December 30

“Peter was kept in prison: but prayer (instant and earnest prayer) was made for him.”(Acts 12:5,margin)

Peter was in prison awaiting his execution. The Church had neither human power nor influence to save him. There was no earthly help, but there was help to be obtained by the way of Heaven. They gave themselves to fervent¹, importunate² prayer. God sent His angel, who aroused Peter from sleep and led him out through the first and second wards³ of the prison; and when they came to the iron gate, it opened to them of its own accord, and Peter was free.

There may be some iron gate in your life that has blocked your way. Like a caged bird you have often beaten against the bars, but instead of helping⁴, you have only had to fall back tired, exhausted⁵ and sore at heart. There is a secret for you to learn, and that is believing prayer; and when you come to the iron gate, it will open of its own accord. How much wasted energy and sore disappointment will be saved if you will learn to pray as did the Church in the upper room! Insurmountable difficulties will disappear; adverse⁶ circumstances will prove favorable if you learn to pray, not with your own faith but with the faith of God (Mark 11:22, margin). Souls in prison have been waiting for years for the gate to open; love ones out of Christ, bound by Satan, will be set free when you pray till you definitely believe God. ━C. H. P.

Emergencies call for intense prayer. When the man becomes the prayer nothing can resist its touch. Elijah on Carmel, bowed down on the ground, with his face between his knees, that was prayer━the man himself. No words are mentioned. Prayer can be too tense for words. The man's whole being was in touch with God, and was set with God against the powers of evil. They couldn't withstand such praying. There's more of this embodied⁷ praying needed. ━The Bent-knee Time

“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.”

━C. H. Spurgeon

十二月三十日

“彼得被囚在监。教会却为他切切的祷告神（徒十二:5）

彼得在监里等候处决。教会既没有能力拯救他，又没有势力拯救他。地上的帮助得不到了，可是天上的帮助还得得到。他们切切的祷告神。神遂差遣他的使者，夜间去拍醒彼得，领他过了第一层、第二层监牢，来到临街铁门。那门自己开了，彼得就得了自由。

　亲爱的，在你的道路上，也许也有铁门阻塞你的前进。像一只笼中的鸟一般，你一直击打门闩；可是非但得不到帮助，反使你非常疲惫，非常疼痛。你如果学会了秘诀，就不会这样了。甚么秘诀呢？就是相信祷告；(可11:22) 这样，当你来到铁门旁边，那门就会自己开了。如果你能想象当初的教会在楼房里那样恳切祷告，你就会节省许多精力，免除许多烦恼，困难也能胜过了；逆境也能顺利了；被撒但所捆绑的亲友也能得到释放了。

━C.H.P.

　　危急的时候，是祷告最恳切的时候。伊莱贾在迦密山顶屈身在地，将脸伏在两膝之中。虽然没有出声的话语，他的全人已经与神合一━与神同心合意地反对恶者的势力。这是我们祷告时所当有的态度。━译自屈膝的时候

　　说不出来的叹息常是不能拒绝的祷告。━司布真

1 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

2 importunate   

adj.强求的；纠缠不休的

参考例句：

• I would not have our gratitude become indiscreet or importunate.我不愿意让我们的感激变成失礼或勉强。
• The importunate memory was kept before her by its ironic contrast to her present situation.萦绕在心头的这个回忆对当前的情景来说，是个具有讽刺性的对照。

3 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

6 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

7 embodied   

v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
• The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》