我們昨天在結束時提到，神喜愛祂的兒女可以共同參與實現祂的旨意；同時，神亦不會忽視祂自己在宇宙間所設立的關於禱告的大原則。我也許有點嘮叨，但是請讓我重提這個要點：雖然復興是始於神的主權意願，但它卻是通過信心禱告的門檻而來的。

華萊士（John Wallace）是我出來事奉前所就讀的神學院的院長，他常說：「在領受祝福前，必須先背負重擔。」他常常如此詮釋：「在以色列人被拯救出埃及前，摩西須背負重擔。在耶路撒冷興建聖殿前，所羅門被蒙召背負重擔。在世界的罪被除去前，基督須背負重擔。我們在領受祝福前，必須先背負重擔。」

從創世記到啟示錄整本聖經中，我們都可以找到這個原則；同樣的，在所有宗教歷史上的復興，我們也可看到這個原則。在神從天上賜下超然的作為前，祂會先將復興的重擔放在祂百姓的心裡，神會選擇誰去背負這重擔呢？我可以肯定的說，必定是那些被引領去禱告，並明白禱告的大能和潛力人。那麼我在想，你會是其中的一個嗎？

We ended yesterday by saying that God loves His children to be involved with Him in bringing about His purposes, and that it is not in God's nature to ignore the great principle of prayer which He Himself has established in the universe. At the risk of being tedious, let me make the point again: although revival begins in the sovereign purposes of God, it comes into the world through the doorway of believing prayer.

John Wallace, principal of the Bible college I attended prior to entering the ministry, used to say: "Before somebody can experience a blessing, somebody has to bear a burden." He used to illustrate the point in this way: "Before deliverance came to the nation of Israel when they were in Egypt, Moses had to bear a burden. Before the great Temple of God could be built in Jerusalem, Solomon was called to bear a burden. Before the sins of the world could be removed Christ had to bear a burden. Before somebody can experience a blessing, somebody has to bear a burden."

This is a principle that can be traced throughout the whole of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation. It can be seen at work, too, in the history of all religious revivals. Before God comes from heaven to work in extraordinary ways He places the burden of revival on the hearts of His people. And who does He choose to carry this burden? You can be sure that they will be men and women who are drawn to prayer and understand something of its power and potential. Would you, I wonder, be one?