從天上賜下的復興
神樂意應允的禱告

經文
詩篇五十九1-8
1(掃羅打發人窺探大衛的房屋,要殺他。那時,大衛作這金詩,交與伶長。調用休要毀壞。)我的神啊,求你救我脫離仇敵,把我安置在高處,得脫那些起來攻擊我的人。
2求你救我脫離作孽的人和喜愛流人血的人!
3因為,他們埋伏要害我的命;有能力的人聚集來攻擊我。耶和華啊,這不是為我的過犯,也不是為我的罪愆。
4我雖然無過,他們預備整齊,跑來攻擊我。求你興起鑒察,幫助我!
5萬軍之神─耶和華以色列的神啊!求你興起,懲治萬邦!不要憐憫行詭詐的惡人!(細拉)
6他們晚上轉回,叫號如狗,圍城繞行。
7他們口中噴吐惡言,嘴裡有刀;他們說:有誰聽見?
8但你─耶和華必笑話他們;你要嗤笑萬邦。
信息分享
昨天我們談過「復興禱告」的第三個特點是大膽和坦率。今天我們要繼續探討「大膽」這個特點,這也是所有「復興禱告」的特點。當然,魯莽與關切只是一線之差,對某些人來說,詩人似乎越了界,叫神興起,實在很難視為對神虔敬或尊重的態度,但正如我們昨天說過,是隱藏在這些說話背後的聖靈,准許詩人這樣禱告。
我常在禱告會中聽到有些人模仿詩人和其他舊約人物的強烈語言,但是很少感到他們有著和詩人一樣的強烈關切之情。由於缺乏這種關切之情,以致他們的禱告變得沒意義和空洞。有一位傳記作家告訴我,他曾在復興出現前,在威爾斯北部某處聽到偉大的伊凡思(Christmas Evans)禱告說:「主啊,醒來,振作一下吧!您看不見您的教會發生甚麼事嗎?您容許事情這樣繼續下去,實在丟臉。求您做點事吧!任何事都好,求您盡快做點事吧!」
那位傳記作家繼續說:「聽到他這樣祈禱的人屏息靜氣,不禁想他這麼狂妄,為何神沒有擊殺他。但他們不知道的是,伊凡思已蒙允許與神這樣對話。」他不單使用語言──他透過那語言去表達內心深切的關注。當熱誠和膽量結合起來的時候,你就能擁有一種元素──神樂意應允禱告的元素。
「熱誠和膽量是最佳組合」
進深研究
但十1-21;詩六十五2;耶二十四7
1. 但以理有多真誠?
2. 「他們要一心」是甚麼意思?
祈禱
天父啊!我必須再次承認,我的腿在禱告的路上絆倒了。我有很多事情需要學習,求您在困難的地方幫助我;這是生命,是我必須學習的。奉耶穌的名祈求,阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
Prayer God delights to answer

Bible reading:
Psalm 59:1-8
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood.
3 See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
5 You, Lord God Almighty, you who are the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c]
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths— the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, "Who can hear us?"
8 But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations.
Message
We must spend another day looking at this quality of boldness which seems to be a characteristic of all "revival praying". There is a fine line, of course, between impertinence and concern. To some it may appear that the psalmist has crossed this line. Telling God to rouse Himself hardly seems to be a reverent or respectful way of approaching Him. But, as we said yesterday, it is the spirit underlying the words that makes it permissible.
I have often heard people in prayer meetings try to copy the strong language of the psalmist and other Old Testament characters, but only on a few occasions have I felt that they had the psalmist's same burning concern. And lacking that concern, their prayers came across as empty and hollow. One biographer tells of listening to the great Christmas Evans praying before the outbreak of revival in a certain part of North Wales. This is what he said: "Wake up, O Lord, and shake Yourself. Can't you see what is happening to Your Church? It's shameful that You allow things to go on like this. Do anything - do something - and do it soon".
The biographer went on to say: "Those who heard him caught their breath and wondered why God did not strike him dead for his impertinence. But what they did not know was that Christmas Evans had earned the right to talk to God in this way." He was not just using language - he was expressing through that language the deep concern of his heart. And when those two things combine - passion and daring - you have the ingredients of the kind of prayer that God delights to answer.
"Passion and daring is the right combination"
Prayer
O Father, once again I have to confess that my feet stumble on the path of prayer. There is so much to learn, so help me over the hard places. This is life and I must learn it. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Daniel 10:1-21
Psalm 65:2
Jeremiah. 24:7
1. How earnest was Daniel?
2. What does "all their heart" mean?
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