親愛的弟兄姊妹平安:
「耶穌設一個比喻，是要人常常禱告，不可灰心。」(路18 ：1)
禱告是屬靈生命成長中一個很難學習的功課，若果祈求立時得着，尋找立即尋獲，叩門即刻應門，這些都是我們的誠心所願。但若祈求沒蒙應允，尋找卻無所得，叩門多時而無反應，我們仍要堅持恆常禱告，這是人生的歷煉，這是神和人關係的見證。
但以理是從第一日專心求明白將來的事，又在神面前刻苦己身，苦苦守候多時，是因波斯國的魔君攔阻了21日。
大衛在危難時發出埋怨：「主啊，祢看着不理要到幾時呢？求祢救我的靈魂脫離他們的殘害；救我的性生命脫離少壯獅子。」(詩篇35 ： 17)
上主日在Plymouth教會的崇拜中，唱了一首詩歌很得鼓勵和安慰：
「每個夜，每一天， 我知祢永遠在身邊，
主祢永遠與我同在，在祢裏面沒有改變，
祢的堅定從昨日到今日，一直到永遠，
靠你豐盛應許站立，我的未來在祢手中。
堅固磐石，全能真神，我敬拜祢。」
是的，我的未來在祢手中。基督徒既是天國的子民，也是活在今世當代的大地之上。主耶穌在最後的晚餐為我們祈禱:「我不求祢叫他們離開世界，只求祢保守他們脫離那惡者。他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。求祢用真理使他們成聖，祢的道就是真理。祢怎樣差我到世上，我也照樣差他們到世上。」(約17:15-18)
我們不屬於世界，我們也不離開這世界，當我們學習主耶穌的禱告:「願你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。」主啊! 求祢應允，求祢垂聽。
主耶穌說：「常常禱告，不可灰心。」
主內
王 興
2019年8月30日
30th August, 2019
Dear brothers and sisters,
‘Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.’ (Luke 18:1)
Prayer is a difficult lesson to learn in the growth of our spiritual life. If we ask and are granted at once, seek then find immediately, knock and are answered in an instant; we’ll definitely say Amen. But even if our requests and pleads are not answered, we still need to pray earnestly. This is a life experience, a testimony of our relationship with God.
Daniel set his mind to gain understanding and to humble himself before God since the first day, but the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted him 21 days.
David groaned to God in his distress, ‘How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. ‘ (Psalm 35:17)
I sang this song in Plymouth last Sunday and was much encouraged and comforted:
‘ Every night, every day, I know that You are always there,
Lord is always with me, and there are no changes in You.
You are steadfast yesterday, today and forever.
I stand on Your promises and my future is in Your hands.
Solid Rock, Almighty God, I worship You. ‘
Indeed, my future is in Your hands. Christians are people of the Heavenly Kingdom, and are living on this earth. The Lord Jesus prayed for us in the Last Supper, ‘ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’ (John 17:15-18)
We do not belong to this world, but we do not leave this world. When we learn the Lord’s Prayer ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’, Lord, please listen to our prayer.
The Lord Jesus says, ‘ Always pray and do not give up.’
In Him,
Sam Wong