阅读经文 

神带领祂的百姓以色列民走过旷野，前往祂所赐的应许之地，这是一条既漫长又艰苦的旅程，然而主总会供应他们所需的。尽管如此，以色列民却时常抱怨路途艰辛，甚至说他们从前在埃及的生活要好得多——尽管他们曾经在那里作奴隶。

神因他们的叛逆准备惩罚他们时，摩西心中不悦。他向神呼求：“你为何苦待仆人……我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你立时将我杀了，不叫我见自己的苦情。”（民 11:11-15）

摩西这样说是否言之有理呢？和多年之后的以利亚那样，（参王上 19:1-4）摩西怀着一颗破碎的心向神祈求，他担当不起带领这群难以取悦和不停抱怨的人穿越旷野的重任。想像一下，促使他这样迫切恳求的痛苦感受；摩西对祷告并非没有信心，他只是向神表露他极度破碎的心而已。进一步想像一下，看到百姓的抱怨和叛逆，神的心是何等伤痛。

神垂听摩西的祷告，祂委派七十个长老来帮助摩西，分担他带领百姓的重任。神又赐下鹌鹑，好叫百姓有肉吃，这是一个何等奇妙的神迹啊！

神是无所不能的，而神也垂听和看顾祂子民的领袖发出的祷告。

As God led his people Israel through the desert to the land he had promised them, the journey was long and hard. But the Lord always provided for them. Even so, the Israelites often complained about their hardships, saying they had it better in Egypt—even though they had been slaves there.

When God disciplined the Israelites because of their rebellion, Moses' heart was troubled. He cried out to God, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? …Please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin."

Did Moses make sense? Like Elijah many years later (1 Kings 19:1-5), Moses was praying with a broken heart. He was overburdened by trying to lead a difficult, complaining people through the wilderness. Imagine the pain in his heart that prompted such a prayer. It wasn't that Moses didn't have faith to pray. He was expressing his extremely broken heart to God. Imagine also the pain in God's heart because of the people's complaints and rebellion.

God heard Moses' prayer and appointed 70 elders to help with the burden of leading the people. God also sent quail so that the people could eat meat. What a miracle that was!

God's power is boundless, and God listens to the prayers of leaders who care for his people.