1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好！
2. Welcome back to the broadcast
欢迎你收听我们的节目。
3. In our last broadcast I left you with a question to ponder
上一次结束前我留下一个问题，请你想一想，
4. Do you remember what it was?
你还记得这个问题吗？
5. Well while you are thinking, let me review the last message.
当你在想的时候，我跟大家重温一下上次的信息，
6. It may help you remember.
大概可以帮助你记起来。
7. We have just started a study in Genesis 24 verses 1 to 21
我们刚刚开始研读创世记24:1-21这段经文，
8. Abraham has sent his chief steward, Eliezer, back to Abraham’s homeland
亚伯拉罕差遣仆人以利以谢回到亚伯拉罕的老家，
9. Abraham sent him with a commission to find a wife for his son, Isaac
亚伯拉罕差仆人去为儿子以撒寻找婚姻对象。
10. Do you recall the very first thing that Eliezer did?
你记得以利以谢首先作什么事吗？
11. The first thing that Eliezer did was pray
他做的第一件事就是祷告，
12. The first thing that the servant of Abraham did was to seek the mind of God
亚伯拉罕仆人首先寻求神的意念，
13. The first thing Eliezer did was to ask God’s will and direction
以利以谢做的第一件事就是寻求神的旨意和引领。
14. Who is the one that you have chosen for my master’s son, that was the question
他问神说：你为我主人的儿子所拣选预备的是哪一位？
15. In fact, this is the very first prayer recorded in the Bible
这正是圣经所记载的第一个祷告。
16. A lot of people prayed before Genesis 24, but this is the first prayer that is recorded word for word
在这以前已经有很多人向神祈祷，但创世记24章是圣经里第一个详细记录下来的祷告。
17. Here it is
经文是这样的：
18. Oh, Lord God of my master Abraham, give me success this day
耶和华我主人亚伯拉罕的神阿，求你使我今日遇见好机会。
19. In our last broadcast, I asked you the following question
在上一次的节目里，我问了一个问题，
20. Where do you think Eliezer learned to pray like this?
你认为以利以谢是从哪里学会这样祷告的？
21. Where did Eliezer learn to trust Jehovah like this?
以利以谢从哪里学会如此仰望倚靠神？
22. From his master, Abraham, of course.
没错，是从他主人亚伯拉罕那里学到的。
23. Obviously he watched him
很显然的，他常观察他的主人。
24. Mothers and fathers please listen carefully
为人父母的请留心听，
25. Your children will learn to trust in God by watching you trusting in God
如果你们信靠神，你们的孩子就能学习如何信靠神。
26. Your children will learn to rely on God in the times of difficulties in their lives by watching you rely on God in the times of difficulties in your life
如果你们在困难的时候倚赖神，你们的孩子也就学会在困难的时候倚赖神。
27. Your children will learn to be prayer warriors by watching you and your prayer life
你们的孩子将从你们身上，和你们的祷告生活中，学习成为祷告勇士。
28. Your children will learn to be dependent on God in every decision that they make by seeing you exercise your dependence on God
你们的孩子看见你们凡事倚靠神，他们也就学会在任何决定上都倚靠神。
29. Those of you who are leaders and teachers please listen carefully
作为领导和为人师表的，请留心听着，
30. People are learning and modeling not your words but your life
人们不是效法你说的话，而是效法你的生活；
31. People are learning and modeling your walk more than your talk
人们不是效法你口中所说的，而是效法你的行为。
32. Obviously to Abraham, prayer was the first option, not the last resort
很显然地，祷告是亚伯拉罕首先做的事，而不是最后的办法。
33. It is obvious that Abraham modeled prayer life to his household
很显然地，亚伯拉罕的祷告生活成为全家人的榜样，
34. Not only to his family but also to all of his servants and to those who worked within his compound
不单是家人的榜样，更成为仆人和他附近的人的榜样。
35. They watched him
他们都在观察他，
36. They learned from him
他们从他身上学习。
37. And Abraham modeled prayer for this man Eliezer
亚伯拉罕的祷告成为以利以谢的榜样，
38. And that is why Eliezer began his journey with prayer
