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經文:「以利亞與我們是一樣性情的人。」（雅5:17） 我們要爲這段經文感謝神。因為我們就像曾經的以利亞；躺在羅藤樹下訴苦埋怨，疑惑不信。但是當他與神相交以後，情況立刻改變；雖然本與我們是一樣的性情，但是他卻能不住地禱告。這正是最重要的一點；不僅僅要懇切禱告，而是要「禱告再禱告」，也就是持續不斷地禱告。這就是我們需要學習的要領；禱告的關鍵正是恆切與持續。 以利亞在迦密山頂領悟了「信心」和「眼見」之所以不同的偉大啓示。當時的情況需要的是降雨，而不是降下火來；能求天降火的人本可用同樣的方法向神求雨。但是聖經上描述說：他屈身在地懇切祈禱，將臉伏在兩膝之中，使自己的視覺和聽覺與外界完全隔絕。 祈禱之後以利亞對僕人說：「你上去觀看」，而僕人回來只簡單回覆說：「沒有什麽」；假設我們身處現場將會如何？可能會說：「果然不出所料！」然後就放棄禱告。但是以利亞是如此嗎？不，他對僕人說：「再去看看」。就算僕人回來仍說：「沒有什麽！」，他還是說：「再去看看」...。 終於，僕人回來報告說：「只有像手掌那麽大的一小片雲」。就是這片像手掌般大的雲在以利亞的祈禱中升起，然後霎時間降下雨來；亞哈王就算有快馬拉車，也來不及趕回撒馬利亞的城門。而這正是信心與眼見之所以不同之處。 信心能將自己與外界完全隔絕，只專心注視於神；眼見光憑觀察卻什麽也看不到。眼見雖然帶來毫無盼望的訊息，信心則繼續堅持「禱告再禱告」。至於該如何才能如此禱告而發生效力呢？那就是不要理會視覺所帶來的任何令人失望的回應。我們的神總會在天上垂聽，即使延遲不答，也是出於祂的美意。--披爾生 Arthur T. Pierson 以下是三個孩子對於信心所下的定義，可以藉此說明信心堅定的程度；第一個孩子說：「信心是去握住基督」；第二個孩子說：「信心是要抓牢基督」；第三個孩子說：「信心是要絕不放鬆基督」。 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Thank God for that! He got under a juniper tree, as you and I have often done; he complained and murmured, as we have often done; was unbelieving, as we have often been. But that was not the case when he really got into touch with God. Though "a man subject to like passions as we are," "he prayed praying." It is sublime in the original--not "earnestly," but "he prayed in prayer." He kept on praying. What is the lesson here? You must keep praying. Come up on the top of Carmel, and see that remarkable parable of Faith and Sight. It was not the descent of the fire that now was necessary, but the descent of the flood; and the man that can command the fire can command the flood by the same means and methods. We are told that he bowed himself to the ground with his face between his knees; that is, shutting out all sights and sounds. He was putting himself in a position where, beneath his mantle, he could neither see nor hear what was going forward. He said to his servant, "Go and take an observation." He went and came back, and said--how sublimely brief! one word--"Nothing!" What do we do under such circumstances? We say, "It is just as I expected!" and we give up praying. Did Elijah? No, he said, "Go again." His servant again came back and said, "Nothing!" "Go again." "Nothing!" By and by he came back, and said, "There is a little cloud like a man's hand." A man's hand had been raised in supplication, and presently down came the rain; and Ahab had not time to get back to the gate of Samaria with all his fast steeds. This is a parable of Faith and Sight--faith shutting itself up with God; sight taking observations and seeing nothing; faith going right on, and "praying in prayer," with utterly hopeless reports from sight. Do you know how to pray that way, how to pray prevailingly? Let sight give as discouraging reports as it may, but pay no attention to these. The living God is still in the heavens and even to delay is part of His goodness. --Arthur T. Pierson Each of three boys gave a definition of faith which is an illustration of the tenacity of faith. The first boy said, "It is taking hold of Christ"; the second, "Keeping hold"; and the third, "Not letting go." ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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