我一生的祷告

研究人员在欧洲逐家采访，询问人们有关他们相信神的事。他们提出的其中一个问题是：“你相信一位介入人的生活、改变历史进程、施行神迹的神吗？”对这个问题的典型回应是：“不，我不相信你说的那位神；我只相信一位普普通通的神。”

我承认我们很想选择相信一位“普普通通的神”——就是一位在我需要祂时才出现、但在我平日生活中却大多数在背后保持默不作声的神。

幸而圣经不容许我们只持着这个普普通通的神的观念便算了。我们在新约圣经中认识了耶稣，衪进入我们的世界、在十字架上背负了我们罪的重担、代替我们受死、从死里复活、后来更升到天上与神一起掌权。这位神肯定不是一位普普通通的神。

事实上，圣经中的神会以各种出人意料、美妙、具颠覆性的方式闯入我们的生活中；这位独一的真神的确是不同凡响。这一切都在保罗这个感人的祷告中表明出来：“使我认识基督，晓得他复活的大能，并且晓得和他一同受苦”，然后更经历衪的复活。

这是一个多么出色的祷告！假若这个祷告成为我生命中的祷告，它会怎样改变我的一生？假若我为我生命中的人这样祷告，又会有什么事情发生呢？

亲爱的耶稣，我很想认识你。求你叫我学像你，好叫我能够经历到你复活的大能。阿们。

10使我认识基督，晓得他复活的大能，并且晓得和他一同受苦，效法他的死，
11或者我也得以从死里复活。

My Life's Prayer

"I want to know Christ. . . ." - Philippians 3:10

英语音频 English Audio

Researchers in Europe went door to door, asking people about their belief in God. One question was this: "Do you believe in a God who intervenes in human lives, who changes the course of history, and performs miracles?" A typical response to this question was "No, I don't believe in that God. I believe in the ordinary God."

I admit that it can be tempting to prefer "the ordinary God"—that is, a God who is there when I need him but who remains mostly quiet in the background while I go about my life.

Fortunately the Scriptures do not let us settle with that notion of an ordinary God. The Jesus we meet in the New Testament entered our world, carried our burden of sin to the cross, died in our place, and then rose from the dead and later ascended to rule with God in heaven. This is no ordinary God.

The God of the Bible does in fact break into our lives in all kinds of surprising, beautiful, and disruptive ways. In fact, the one true God is beyond extraordinary. And all of this is conveyed in this remarkable prayer of Paul: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings" and then to experience that resurrection as well.

What a prayer! How would my life change if this became my life's prayer? What could happen if I prayed this for the people in my life?

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I want to know you. Make me like you so that I may experience the power of your resurrection. Amen.