因此，以利以谢在启程前先祷告。
39. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians 5:17
使徒保罗在帖撒罗尼迦前书5:17告诉帖撒罗尼迦的信徒，
40. Pray always, or pray continuously
要不住的祷告。
41. 2000 years earlier, Eliezer understood this principle of prayer
两千年前，以利以谢已经明白祷告的原则。
42. What principle
是什么原则？
43. My listening friends, this is what it is
亲爱的朋友，这原则就是，
44. It is the principle of prevailing prayer
使祷告有果效的原则；
45. It is the principle of faithfully practicing what he understood
能实践信仰的原则。
46. Probably there was no expedition that was more bathed in prayer than this one
大概再没有比这趟旅程更专注于祷告的旅程了。
47. I have no doubt that throughout this six-week journey across the blazing heat of the desert
我确信，整整六个星期在炽热的沙漠中旅行，
48. From Palestine to modern day Iraq, Eliezer prayed
从巴勒斯坦到今天的伊拉克，以利以谢都在祷告。
49. Throughout these six weeks, Eliezer poured his heart out to the Lord
在这六个星期中，以利以谢向神倾心吐意，
50. Morning, noon, and night, Eliezer prayed
早上，中午和晚上，以利以谢都在祷告。
51. Every waking moment he prayed
醒着的时候，以利以谢不住祷告，
52. Early in the morning he prayed
每天清晨，以利以谢向神祷告，
53. Late at night he prayed
夜阑人静时，以利以谢也在祷告。
54. Oh, Lord
我的神阿，
55. I am dependent on you
我专心倚靠你；
56. Oh, Lord
我的神阿，
57. You have been good to my master
你一直恩待我的主人；
58. Oh, Lord
我的神阿，
59. You are my master’s blessing
你是我主人的福分；
60. Oh, Lord, I know you will not let me down
我的神阿，我知道你不会使我失望；
61. Oh, Lord, I know you will not let him down
我的神阿，我知道你不会使我主人失望；
62. Oh, Lord, your choice and not mine
我的神阿，求你来拣选，而不是我的拣选；
63. Oh, Lord, not my will, but yours be done
我的神阿，照你的旨意成全，而不是我的意愿；
64. Oh, Lord, what you want, not what I want
我的神阿，成就你所愿的，而不是我的期望；
65. Oh, Lord, what you like, not what I like
我的神阿，是你所喜悦的，而不是我的喜好；
66. Oh, Lord, what your desire, not my desire
我的神阿，按照你的心意而行，而不是我的心愿。
67. So by the time Eliezer arrived in Nahor, he was prayed out
所以当以利以谢抵达拿鹤时，他已经彻底地祷告了，
68. And God led him to his perfect plan
神依照祂完美的计划来引领以利以谢。
69. But there is a second thing I want to share with you
我还有另外一件事要跟你分享，
70. My listening friends, this is very important
亲爱的朋友，这是很重要的一点，
71. I don’t want you to miss this
我希望你不要错过这重点。
72. As Eliezer prayed, he kept on traveling
当以利以谢向神祷告的时候，他仍然不断地往前走，
73. He did not just sit on his easy chair and did nothing and wait on God to do everything for him
他并非无所事事地呆坐着等神为他做工。
74. No
不是的，
75. He kept on walking
他不断的往前走，
76. He kept on planning
他一直在计划，
77. He kept on studying the maps
他常常研究地图，
78. He kept on figuring out the best way to reach his destination
他时刻考虑着哪一条才是达到目的地的最佳途径。
79. My listening friends, listen carefully
亲爱的朋友，请留心听着，
80. Prayer is not an excuse for laziness
祷告不是懒惰的借口，
81. Prayer is not a substitute for action
不要以祷告取代行动，
82. That is why the Bible says to watch and pray
这就是为什么圣经说，要儆醒祷告。
83. You need to do both
你需要儆醒，也要祷告。
84. While Moses was up in the mountain praying, his hands lifted up high to the heavens
当摩西在山顶祷告时，他向天举手祷告，
85. Joshua was down in the battle field fighting
而约书亚就在山下平原上与敌人争战；
86. Nehemiah told his people to build with one hand and carry the sword with the other
尼希米嘱咐以色列人，要用一只手建造城墙，另一只手拿着刀剑。
87. Watch and pray
要儆醒，要祷告，
88. And that’s what Eliezer was doing
这就是以利以谢所作的。
89. But very quickly there is a third thing that I want you to notice here
我还要你留心第三件事，
