Crux
竅
竅
文: 陳瑩
亞伯拉罕為所多瑪的禱告很特點。他不是口口聲聲說神呀，憐憫他們，千萬不要毀滅他們。他謙卑誠懇一步一步的求問神，他的問就是他的求。他抓牢了神是公義的神（創18︰25），這是他禱告的竅。他問到「假如在那裏見有十個呢？」底下他就不再問不再求，因他已聽見耶和華說「他們罪惡甚重，聲聞於我。」他們罪太重的結局就是神公義的彰顯。祂沒有冤枉一個義人。再看以色列人在大勝耶利哥城之後，竟在艾城大敗，原因何在？約書亞俯伏在神前一直求問。他固然為以色列民擔憂，但更擔憂的是「那時你為你的大名要怎樣行呢？」這是他禱告的竅。他顧慮到神為祂自己的名要怎樣行！約書亞不是糊塗熱心的禱告，求神使他們再次打勝，乃是為神的名擔憂。這一個中肯的禱告得着神的答應。再看新約迦南婦人的禱告，她有苦情便求主說︰「大衛的子孫可憐我‥‥‥」但主卻一言不答，」連主的門徒都表同情反為她代求。主回答說︰「我奉差遣，不過到以色列家迷失的羊那裏去。」這一句話卻開了這迦南婦人的竅，大衛的子孫只和以色列家發生關係，與外邦人無關的，所以她就拜祂說︰「主啊，幫助我！」她只稱呼作「主，」不再稱呼祂作「大衛的子孫。」因那名稱是專為以色列人用的。她懂得她不應站在錯誤的地位上來求主。她這樣一求，主回答了︰「不好拿兒女的餅丟給狗吃。」表面上好像是使她難堪，其實主要她認識甚麼是「恩典。」所以她說︰「主，不錯，但狗也吃主人桌上掉下的碎渣兒。」結果，主反稱許她說︰「婦人，你的信心是大的。」她的呼求得着了答應。多少時候，我們很熱心的在那裏禱告，哇啦哇啦的說了許多話，但得不着神的回應，乃因沒有摸着禱告的竅，沒有把神抓牢，說到祂的心坎裏。凡找到竅的人是善於作事的人，找到了竅就事半功倍，找不到就徒勞無功。
Crux
By: Dorine Chan
Abraham's prayer for Sodom was very special. He did not repeatedly said Oh God, have mercy on them and do not destroy them. He just humbly and sincerely asked God step by step. His asking was his request. He caught firmly that God was a righteous God (Genesis 18:25), which is the crux of his prayer. He asked, "If I see ten there?" And then he would not ask or demand anymore, because he has heard the Lord say, "The cry is great, and because their sin is very grievous." He did not treat unjustly any righteous person. And Let's look at that the Israelis, after a big victory over Jericho, was defeated at the Ai city, why? Joshua fell down in front of God and asked for long time. He was certainly concerned for the people of Israel, but the more worrying thing was that "what wilt thou do unto thy great name?" This was the crux of his prayer. He worried about what God will do for his own name! When Joshua asking this, God spoke to tell him the cause of failure (see Joshua 7). Joshua was not a confused yet enthusiastic prayer, asking God to enable them to win again, but concerned for God's name. This fair prayer was answered by God. Then let's look at the prayer of the woman of Canaan in the New Testament. She had trouble and asked the Lord, "Son of David please have mercy on me..." But the Lord did not answer a word. Even the Lord's disciples had sympathy for her and asked for her. The Lord replied, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This sentence made the woman of Canaan awakened, Son of David's would have relationship with Israel family and there was nothing to do with the gentiles, so she worshiped him, saying: "Lord, help me!" She called him "Lord" and no longer "son of David", as that name was designed solely for Israelis. She knew that she should not stand at the wrong position to demand the Lord. When she had done such a different demand, the Lord answered, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." It appeared to be an embarrassment for her, in fact the Lord wanted to ensure that she knew what "grace" was. She felt the crux of the prayer and knew her position and grace. So she said, "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." As a result, the Lord praised her: "O woman, great is thy faith." Her cry was answered. In many cases, we enthusiastically pray and say a lot of words without response from God. It is due to that we do not get the crux of prayer and do not hold firmly God by saying something into his heart. Those who have found the crux are people good at working. Finding the crux will get twofold results with half the effort and failing to find it will beat the air.