洛克和丹尼是從小一起長大的玩伴。但他們長大之後，丹尼堅定信靠耶穌，而洛克則對信仰毫無興趣。丹尼很愛他的朋友洛克，就為洛克祈禱，因他知道洛克所走的是一條黑暗無望之路。在為洛克禱告時，丹尼套用了先知以西結所說的話：「上帝啊，懇求祢除掉洛克的石心，賜給他一顆肉心」（參見以西結書11章19節）。他盼望洛克能走在上帝所喜悅的道路，得享豐盛的生命。

十年過去了，丹尼依然忠心地為洛克祈禱。終於有一天，他接到了洛克的來電：「我剛剛把生命的主權交給耶穌！」聽到洛克終於決定不再任意妄為，將生命交託給上帝，丹尼不禁欣喜若狂，熱淚盈眶。

在丹尼多年的禱告中，他專注於上帝透過以西結給以色列民的應許。以色列民行可憎的事而離棄上帝，但上帝表明會改變他們的心：「我要使他們有合一的心，也要將新靈放在他們裡面，又從他們肉體中除掉石心，賜給他們肉心」（19節）。他們的心被改變了，就會忠心跟隨他們的上帝（20節）。

無論我們的心離上帝有多遠，祂都樂意將那熱切愛上帝的心賜給我們。我們只需憑信心悔改歸向祂，因我們相信耶穌會把我們從罪惡中拯救出來。

Brock and Dennis were childhood friends, but as they grew up, Brock showed little interest in Dennis’ faith in Jesus. Dennis loved his friend and prayed for him because he knew the path he was going down was dark and depressing. In praying for Brock, Dennis adapted the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “Please God, remove from Brock a heart of stone and give him a heart of flesh” (see Ezekiel 11:19). He longed that Brock would walk in God’s way so he would flourish.

Ten years later, Dennis was still praying faithfully. Then he received a call from Brock: “I just gave my life to Jesus!” Dennis rejoiced, tears brimming, to hear his friend exclaim that he’d finally come to the end of himself and trusted God with his life.

In his prayers, Dennis focused on God’s promises to His people through Ezekiel. Although they’d turned from God with detestable practices, He said He would change their hearts: “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (v. 19). With changed hearts, they would follow their God faithfully (v. 20).

No matter how far we’ve turned from God, He delights to give us warm and loving hearts. We need only to turn to Him with faith and repentance as we trust in Jesus to save us from our sins.