90. This woman had to be related to his master Abraham
这新娘的人选必须是他主人亚伯拉罕的亲族，
91. That was his commission
这是他接受的使命，
92. Those were his instructions
这是他得到的指示。
93. He could have gotten half way and gotten tired and said to himself, well, any old woman will do
他大可以走到半途感到疲倦时，就随意挑选一个成年女子，
94. But no
但他没这么作；
95. He could have put things off and just wandered around the corner
他大可以四处游荡，耽搁他的任务；
96. He could have done any kind of thing
他大可以去做其他的事，
97. But Eliezer had to obey the commission
但以利以谢持守他主人的吩咐，
98. The woman must not be of the Canaanites
这女子绝对不能是迦南的女子，
99. The woman must be a God-fearing woman
这女子必须是敬畏神的女子，
100. So Eliezer placed a sign
于是以利以谢祈求一个征兆。
101. You may have noticed that he did not ask for a miracle
你大概注意到他并没有求神迹，
102. He just put a sign there
他只祈求一个征兆。
103. He said, God I’m going to trust you to show me
他说，神阿，我相信你会指示我，
104. I want you to show me and then I will know it is from you
求你给我指示，我就知道那是你的意思。
105. The only sign they knew back then of a woman’s character was how she behaved
那时候，只有从一个女子的行为才可以知道她的性格。
106. A woman of character was a generous woman
一个品格好的女子是个慷慨的女子；
107. A woman of character was a hospitable woman
一个品格好的女子是个友善好客的女子；
108. A woman of character was self-giving woman
一个品格好的女子是个舍己为人的女子。
109. That was the only sign that he knew and therefore he placed that sign
以利以谢只知道这些，于是就祈求这些征兆。
110. I will say more about that in our next broadcast
在下一次节目里，我会多讲一些这方面的事，
111. But listen carefully as to the reason Eliezer said what he said
现在请注意以利以谢为什么这样祈求。
112. Verse 14 of chapter 24
创世记24:14，
113. Now had Eliezer went to a Canaanite woman and asked her for a drink
这时候，以利以谢若向一个迦南女子要水喝，
114. She would have looked at him and said
她大概会瞪着以利以谢说，
115. No, get it yourself, you are stronger than I am
你自己打水喝吧，你比我强壮多了。
116. Now this is the spirit of the age
这也是现代的风气，
117. It is not new
并不是新鲜的事，
118. It goes back to the Canaanite days
在迦南那个时代已经如此了，
119. And that is why Abraham did not want for a bride for his son Isaac to be chosen from among the Canaanites
这就是为什么亚伯拉罕不要从迦南女子中为儿子以撒挑选妻子。
120. My listening friends, listen carefully
亲爱的朋友，请留心听，
121. Abraham knew that Isaac was the son of promise
亚伯拉罕很清楚以撒是神应许给他的儿子，
122. Do you know how long he waited for Isaac
你知道他等这个儿子等了多久？
123. Do you know how many years
你知道有多少个年头吗？
124. He waited 25 years
他等了25年。
125. He got old and his wife Sarah got old and he gave up a few times
他和妻子撒拉都年老了，他好几次想要放弃，
126. In fact at one time he wanted to adopt Eliezer the servant to become his adopted son to inherit his earthly goods
事实上，他曾经要收养仆人以利以谢为义子，让以利以谢承受他的产业。
127. And then one time when he got Ishmael, he said, Oh, let Ishmael live before you
后来他生了以实玛利，他还对神说：“但愿以实玛利活在你面前。”
128. God said, no, no, no
但神一一否定了，
129. I have made you a promise and I will keep it
神说，我给你的应许，一定会应验。
130. Listen to this my listening friends
亲爱的朋友，请听我说，
131. When God makes a promise, it may take 25 years but he always keeps his word
神的应许，即使过了25年，神也必定实现诺言的。
132. Abraham knew that God had promised him that through Isaac, his spiritual descendents will be more numerous than the stars
亚伯拉罕知道神应许他，借着以撒，他属灵的后嗣比天上的星星还要多；
133. Abraham knew that the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ had to be a woman of character
