在你小時候可能玩過這樣的遊戲：兩個人五指交叉，試圖把對方的手指往後扳開；若有一方求饒，另一方就贏了這場遊戲。
當我們在禱告時，有時候，我們也想和上帝玩這個遊戲。當我們有件事情，迫切地希望上帝以某種方式回應時，我們就會試圖把上帝的手指往後扳，要祂認輸。如果情勢不利於我們，我們就用乞求或講價的方式繼續和祂角力。最後，我們可能還是悻悻然地放棄，嘟著嘴說：「上帝啊，每次都是祢贏，真不公平！」

上帝要的是誠實的心，但是有時當我們誠實地向祂祈求時，卻帶著過多的要求。我們內心明白，禱告並非與上帝角力。我們所該做的，是把所需要的告訴上帝，將所求的交托給祂，並且倚靠祂的恩典，耐心等候祂的回應（腓立比書4章6-7節）。作家哈拿（Hannah Whitall Smith）說：「要開心地、熱切地將自己毫無保留地投入祂慈愛的雙臂裏，並將所有的主權都交給祂。」

請勿再忿忿然地說：「上帝啊，每次都是祢贏！」而是要向上帝認輸，對祂說：「求祢憐憫我！」AMC


聖經教我們
奉耶穌之名向上帝禱告；
但是絕不可
以耶穌之名命令上帝。D. De Haan


禱告不是向上帝強求，而是聽祂指揮。
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Say "Mercy!"


Read:Philippians 4:1-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer . . . let your requests be made known to God. —Philippians 4:6


Bible In One Year: Deuteronomy 13-16

You may have played the game when you were a child. You interlace your fingers with someone else's and try to bend the other's hands back until one or the other cries "Mercy!" The winner is the one who gets the other person to surrender.

Sometimes we try to play "Mercy" with God when we pray. We have a request that we desperately want answered in a certain way, so we try to "bend His fingers back" and get Him to give in. When it seems we aren't winning, we try a little harder to convince Him by begging or bargaining. We may even give up grudgingly and say, "Lord, You always win! That's not fair!"

God does want honesty of heart. But occasionally in our honesty a demanding spirit comes out. Deep down we know that prayer is not meant to be a contest with God that we try to win. In our wiser moments, we make our requests known to our Lord, surrender them to Him, rely on His grace, and wait for His answers (Philippians 4:6-7). Author Hannah Whitall Smith said, "Be glad and eager to throw yourself unreservedly into His loving arms, and to hand over the reins of government to Him."

Instead of praying with grudging resignation, "Lord, You always win," surrender to Him. Say "Mercy!" —Anne Cetas


In Jesus' name we voice our prayers—
The Bible tells us to;
But may we never use that name
To tell God what to do. —D. De Haan

Prayer isn't a time to give orders but to report for duty!