学习祷告
马太福音七章7至11节
7你们祈求，就给你们；寻找，就寻见；叩门，就给你们开门。
8因为凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。
9你们中间谁有儿子求饼，反给他石头呢？
10求鱼，反给他蛇呢？
11你们虽然不好，尚且知道拿好东西给儿女，何况你们在天上的父，岂不更把好东西给求他的人么？
信息分享
另一个常见的问题是我们的祷告流于空泛。我们只是漫无目的地祷告，却没有花时间去了解别人的具体需要，或某些事情的具体进展。我们应该学习个别地提名为别人代祷，切实记念他们的具体需要。
在今天所读的经文中，基督教导我们祷告要明确。祂说我们要「祈求」、「寻找」和「叩门」。「祈求」表示要具体地向神陈明你的需要(或别人的需要)；「寻找」表示要殷切地祈求；「叩门」表示祷告不可灰心，要以信心一直祈求，直至祷告得蒙神的应允。
基督给我们一个甚么应许？祂说：凡祈求的，就得着；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。这个应许实在是太宝贵了！
你平时是怎样祷告的呢？是否只作出空泛的祷告，例如「求主赐福给全世界的宣教士」？抑或，你会特别了解一、两位宣教士的代祷需要，切实而持续地为他们代祷？
又或是，你会祷告说：「主啊，你不用我说，就已经知道我需要甚么，求你一一赐给我吧」？还是你会像儿女来到父亲面前，向祂细诉你的一切，包括你的各种需要？你知道吗？我们的天父喜欢的是后者。
请记着：
事无大小、凡事祷告；
主必垂听、应允所求。
THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER
Matthew 7: 7 - 11
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Message
Another problem is that very often we are not definite enough in our prayers. We pray for everything and everybody, but we do not take time or make the effort to ask for particular requests. We should pray for people by name, mentioning their exact circumstances at the time we are praying for them.
In these verses Christ is very definite, 'Ask', he said. 'Seek' and 'knock'. Ask means to make request, seek means to be in earnest when you ask. Knocking means to keep on with that request until it is granted.
And what is Christ's promise? If we ask, it will be granted. If we seek we shall find. If we knock, the door will be opened. What greater promise could we have?
How do you pray? Do you mention a lot of general requests such as, 'Lord please bless all the missionaries'? Or do you pray for one or two in particular and really cover them with prayer?
Do you say, 'Lord you know what I need' or do you say, 'Lord, there are my needs today' and then tell him exactly what they are? That is the kind of prayer he loves to hear and to answer.
'Don't stop praying for every need
Don't stop praying, the Lord will heed.
No petition to him is small.
Don't stop praying, he'll give you all.'