阅读经文 

神会垂听我们的祷告吗？是的；神会回应我们的祷告吗？是的。纵使不一定是在我们希望的时间，也不是常常照我们所求的，然而我们却有这等应许：“万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处”。（参罗 8:28）

诗篇七十篇的内容围绕着一个恳求：“神啊，求祢速速来帮助我！”（参诗 70:1、5）诗人正陷在困境中，有人要杀害他，或至少要伤害他，所以诗人请求神帮助他，他实际上是在说：“给我一个喜乐的证据，给我一个赞美祢的理由”。（参诗 70:4）

读这篇诗篇时，我想到耶稣正在面对人生中最大痛苦的那个晚上。祂知道有一个十字架在等待着祂，祂便祷告恳求神说：“我父啊，倘若可行，求祢叫这杯离开我；然而，不要照我的意思，只要照祢的意思”，（参太 26:39）祂三次这样祈求。但在转瞬之闲，祂便被捕了，第二天早上，祂被钉死在十字架上。

神有没有垂听耶稣的祷告？神有没有回应祂的祷告？希伯来书五章说，耶稣的祷告蒙神回应，因为祂顺服神的旨意，而神的旨意就是，耶稣要舍弃性命，藉着耶稣的死，神便能行救赎之工，“叫爱神的人得益处。”我们岂能不爱祂呢？

Does God hear our prayers? Yes. Does God answer our prayers? Yes. Not always when we want. And not always the way we want. But we do have this assurance: "In all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28).

Psalm 70 is framed by a single plea: "God, hurry up and help me!" (see vv. 1, 5). The poet is in trouble. People want to kill him, or at least ruin him. So the poet pleads for God's help, saying, in effect: "Give me a reason to rejoice. Give me a reason to praise you" (v.4).

When I read this psalm, I imagine Jesus on the most difficult night of his life. He knows that a cross awaits him, so he prays. He pleads with God: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). Three times he says that prayer. Minutes later he is arrested. The next morning he is nailed to a cross to die.

Did God hear Jesus' prayer? Did God answer his prayer? Hebrews 5 says Jesus was heard because he submitted himself to the will of God. And God's will was that Jesus would die. In the death of Jesus, God was working "for the good of those who love him." How can we not love him?