“看哪，我站在门外叩门，若有听见我声音就开门的，我要进到他那里去 … 。”- 启 3:20

? Preparing To Pray

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. . . ." — Revelation 3:20

? Devotion

Here is the amazing reality of prayer: It exists because God wants to have a relationship with you. Prayer begins with God moving your heart to seek his heart. We don't initiate prayer; God does. This means that our prayers are always responses to God's promptings.

The scene in today's Bible reading portrays this fact beautifully. By knocking on the door to our hearts, the Lord invites us to enjoy a deep, lasting friendship with him. We would never have known that Jesus was at our doorstep without his knocking at the door.

The fact that prayer is a response to God's initiatives is reassuring. But this should also motivate us, when possible, to spend time preparing to pray before actually doing it. It need not be long, but some recognition of God's grace, the ground of all prayer, is a good way to begin. Before we speak, we should listen to the voice that calls to us. Before knocking on God's door, we should hear God knocking on ours. When we prepare to pray, we gratefully acknowledge that what we are about to do has originated in the heart of God.

So before you pray, bow before its mystery. Savor the Lord's grace and love. Then open the door.

? Prayer

Lord God, how often I rush into prayer without realizing what an incredible gift it is. Slow me down, Lord. Make me aware of your grace and love as I come to you in prayer. Amen.

诵读:楚云丨片头: 张妙阳

感谢《普世佳音》制作上传网络

文字校对：李清

图文编排：裕化

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