God hears the prayers of His people.

上帝垂听祂儿女的祷告。

On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:10–11

我们指望祂将来还要救我们。你们以祈祷帮助我们。-哥林多后书1章10-11节

A big academic project was weighing on me, and I was fretting over whether I could complete it by the deadline. In the midst of my anxious thoughts, I received three notes of encouragement from friends who were cheering me on. Each one said, “God brought you to mind today when I was praying.” I felt humbled and encouraged that these friends would contact me without knowing what I was going through, and I believed God had used them as His messengers of love.

我负责一个庞大的学术计划，但一直苦恼不知能否在期限内完成。正在担忧之际，我接连收到三封不同朋友寄给我的鼓励信函，每封信都提到：“今天祷告时，上帝让我想到你。”我深感惭愧也深受激励，因为这些朋友并不知道我所经历的事，却主动写信给我，因此我相信是上帝让他们成为传达爱的使者。

The apostle Paul knew the power of prayer when he wrote to the people in the church of Corinth. He said he trusted that God would continue to deliver them from peril “as you help us by your prayers” (2 Corinthians 1:10–11). And when God answered their prayers, He would be glorified as the people gave Him thanks for the “answer to the prayers of many” (v. 11).

使徒保罗在写信给哥林多教会的信徒时，也深信祷告的大能，他相信上帝必继续搭救他和同工们脱离险境，因哥林多教会的信徒以祈祷帮助他们（哥林多后书1章10-11节）。当上帝回应祷告，将令许多人感谢上帝，因“这恩是藉着许多人的代求而得到的”（11节，新译本），上帝也因此得着荣耀。

My friends and Paul’s supporters were engaging in the ministry of intercession, which Oswald Chambers calls “a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified.” As we focus our minds and hearts on Jesus, we find Him shaping us, including how we pray. He enables us to give the gift of true intercession to friends, family members, and even strangers.

我的朋友和那些支持保罗的信徒，都参与了代祷的事奉，就如章伯斯所说：“代祷乃是隐藏的事奉，会结出使天父得荣耀的果实。”只要我们的心思意念专注于耶稣，就会发现祂正塑造我们，包括教导我们如何祷告。祂将帮助我们为朋友、亲人，甚至陌生人真诚地代求，为他们带来祝福。

Has God put someone on your heart and mind for whom you can pray?

上帝是否让你特别想到某些人，要你为他们代祷呢？

Lord God, we are grateful that not only do we sense your love through the prayers of others, but also we too can pray for others, and know you hear us.

主上帝，感谢祢，让我不但能因别人的代祷感受到祢的爱，也能为人代求，且深知祢必垂听。

2 Corinthians 1:8-11    NIV

1 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

哥林多后书 1:8-11

1 弟兄们，我们不要你们不晓得，我们从前在亚细亚遭遇苦难，被压太重，力不能胜，甚至连活命的指望都绝了， 9 自己心里也断定是必死的，叫我们不靠自己，只靠叫死人复活的神。 10 他曾救我们脱离那极大的死亡，现在仍要救我们，并且我们指望他将来还要救我们。 11 你们以祈祷帮助我们，好叫许多人为我们谢恩，就是为我们因许多人所得的恩。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Paul endured far more than his share of trials. As he begins this deeply personal letter (see 2 Corinthians 1:3–7), he comforts the church in Corinth by using his own difficulties to identify with them. Then, with piercing candor, he reveals the depths of those trials—“far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (v. 8). Why would God permit His faithful servants to go through so much? Paul points to the reason: “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (v. 9, emphasis added).

保罗曾遭受难以承受的各种苦难。在他开始撰写这封细述自己经历的书信时（参阅哥林多后书1章3-7节），他用自己经历的苦难来安慰哥林多的教会，表示自己与他们一样。然后，他痛心地坦承，所经历的苦难曾使他感到“被压太重，力不能胜，甚至连活命的指望都绝了”（8节）。为什么上帝会允许祂忠心的仆人经历这么多苦难呢？保罗指出了背后的理由：“叫我们不靠自己，只靠叫死人复活的上帝。”（9节） 

When facing despair, we can do far more than merely endure. We can use our travails to identify with and understand our brothers and sisters who suffer and to pray for them. And we can acknowledge the absolute necessity of God, who raises the dead.

在伤心绝望时，我们不仅要学习忍耐，也可以藉着我们的苦难，体恤并安慰那些受苦的弟兄姐妹，且为他们祷告。我们也能因此确知，自己绝对需要那位能让死人复活的上帝。

整理：于姊妹