阅读经文 

或许你听过有关精灵的故事。精灵是虚构的，它们可以实现愿望，听起来可能会像精灵的话。精灵活在灯或瓶子里，当瓶子被磨擦时，精灵就会出来帮你实现愿望。

一开始，耶稣所说的话，“你们若奉我的名求什么，我必成就。”在今天的经文中解释，我们所祈求的必须符合神的旨意。

而我们怎么知道神的旨意是什么呢？我们藉着读圣经就可以了解神的旨意。实际上，祷告和明白神的话语和旨意是不可分割的。神在祂的话中启示自己，我们认识了神便自然会更爱祂，更愿意去服侍神和他人。

比如说，我们知道神呼召我们要爱邻舍，关心他人的福祉，为众人的公义和平生活。所以我们必须祈求（并为之努力）正义公平的政策，使世界各地的人能有充足优质的食物，住房和安全保障，使他们按神的心意学习，成长和昌盛。

祷告没有什么魔法。以神话语为根基的祷告，使我们寻求神的旨意，并寻求祂的国度成全。我们可以确信，当我们奉耶稣的名祈求时，神必回应这样的祷告。

Maybe you have heard stories about genies. Genies are imaginary beings that can live in a lamp or a bottle, and when the bottle is rubbed, the genie comes out to grant wishes.

At first, Jesus' words "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" may sound like the words of a genie.

But Jesus isn't talking about granting any wish we might have. As the apostle John explains in our Bible reading for today, what we pray for should be in line with God's will.

And how do we know what God's will is? We learn about God's will through reading and studying his Word. Prayer, in fact, goes hand in hand with knowing God's Word and will. As God reveals himself to us in his Word, we naturally grow in love for God and in our desire to serve him and others.

For example, we know that God calls us to love our neighbors, to care about their well-being, and to live peaceably with justice for all people. So we must pray (and work) for just and fair policies so that people everywhere may have good food and housing and safety, that they may learn and grow and flourish as God intends.

There's nothing magical about prayer. Prayers based on the foundation of God's Word put us in the position of wanting what God wants and seeking his kingdom. And we can be assured that God answers these prayers as we ask them in Jesus' name.