你的家人需要神蹟時

Gary Wilkerson

我們最黑暗的困境時刻可以成為我們最大的喜樂,見證神的信實心,以及我們生命和家人的轉變.
我經歷過兒女落難的噩夢, 且一覺醒來便鬆了一口氣,曉得這只不是一場夢而已. 但是,你一覺醒來,卻夢境成真,又怎麼樣呢? 你的兒女面對真實困難,例如惡癮,不良關係或逃避神;許多父母都面對這些嚴峻的實際情形. 
你面對困境嗎?
你的家人需要神蹟嗎?
也許你的兒女放浪不羈.
師母Kelly和我因兒女放浪不羈,包括惡癮纏身, 而經歷痛苦.這也可以是由於你為之禱告,不加檢點的配偶和父母,希望他們會向主回轉. 神要醫治且復興你一家人.我們倆夫婦為放浪形骸的兒女代禱多年,認為你也能看見突破. 
約翰使徒說:「我聽見我的兒女按真理而行，我的歡喜沒有比這個更大的。」(約三1:4).若沒有比兒女與神同行更大的喜樂;相對來說,沒有比他們不得勝的行事更大的悲哀. 
人生中很少事情像目睹兒女受苦一般痛苦. 如果你的兒女偏離神, 兒子惡癮纏身,女兒有同性戀傾向,或者成年的兒女彷彿在生命中迷失, 你就明白我所說的痛苦. 
我經歷過被摯友深刻的出賣. 我得過醫生晴天霹靂的報告,說我患癌. 我遭遇過令我幾乎癱瘓的車禍. 然而,這些創傷都不如兒女毒癮纏身. 
我們倆夫婦曾哭著入睡, 知道兒子露宿街頭,濫用危險毒品, 生死未卜. 女兒有小孩,但與焦慮感搏鬥,借酒澆愁. 我們體恤你的痛苦,與你有同樣的感受. 保羅使徒論到哀傷歎息,而且我想像不少父母因家境而煩惱,往往深深歎息.然而, 這歎息會帶來神大大動工的盼望. 
加添痛苦的就是惡者發聲定我們倆夫婦的罪, 企圖羞辱我們. 我們聽見有聲音反覆迴響說:「你父親創辦了挑戰青少年(Teen Challenge)事工,且幫助拯救數萬人,你卻無法避免兒女吸毒.」我們加倍痛苦. 眼見兒女落難,又加上羞恥和自責.
化解家庭危機
我們並不孤單. 我們在挑戰世界(World Challenge)大會問牧師和領袖們有多少人的兒女放浪不羈,惡癮纏身. 幾乎80%的人舉手! 我知道惡魔攻擊我們家中的寶貴兒女; 牠加倍傷害那些敬愛神的兒女. 
我們如何化解家庭危機呢? 首先, 我們學習倚靠主. 我們發現自己無法掌控或解決困境, 但我們可把兒女帶到神面前;我們辦不到的, 祂能.
神大能的提醒我們,我們的突破就臨到. 祂提到摩西母親的故事.她怕自己的嬰兒性命不保,就把他放在籃子裡,讓他隨河水逐流. 在那一刻, 她不知後果如何,但她明白誰掌控後果.神掌控河流,且領合適的人到河邊. 摩西的母親倚靠神且放手,深知神胸有成竹. 
有時候,我們必須把兒女和家人交託給神. 不是指我們不禱告或極力傳福音. 但是,也不是指我們放棄極力解決一切. 這樣, 有兩件事會發生. 首先, 我們領受神的平安. 第二, 我們的兒女曉得父母無法為他們解決一切, 便開始自己仰望神. 他們來找我們不久後, 說到主要的屬靈突破. 他們經過多年的禱告和復興後,盡心跟隨主,婚姻美滿, 獲得有酬且成功的就業, 養育寶貴的敬虔兒女. 
第二, 不要接受仇敵的定罪和羞辱.我們很容易感受父母的失敗, 但我們沒有人是完美的父母. 我們會屢屢想起有關自己的失敗. 我必須求神且請兒女饒恕我的軟弱.我一旦這樣做,就定意不接受仇敵的控告. 
神是我們完美的父親
我感到自己在為人父親上失敗了,令兒女毒癮纏身,主就鼓勵我. 祂對我說衪是惟一完美的父親, 然而祂頭兩位兒女,即亞當和夏娃卻悖逆祂. 我們不是完美的父母, 但可到神面前得釋放脱離羞恥, 罪咎和定罪感. 這樣,我們就得自由,毫無罪咎和羞恥地去愛自己放浪不羈的兒女和家人. 而且,我們的兒女會知道我們對他們存著純淨的愛,沒有因良心自責而試圖彌補過去. 
如今, 我們的家庭都因神改變人心的大能而得安息. 我們最可恥的噩夢成為了我們最大的喜樂和有關神信實心的見證.我們倆夫婦都知道神為我們家庭的作為, 且能為你行事.我想起這首老舊詩歌的歌詞:「神所能做的並非祕密.祂能為他人做的,也必為你行事.」
無論你為人父母,祖父母,夫妻或弟兄姐妹,不要信心軟弱. 把你的愁苦交託給神. 不要擔憂或焦慮. 堅持到底, 忍耐且倚靠神! 祂必幫助你且已在你的親人生命中動工.

