I used to feel like prayer was something I did for
people when I was asked to or personally to talk to God about the things going
on in my life and those close to me, but God has opened my eyes to what it
means to “pray without ceasing”.
We led a one day VBS for some kids in a poor neighborhood,
Lurifico, the first Saturday we were in Peru, but before the VBS we went to
invite the children to join us. The pastor’s wife, Martha, went with us and
since she visits this place often she knew of several families in the
neighborhood that needed prayer. Our first stop was to a lady’s house that goes
to the church whose mother was hit by a moto-taxi a few months ago and was still
recovering. We prayed for her health and
in her age that she would be able to fully recover. We stayed to talk with the
family a little longer and then left to go to the next house. On Sunday they
show up to church so thankful for our prayers and excited to see us.
Praying for Sophie’s Grandma
At the next house was a little boy, Lucas, who was mentally
handicapped. He can’t walk on his own, he can’t talk and has the mental capacity of a 1
or 2 year old at the age of 9. We talked with his mother and then prayed for
Lucas. The whole time we were praying Lucas was very antsy and talkative, but
after our prayer he looked at us very calmly, something he
did not do very often. We stayed a few minutes later and then left. The next
week we held another VBS and Lucas came walking through the door smiling, excited to be with all of the other kids. He is not fully healed, but change is happening and it is exciting to be apart of it!
Lucas with his mom and sister
We also have done a couple of prayer walks through the city.
Our second time prayer walking, we decided to go a different way and through
the leading of the Spirit ended up at a clinic and a hospital.
Another one of
the things we do on a consistent basis is go around the city inviting people to
come to church or other activities at the church. One night while we were out
we stopped at Maria’s house. She is a very smiley lady who doesn’t know the
Lord. Once we arrived she ushered us into the house and quickly gave us food and drinks, then
starts talking our ears off! 🙂 We talk with her for about an hour and in the
course of that hour we decide to pray for her and once we finish she looks up
at us with tears in her eyes and cannot stop thanking us for visiting her and
inviting her to church. Every time we see her, she lights up and I know it is because she can see the light of Christ shinning through me and my team.
Visiting with Maria, the little lady holding my arm
While it’s nothing new to pray for people or have a regular
prayer time, it is new to seek people out to pray for, to go into clinics and
pray for the sick and for the doctors, it’s new to find it weird to say “Amen” because I am just going to
pick the conversation back up in a few minutes, or to go house to house
inviting people to church and then praying over them. God has definitely
increased my love and heart for prayer, but also my understanding of why prayer
is so important and getting to see firsthand the power of prayer, like with
Lucas! I want my heart to be for seeing people healed, the sick well, the lame
walking, the unbelievers trusting in God; I want my day to be filled with
prayer, my thoughts to be of true, noble, pure, lovely, righteous things (Philippians 4:8); I want
to pray without ceasing.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
