9月13日
标 题：祷告是为了预备
经 节：五旬节到了，门徒都聚集在一处。（使徒行传二章1节）
祈祷不是要让你得到属灵的力量。祷告调整你的生活，好让祂能够借着你展示祂的全能。祷告的目的，不是要说服神改变你的环境，而是要预备你参与神的作为。
在五旬节，人们热切地祈祷不是圣灵降临的原因。祷告带领他们进入一个境地，他们预备好要添加神所计画的大工。
耶稣要祂的跟随者仍然停留在耶路撒冷，等候圣灵降临（使徒行传一：4～5）。于是，门徒顺服祂的命令，等候神下一个派令。当他们祷告的时候，神调整及预备他们面对祂所指示的下一件任务。祷告时，他们之间彼此合一。这是有始以来，门徒第一次使用圣经作为他们决定的指引（使徒行传一：15～26）。五旬节那天来临，耶路撒冷合城到处都是来自全世界的朝圣者。当神使圣灵充满门徒的时候，神已经使那些传福音到万国万邦的使者，遍布了整个城市。祷告预备门徒能顺服地回应神的话。
祷告是为了调整你的心能认同神的旨意，不是调整神能合你的心意。倘若神没有回答你的祷告，你可能需要调整自己的祷告，好符合神的计画。不要专注于自己的期望，乃是要领悟，神更在意祂对你的期望。
Prayer Is Preparation
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were
all with one accord in one place. (Acts 2:1)
Prayer does not give you spiritual power. Prayer
aligns your life with God so that He chooses to demonstrate His power through
you. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to change your circumstances
but to prepare you to be involved in God’s activity.
The fervent prayer of the people at Pentecost did
not induce the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Prayer brought them to a place
where they were ready to participate in the mighty work God had already
planned.
Jesus told His followers to remain in Jerusalem
until the Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4–5). The disciples obeyed His command,
waiting for God’s next directive. As they prayed, God adjusted their lives to
what He intended to do next. As they prayed, a unity developed among them. For
the first time the disciples used Scripture as their guide in decision making
(Acts 1:15–26). The day of Pentecost arrived, and the city of Jerusalem filled
with pilgrims from around the world. When God released His Holy Spirit upon the
disciples, He had already filled the city with messengers who would carry the
Gospel to every nation. Prayer had prepared the disciples for their obedient
response.
Prayer is designed to adjust you to God’s will, not
to adjust God to your will. If God has not responded to what you are praying,
you may need to adjust your praying to align with God’s agenda. Rather than
focusing on what you would like to see happen, realize that God may be more
concerned with what He wants to see happen in you.
