Quiet, Please 安静之处
Dexu Xia
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Green Bank, West Virginia, is a tiny community in the rugged Appalachian Mountains. The town resembles dozens of other small towns in the area—with one major exception. None of the 142 residents have access to Wi-Fi. This is to prevent interference from Wi-Fi or cellular phone towers near the Green Bank Observatory, whose telescope is constantly trained on the sky. As a result, Green Bank is one of the most technologically quiet places in North America.
Sometimes quiet is the best environment for moving forward—especially in our relationship with God. Jesus Himself modeled this by retreating to quiet, secluded places to talk with His Father. In Luke 5:16 we read, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Perhaps the key word there is often. This was Christ’s regular practice, and it sets the perfect example for us. If the Creator of the universe was this aware of His dependence upon His Father, how much more do we need Him!
Retreating to a quiet place to be refreshed in God’s presence equips us to go forward in His renewing strength. Where can you find such a place today?
By: Bill Crowder
What are some of the distractions that can interrupt your prayer times? How could having a designated quiet place help you stay focused in prayer?
Father, sometimes the background noise of life in this world is deafening, pulling my attention away from You and hindering the time with You. Help me find a place where I can come away from it all and simply enjoy Your wonderful presence.
耶稣却退到旷野去祷告。—路加福音5章16节
美国西维吉尼亚州的绿堤镇（Green Bank）是一个人口稀少的小镇，位于崎岖的阿帕拉契山脉中。这个小镇与该地区的其他数十个小镇相似，但却有一个很大的不同点，那就是绿堤镇的142位居民都不能使用无线网络或智慧型手机。这是为了防止无线网络或手机讯号发射站的电磁波，对绿堤天文台造成干扰。因为这台全球最大的无线电波望远镜，需要没有任何干扰，才能接收星系运行自然产生的无线电波。结果，就科技方面而言，绿堤镇可说是北美洲最“安静”的地方。
有时，安静的环境能让我们迈步向前，在我们与上帝的关系中更是如此。耶稣正是我们的典范，祂退到安静、隐蔽之处向天父倾心吐意。路加福音5章16节记载：“耶稣却常常退到旷野去祷告”（新普及译本）。或许这节经文的关键词是常常。耶稣经常如此行，祂为我们树立了完美的榜样。如果这位宇宙的创造者都意识到要倚靠天父，你我岂不更需要？
退到安静之处，在上帝面前得着更新，能使我们在祂里面重新得力，迈步向前。今天，你能在何处找到这样的地方？
作者： 柯贝尔
哪些事会使你在祷告时分心？
有一个特定的安静之处，如何帮助你专心祷告？
天父，有时生活周遭的噪音震耳欲聋，使我无法单单专注于祢，亲近祢。
求祢帮助我找到安静之处，享受祢美好的同在。