阅读经文 

我经常祷告，希望神能给我更多明确的例子，显明祂在我生命中的同在和美好。我听说有些基督徒拥有充满活力的祷告生活，或者他们非常肯定地感受到神的同在，我希望我自己也能更多地经历这些。我祈求神能更多地出现在我的生活中。

这些都是很好的愿望，也是很好的祷告。但我也可以祈求能看到神已经显明在我身上和世上的美好救赎之恩。

这就是雅各能够看到的东西。他做了一个梦，梦见一个天梯，上面有神的天使在上上下下。神在那个梦中直接对雅各说话，提醒他神应许会爱他和看顾他的家人。雅各醒来后，他说：“耶和华真在这里！我竟不知道。”神的救恩之美一直伴随着他。

这种情况并不总是发生在梦中，但神确实向我们保证，祂对自己的应许是信实的。我感谢神一直与我同在，无论我是否意识到这一点。

我祈祷神来亲近我，也祈祷我能够认出神的同在和美好就在我身边。

I often pray that God would give me more clear examples of his presence and beauty in my life. I hear about Christians who have a vibrant prayer life, or who feel the presence of God so surely, and I wish that I had those experiences more often myself. I pray that God would show up more in my life.

Those are good desires to have and good prayers to pray. But I could also pray for the ability to see God's beautiful salvation that is already present in my life and in the world.

That's what Jacob was able to see. He had a dream about a stairway with the angels of God going up and down on it. God spoke directly to Jacob in that dream, reminding him of God's promises to love him and to care for his family. When Jacob awoke, he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." The beauty of God's salvation had been with him all along.

That doesn't always happen in dreams, but God does assure us that he is true to his promises. I am thankful that God's presence is always with me, whether I recognize it or not.

I pray that God will be near, and I also pray that I will be able to recognize God's presence and beauty all around.