Man of Prayer 常常祷告
Dexu Xia
Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18
My family remembers my Grandpa Dierking as a man of strong faith and prayer. But it wasn’t always so. My aunt recalls the first time her father announced to the family, “We’re going to start giving thanks to God before we eat.” His first prayer was far from eloquent, but Grandpa continued the practice of prayer for the next fifty years, praying often throughout each day. When he died, my husband gave my grandmother a “praying hands” plant, saying, “Grandpa was a man of prayer.” His decision to follow God and talk to Him each day changed him into a faithful servant of Christ.
The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. In Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus gave a pattern for prayer to His followers, teaching them to approach God with sincere praise for who He is. As we bring our requests to God, we trust Him to provide “our daily bread” (v. 11). As we confess our sins, we ask Him for forgiveness and for help to avoid temptation (vv. 12–13).
But we aren’t limited to praying the “Lord’s Prayer.” God wants us to pray “all kinds of prayers” on “all occasions” (Ephesians 6:18). Praying is vital for our spiritual growth, and it gives us the opportunity to be in continual conversation with Him every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).
As we approach God with humble hearts that yearn to talk with Him, may He help us know and love Him better.
How does God view the humble prayers of His children that may be less than eloquent? How can you make prayer a part of your daily life?
Father, thank You for the blessing of prayer and Your acceptance of me whenever I call on You.
Grow deeper in your understanding of prayer.
不住地祷告，凡事谢恩，因为这是上帝在基督耶稣里向你们所定的旨意。—帖撒罗尼迦前书5章17-18节
在家人的记忆中，祖父狄尔金是个持守信心、常常祷告的人，但他并非向来如此。姑姑忆起祖父第一次对全家人宣布：“我们要开始全家一起做谢饭祷告。”祖父首次开口祷告时显得笨口拙舌，但是接下来的50年，他不仅每天持续学习祷告，并且每一天都经常祈祷。祖父去世时，我丈夫送给祖母一个盆栽，叶片就像“祈祷的手”，丈夫说：“祖父是个常常祷告的人。”祖父因立志跟随上帝，并且每天与祂说话，使他成为基督忠实的仆人。
圣经有许多关于祷告的教导。在马太福音6章9-13节，耶稣告诉祂的跟随者如何祷告，教导他们先以真诚的颂赞来到上帝面前。当我们将各样的请求交托给祂时，相信祂会提供“我们日用的饮食”（11节）。当我们向祂认罪时，我们请求祂的赦免，并让祂帮助我们不陷入试探（12-13节）。
但我们并非只限于使用“主祷文”祷告，上帝也要我们“随时多方祷告祈求”（以弗所书6章18节）。祷告对我们的灵命成长极为重要，我们每天都能藉此与上帝持续交流（帖撒罗尼迦前书5章17-18节）。
当我们心存谦卑且渴慕与上帝谈话来亲近祂时，愿祂帮助我们更认识祂，也更爱祂。
你觉得上帝会如何看待祂儿女笨口拙舌的祷告？
你如何让祷告成为日常生活的一部分？
天父，谢谢祢赐给我祷告的福分，
每当我呼求祢的时候，祢总是慈爱地接纳我。