阅读经文 

有一天，一位尼日利亚教牧领袖来探望我们，他刚出席了大学董事会的会议，在赶着回家之前，他坚持要来探访我们一家。

他下了车、走近我们的大门时，我已经认得他那令人难忘的身影了——他是一位有能力和恩赐的牧者。我们彼此热情寒暄，然后进入我们的客厅，坐在电动轮椅上的妻子正在那里等着我们。

牧师礼节性地问候过我们的家人、工作和健康后，便进入认真的话题了。他已听闻我们的情况，他知道我们在挣扎；我妻子的多发性硬化症使生活变得越来越困难，他深深关切此事。

他来是要提供给我们牧者的关怀，他用尼日利亚的豪萨语问我们，他可否和我们一起祷告，我们当然说可以啦。这位年事已高的牧师来到我妻子的轮椅前面，他跪下来，把我妻子的手放在他自己的手中，为我妻子、为我、为我们的儿子，向神倾心吐意恳切祷告。

这真是感人、美丽和温暖人心的一幕啊。有功效吗？尽管我妻子仍然有多发性硬化症，然而，这位祷告的神仆把我们带到神的面前，我们重获勇气。敬虔的尼日利亚牧师的祷告是满有功效的，激励了我们的生命。牧师为我们祷告时，我们再一次体验到：神是良善的。

A Nigerian pastoral leader came to visit us one day. He had attended a meeting of the college's board of trustees. Before rushing back home, he insisted on a visit to our home.

I recognized the imposing figure as he stepped out of the car and approached our door—this strong, gifted pastor. We greeted each other warmly and stepped into our living room, where my wife joined us in her motorized chair.

After a few common-courtesy questions about our family, our work, and our health, the pastor became earnest. He had heard about our situation; he knew we were struggling. My wife's multiple sclerosis was making life more and more challenging. He was deeply concerned.

He had come to be a pastor to us. In the Hausa language he asked if he might pray with us. Of course he could. Approaching my wife's chair, the elderly pastor went to his knees, took her hands in his, and poured out his soul in an earnest prayer for my wife, for me, for our sons.

It was moving, beautiful, heartwarming. Effective? My wife still had MS. But we knew we had been brought into the presence of God by this praying servant of God. Our courage was renewed. The prayer of a righteous Nigerian pastor was movingly effective in our lives. God is good—we tasted it afresh as the pastor prayed for us.