Prayer Walk 边祷告边行走

[Dexu Xia]

Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room. 2 Kings 4:35

Today's Scripture 2 Kings 4:31-35

.Today's Insights  Elijah’s actions show the intensity of his prayer (2 Kings 4:33). Prayer is a spiritual activity that engages the human mind, heart, soul, and spirit. Since we’ve been commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 nkjv), we know that prayer can happen any place, at any time, under any condition. The life of Jesus illustrates that the place and posture of prayer may vary. Mark 1:35 pictures an early-rising Jesus going to “a solitary place” to pray. The prelude to selecting the twelve apostles was an all-night prayer meeting on a mountain (see Luke 6:12). When faced with the horrors of crucifixion, Christ prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew describes the back-and-forth movements of Jesus between His prayer spot and His weary disciples (26:36-46). Even as He encouraged Peter, James, and John to watch and pray with Him, it’s likely that prayers to His Father continued to reverberate in His heart. Today, we can be assured that God hears our prayers and will help us

Today's Devotional    I was stuck. I’d written half of a devotional article when my thoughts dried up. “God, what should I do?” I prayed. Remembering research that found that our creative output is boosted by an average of 60 percent when we walk, I headed out to the trail behind my house and continued my conversation with God. Thirty minutes later I was refreshed. I returned to my keyboard and finished the entry.

In 2 Kings 4:18-35, we read that Elisha and his servant, Gehazi, responded to a Shunammite woman’s plea to help her dead son. At Elisha’s instruction (v. 29), Gehazi laid his staff on the child (v. 31). Elisha prayed. Then he laid on top of the boy. At last, “Elisha . . . walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy . . . opened his eyes” (v. 35).  Scripture doesn’t tell us why Elisha “walked back and forth,” nor does it say what he was thinking. What we do know is that when Elisha’s prayers weren’t answered, he didn’t give up. It’s not difficult to picture him talking to God in this urgent situation.

What do you do when you’re stuck at a dead end and don’t know what to do? Perhaps a “prayer walk” is in order. Whether we head out to a trail for a walk or pace back and forth in our home, connecting to God when we’re in need brings answers that address our circumstances.

Reflect & Pray

Where are you stuck? How might you communicate with God in this situation so that He can direct you?  Dear God, when I find myself in stuck spots, please help me to walk with You.

 By Elisa Morgan

以利亚转身在房间里来回踱步。（列王纪下 4:35）

今日经文：列王纪下 4:31-35

今日洞见：以利亚的举动表明他祷告的强烈程度（列王纪下 4:33）。祷告是一种属灵的活动，它调动人的思想、心灵、灵魂和精神。既然我们被命令“不住地祷告”（帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:17），我们就知道祷告可以在任何地点、任何时间、任何情况下进行。耶稣的生平表明，祷告的地点和方式可以多种多样。马可福音 1:35 描绘了耶稣清晨起床后到“旷野”祷告的情景。拣选十二使徒之前，耶稣在山上举行了通宵祷告会（参见路加福音 6:12）。当面对钉十字架的恐怖时，基督在客西马尼园祷告。马太福音记载了耶稣在祷告的地方和疲惫的门徒之间来回走动的情景（26:36-46）。即使祂在鼓励彼得、雅各和约翰与祂一同警醒祷告，祂心中向天父的祷告也可能仍在回响。今天，我们可以确信，神垂听我们随时随处的祷告，并且会回应我们的祷告。

今日灵修：我遇到了瓶颈。我在撰写一篇灵修文章，但是写到一半时，却突然灵感枯竭。我祷告说：“神啊，我该怎么办？”。我想起，有研究表明，行走能使我们的创造力平均提高60%，我便走到我家后面的小路上，继续与神交谈。半小时后，我精神焕发。我回到电脑前，完成了这篇文章。

 在列王纪下4:18-35中，我们读到以利沙和他的仆人基哈西应一位书念妇人的请求，帮助她死去的儿子。基哈西按照以利沙的指示（第29节），将杖放在孩子身上（第31节）。以利沙祷告，然后俯身在孩子身上。最后，“以利沙……在房间里来回行走，然后上了床，再次俯身在他身上。孩子……睁开了眼睛”（第35节）。圣经没有告诉我们以利沙为什么“来回行走”，也没有说明他在想什么。我们所知道的是，当以利沙的祷告没有得到回应时，他并没有放弃。不难想象他在这种紧急情况下向神祷告。

 当你陷入困境，不知所措时，你会怎么做？或许你可以尝试“边祷告边行走”。无论我们是去小径散步，还是在家中来回踱步，在需要的时候，用心灵与神建立联系，就能得到解决我们困境的答案。

反思与祷告 你陷入了怎样的困境？在这种情况下，你该如何与神沟通，以便得到祂的指引？亲爱的神，当我感到迷茫无助时，请帮助我与你同行。 

作者：伊丽莎·摩根