Praying to Grow 在祷告中成长

[Dexu Xia]

Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God. 1 Corinthians 3:7

Today's Scripture. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.

Today's Insights    The Corinthian church was plagued by a partisan spirit that threatened to divide it. Each group exalted their favorite teacher over the other teachers (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). Paul warned that leaders like himself were merely God’s servants whom God had assigned specific tasks to help build up the community (3:5). He stressed that it’s God who makes the church grow (vv. 6-7). It doesn’t matter which tasks we’ve been assigned—“what’s important is that God makes the seed grow” (v. 7 nlt). Those entrusted to build up God’s people are “servants of Christ,” and all servants “must prove faithful” (4:1-2). As “co-workers in God's service” (3:9), God will help us be faithful in building up each other. As we persevere through prayer, He’ll grow His church and reward His faithful servants “for their own hard work” (v. 8 nlt).

Today's Devotion    After Lam Wai Chan moved from his native Singapore to pastor a church in Japan, he panicked. The church had barely twenty members. In a nation known as a “missionary graveyard,” where about one percent of the nation’s people are Christian and many churches sit empty, Lam felt “like I was taking over a sinking ship.” Crying out to God, he sensed the answer: Offer the church back to Me.

Rather than “update” worship or music, Wai Chan asked members to pray—for their needs, family members, and friends who didn’t know Jesus. Slowly, the church doubled in size.

Their faithful praying is a living, biblical model of how to build a community in Jesus. First, pray. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,” Paul wrote, “present your requests to God,” and do all of this without worry about anything (Philippians 4:6). In this way, we offer our ministries, churches, and programs back to God. We may plant seeds and water them, but as the apostle said, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7). He was imploring believers at Corinth to stop quarrelling about which church leader they followed (vv. 3-6).

As Paul said, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v. 11). Let’s prayerfully give our churches back to Him. Then, watch them grow.

Reflect & Pray

What tests your work to build a community in Christ? How can you give the effort back to God?

Dear God, as I stay faithful, please build Your community.

By Patricia Raybon

可见栽种的算不得什么，浇灌的也算不得什么，只在乎叫他生长的神。（哥林多前书 3:7 ）

今日经文：哥林多前书 3章1-9 节

今日洞见： 哥林多教会深受派系之争的困扰，面临分裂的危机。各派人马都推崇自己喜爱的教师，甚至以此贬低其他教师（哥林多前书 1:10-17）。保罗告诫说，像他这样的领袖不过是神的仆人，神指派他们执行特定任务，以建立教会群体（3:5）。他强调，唯有神能使教会成长（6-7节）。无论我们被指派何种任务，都不重要，“重要的是神使种子生长”（7节）。那些受托建立神子民的人是“基督的仆人”，而所有的仆人都“必须忠心”（4:1-2）。作为“与神同工的”（3:9），神会帮助我们在彼此建立的事工上保持忠心。只要我们坚持祷告，祂就会使教会成长，并因忠心仆人“各自的辛勤劳苦”而奖赏他们（8节）。

 今日灵修 林伟灿离开家乡新加坡，前往日本牧养一间教会时，曾感到惊惶失措。当时教会仅有不到二十名会友。日本素有“宣教士坟场”之称，基督徒仅占总人口的百分之一左右，许多教堂空空荡荡；林伟灿当时的感觉就像是“接手了一艘正在下沉的船”。他在向神呼求时，领受了这样的回应：把这间教会交还给我。 伟灿没有着手“更新”敬拜形式或音乐风格，而是请会友们祷告，为自己的需要、家人以及尚未认识耶稣的朋友祷告。渐渐地，教会的人数增加了一倍。 他们忠心的祷告，是一个活生生的、合乎圣经的榜样，展示了如何在耶稣里建立群体，就是祷告先行。

  保罗写道：“应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求，和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神”（腓立比书 4:6）。就这样，我们将自己的事工、教会和各项计划交托给神。我们或许会播种、浇灌，但正如使徒所言：“可见栽种的算不得什么，浇灌的也算不得什么，只在乎叫他生长的神”（哥林多前书 3:7）。他当时正恳切劝勉哥林多的信徒，不要再因追随哪位教会领袖而争执不休（3-6节）。 正如保罗所说：“因为那已经立好的根基就是耶稣基督，此外没有人能立别的根基”（11节）。让我们在祷告中将教会交托给祂，然后见证教会的成长。

 反思与祷告 什么在考验你建立基督群体的努力？你该如何将这份努力交​​托给神？ 亲爱的神，我愿在持守忠心的同时由祢亲自建立祢的群体。

作者：帕特里夏·雷邦