Spiritual Thought for the 2008/10/19

Spiritual Thought for the Week
Four months ago I fell ill and had to rest at home. People asked me, “What have you been doing at home for so long?” I told them, “I have been praying in my home everyday.” I prayed for all of you; I prayed for the church; I prayed for myself. In the prayers God told me you guys were praying for me also. The church had been praying for me too. I heard God telling me through the Bible as recorded in Acts 12:5 that “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
God often puts his children and servants in difficult situations. The situations become so miserable that we find there is no way to go except the way to prayer. There is no one to turn to except to turn to our Father God. There is no strength we can rely on but the strength of our Creator.
Therefore no matter how unbearable the hardship; no matter how unfair life treats us; no matter how unjust the world has been to us, if we care enough to come before the Lord on our knees, problems will turn to solutions; impossibilities will turn to possibilities again. Solutions and possibilities often come by way of either one of the two following scenarios: 1. When we pray ourselves as in the case of Paul and Silas praying in the prison cell as recorded in Acts 16:25-26, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” 2. When others pray for us through intercession on our behalf. Like Peter’s miraculo0us escape from prison as recorded in Acts 12:5-6. “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared” to lead him out of prison… And the rest was history. Prayers are never said in vain when they are said in earnest trust and belief. The church during Peter’s imprisonment was praying earnestly for Peter. Prayers have to be said earnestly. Otherwise you won’t see the obvious result. For if you pray earnestly, it means you are not only desperately in need of help, but you are also in sheer reliance that God will deliver you. You know His power and His might will prevail in the end.
Hardship to a believer is like good medicine to his soul. It pushes him to come before God. There is no help at hand except the help of prayer. There is no one to call upon except to call upon God. It is then time to bring us closest to God. We will then see the priceless value of prayer. When we are alone with God, and free from the entanglement of the world and human relationships, we find life’s new possibility, and we see God never so real revealing himself to us. So no matter what problems you have. It may be large or small. No matter what situations you face. It may be hard or easy. Please bring them before the Lord. As long as you pray earnestly, God will never ignore your plea. God will exercise His power of mighty act. He works miracles for you. Since the beginning of history, God has listened to thousands of millions of people in their prayers. Especially when the church prays earnestly together, the earth will shake, the prison doors will fling open, God’s servant will be set free, the gate of the Gospel will be spread wide open.
I have gained my strength back. I am well now. I have been set free. Thanks be to God. Let us go together again and fight the good fight for God.

本週默想分享
四個月前我病了，須在家休息。許多人在問，我這四個月在做甚麼？我每天都在切切的禱告。我為您們禱告；我為教會禱告；我為自己禱告。在禱告中神告訴我，原來你們也在為我禱告；教會也在為我禱告。我聽見神藉著使徒行傳12：5告訴我“教會都為他切切的禱告神”
神有時讓祂的兒女和僕人陷到患難中，環境那樣惡劣，遭遇非常不幸，自己無能為力，似乎只有任憑惡人逼害，或者眾叛親離，再也無路可走了。然而卻有一條通天道路，就是禱告。還有一種無窮的力量，就是神自己。
所以，不管境遇如何艱難，緊逼，危險，只要到神的面前來切切禱告，困難就能得到解決。這種解決有時是藉著自己的禱告，如使徒行傳16：25-26 所記載的，約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美神，眾囚犯也側耳而聽。忽然地大震動，甚至監牢的地基都搖動了，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖鏈也都鬆開了。。。有時卻是藉著教會和別人的代禱，如彼得在使徒行傳12：5-19天使救彼得出監的事件一樣。無論如何，禱告是不會落空的。當時教會是切切的為彼得禱告。禱告不懇切，效果就不明顯。切切禱告，不但表明需要的急逼，也表明信心的把握，知道禱告必定能成就。
信徒遇見難處，是他屬靈的益處，催逼他到神面前來。因為沒有別的依靠和辦法，就只有禱告。只剩下神，這樣就把我們帶到和神更親近，將禱告看為更寶貴。而脫離世界和人的各種阻攔，又一次得著生命的轉機，更認識神自己。無論遇見甚麼事，環境多麼難，只要禱告，切切禱告，神不會不聽，祂要顯出祂的大能，行出神蹟來。自古以來，神聽了千萬人的禱告，特別是教會的懇切禱告。地會搖動，監獄的門開啟，神的僕人得釋放，福音之門大開。
我的病好了，我得釋放了，讓我們繼續為福音打美好的勝仗。