坚持祷告
他，他的妻子和孩子都已经躺下睡了，这时他的邻居前来敲门。这邻居不断地敲着门，直到他把门打开。他让这邻居走开，不要吵了，因为他的家人都已经睡了，再这样会吵醒他们。邻居解释说，他家突然来了位朋友，他需要点吃的。那人不愿帮他，并要求这邻居赶快回家不要吵了。而这位邻居继续在门前请求，那人最终还是起了身，把他要的吃的东西给了他。邻居不断的请求使得那人不得不起来，把他需要的食物给他。这个故事是耶稣在教导门徒们祷告，告诉他们神如何回应他们的祷告时所讲的（路加福音11:5-8)。坚持向神祷告，就是在告诉神我们对于正在祷告的事有多在意，我们会一直祷告直到这祷告得到回应。你是否曾向神提出请求，然后心里想着，“祷告有什么用啊？我看不到任何的回应或有任何的改变。我为什么要一直为这事祷告呢？”然而，我们必须坚持祷告。坚持向神求告那些看起来似乎遭神回避或是不蒙神垂听的祷告。耶稣讲的这个故事告诉我们，坚持是会有功效的。
作者: Andy Baker
译者: Wang Jing
播音: Edward Short
Sweet Hour of Prayer / 12
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
He, his wife and his children were already in bed when the neighbor came and knocked on his door. The neighbor kept banging on the door till he answered him. The man told his neighbor to go away and be quiet because his family was in bed and all the noise would for sure wake them up. The neighbor explained that he had had some unexpected company to come and he needed some extra food. The man refused to help and asked his neighbor to just go back home and be quiet. When the neighbor continued to make his request at the front door, the man finally got up and gave his neighbor the food that he was requesting. The continual asking for help made such an impact on the man that he could not do anything else but to get up and provide the food that was needed. Jesus Christ told this story (Luke 11:5-8) while he was teaching his disciples about prayer and about God and how he answers prayers. Being persistent with God in prayer tells Him that we are so concerned about the things about which we are praying that we are not going to let him go until our prayers are answered. Have you ever made a request to God and then said in your heart, “What’s the use of praying? There doesn’t seem to be any answers or changes taking place. Why should I keep on praying about this?” But we must keep on praying. Keep praying to God about those things that it seems like he has avoided and not heard. This story that Jesus told says that persistence works.
Author: Andy Baker
Translator: Wang Jing
Vocal version: Edward Short