祷告是教会发展的根基
耶稣已升到天上了，跟随祂的人便开始在等候，因为在升天的那一天，耶稣吩咐他们：“不要离开耶路撒冷，要等候父所应许的”（使徒行传1:4）。他们必定记得，父所应许的将会是圣灵的能力与同在（使徒行传1:8），可是耶稣却没有说圣灵会在何时降临。那么，在等候的时候，他们应该做什么呢？
使徒行传记载他们做了很多事，然而，自耶稣升天后，最早记载的其中一件事，就是信徒们同心合意祷告。我们不肯定他们如何组织起来、或用什么方式来祷告，但我们可以肯定三件事。
第一，他们是同心合意的。耶稣被捕时，这群分散和逃离橄榄山的信徒，现在从橄榄山回到耶路撒冷，他们再次聚在一起。
第二，他们恒切地祷告。在神面前和在每一个人面前，他们生活的标志是天天不断的祷告。
第三，从前耶稣的兄弟并没有跟从衪做门徒，现在他们也和这群信徒聚集在一起了。
神正在预备祂的子民，而祂是以他们的祷告来开始的。
亲爱的神，我们总是为自己的需要和渴望祈求，求祢赦免我们自我中心的祷告。惟愿我们寻求祢的旨意，为别人和教会的需要同心合意祷告。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
使徒行传 1:12-14
12 有一座山名叫橄榄山，离耶路撒冷不远，约有安息日可走的路程。当下，门徒从那里回耶路撒冷去，
13 进了城，就上了所住的一间楼房。在那里有彼得、约翰、雅各、安得烈、腓力、多马、巴多罗买、马太、亚勒腓的儿子雅各、奋锐党的西门和雅各的儿子犹大。
14 这些人同着几个妇人和耶稣的母亲马利亚，并耶稣的弟兄，都同心合意地恒切祷告。
The Foundation Of Prayer
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. — Acts 1:14
Jesus has ascended to heaven, and a waiting period for his followers has begun. On the day he ascended, Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4). They would have remembered that this gift would be the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), but Jesus didn’t say when the Spirit would come. So, what were they to do while waiting?
A lot of action transpires in the book of Acts, but one of the first recorded actions of these believers after Jesus’ ascension is that they join together in prayer. We are not sure how all this is organized or what the form of their prayers is, but we do know three things.
First, they join together. This group that scattered and fled from the Mount of Olives when Jesus was arrested are together again as they now walk back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
Second, they are constantly in prayer. There is an everyday consistency that marks their life before God and one another.
Third, even the brothers of Jesus who did not join in following him as disciples now join with this group of believers.
God is preparing his people, and he does this through prayer.
Dear God, so often our prayers are about our needs and wants. Please forgive us for our self-centeredness even in prayer. May we join together in prayer for the needs of others and for your church, seeking your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
编辑进度:
发布时间:
繁體版:
Line:
栏目:
机构:
作者: