阅读经文 

在今天的经文中，出现了另一个发人深省的场景。昨天我们思想耶稣揭开第七印时发生的半小时寂静；（参启 8:1-2）现在有一位天使献上香的烟和“众圣徒的祈祷”，一同升到主面前。

神吩咐我们“要休息，要知道我是神，”以祈祷来回应这个吩咐再合适不过。我们的祷告表达我们相信神的应许，祂应许祂是“我们的避难所，是我们的力量，是我们在患难中随时的帮助”。（参诗 46:1）

这幅情景邀请我们去观看，神时常都会垂听我们的祷告。“众圣徒的祈祷”包括小孩子、祷告初学者、和经验丰富的祷告者的祈祷。

我的朋友Hank或许觉得他的祷告没有果效。他祈求主使他的同事信耶稣，可是这个同事却没有任何改变，过了一段时间后，他们二人都分别找到另一份工作。然而，多年之后当他们重聚时，Hank很开心地发现，他的昔日同事已经成为一个耶稣的跟随者了。Hank问他：“是什么令你改变的呢？”他的朋友说：“当你邀请我到你家里吃饭时，我当时听到你的祈祷，你与神亲密的关系让我心里很感动。”

尽管时间不一定符合我们所期望的，然而神必定会回应我们的祈祷。

In our reading today, another thought-provoking scene unfolds. Yesterday we reflected on a half-hour of silence that took place when Jesus opened the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1-2). And now an angel offers incense to go with "the prayers of all God’s people" being lifted up to the Lord.

Prayers are a fitting response to the command "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Our prayers are expressions of faith in God’s promise to be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

The picture here invites us to see that God always hears our prayers. "The prayers of all God’s people" include the prayers of children, of people just learning to pray, and of believers who have prayed for many years.

My friend Hank may have thought his prayers had no effect. He prayed that his coworker would come to believe in Jesus. But his coworker did not change, and after a while the two moved on to different jobs. When they met again years later, however, Hank was delighted to find that his former coworker had become a follower of Jesus. Hank asked, "What happened to make the change?" His friend said, "I listened to the prayers you gave when you invited me over for dinner in your home. You had a closeness to God that stirred my soul."

Though the timing may not be what we expect, God always answers our prayers!