在你小时候可能玩过这样的游戏：两个人五指交叉，试图把对方的手指往后扳开；若有一方求饶，另一方就赢了这场游戏。
当我们在祷告时，有时候，我们也想和上帝玩这个游戏。当我们有件事情，迫切地希望上帝以某种方式回应时，我们就会试图把上帝的手指往后扳，要祂认输。如果情势不利于我们，我们就用乞求或讲价的方式继续和祂角力。最后，我们可能还是悻悻然地放弃，嘟着嘴说：「上帝啊，每次都是祢赢，真不公平！」

上帝要的是诚实的心，但是有时当我们诚实地向祂祈求时，却带着过多的要求。我们内心明白，祷告并非与上帝角力。我们所该做的，是把所需要的告诉上帝，将所求的交托给祂，并且倚靠祂的恩典，耐心等候祂的回应（腓立比书4章6-7节）。作家哈拿（Hannah Whitall Smith）说：「要开心地、热切地将自己毫无保留地投入祂慈爱的双臂里，并将所有的主权都交给祂。」

请勿再忿忿然地说：「上帝啊，每次都是祢赢！」而是要向上帝认输，对祂说：「求祢怜悯我！」AMC


圣经教我们
奉耶稣之名向上帝祷告；
但是绝不可
以耶稣之名命令上帝。D. De Haan


祷告不是向上帝强求，而是听祂指挥。
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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!