Hearing Us from Heaven 在天上垂听

[Dexu Xia]

Hear from heaven their prayer and their plea.  1 Kings 8:45

At eighteen months old, little Maison had never heard his mother’s voice. Then doctors fitted him with his first hearing aids and his mom, Lauryn, asked him, “Can you hear me?” The child’s eyes lit up. “Hi, Baby!” Lauryn added. A smiling Maison responded to his mother with soft coos. In tears, Lauryn knew she’d witnessed a miracle. She’d given birth to Maison prematurely after gunmen shot her three times during a random home invasion. Weighing just one pound, Maison spent 158 days in intensive care and wasn’t expected to survive, let alone be able to hear.

That heart-warming story reminds me of the God who hears us. King Solomon prayed fervently for God’s attuned ear, especially during troubling times. When “there is no rain” (1 Kings 8:35), during “famine or plague,” disaster or disease (v. 37), war (v. 44), and even sin, “hear from heaven their prayer and their plea,” Solomon prayed, “and uphold their cause” (v. 45).

In His goodness, God responded with a promise that still stirs our hearts. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Heaven may seem a long way off. Yet Jesus is with those who believe in Him. God hears our prayers, and He answers them.

What troubling situation can you pray about today, believing God is hearing you from heaven? What help from God can you thank Him for because He hears your plea?

Heavenly Father, during my toughest struggles and troubles, I thank You for hearing my humble cry.

求祢在天上垂听他们的祷告祈求。—列王纪上8章45节

小梅森在18个月大时，从未听过母亲的声音。医生第一次帮梅森装上助听器后，母亲洛玲问他：“你听见我说话吗？”小梅森的眼睛亮了起来。洛玲再说：“嘿，小宝贝！”小梅森竟然咯咯地笑了。洛玲的眼泪不禁夺眶而出，因她见证了一个生命的奇迹。洛玲怀孕时，破门行窃的歹徒朝她开了三枪，导致婴儿早产。梅森出生时只有454克，在重症加护型保温箱里待了158天，存活的希望都很渺茫，更别说能听见了。

这则温暖人心的故事，令我想到听见我们祷告的上帝。所罗门热切祈求上帝垂听祂子民的祷告，特别在他们面对患难的时候。尤其是当“天闭塞不下雨”（列王纪上8章35节），或是“有饥荒、瘟疫……灾祸疾病”（37节），“争战”（44节），甚至他们犯罪的时候，所罗门祷告说：“求祢在天上垂听他们的祷告祈求，使他们得胜。”（45节）

上帝因着祂的良善，以一个如今仍激励人心的应许作为回应，祂说：“这称为我名下的子民，若是自卑、祷告，寻求我的面，转离他们的恶行，我必从天上垂听，赦免他们的罪，医治他们的地”（历代志下7章14节）。“天上”看来离我们很远，但别忘了，耶稣时刻与相信祂的人同在，上帝也会垂听并回应我们的祷告。

今天你能为哪些困境祷告，并相信上帝会垂听？
上帝垂听你的呼求而赐下哪些帮助？
你要如何感谢祂？

亲爱的天父，感谢祢在我极艰难的困苦中，
垂听我谦卑的祷告和呼求。