“I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought out the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. I remember you, God, and I groaned; I meditated and my spirit grew faint.”  - Psalm 77:1-3  

       Have you ever felt like you’ve done everything you could do to try to get God’s attention and it’s not working? You’ve prayed about something, you’ve read the Bible, but there seems to be no response. Nothing is of any comfort to you and you may be on the verging of giving up on God.

       He says, “Will the Lord reject me forever? Will he never show his favour again?”

       It seems pretty hopeless doesn’t it? Haven’t we all been here? “God is not answering! God is Silent! How long will you be silent?”

       Out of desperation, the Psalmist prays. He cries out to the Lord. Eventually, instead of seeking the things he’s praying for, he actually ends up seeking God Himself. In his book A Praying Life, Paul Miller says that “You cry out to God so long and so often that a channel begins to open up between you and God.” Miller writes that soon you realize when you’re driving, you turn off the radio just to be with God. At night, you drift in and out of prayer when you are sleeping. Without realizing it, you have learned to pray continuously.   

      And here’s the thing, if this channel has been opened up to God through continuous and persistent prayer, sooner or later what you pray falls in line with what God wants for you.  

      Do not mistake God’s silence now and think that he is not working or that he does not care. God is writing HIS story.  We need to be watchful so that we can see the story unfold in front of us. Keep on praying. Keep on crying out to the Lord. 

      我要向神發聲呼求，我向神發聲，他必留心聽我。我在患難之日尋求主，我在夜間不住地舉手禱告，我的心不肯受安慰。我想念神，就煩躁不安；我沉吟悲傷，心便發昏。詩篇77:1-3

      你有沒有曾經覺得你已經做了一切你能做的，來試圖引起神的注意，卻沒有奏效？你曾經為某些事情禱告，又讀過聖經，但似乎沒有回應。好像沒有什麼能讓你感到安慰，你可能已經接近要放棄上帝。      

      他說：「難道主要永遠丟棄我，不再施恩嗎？」  

      這不是看來很絕望嗎？我們豈不也是過來人嗎？神沒有回應！神沉默了！你還要沉默多久？  

      詩人祈禱因為他感到絕望，他向主呼求。最終，他沒有尋求他所祈求的東西，而是尋求神自己。保羅米勒在他的《祈禱的生活》一書中說：「你向上帝呼求的時間如此之長，如此頻繁，以至於你與上帝之間的管道正開始打開。」米勒寫道：「很快你就會意識到當你開車時，你關掉收音機只單單為了與神在一起。到了晚上，你睡覺時間斷的禱告。不知不覺中，你已經學會了持續地向神禱告。」    

      如此，假若透過你向神持續不斷的禱告打開了你與神之間的管道，你的禱告早晚會與神對你的期望相一致。      

      現在不要錯誤地理解神的沉默，以為祂停止工作，或者祂不在乎。神正在編寫祂的故事。我們需要警醒，以至我們可以看見神展現在我們面前的故事。繼續禱告吧，繼續向主呼求！ 

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