亚伯拉罕知道，耶稣基督的先祖，必须是有美好品格的女子，
134. So Eliezer planned a sign
因此，以利以谢祈求一个征兆，
135. If I ask a woman to give me a drink and she offers to go the second mile without my asking her, then she’s the one
如果我向一位女子要水喝，她不但给我喝，还主动给我的骆驼喝，那她就是你所预定的人选。
136. Simple, yes
很简单，是吗？
137. But the plan was not simplistic
但是这计划一点也不简单。
138. My listening friends, I have some important things to tell you before I conclude for the day
亲爱的朋友，在今天的节目结束以前，我要告诉你很重要的事，
139. There are some people who say that you must not be specific in your prayers
有人说，祷告不需要很具体，
140. They really believe this sincerely
他们真是这样认为，
141. They think they should not pray for specific things just in case it is against the will of God
他们觉得不应该很具体的为某件事祷告，以免违背神的旨意。
142. Well I have news for them
我要告诉他们，
143. God is very capable of saying no
神会拒绝人的祈求；
144. But my question to them is this
但我要提出的问题是，
145. How would you know that God answered if you did not pray specifically?
如果你没有具体地祈求，你怎么知道神回应了你的祷告？
146. There are people who are very afraid to ask God for anything lest they are praying outside of the will of God
有些人很怕向神求任何事，深恐这样他们的祷告就会违背神的旨意。
147. Let me put your mind at rest
让我免除你的疑惑，
148. When your heart is right
当你存着正确的心态，
149. When your heart is bent toward obedience to the will of God
当你存心顺服神的旨意，
150. When your heart is committed to do the will of God
当你定意遵行神的旨意，
151. You can ask God for anything
你可以向神求任何事，
152. Because with that kind of heart, you’re not going to ask for stupid things
因为，如果你存这样的心，你就不会求愚不可及的事。
153. You are going to ask for things that are honoring to God
你会求能够荣耀神的事，
154. You are going to ask for things that are pleasing to God
你会求讨神喜悦的事，
155. Praying specifically does not dishonor God
具体地为某件事祷告，并非不尊敬神，
156. In fact, praying specifically is the only way that you can know that God did it
事实上，向神具体地祷告是唯一的途径让你知道，事情是神成就的。
157. In 1987 I was a pastor to a church that had less than 50 members
1987年，我牧养的教会还不到50人，
158. Back then I said to my friends that I believed that we would have a 3000 seat church in a visible location in the city where I lived
那时候我跟朋友说，我相信在我住的城市，一个显著的地点，我们会建立一间可以坐三千人的教会。
159. Many of them thought that it was impossible
许多人都说那是不可能的，
160. Many of them said, it could not happen
他们说，不会实现的。
161. But 13 years later, everyone in the world would know that God did it
但在13年后，人人都知道神成就了大事。
162. I was talking to a friend the other day and I said that my very simple philosophy is this
有天我跟一个朋友说，我有一个很简单的哲理，那就是，
163. If you can explain it, then God didn’t do it
如果你能说得出来龙去脉，就不是神所作的了。
164. My listening friends, God wants us to learn these three things
亲爱的朋友神要我们学习三件事，
165. What are they
那是什么呢？
166. First
第一，
167. We must be dependent on God in pray, always
我们必须常常倚靠神来祷告；
168. Second
第二，
169. We must work while praying
我们要一面祷告，一面作工；
170. Thirdly
第三，
171. We should believe God for big things from a big God for his kingdom
我们必须相信，伟大的神要为祂的国成就大事。
172. Again my friend, it’s time for us to go
亲爱的朋友，时间已经到了，
173. Tune in to our next broadcast as we continue to look at the ordinary steward, Eliezer, who prayed and extraordinary prayer
请收听我们下次的节目，我要继续讲以利以谢这位平凡的管家作出的非凡祷告。
174. Until then, I wish you God’s richest blessings as you pray.
愿神大大的赐福于你，下次再会。
