1月9日
标 题：祷告明白神的行事历
经 节：次日早晨，天未亮的时候，耶稣起来，到旷野地方去，在那里祷告。（马可福音一章35节）
对门徒而言，他们都知道清晨是耶稣的祷告时刻。当他们需要祂的时候，知道到耶稣祷告的地方去找祂。当犹大出卖耶稣时，就是带着一群人去耶稣祷告的地方。
主耶稣每回面对重要的抉择，祂就祷告。当祂在旷野遭受试探，被诱以世界的方法代替天父的方法时，祂祷告（马太福音四章）。当祂面临挑选门徒的抉择时，祂彻夜祷告（路加福音六：12）。如果神的儿子需要彻夜祷告，好清楚明白天父的心意，那么我们需要多少时间的祷告，才能清楚神的旨意？
耶稣经常被人群围绕，祂知道自己必须找寻一处安静之所，好能清楚聆听天父的声音。耶稣周围有太多人想左右祂生命的方向：祂的门徒要祂和群众在一起（马可福音一：37）；群众想拥祂为王（约翰福音六：15）；撒但试探祂，要祂妥协去敬拜并拥护撒但（马太福音四：3、6、9）。耶稣知道自己的任务不是吸引群众，而是持续地顺服天父。借着祷告，耶稣决定事工的行事计画（路加福音六：12）。祂的祷告行在神迹之前（约翰福音十一：42～43）；在紧要关头时，祷告为耶稣带来勇气（路加福音九：28～31）；祷告使祂愿意步上十字架（路加福音廿二：41～42）；祷告使祂甘愿被挂在十字架上，忍受痛苦折磨（路加福音廿三：46）。让我们仿效救主的榜样，在祷告中与神独处，订立我们的生活行事历。
Prayer Discovers God’s Agenda
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35)
It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer. When Judas betrayed Jesus, he led his cohorts to Jesus’ place of prayer.
Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, He prayed (Matt. 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father’s mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?
Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father’s voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life. His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were (Mark 1:37). The crowds wanted to crown Him king (John 6:15). Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following (Matt. 4:3, 6, 9). Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42–43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28–31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41–42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.
