Saturday, September 25, 2021
Title: God listens to prayer
Author: Pastor Andrew Lim
Translation: Margaret Ong

Everyone knows to pray to God, because they firmly believe that God loves them and cares for them, so they will pray to God earnestly for certain things and express their distresses and worries in detail. However, some people feel very depressed because their prayers have not been answered. Sometimes wonder why God seems to have done nothing? Did God listen to my prayer seriously? Many people may have such doubts: “I have prayed wholeheartedly many times for something. Why does God not comply with my request? What is keeping God from responding after I’ve prayed for so long?” Why is God like this? Is your prayer answered in accordance to your wish? In fact, it is not that God did not hear our prayers. Sometimes, it is because God needs time to wait— wait for us to transform, or when our time is up, He will bless us with the gifts that are already “prepared” in the most suitable way with the right timing. Just as a child saw his father driving a car, he wanted to drive also. Dad would definitely not let him drive at that moment. If he got the car so young, he would for sure get into a serious accident, so his father waited until he grew up and had a driver’s license. Only when he was mature enough to be trusted with a car.

God will hear everything, including our prayers. Because He is God. God is omniscient, and He has perfect knowledge of everything (Ps. 139:1-4). The question is not whether God is aware of every prayer, but whether God decides in our prayers whether to respond to them immediately. God wants us to pray. He created prayer. Prayer is a way of communicating with God so that we can enjoy intimate relationship with Him (Revelation 3:20), confess our sins to Him (1 John 1:9), and “call upon Him in the day of trouble,” (Psalm 50:15), to enjoy His presence and protection, and to enable us to fully obey the will of God because we understand His love and will for us (Jeremiah 29:11-12; Luke 22 :42.) There is a kind of prayer that can definitely be answered. It is the prayer of repentance. When we willingly cry out to God with honest, humble and repentant heart, He desires to make us righteous and to forgive our transgressions.

The promises of the Bible give us confidence that God will listen to people’s prayers. Because Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt 7:7~11). God, our Heavenly Father will definitely prepare all the best things for those who ask him, but when “the hour has not yet come”, if the prayer insists on asking for it, the bread you want may turn into a stone, and the fish you desire may turn into a snake that bites people.

What is really certain is that we can come to God at any time, talk to Him or pray to Him. No matter the answer is: “Positive”, “Negative”, “Wait”, He will always answer. God also promises that He will not let anything happen to us indiscriminately, but what can happen to us, even if everyone thinks it is bad, He can make it the most beneficial to us. Because the promise of the Bible is: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, ”(Rom. 8:28 ) So do not underestimate the purpose of God putting us through the mill.

When we make decisions for the sufferings or difficult problems we face in life, God is absolutely capable of helping us to get rid of our challenges, but God’s spirit will not make decisions for us. He allows us to act according to our own wishes, and God will give us enough wisdom and ability to face them. The Bible promises “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God , I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)The Holy Spirit will guide us, help us understand the principles of the Bible, and teach us how to put the principles into practice, respond positively to ordeals and make the right choices and decisions.

The Bible assures us: “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers.” (1 Peter 3:12 )Therefore, Jehovah God listens to the prayers of the righteous, whether they pray loudly or pray silently in their hearts. God does not despise our every prayer, we have to wait for God’s time, when the time is right, God will help. You don’t have to shout to Him in prayer, He knows your every little fear. Before you pray, he already knows your mind and thoughts. When you face Him alone, you can even cry as you pray, and God will not despise it; you can find the answer in His words; this is true because He walks with you.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for allowing me to give you all my worries and troubles so that I can be released. You know every tiny fear in me, so I do not need to hide from You, even if sometimes I will still be suspicious in prayer. You still listen to my spoken and unspoken prayers. Help me believe that You will keep Your promises. Thank You for listening to my prayers. Thank You and I pray in the holy name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

