜悅，在一切善事上結果子，漸漸地多知道上帝；
1:11 照他榮耀的權能，得以在各樣的力上加力，好叫你們凡事歡歡喜喜地忍耐寬容；
1:12 又感謝父，叫我們能與眾聖徒在光明中同得基業。
1:13 他救了我們脫離黑暗的權勢，把我們遷到他愛子的國裡；
1:14 我們在愛子裡得蒙救贖，罪過得以赦免。

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[e] 10} so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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    在牧養的工作上禱告是不可以缺乏的，因為牧養的主角是主耶穌，是主耶穌在帶領弟兄姊妹，不是我們在帶領。正如在出埃及的時候，是上帝在帶領以色列民，不是摩西在帶領！

    羊與牧者的關係要分清楚，就是要讓羊清楚真正的牧者是誰！要讓羊來跟對真正的牧者，而不是跟從代理人；代理人只是代表而已，代表牧者來照顧群羊。羊要在牧者的帶領下才能出入得草吃，才能「能與眾聖徒在光明中同得基業」、「脫離黑暗的權勢」、「遷到他愛子的國裡」、「在愛子裡得蒙救贖」、「罪過得以赦免」！

    教會的牧者或傳道人，只能引人到主的面前，真正作工的是上帝，是上帝在基督裡將一切屬靈的福分賜給我們！我們要引領人來跟隨耶穌基督，不是來跟隨自己，這是牧者基本的認識。