在過去幾天，我們探討了「復興禱告」的三個特點──熱誠、持久和大膽坦率。現在讓我們來思想「復興禱告」的第四個特點。我把這特點稱為「具有說服力」。由於這個詞匯有時是作為強迫性的意思，所以我得為它下一個更準確的定義。我有一本辭典給它這樣的定義：「一種說話的技巧，能夠將自己的論點整理得令人信服，以致別人很難、甚至沒有辯駁的餘地。」這準確地總結了我在討論「復興禱告」的第四個特點時，心裡所想要表達的意思。

當研究靈性復興出現前的偉大禱告時，我發現與此有關的信徒，他們基於神在聖經裡的話語，建立並發展自己的論點，我對這些論點感到相當驚訝。相信你有注意到在今天的詩篇裡，詩人根據神在聖經中的應許，說：「求你照你的話將我救活」，來向神作靈性復甦的祈求。有些人把這稱為「催促神實現祂的應許」──以神清楚的承諾來提醒神，並堅持要祂實現祂的應許。

司布真（Charles Spurgeon）在教導人們禱告時曾說：「在聖經中的每一個應許，都是神所寫下的，我們可在祂面前作合理的請求，對神說：『請您成就您的應許吧。』創造者不會欺騙倚靠祂的真理的受造物；更重要的是，天父不會對自己的孩子違背諾言。」我們的屬靈前輩已發現用禱告向守約的神重申所應許的承諾，必定能獲得成功，而這亦是我們發現這真理的時候了。

Now we look at a fourth characteristic of "revival praying". which I am calling persuasiveness. As the word is sometimes used to convey the idea of being coercive, permit me to give it a more precise definition. One of my dictionaries defines it thus: "The art of being able to marshall one's arguments in a convincing way so as to leave the other person or persons little or no option." This exactly sums up what I have in mind when using the word in relation to "revival praying".

Here again, when examining the great prayers that precede revival, I have been struck by the way in which the men and women concerned build and develop their arguments on the basis of what God has said in His Word. You might have already noticed in the psalm before us today that the psalmist founds his plea for divine quickening on the fact that God has promised it in the Scriptures: "Revive me according to Your word." Some people call this "pleading the promises" - taking a clear promise which the Lord has made, reminding Him of it and insisting that He be held to it.

Charles Spurgeon, when teaching on prayer, used to say: "Every promise of Scripture is a writing of God which may be placed before Him in reasonable request, 'Do as Thou hast said.' The Creator will not cheat the creature who depends upon His truth; and far more, the heavenly Father will not break His own word to His own child." Our forefathers discovered that prayers which plead the clear promises of a covenant-keeping God are guaranteed success - it is time we discovered it too.