在我信主不久時，我從一本新的靈修聖經讀到一節熟悉的經文：「你們祈求，就給你們」（馬太福音7章7節）。其註解說：我們真正應該向上帝祈求的，是我們的意願能符合上帝的心意。藉著尋求上帝的旨意得以完成，我們便能確定得到自己所祈求的。這對我來說是一個新的觀念，於是我祈求上帝的旨意能在我的生命中成就。

那一天稍晚時，我突然對一份原本想要拒絕的工作頗感興趣，這令我回想起先前的禱告。也許我先前不想做的事，其實是上帝對我生命的旨意。我繼續禱告，最後接受了這份工作。

這種順服上帝旨意的禱告，耶穌在一個重大且具永恆意義的時刻，為我們做了最佳示範。耶穌在被出賣、逮捕以致被釘十架之前，如此禱告說：「父啊，祢若願意，求祢將這杯撤去；然而，不是照我的意願，而是要成全祢的旨意」（路加福音22章42節，和合本修訂版）。當時耶穌面對著身體和心靈的痛苦，祂的禱告也充滿了傷痛和煎熬，但祂仍然「懇切」禱告，為的是要成全上帝的旨意（44節）。

上帝的旨意在我生命中成就，已成為我最重要的祈求，這表示慢慢地我所渴望的，會是那些我都不知道自己需要或想要的。就像那份我原本不想做的工作，最後成為我在基督教文字事工的起點。回顧過去，我相信上帝的旨意已經成就。

As a young believer in Jesus, I picked up my new devotional Bible and read a familiar Scripture: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). The commentary explained that what we really should be asking God for is our will to line up with His. By seeking for His will to be done, we would be assured that we’d receive what we asked for. That was a new concept for me, and I prayed for God’s will to be done in my life.

Later that same day, I became surprisingly excited about a job opportunity I’d already turned down in my mind, and I was reminded about my prayer. Perhaps what I didn’t think I wanted was actually a part of God’s will for my life. I continued to pray and eventually accepted the job.

In a much more profound and eternally significant moment, Jesus modeled this for us. Before His betrayal and arrest, which led to His crucifixion, He prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Christ’s prayer was filled with anguish and agony as He faced physical and emotional pain (v. 44). Yet He was still able to “earnestly” pray for God’s will to be done.

God’s will in my life has become my ultimate prayer. This means I may desire things I don’t even know I want or need. The job I originally hadn’t wanted turned out to be the beginning of my journey in Christian publishing. Looking back, I believe God’s will was done.