PRAISE GOD!!!
I would like to report an amazing answer to prayer. There have been some memorable times in my life when I have truly felt the presence of God in a room or with a group of people. Today was one of those times. God inhabited the room where we gave our CHE lesson and moved mightily! I was incredibly touched, and as we drove away from the meeting I found myself wondering how I was ever going to be able to communicate just how powerful the time was (not because of anything that we said or did, but because God was there and touched our hearts.) I was particularly moved by the passionate, heartfelt, prayers that were offered up to God at the conclusion of the lessons by two of the women there-- thanking God for being with us and asking for more of HIM in our lives. Erik, one of the other members of the training team, wrote a reflection about our time today that I would like to share....
"In a book by David James Duncan, entitled The Brothers K, he has a theme that reoccurs throughout that is called "Hair-lip Prayers". The basic idea is this, there was a scene in the book where one of the main characters who possessed a cleft lip and consequently a speech impediment, prays a passionate prayer at Sunday school. Many children laugh at him and others find it sad or comical, but the narrator comments how it is one of the most honest and real prayers he has ever experienced. The more the children laugh the harder the boy cries, and the louder he prays. In his weakness, through tears and his heavy speech impediment the boy cries out to God from the depths of his soul. The commentary is that we all should desire to pray these kinds of "Hair-lip prayers". We don't need to try to be eloquent, to perfectly construct the most verbally grandiose and poetically crafted prayer, displaying both our piety and wisdom. No, on the contrary, we should seek to pray "Hair-lip prayers", from our weakness and iniquity, through our tears and our impediments, and to a God who doesn't require piety to hear us.
Well today we had another one of our CHE lessons, with our community volunteers. We taught on Alcoholism and Evangelism, specifically sharing the Gospel message. It was a powerful day as we entered into the discussion about our need for Christ and His place in the center of the Gospel. When we concluded, we prayed, and I was moved to tears by the prayers of two women. Alicia and Constance are two of our Knitting Ladies and two of the "Oldies" in the church. Between the two of them, they possess zero teeth. These women unleashed upon God and the rest of us in the room one of the most passionate "Hair-lip prayers" - or I guess from now on we can call them "Toothless Prayers" - I have ever heard. They yelled, and they screamed, and at times they gasped for air, and when one would begin coughing or choking - not waiting to breath before they petitioned God for more - the other one would enter in, with agreements and echoing similar prayers. I didn't understand a word they said, and yet it was quite clear. Through their speech impediments, with mouths full of nothing but gums, they cried out to God, thanking Him for Him.
When I asked Lulama for a translation afterward she said the basic gist was that they were thanking God, and calling out to Him asking for His presence in their lives, for more of Him, so that they may be overflowing with His love and grace as they share with others the Gospel message. It was truly a blessing for me to experience such prayers and to be in the presence of such prayer warriors. More than I could ever know, they battle in prayer over the life of Philippi. These women are so much more courageous and bold than I could ever be. Pray for them as they continue to move out in their community, door to door, sharing such lessons with their friends, families and neighbors. "
Well today we had another one of our CHE lessons, with our community volunteers. We taught on Alcoholism and Evangelism, specifically sharing the Gospel message. It was a powerful day as we entered into the discussion about our need for Christ and His place in the center of the Gospel. When we concluded, we prayed, and I was moved to tears by the prayers of two women. Alicia and Constance are two of our Knitting Ladies and two of the "Oldies" in the church. Between the two of them, they possess zero teeth. These women unleashed upon God and the rest of us in the room one of the most passionate "Hair-lip prayers" - or I guess from now on we can call them "Toothless Prayers" - I have ever heard. They yelled, and they screamed, and at times they gasped for air, and when one would begin coughing or choking - not waiting to breath before they petitioned God for more - the other one would enter in, with agreements and echoing similar prayers. I didn't understand a word they said, and yet it was quite clear. Through their speech impediments, with mouths full of nothing but gums, they cried out to God, thanking Him for Him.
When I asked Lulama for a translation afterward she said the basic gist was that they were thanking God, and calling out to Him asking for His presence in their lives, for more of Him, so that they may be overflowing with His love and grace as they share with others the Gospel message. It was truly a blessing for me to experience such prayers and to be in the presence of such prayer warriors. More than I could ever know, they battle in prayer over the life of Philippi. These women are so much more courageous and bold than I could ever be. Pray for them as they continue to move out in their community, door to door, sharing such lessons with their friends, families and neighbors. "
Thank you for joining with us in prayer for the community of Philippi and for the beautiful people who live there. God is moving and changing lives and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to witness it happening. The above picture is one that I took in Cape Town earlier this month. It displays the splendor of God's creation. Though it is glorious, it doesn't compare to the beauty I saw today in the form of two faithful, passionate, toothless women tearfully pouring their souls out to their Father in Heaven.
2 comments:
Oh praise the Lord! God rocks - you rock!
:)
May we pray as those women prayed.
May all our prayers be direct extensions of our hearts' desires, in all passion, pain, or excitement.
May we all be walking, talking...hearts--that is, to be people whose words and actions fully correspond with our hearts' inclinations, paying no attention to the reactions of others, but seeking the heart and will of God alone.
Jen, I'm excited for what you're learning, experiencing, and for how God is using your life that you've put in His hands. Thank you for being an example to a world of Christians who don't know what it means to consider it all a loss.
May God continue to work mightily!
-Ryan
Post a Comment