在記敘復興的文學作品中，不時出現一個詞語叫做「復興禱告」(revival praying)，這個詞語是用來描述某種特定的禱告，正如有些人也有注意到，這種禱告是在復興前作準備，並維持數個月或數年之久。在未來數天裡，我要與你研討一下，這個稱為「復興禱告」的現象，到底有那些特點，藉以加深我們對這奧秘但重要課題的理解和認同。

首先要知道，「復興禱告」是一種充滿熱誠的禱告。人們懷著迫切和熱情的心禱告，他們並非輕視正式的禱告，而是他們的禱告幾乎是不能自制的發出了亮光，並徹底的展示那股與眾不同的力量和熱情。他們不單對自己的禱告充滿熱誠，更竭力去追求這些禱告。他們無論在甚麼時候、在甚麼地方、與甚麼人在一起，盡可能都要禱告。禱告不再是責任，而是一種喜樂。我肯定你在禱告中偶然也會出現這種情況，但在復興前，這情況並不是偶然發生，而是持續發生，並且不只是在少數地方出現，而是普遍地出現。

「復興禱告是一種充滿熱誠的禱告」

進深研究
珥二1-13；詩三十四18，五十一17；賽六十六2；林後七10

1. 我們應該怎樣歸向主？
2. 「撕裂心腸」是甚麼意思？

祈禱
天父，我渴望在禱告生命中經歷更多熱誠和情感，我今天要向您徹底的敞開自己，求您進入我整個生命，特別是我的禱告生命，請您燃亮我的禱告。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。

Heaven-Sent Revival

Day 343

"Revival praying'

"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down..." (v.1)

Bible reading:
Isaiah 64:1-12

>1 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!

2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!

3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to[b] our sins.

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

10 Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins.

12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?

Message

Now that we have seen the place which prayer plays in bringing about revival, without doing any injustice to the sovereignty of God, the next question we must face is this: What kind of praying is it that seems to precipitate a mighty and extraordinary move of God?

A phrase which crops up time and time again in revival literature is the phrase "revival praying". This is a term used to describe the special type of praying which observers have noticed takes place in the months or years preparatory to the outbreak of revival. Over the next few days I want to examine with you some of the characteristics of this phenomenon known as "revival praying". By doing so I hope to deepen our understanding and awareness of this mysterious but important subject.

First, "revival praying" is zealous praying. People pray with fervour and passion. It is not that they look with disdain upon formal prayers but, almost as if they cannot help it, their prayers catch alight and are uttered with what appears to onlookers to be uncharacteristic energy and enthusiasm. They become not only enthusiastic about their prayers but eager in the pursuit of them. They pray whenever they can, wherever they can and with whomsoever they can. Prayer becomes less of a duty and more of a delight. I am sure you have occasionally touched something like this in your own prayer times but prior to a revival it is not something that happens periodically but something that happens regularly, not just in a few scattered places, but generally.

"Revival praying is zealous praying"

Prayer
Father, I long to experience more zealousness and passion in my prayer life. I throw open every pore of my being to You today. Move into the whole of my life, but especially my prayer life, and set my prayers on fire. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Further study
Joel 2:1-13
Psalm 34:18; 51:17
Isaiah 66:22
Corinthians 7:10

1. How should we turn to the Lord?
2. What does it mean to "rend your heart"?

本文英文版權屬 CWR 所有，承蒙允准刊載。
背景音樂版權屬讚美之泉音樂事工所有，承蒙允准使用。