I’m currently living in a country that is a closed country and about 85% Muslim. So, what that means if you’re of a different faith other than Muslim you can’t talk about your faith. Because of that my stories will be limited or changed with details such as, names and location. Although we have to be mindful about how we phrase things here, the power of Jesus is very evident and we must not be afraid to fulfill his will for us here.
The Muslim faith has 5 different prayer calls throughout the day. Every morning a Muslim prayer call begins at 3:40am and usually continues until 4:30am. It’s such a long time span because different Mosques start at different times. The first morning I woke up here, I was alarmed at first. Then I became annoyed because I couldn’t go back to sleep. I was exhausted from our multiple travel days and sleeping on planes plus the 12 hour time difference. The second morning, same thing happened and same feeling. Now, bit of a back story and my friends/family will laugh when I say this. I love sleep! People will say who doesn’t love sleep but I used to have no problem sleeping the day away. Snooze was my best friend (the Race is changing all that.)
Back to the story. So, shortly after I had that annoyed felling, the Lord convicted me and said ” People of the Muslim faith wake up this time every morning to Praise their God, so can you.” I immediately was like you’re right. I shouldn’t be complaining and annoyed about waking up, I should be thanking and praising the Lord for waking me up. It was the first time I ever felt the fear of the Lord. But, it’s not the kinda fear you’re scared of. It’s the kind of fear that when a loving parent tells you something to help correct or better yourself you want to listen and obey them. Our Father is our parent and wants nothing but the best for us. Just like a parent loves, a parent also corrects which doesn’t always feel good in the moment. But, if trusted that the correction is done out of love one might be more willing to hear the correction. I can’t say that even when done in love I’ve received the correction well. That goes for people and the Lord. But, that was something in my own heart that needed changing, not the message or the other person.
Sometimes we become fearful of correction and fear can turn our thoughts captive so we become slaves to them. I used to live a life like that before but the more I learn about Jesus the more I want to become like him and be seen as his daughter. I’m finally starting to realize my identity is rooted in Him and not the lies of the enemy I once believed. That I not only have an earthly Father but a heavenly one as well.
This quote is taken from a book my team and I are reading callled “Spiritual slavery to Spiritual sonship ” by Jack Frost
” Moving from slavery to sonship or daughtership is a matter of reaching the place where you get up in the morning feeling so loved and accepted in your Fathers heart that your whole purpose for existence becomes looking for ways to give that love away to the next person you meet.”
I pray to get to a place where this quote is as close to 100% true in my life every morning. It’s something I’m actively working on and thank the Lord he chose me to do a work in. If you wish for that same desire it’s not hard to attain. You just need a willing heart and to say yes!
