亚比米勒需要亚伯拉罕的代祷，因为神已经使亚比米勒家中的妇人，不能生育。你想你能在这样羞惭的情况中祷告么？亚比米勒可能对亚伯拉罕说，“你是神的申言者，为甚么向我说谎？看看发生了甚么事！现在一切事情都解决了，我也归还了你的妻子，我就要你为我祷告。”许多时候，我们使主失望以后，即使没有人知道我们的失败，我们也会有几天不能祷告。亚伯拉罕要在亚比米勒面前祷告更是何等困难！然而，亚伯拉罕祷告了，“神就医好了亚比米勒和他的妻子，并他的众女仆，他们便能生育。”（创二十17）。
亚伯拉罕要为亚比米勒代祷，必须胜过两件事：他在亚比米勒面前失败的记忆，以及他妻子不生育的思想。他必须忘记他在亚比米勒面前的失败，并且不想他妻子不生育的事。倘若我是亚伯拉罕，我会说，“很抱歉，亚比米勒，我已经使主失望，现在我没有信心为你祷告。”我们都必须学习，为别人代祷不凭着我们的成功，乃凭着需要。一旦神指出一项需要，我们就必须为这需要代祷。亚伯拉罕也许对主说，“我已经失败了。我向亚比米勒说过谎，他也责备过我。我怎能为他代祷？”我们为别人代祷时，必须忘记我们的自己，我们的环境，和我们的景况，并且代祷如同地上除了我们与神之外，没有别人。尽管我们失败了，我们仍必须运用我们的灵，放胆祷告。
不仅如此，我们也不该以为，因为神不答应我们为自己的需要而有的祷告，我们就不能为别人祷告。倘若我是亚伯拉罕，我会说，“亚比米勒，你请我为你祷告，但我已经为我妻子祷告了多年，并没有得着答应。因此，我不能确定神会答应我为你的祷告，我也没有胆量祷告。”我们需要忘记我们未蒙答应的祷告，而为别人祷告。我们若不愿为别人祷告，也许神就不答应我们为自己的需要而有的祷告。不要说因为你自己的需要还没有满足，你就不能为别人祷告。当亚伯拉罕忘记他的需要，而为亚比米勒和他家人代祷时，不仅他们的需要得着满足，亚伯拉罕自己的需要也得着满足。你若忘记你的需要，而为别人的需要祷告，神不仅会答应你为他们的祷告，也会答应你为自己的祷告。祂会顾到你的需要。
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Shameful Intercession (1) – Gen. 20:17
Abimelech needed Abraham’s intercession because God had closed the wombs of the women in Abimelech’s house so they could not bear children. Do you think you could pray in such a shameful situation? Abimelech might have said to Abraham, “You are God’s prophet, why did you lie to me? Look at what happened! Now that everything is resolved and I have restored your wife, I want you to pray for me”. Many times, after we have disappointed the Lord, even if no one knows of our failure, there are days when we cannot pray. How much more difficult it was for Abraham to pray in front of Abimelech! Nevertheless, Abraham prayed, and “God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children.” (Gen. 20:17).
For Abraham to pray for Abimelech, he had to overcome two things: the memory of his failure before Abimelech, and the thought of his wife’s barrenness. He had to forget his failure before Abimelech and not think about the fact that his wife could not bear children. If I were Abraham, I would have said, “I am sorry, Abimelech, I have disappointed the Lord, and now I do not have the faith to pray for you”. We all must learn not to intercede for others based on our success, but based on the need. Once God points out a need, we must intercede for that need. Abraham might have said to the Lord, “I have failed. I lied to Abimelech, and he even rebuked me. How can I pray for him?” When we intercede for others, we must forget our self, our environment and our condition, and intercede as if there were no one else on earth except us and God. Although we have failed, we still must exercise our spirit and pray boldly.
Furthermore, we should not think that because God has not answered the prayers we have for our own needs, we cannot pray for others. If I were Abraham, I would have said, “Abimelech, you ask me to pray for you, but I have been praying for my wife for many years without receiving an answer. Therefore, I cannot be sure God will answer my prayer for you, nor do I have the boldness to pray”. We need to forget our unanswered prayers and pray for others. If we are not willing to pray for others, perhaps God will not answer the prayers we have for our own needs. Do not say that because your own need has not been met, you cannot pray for others. When Abraham forgot his need and interceded for Abimelech and his family, not only were their needs met, but Abraham’s own need was also met. If you forget your need and pray for others’ needs, God will not only answer your prayer for them but will also answer your prayer for yourself. He will care for your need.