麗玲參加研討會時，注意到當天的講員（也是她朋友）好像不太舒服，就去關心她。講員表示：「我必須要講完，如果明天早上還是不舒服，我就去看醫生。」麗玲記得講員的話，但因為她必須提早離開，就拜託另一位姐妹貴芳去關心講員的狀況。

隔天早上，貴芳來到講員下榻的酒店敲門，表示要載她去醫院。這次講員再也無法推辭，所幸她及時接受治療，才挽回一命。朋友們堅持不懈的關心，顯然救了她的性命。

擁有如此堅持不懈的朋友是一種祝福，就像馬可福音2章提到的那四個人一樣。他們聽說耶穌有治病的能力，而且耶穌就在城裡（1節）。當時人們蜂擁而至，「甚至連門前都沒有空地」，那四個人無法將癱瘓的朋友帶到耶穌面前（2節）。但人群不能阻止他們幫助那癱瘓朋友的決心，他們堅持到底，「把耶穌所在的房子，拆了房頂，既拆通了，就把癱子連所躺臥的褥子都縋下來」（4節），使他得醫治（11-12節）。

讓我們透過堅持不懈的禱告，將人們的需要帶到耶穌面前。耶穌供應我們的需要，我們也當盡心竭力地幫助別人，好好地愛他們。

Attending a conference, a woman noticed that her friend—the day’s presenter—didn’t look well. She approached the presenter, who replied, “I’m going to get through this presentation. If I don’t feel better in the morning, I’ll go to the doctor.” The woman didn’t forget about the presenter’s promise. This friend had to leave early, but she asked another friend to check on the presenter.

In the morning, there was a knock at the presenter’s hotel door. The second friend had come to drive her to the hospital. There was no backing out, and—fortunately—she was given life-saving treatments in time. The persistence of friends had evidently helped to save her life.

Persistent friends can be a blessing, just like the men in Mark 2. They’d apparently heard about the healing power of Jesus and that He’d come to their town (v. 1). The people clambered to Christ, and there was “no room left” for the men to get their paralyzed friend to Him (v. 2). They didn’t let a crowd stop them from getting their friend the help he needed, however: “They made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered . . . the man” (v. 4) to Christ who healed him (vv. 11-12).

Let’s bring the needs of others to Jesus through persistent prayer. And as He provides what we need, let’s strive to help and love them well.