加添力量的祷告
彼得和约翰被宗教领袖恐吓而深受困扰，他们便回到他们教会的大家庭，向他们报告所发生的事。众信徒听到以后，便同心合意向神祷告。
每当我读到这事，我都对他们的祷告感到很惊讶，他们竟然没有祈求神消灭这些宗教领袖，他们也没有求神救他们脱离这困境，他们只是求神按着他们所受到的恐吓，加力量给他们，叫他们能放胆讲神的道。当圣灵充满他们，以致聚会的地方震动时，我们可以看到，神已应允他们这些具体的祈求了。
信徒们为什么会这样祷告的呢？他们的祷告让我们看到，他们不是单单注目在当前的事，更思想到神子民的历史。他们知道神的应许和预言，他们以圣经为背景来看当前的境遇。对今天的我们来说，就像我们使用圣经的教导作为原则，来了解每天的新闻。
除此以外，在祷告的开始，信徒们完全从神的主权的角度来看他们的烦恼和恐吓，他们知道神仍在掌管一切。至高的主仍然在祂所爱的世界中作工，他们祈求他们能够继续为衪作见证。
亲爱的神，在这个充满动荡和烦恼的世代，求祢赐我们盼望和信心，信得过祢仍然在作工，惟愿我们能放胆和喜乐地与祢同工。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
使徒行传 4:23-31
23 二人既被释放，就到会友那里去，把祭司长和长老所说的话都告诉他们。
24 他们听见了，就同心合意地高声向神说：“主啊，你是造天、地、海和其中万物的！
25 你曾藉着圣灵，托你仆人——我们祖宗大卫的口说：‘外邦为什么争闹？万民为什么谋算虚妄的事？
26 世上的君王一齐起来，臣宰也聚集，要抵挡主并主的受膏者。’
27 希律和本丢．彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆耶稣，
28 成就你手和你意旨所预定必有的事。
29 他们恐吓我们，现在求主鉴察，一面叫你仆人大放胆量讲你的道，
30 一面伸出你的手来医治疾病，并且使神迹奇事因着你圣仆耶稣的名行出来。”
31 祷告完了，聚会的地方震动，他们就都被圣灵充满，放胆讲论神的道。
Enabling Prayer
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” — Acts 4:29
With the threats of the religious rulers lingering over them, Peter and John return to their church family and report what has happened. And in response to these threats, the community of believers prays together to God.
I am always struck by what they did not pray. They did not ask God to bring destruction on the religious leaders. They did not ask God to take them out of their time of trouble. Instead, they prayed that God would consider the threats against them and enable them to speak with boldness. That prayer was specifically answered as the Holy Spirit filled them and the place they were in was shaken.
How could the believers come to pray such a prayer? The prayer itself gives us the insight that they looked not just to the moment but also surveyed the history of God’s people. They knew the promises and prophecies of God. They placed their current situation within the setting of Scripture. For us, that would be like having the Bible’s teachings in mind as we sift through the daily news.
What’s more, at the beginning of their prayer, the believers put all their troubles and threats in perspective under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty. They knew that God was still in control. What they prayed was that they would be able to keep being witnesses to the Sovereign Lord, who was still at work in the world he so loved.
Dear God, in a world full of turbulence and trouble, give us the hope and trust that you are still at work. May we join you in that work with boldness and joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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