每日灵粮
星期六， 2021年9月25日
标题：上帝垂听祷告
作者：林金儀傳道

人人都晓得向上帝祷告，因为坚信上帝爱护并关心他们，因此他们都会认真心诚地为着某一些件事向上帝祷告，细诉自己的苦恼与忧虑。不过，有些人由于祷告未蒙成就，感到十分懊丧。有时候觉得为何上帝好像什么事都没做呢？上帝到底是有没有认真听到我的祷告？可能有不少人会有这样的疑惑：“我已经为某件事真心诚意地祷告很多次，为何上帝总是不应允？祷告了那么久都没有反应，为什么上帝这样呢？”你的祷告如愿以偿吗？其实，不是上帝没有垂听到我们的祷告，有些时候，是因为上帝要时间等候，等待我们的改变，或者等我们的时间到了，才将早已经“预备好了”的礼物，在最适合的时候，赐给我们。就像儿童看到爸爸驾车，他也想驾。爸爸肯定当时不会让他驾驶，因为如果他早得到车，他肯定会闯大祸。所以爸爸一直到他长大了，有驾照驾驶了，成熟了才将车子放心交给他。
 
上帝会听到一切说话，包括我们的祷告。因为他是上帝。上帝是无所不知，没有一件事上帝不知道 (诗139:1-4)。问题不在于上帝是否意识到每一个祷告，而是上帝是否在我们的祷告中决定是不是立刻回应它们。上帝要我们祷告。是祂创造了祷告，祷告作为一种与上帝沟通的方式，让我们可以享受与祂亲密的沟通(启3:20)，可以向祂承认我们的罪(约一1:9)，祈求他满足我们的需要(诗50:15) ，享受祂的同在与保护、并使我们因为明白祂对我们的爱和意愿，愿意做与他的旨意相符的事(耶29:11-12;路22:42。)有一种祷告肯定可以得到回应，那就是悔改的祷告。当我们愿意以诚实、谦卑悔改的心向上帝呼求时，祂渴望让我们成为公义的人并原谅我们的过犯。
 
圣经的应许，让我们有把握上帝必定垂听人们的祷告。因为耶稣说：“你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。因为凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。你们中间谁有儿子求饼，反给他石头呢？求鱼，反给他蛇呢？你们虽然不好，尚且知道拿好东西给儿女，何况你们在天上的父，岂不更把好东西给求他的人吗？”太7:7~11天父上帝肯定会预备好各种最好的东西给向祂求的人，但是时候没到的时候，祈祷的人如果硬硬是要的话，要的饼可能会变成石头，要的鱼可能会变成咬人的蛇。
 
真是可以确信的是，我们随时都可以随时来到上帝的面前，和祂说话或向祂祈求。无论答案是：“肯定”、“否定”、“等候”，祂总是会答复。上帝也应许，祂不会胡乱让任何事物都临到我们身上，但是能够临到我们身上的事，就算是人人都认为不好的，祂都能使其，成为对我们最有益的。因为圣经的应许是：“你们所遇见的试探，无非是人所能受的。神是信实的，必不叫你们受试探过于所能受的；在受试探的时候，总要给你们开一条出路，叫你们能忍受得住。” “我们晓得万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处。”所以别轻看上帝给我们的磨练。
 
在我们为人生面对的苦难或难题作决定时，上帝绝对有能力帮助我们，除去我们的难题，但是上帝的灵不会为我们作决定，祂容许我们按自己的意愿行事，上帝会给足够的智慧与能力让我们面对。圣经应许“你不要怕，因为我与你同在。你不要四顾张望，因为我是你的上帝，我要使你
坚强。我必定帮助你，也必定用正义的右手扶持你。”圣灵会引导、帮助我们理解圣经的原则，又会教导我们怎样把原则付诸实行，在困难面前正面回应和做出正确的选择与决定。
 
圣经向我们保证：“耶和华的眼看顾义人，祂的耳倾听他们恳切的祈求。”所以，耶和华上帝倾听义人的祷告，不论他们是朗声祷告还是心里默祷。上帝没有轻看我们的每一个祷告。要等候上帝的时间，时间到了上帝就会出手相助。你祷告不必向他大喊，你每一个微小的恐惧祂都知道。你未祷告前，他已经知道你的心思与想法。当你独自面对祂时，你的祷告甚至可以哭泣，上帝不会轻看；你可以在他的话语中找到答案； 这是真的，因为他与你同行。
 
祷告：亲爱的上帝，谢谢祢允许我，将我所有的忧虑和烦恼都可以交给祢，因此我可以被释放，我内心每一个微小的恐惧祢都知道，因此我向祢不需要隐藏，即使有时我祷告仍会怀疑，祢仍然垂听我有声或无声的祷告，帮助我相信祢必信守承诺，谢谢祢垂听我的祷告。感谢祷告
是奉主耶稣的圣名。阿们。