our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Nov 8, 2017, 11:01:41 PM11/8/17

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Our Prayers, God’s Timing

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

Sometimes God takes His time in answering our prayers, and that isn’t always easy for us to understand.

That was the situation for Zechariah, a priest whom the angel Gabriel appeared to one day near an altar in the temple in Jerusalem. Gabriel told him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (Luke 1:13, italics added).

When we cannot see God’s hand at work, we can still trust His heart.

But Zechariah had probably asked God for a child years before, and he struggled with Gabriel’s message because Elizabeth was now well beyond the expected age for childbirth. Still, God answered his prayer.

God’s memory is perfect. He is able to remember our prayers not only for years but also for generations beyond our lifetime. He never forgets them and may move in response long after we first brought our requests to Him. Sometimes His answer is “no,” other times it is “wait”—but His response is always measured with love. God’s ways are beyond us, but we can trust that they are good.

Zechariah learned this. He asked for a son, but God gave him even more. His son John would grow up to be the very prophet who would announce the arrival of the Messiah.

Zechariah’s experience demonstrates a vital truth that should also encourage us as we pray: God’s timing is rarely our own, but it is always worth waiting for.

When we cannot see God’s hand at work, we can still trust His heart.

上帝的时间

上帝能照着运行在我们心里的大力，充充足足地成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。-以弗所书3章20节

有时候，上帝会延迟回应我们的祷告，对我们而言，这是一件很难理解的事。

祭司撒迦利亚的经历正是如此。那一天，他在耶路撒冷的圣殿中，天使加百列在香坛边向他显现。加百列对他说：“撒迦利亚，不要害怕，因为你的祈祷已经被听见了。你的妻子伊利沙伯要给你生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫约翰。”（路加福音1章13节）

但是，撒迦利亚祈求上帝赐给他孩子或许是多年前的事了，他对加百列的话也感到难以置信，因为伊利沙伯早已过了生育的年龄。尽管如此，上帝还是应允了他的祈求。

上帝绝不会忘记。祂能够记得我们的祷告好几年，甚至好几代，远超过我们的年日。祂永远不会忘记我们的祷告，即便过了许久，祂仍会作出回应。有时，我们的祷告未蒙应允，有时，祂要我们等候。但祂的回应，永远都是出于爱。上帝的道路虽超过我们所能测度，但我们可以完全信靠祂。

撒迦利亚完全能体会这一点。他求上帝赐给他一个儿子，但上帝给他超过他所求的，因他的儿子约翰将成为那位宣告弥赛亚降临的先知。

撒迦利亚的经历证实了一个能激励我们祷告的真理：上帝的时间虽和我们的时间不同，但是永远值得等待。