「我要站在我的守望所，立在堡壘上觀望，看耶和華要對我說什麼。」－哈巴谷書2:1
許多天來的幫助總是和我們錯身而過，那是因為我們沒有站在瞭望台，向遠方觀看祂臨近的蹤跡，並隨時預備好，敞開心門迎接祂的來到。
期待並不能讓一個人得到神的幫助；恆切的儆醒守望，並且隨時隨處留意神的作為，才能使我們得到。
「等候神的，必永遠不缺神的看顧。」這句名言可以倒過來說：「不等候神的，必永遠得不著神的看顧。」天自然會降雨，但你還得拿出水缸來儲水。
在按著神的應許向神祈求時，我們需要像做生意一樣，用點基本常識。
人若要進銀行提款，絕不會一會兒進，一會兒出；一會兒將支票拿到櫃台，一會兒又後悔收起來。這樣的人一定很快地被守衛趕出銀行。
凡是真要到銀行提款的人，必是拿支票到櫃台，等到錢拿到了才肯離開；絕不會拿不到錢就草率離去。他們到銀行就是要把錢拿到手，若不如此，他們決不罷休；這才是真正的顧客，不是浪費時間閒晃找碴的人。
可惜今天正有許多人把禱告當成遊戲；他們並不是真的想要從神得到回應，他們來到神面前禱告總是匆匆的來、匆匆的去。
我們的天父在尋找真正要與祂「交易」的人，祂盼望我們都能在禱告上認真。－司布真
"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me" (Hab. 2: 1).There is no waiting on God for help, and there is no help from God, without watchful expectation on our part. If we ever fail to receive strength and defense from Him, it is because we are not on the outlook for it. Many a proffered succour from heaven goes past us, because we are not standing on our watch-tower to catch the far-off indications of its approach, and to fling open the gates of our heart for its entrance. He whose expectation does not lead him to be on the alert for its coming will get but little. Watch for God in the events of your life.
The old homely proverb says: "They that watch for Providence will never want a providence to watch for," and you may turn it the other way and say, "They that do not watch for providences will never have a providence to watch for." Unless you put out your water-jars when it rains you will catch no water.
We want to be more business-like and use common sense with God in pleading promises. If you were to go to one of the banks, and see a man go in and out and lay a piece of paper on the table, and take it up again and nothing more--if he did that several times a day, I think there would soon be orders to keep the man out.
Those men who come to the bank in earnest present their checks, they wait until they receive their gold, and then they go; but not without having transacted real business.
They do not put the paper down, speak about the excellent signature, and discuss the excellent document; but they want their money for it, and they are not content without it. These are the people who are always welcome at the bank, and not triflers. Alas, a great many people play at praying. They do not expect God to give them an answer, and thus they are mere triflers. Our Heavenly Father would have us do real business with Him in our praying. --C. H. Spurgeon
