【双语灵修】代求:改变生命的能力 Intercession: Power To Change Lives
代求赋与我们一个与神同工来完成衪的工作的机会。
“‘无论善恶,你都要剿灭吗?假若那城里有五十个义入,你还剿灭那地方吗?’” - 创 18:23-24
我们祷告不是单为自己的事祈求便好了,祷告也应记念其他人的需要。因此,保罗强调说:“我劝你 … 要为万人恳求、祷告、代求、祝谢;… 这是好的,在神我们救主面前可蒙悦纳。”(提摩太前书 2:1-3)。神透过代求 - 为别人祷告 - 来成就衪的大工。我们在神面前为别人祷告是大有功效的 - 而当我们需要祷告时,其他人为我们的缘故向大能的神的祈求,也时常让我们经历到祷告的大能。
亚伯拉罕接待的客人告诉他,所多玛和蛾摩拉将遭毁灭。亚伯拉罕知道,住在那儿的侄儿遇到危险了,他便恳求神,假若有五十个、或四十个、或三十个、或二十个、或甚至只有十个义人住在那里,神可否赦免那个城市?神说,只要有几个义人住在那里,衪也会赦免那城。
这件事显明代求是大有功效的。代求就像祷告者用一只手牵着这个有很多需要的破碎世界、而另一只手则朝向慈爱的神 - 他把人和神连结在一起。代求赋与我们一个与神同工来完成衪的工作的机会。耶稣是伟大的代求者(罗马书 8:34;希伯来书 7:25),当我们为别人祈求时,我们便与衪心连心了。
祷告
父啊,感谢你赐我们祷告的特权。惟愿我们竭力成为你恩典的管道,为别人祈求,好叫你的同在和能力充满他们的生命。阿们。
创世记 18:16-33
16三人就从那里起行,向所多玛观看,亚伯拉罕也与他们同行,要送他们一程。
17耶和华说:“我所要做的事,岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢?
18亚伯拉罕必要成为强大的国,地上的万国都必因他得福。
19我眷顾他,为要叫他吩咐他的众子和他的眷属,遵守我的道,秉公行义,使我所应许亚伯拉罕的话都成就了。”
20耶和华说:“所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶甚重,声闻于我。
21我现在要下去,察看他们所行的,果然尽像那达到我耳中的声音一样吗?若是不然,我也必知道。”
22二人转身离开那里,向所多玛去,但亚伯拉罕仍旧站在耶和华面前。
23亚伯拉罕近前来,说:“无论善恶,你都要剿灭吗?
24假若那城里有五十个义人,你还剿灭那地方吗?不为城里这五十个义人饶恕其中的人吗?
25将义人与恶人同杀,将义人与恶人一样看待,这断不是你所行的!审判全地的主,岂不行公义吗?”
26耶和华说:“我若在所多玛城里见有五十个义人,我就为他们的缘故饶恕那地方的众人。”
27亚伯拉罕说:“我虽然是灰尘,还敢对主说话。
28假若这五十个义人短了五个,你就因为短了五个毁灭全城吗?”他说:“我在那里若见有四十五个,也不毁灭那城。”
29亚伯拉罕又对他说:“假若在那里见有四十个怎么样呢?”他说:“为这四十个的缘故,我也不做这事。”
30亚伯拉罕说:“求主不要动怒,容我说,假若在那里见有三十个怎么样呢?”他说:“我在那里若见有三十个,我也不做这事。”
31亚伯拉罕说:“我还敢对主说话,假若在那里见有二十个怎么样呢?”他说:“为这二十个的缘故,我也不毁灭那城。”
32亚伯拉罕说:“求主不要动怒,我再说这一次,假若在那里见有十个呢?”他说:“为这十个的缘故,我也不毁灭那城。”
33耶和华与亚伯拉罕说完了话就走了,亚伯拉罕也回到自己的地方去了。
Intercession: Power To Change Lives
"Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city?" - Genesis 18:23-24
Prayer doesn't stop with making requests for ourselves. It reaches out to include others. That's why, with great intensity, Paul could say, "I urge . . . that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. . . . This is good, and pleases God" (1 Timothy 2:1-3). God works through intercession—prayer for others—to do mighty things. We can pray powerfully to God for others—and when we need prayer, with others pleading our cause before the Almighty, that can be a powerful experience.
Abraham's visitors informed him that Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed. Knowing that his nephew Lot was in danger there, Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city if even fifty, or forty, or thirty, or twenty, or even ten righteous people lived there. And God said he would spare the city if even so few righteous people were there.
This episode demonstrates the powerful impact of intercessory prayer. It's as if the intercessor has one hand reaching out to a needy, broken world, and the other hand reaching up to the gracious God—linking them together. Intercession gives us an opportunity to partner with God in accomplishing his work. When we intercede for others, we come close to the heart of Jesus, the great intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
Prayer
Father, thank you for the privilege of prayer. May we seek to be conduits of your grace, interceding for others so that your presence and power may fill their lives. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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