Great expectation on our part honors God.

信心的祷告能尊荣上帝。

God often chooses to move through our prayers to accomplish His work. We see this when God told the prophet Elijah, “I will send rain on the land,” promising to end a drought in Israel that had lasted three and a half years (James 5:17). Even though God had promised rain, a short time later “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees”—praying intently for the rain to come (1 Kings 18:42). Then, while he continued to pray, Elijah sent his servant to go and look out over the ocean “seven times,” scanning the horizon for any sign of rain (v. 43).

上帝常常会藉由我们的祷告，成就祂的工作。圣经记载，上帝应许要终止以色列三年半的干旱（雅各书5章17节） ，祂对先知以利亚说：“我要降雨在地上。”虽然上帝已经应许降雨在地上，但不久之后，“以利亚上了迦密山顶，屈身在地，将脸伏在两膝之中”，恳切祷告，求上帝降下大雨（列王纪上18章42节）。以利亚继续恳切祷告，同时派他的仆人去向海那边张望，察看是否有下雨的征兆，前后共有七次（43节）。

Elijah understood that God wants us to join in His work through humble, persistent prayer. Regardless of our human limitations, God may choose to move through our praying in amazing ways. That’s why the letter of James tells us that “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,” all the while reminding us that “Elijah was as human as we are” (James 5:16–17 nlt).

以利亚明白，上帝要我们以谦卑和不住地祷告，参与上帝所要成就的事。虽然我们的能力有限，但上帝却可以透过我们的祷告奇妙地成就大事。所以，雅各说：“义人祈祷所发的力量是大有功效的。”雅各也一再提醒我们：“以利亚与我们是一样性情的人。”（雅各书5章16-17节）

When we make it our aim to serve God through praying faithfully as Elijah did, we’re taking part in a beautiful privilege—where at any moment we may be given a front-row seat to a miracle!

当我们立志像以利亚一样，愿以忠心祈祷服事上帝的时候，我们就享有一份殊荣，那就是任何时候都可能亲眼目睹上帝成就奇妙大事！

How can I serve You through my prayers today, Father?

亲爱的天父，今天我应如何以祷告服事祢呢？

1 Kings 18:41-45

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

整理：于姊妹