Prayer Card BKG

Download 10 Powerful Prayers for Your Prodigal!

Please use this free PDF, which includes ten prayers to pray for your family. Kelly and I have a special burden to pray for prodigals. We would be honored to have you fill out our contact form with the name of the family member you are praying for. You are not alone!

Download Now

Prayer Card

WILKERSON FAMILY TESTIMONIES

Evan WilkersonGod’s Overwhelming Love 

by Evan Wilkerson

As a teenager, I rejected God. My deepest desire was to be accepted by people, but I was often rejected. I started doing whatever it took to be liked—going to parties, getting drunk, taking drugs. I began taking pills every day and started using heroin. I thought it was my escape, but I was its captive. Years of suffering under its sway, I tried to break free from its grip but failed every time. 

God never stopped calling me, though, and my desperation helped me hear him again. One day, after partying all night, I went to take a shower. What happened next changed my life forever. All I said was, “Lord, I’m sorry.” Tears started to fall, and I said it again, “Lord, I’m so sorry.” Immediately, God’s overwhelming love came crashing down on me.  Everything faded away. All that was left was the heavenly Father pouring out his love, joy, and peace. 

Since then, God has blessed me. Now sober for ten years, I met my beautiful wife, have two daughters, graduated from college, and am now working as the Assistant Director of Orphans and Widows at World Challenge. Yet in all these blessings, nothing compares to that experience of God’s love—a love he often reminds me of through increasing intimacy.

Annie WilkersonGod’s Inheritance

by Annie Wilkerson Holloway

For much of my life, I’ve struggled with the thought of God’s inheritance. As the granddaughter of David Wilkerson and daughter of Gary and Kelly Wilkerson, the generational inheritance of God’s blessings through my family is never lost on me. Yet, I’ve battled a painful belief that I am innately flawed and inherently unable to receive God’s love.

I’ve struggled with addiction, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and shame. I’ve questioned why I’m not enough. With time, I’ve realized that at the root of it all was my belief that if God had given me the inheritance my grandfather and father had, I wouldn’t have to battle such heartache.

After years of struggling, I desperately whispered to God, “Am I not enough?” In his gentle love, he whispered, “No.” In that moment, his love overcame me. His truth was laid out before me. We are not made to be enough. We are only made whole through him. His inheritance is given to me because of who he is, not who I am.

He calls us his children. He calls us by name. He calls us remembered. He calls us forgiven. He calls us free. He calls us loved. He calls us his heirs.