第三章

1申初禱告的時候，彼得、約翰上聖殿去。 2 有一個人，生來是瘸腿的，天天被人抬來，放在殿的一個門口，那門名叫美門，要求進殿的人賙濟。 3 他看見彼得、約翰將要進殿，就求他們賙濟。 4 彼得約翰定睛看他；彼得說：你看我們！ 5 那人就留意看他們，指望得著甚麼。 6 彼得說：金銀我都沒有，只把我所有的給你：我奉拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名，叫你起來行走！ 7 於是拉著他的右手，扶他起來；他的腳和踝子骨立刻健壯了， 8 就跳起來，站著，又行走，同他們進了殿，走著，跳著，讚美神。 9 百姓都看見他行走，讚美神； 10 認得他是那素常坐在殿的美門口求賙濟的，就因他所遇著的事滿心希奇、驚訝。 11 那人正在稱為所羅門的廊下，拉著彼得、約翰；眾百姓一齊跑到他們那裡，很覺希奇。 12 彼得看見，就對百姓說：以色列人哪，為甚麼把這事當作希奇呢？為甚麼定睛看我們，以為我們憑自己的能力和虔誠使這人行走呢？ 13 亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神，就是我們列祖的神，已經榮耀了他的僕人（或作：兒子）耶穌；你們卻把他交付彼拉多。彼拉多定意要釋放他，你們竟在彼拉多面前棄絕了他。 14 你們棄絕了那聖潔公義者，反求著釋放一個兇手給你們。 15 你們殺了那生命的主，神卻叫他從死裡復活了；我們都是為這事作見證。 16 我們因信他的名，他的名便叫你們所看見所認識的這人健壯了；正是他所賜的信心，叫這人在你們眾人面前全然好了。

 

默想

跛腳乞丐乞討零錢，但彼得給他更好的——使他的腳復原能行走。我也可能只想神替我解決一些眼前的小問題，但祂希望賜給我新的生命，並且幫助我解決所有問題。當我求神時，祂也許會說：「我預備更好的東西要賜給你。」

我是否曾經向神禱告，將心中想要的告訴祂，結果得到的與心中所想的並不同，當時是驚喜？還是失望？

把心中的感受告訴神，並在今天一天中繼續的等候，聆聽神對我的回答。

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

Chapter 3

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  ⁶Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  ¹¹While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹²When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Meditation

1. The crippled man was begging for some change, but Peter gave him something much better – the full recovery of his legs.  Similarly, I may wish that God would solve some of my problems, but His plan is much bigger as he desires to give me new life and help resolve the real problem.  When I ask Him for help, He may say, “I’ve prepared something better for you.”
2. Have I ever prayed to God for certain things but the result was totally different?  What was my response?  Surprised or disappointed?
3. Tell God my feelings, and continue to listen to God’s words for me today.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.