從天上賜下的復興
偉大的禱告勇士

經文
創世紀三十二22-31
22他夜間起來,帶著兩個妻子,兩個使女,並十一個兒子,都過了雅博渡口,
23先打發他們過河,又打發所有的都過去,
24只剩下雅各一人。有一個人來和他摔跤,直到黎明。
25那人見自己勝不過他,就將他的大腿窩摸了一把,雅各的大腿窩正在摔跤的時候就扭了。
26那人說:天黎明了,容我去吧!雅各說:你不給我祝福,我就不容你去。
27那人說:你名叫甚麼?他說:我名叫雅各。
28那人說:你的名不要再叫雅各,要叫以色列;因為你與神與人較力,都得了勝。
29雅各問他說:請將你的名告訴我。那人說:何必問我的名?於是在那裡給雅各祝福。
30雅各便給那地方起名叫毘努伊勒【就是神之面的意思】,意思說:我面對面見了神,我的性命仍得保全。
31日頭剛出來的時候,雅各經過毘努伊勒,他的大腿就瘸了。
信息分享
這兩天,我們看過「復興禱告」的最主要特點是「充滿熱誠」;現在,讓我們來看看「復興禱告」的第二個特點:堅持與持久。當你閱讀有關復興的記載時,你會發現復興禱告的這種特點總是存在的。在復興前,人們不單熱誠地禱告,更是持續不斷地禱告。羅伯斯(Evan Roberts)持續不斷地為威爾斯能經歷復興禱告超過13年之久,他說:「沒有一天我不伏在神面前向祂呼求,求祂差派祂的靈到我祖國來。」有超過十年的時間,歐文(Dafydd Owen)每天都禱告祈求聖靈向威爾斯傾注。此外,有關大衛摩根(David Morgan)的記載說:「在1858年之前的十年,在他的禱告中,從不缺少祈求聖靈傾注的部份。」
我們必須承認這種堅持往往不是自然發生的,而是由聖靈所賜下。據說當羅伯斯還是小孩時,「他很容易放棄,幾乎從來沒有堅持完成過任何一件事情。」
另一位偉大的復興家愛德華茲(Jonathan Edwards)談論持續和毅力的重要性時說:「從聖經中明顯看到,當神的百姓向祂呼求一些偉大和重要的恩惠時,神經常藉著延遲賜下祂的憐憫,來試驗他們的信心和忍耐,不單這樣,神甚至會先讓他們經歷更大的黑暗;不過,對於那些堅持不斷禱告、『決不放棄直等到神賜福』的人,神最終必定不會令他們失望。」
「毅力是由聖靈所賜」
進深研究
路十八1-8;雅五13-18;帖前五17
1. 耶穌對禱告的教導是甚麼?
2. 以利亞作了甚樣的示範?
祈禱
天父,求您今天審視我的內心,看我裡面有沒有甚麼隱藏的東西,防礙我作出持續和恆久的禱告。求您將它向我顯明,並幫助我克服這些障礙。奉耶穌的名祈求,阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
"Great prayer warriors"

Bible reading:
Genesis 32:22-31
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
27 The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."
29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because of his hip.
Message
We look now at the second characteristic of "revival praying" - tenacity and persistence. Read the record of revivals and you will find that this quality is also present. In the days prior to revival people not only pray zealously but they pray persistently. For over a period of thirteen years Evan Roberts prayed for revival to come to Wales. "There was never a day," he says, "when I didn't fling myself before God and cry out for Him to send the Holy Spirit to my native land." Dafydd Owen also prayed every day for over ten years for a great outpouring to come to the Principality. And concerning David Morgan it was recorded "that for ten years before 1858 a petition for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was never absent from his prayers".
We must recognise that often this persistence was not something that was natural but was given by the Holy Spirit. It was said of Evan Roberts that when he was a boy, "he hardly ever saw anything through and would give up a task most easily"
Listen to what Jonathan Edwards, another great revivalist, had to say about the importance of persistence and perseverance: "It is very apparent from the Word of God that the Lord is wont often to try the faith and patience of His people, when crying to Him for some great and important mercy, by withholding the mercy sought for a season, and not only so but at first to cause an increase of dark appearances. And yet He, without fail, at last succeeds those who continue instant in prayer with all perseverance and will 'not let Him go except He blesses'."
"Persistence is given by the Holy Spirit"
Prayer
O Father, search my heart today and see if there is any hidden thing in me that holds me back from persistent and perservering prayer. Bring it to the light so that I can deal with it. I ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Luke 18:1-8
James 5:13-18
1 Thessalonians 5:17
1. What did Jesus teach on prayer?
2. What did Elijah demonstrate?
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