應許的有效性和可靠性，取決於應許者的品格和能力；正如支票的有效性是在於簽支票人的信用和銀行存款的數目。神的聖潔屬性和信實令祂的所有應許都成為可信。所羅門王說：「凡……應許賜福的話，一句都沒有落空」（王上八56）。舊約偉大的禱告勇士，不斷提醒神祂作過甚麼應許，這使研究的人無不感到驚訝。例如我們在今天的經文中看到：「照你所說的而行」。

要神實行祂的話不是自大，只要我們肯定那應許適用於我們的特定情況。請留意以上這一句話，因為它十分重要。今天經文的第25和26節的要求，是建立在前面幾節的應許上。在「復興禱告」中，會眾將自己的渴望延伸到神所應許的範圍裡，並要求神根據祂所說「屬靈的復甦將要來自主的顯現」的話，信守祂的應許。

「神的屬性令祂的所有應許都成為可信」

進深研究
彼前一1-9；來六17，十一17-19

1. 透過神的應許我們分享了甚麼東西？
2. 亞伯拉罕證明了甚麼？

祈禱
天父，今天的訊息為我打開了無限的可能性，不過我也明白，我也許會因此在不相干或不適切的情況下仍要您實現應許。求您給我懂得分辨的智慧。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。

Heaven-Sent Revival

Day 350

What is a promise?

"And now, Lord God, keep for ever the promise you have made...Do as you promised..." (v.25)

Bible reading:
2 Samuel 7:18-29

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human![a]

20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord.

21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

22 "How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

23 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?[b]

24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

25 "And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,

26 so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.

27 "Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

Message

Yesterday we ended with the thought "prayers which plead promises are guaranteed success". This raises this question: What is a promise? A promise has been defined as, "a written declaration that binds the person who makes it to do or forbear from doing a specified act." When used of God, it is His pledge or undertaking to do or refrain from doing a certain thing. Such promises form the basis of the prayer of faith.

The validity and dependability of a promise rests on the character and resources of the one who makes it, just as the validity of a bank cheque depends on the honour and bank balance of the one who signs it. It is the holy character and faithfulness of God that makes all His promises credible. "Not one word has failed of all the good promises," said King Solomon (1 Kings 8:56). Those who have studied the great prayers of the Old Testament are struck by the way in which the prayer warriors continually reminded God of the promises He had made. We see this, for example, in the passage before us today: "Do as you promised".

It is not presumptuous to take God at His Word, providing we are sure that the promise applies to our particular situation. Note that last statement, for it is extremely important. The requests in verses 25 and 26 of today's passage are built on the promises in the previous verses. In "revival praying" men and women stretch their desires to the width of God's promises and hold God to the pledge He has made that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

"God's character makes all His promises credible"

Prayer
O Father, I see that this throws open infinite possibilities to me. But I see also the danger of holding You to a promise that is not relevant or applicable. Give me the wisdom to know the difference. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Further study
1 Peter 1:1-9
Hebrews 6:17; 11:17-19

1. What have we become partakers of through the promises?
2. What did Abraham prove?

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