我小时候去外婆家吃饭时，她总是让我洗碗。她厨房水池的窗户上有个架子，上面摆放着漂亮的紫色、白色和粉红色的非洲紫罗兰。她还在窗台上放着便签，上面是手写的圣经经文。我记得有一张便签上记着保罗说要“凡事”祷告的忠告。
虽然保罗当时可能是个囚犯，但他写了一封积极乐观的信给腓立比教会，文字中洋溢着喜乐。他为基督徒的日常生活提供了健全的牧养建议，其中包括祷告的建议。和其他书信一样，保罗敦促他的朋友们要凡事祷告。而且“应当一无挂虑”，他说，应该凡事都带到神的面前来求告。
保罗还提到至关重要的一件事：要以感恩的心祷告。的确，“感恩”是基督徒生活的基本特征之一。怀着感恩的心，我们向天父承认自己完全倚赖祂的慈爱信实。
保罗向我们保证，我们若藉着感恩的祷告把一切交给神，就会经历到属神的平安，胜过一切世俗的智慧，使我们在耶稣的爱中安稳。我外婆深知并喜欢时常提说这一点。
父啊，求你使我们充满感恩，感谢你的诸多祝福，并帮助我们凡事都向你交托。阿们。
腓立比书 4:4-9
4你们要靠主常常喜乐，我再说，你们要喜乐！
5当叫众人知道你们谦让的心。主已经近了。
6应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。
7神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。
8弟兄们，我还有未尽的话，凡是真实的、可敬的、公义的、清洁的、可爱的、有美名的，若有什么德行，若有什么称赞，这些事你们都要思念。
9你们在我身上所学习的、所领受的、所听见的、所看见的，这些事你们都要去行，赐平安的神就必与你们同在。
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." — Philippians 4:6
When I visited for meals at my grandmother's house as a boy, she always let me do the dishes. Her kitchen-sink window had a shelf with beautiful purple, white, and pink African violets. She also kept notecards on her windowsill with handwritten Bible verses. One card, I remember, highlighted Paul's sound advice for praying "in every situation."
Though he was probably a prisoner at the time, Paul writes a cheerful, optimistic letter to the church in Philippi, brimming with joy. He includes sound pastoral advice for daily Christian living, including suggestions for prayer. As in other letters, Paul urges his friends to pray in all situations. And "do not be anxious about anything," he says, but bring everything before God.
Paul also mentions a vitally important ingredient: praying with a thankful heart. Indeed, "thanksgiving" is one of the basic characteristics of the Christian life. With a thankful heart we can acknowledge that we are utterly dependent on our loving and faithful heavenly Father.
Paul assures us that when we bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, we will experience the peace of God that beats all conventional wisdom and keeps us secure in Jesus' love. My grandmother knew this and loved to be reminded of it.
Father, fill our hearts with thanksgiving for your many, many blessings, and help us to turn to you in all situations. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
