从天上赐下的复兴
只有透过祷告
经文
歌罗西书四2-15
2你们要恒切祷告，在此儆醒感恩。
3也要为我们祷告，求神给我们开传道的门，能以讲基督的奥秘（我为此被捆锁），
4叫我按着所该说的话将这奥秘发明出来。
5你们要爱惜光阴，用智慧与外人交往。
6你们的言语要常常带着和气，好像用盐调和，就可知道该怎样回答各人。
7有我亲爱的兄弟推基古要将我一切的事都告诉你们。他是忠心的执事，和我一同作主的仆人，
8我特意打发他到你们那里去，好叫你们知道我们的光景，又叫他安慰你们的心。
9我又打发一位亲爱忠心的兄弟阿尼西母同去；他也是你们那里的人。他们要把这里一切的事都告诉你们。
10与我一同坐监的亚里达古问你们安。巴拿巴的表弟马可也问你们安。（说到这马可，你们已经受了吩咐；他若到了你们那里，你们就接待他。）
11耶数又称为犹士都，也问你们安。奉割礼的人中，只有这三个人是为神的国与我一同作工的，也是叫我心里得安慰的。
12有你们那里的人，作基督耶稣仆人的以巴弗问你们安。他在祷告之间，常为你们竭力的祈求，愿你们在神一切的旨意上得以完全，信心充足，能站立得稳。
13他为你们和老底嘉并希拉波立的弟兄多多的劳苦，这是我可以给他作见证的。
14所亲爱的医生路加和底马问你们安。
15请问老底嘉的弟兄和宁法，并他家里的教会安。
信息分享
伟大的神学家约翰卫斯理（John Wesley）曾写过一句话，这句话很能够帮助我平衡昨天提到两个各具份量的真理──神的主权和人的责任。卫斯理的话是：「只有透过祷告，神才会在世上成就救赎的工作。」
让我用自己的话来复述他的意思：每当神打算在地上施行祂的旨意时，祂并不是专横随意的去行动，而是触动向祂祷告的心，然后透过祷告作为桥梁来完成祂的计划。没错，神是拥有绝对主权的神，但祂不会以独裁或任意妄为的方式来达到祂的目的，祂也不会违反祂的属性和祂在世上确立的原则，正如祂不会制造四方的圆形，或者是年老的婴孩一样。神就是神，祂是统管祷告原则的主宰，因此，祷告与复兴确是息息相关的。我所看到的所有复兴，都是与那些有力、有信心的祷告、以某种方式连系在一起的。
我认为神的主权和人的责任，是用以下的方式协调起来，达成和谐的：神为了祂百姓的利益，认为那里需要复兴的时候，祂便会将祷告的责任交付给少数的儿女，让他们的祷告成为复兴能力流动的桥梁。请让卫斯理的名言再次在你心中响起：「只有透过祷告，神才会在世上成就救赎的工作。」
「祷告与复兴是息息相关的」
进深研究
王下十九1-37；箴二十一1；出十七8-13；启十九6
1. 是甚么令希西家采取了那样的行动？
2. 神怎么样展示祂的主权？
祈祷
神啊，我明白您不是要专横或任意地施行您的旨意，而是要流露您的属性，借此向我们启示您自己。在您荣耀的权威中，我的心跳动不已──这是爱的心跳。亲爱的天父，感谢您，阿们。
Heaven-Sent Revival
"Except through prayer"
Bible reading:
Colossians 4:2-15
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant[a] in the Lord.
8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our[b] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)
11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews[c] among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Message
A single sentence written by the great John Wesley has helped me more than anything else to balance the two great truths we referred to yesterday - the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Here is the statement which Wesley made: "God does nothing redemptively in the world - except through prayer."
Permit me to put into my own words what I think he was saying whenever God wants to bring His purposes to pass here on earth He does not act arbitrarily, but touches the hearts of praying people and then ushers in His purposes across the bridge of prayer. God may be sovereign but He is not dictatorial or capricious. He can no more act against His nature and the principles He has established in the world than He could make a square circle or an aged infant. There are some things impossible even for God, and acting independently of the principles of prayer is one of them. This is why prayer and revival are so inseparably linked. I know of no revival that is not connected in some way with powerful, believing, intercessory prayer.
This, then, is how I see God's sovereignty and man's responsibility being brought together in harmony: when God decides that in the interests of His people a spiritual revival is necessary. He lays a burden of prayer upon the hearts of His children - it may only be comparatively few - so that their prayers become the bridge across which revival power flows. Let Wesley's famous statement ring in your heart once again: "God does nothing redemptively in the world - except through prayer."
"Prayer and revival are inseparably linked"
Prayer
O God, I see that Your purposes are not arbitrary or capricious but the expression of Your nature - a revelation of Yourself. Amid the splendour of Your majesty I feel a heartbeat - a heartbeat of love. Thank you, dear Father. Amen.
Further study
2 Kings 19:1-37
Proverbs 21:1
Exodus 17:8-13
Revelation 19:6
1. What caused Hezekiah to act as he did?
2. How did God show His sovereignty?
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