Normally, I’m not a morning person, but I was in December. I intentionally woke up early to sit in the silence of our apartment, talk to family and friends back home and got some quality introvert time. My mornings were such a fruitful gift. It’s through these mornings that my thoughts led to not necessarily my own prayers, but the prayers of others walking in different religions because everyone who has a religion prays even if it is to a different God.
When the sun peaked its way above the horizon, I could hear a familiar buzzing hum floating outside. It was the call to worship Allah, and it sang five times a day. Malaysia is an Islamic nation, so hearing was surprising at first but made sense. My knowledge in Islamic practices is small, but from what I’ve learned, every day the call (Adhan) announces it is time to pray. I don’t hear the Adhan during the day because I’m not usually in the streets or by any mosques, but almost every morning and on quiet evenings I’ve heard it.
I makes me think. Most of the religions I’ve come into contact with pray to their God(s) differently then I pray to mine. Some people have to go to temples with flowers and gifts while others have to face a certain direction. A lot of those religions are starkly different from Christianity, but Islam is not one of those religions. It is actually very similar to Christianity. I think that is why I find the call to prayer so interesting.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that a majority of ministry focused around prayer. In my last blog, I mentioned PenHop but didn’t describe it well. It is prayer house, and for the first two weeks my team and I spent our Tuesdays and Fridays there. At first, I wondered how in the world I could possibly spend 7 consecutive hours in a prayer room. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
The prayer room was a beautiful space. It was a place to be with Jesus in whatever capacity I needed. There was literal space to dance and flag, and there was spiritual space to soak in scripture or draw and sit. There was an entire wall with a map on it with pictures of missionaries around it. There was a wailing wall and a wall for praise. A corner of the room was dedicated to fighting for justice. Up front, there were either individuals or groups worshiping by taking a passage from the bible and their prayers and turning them into a chorus of praise.
Sometimes, it’s was a little weird, and I felt uncomfortable. Sometimes I couldn’t focus, but there wasn’t any condemnation. The room reminded me that I can exist simultaneously with Jesus in constant communion. There is power in prayer even when I struggle to believe it. When I speak in the authority of Jesus a gateway for Him to move is opened. Other religions don’t have that.
When I spend time talking to God, not only do I Iearn more about who he is, I grow closer to Him. His voice becomes clearer, and my image is more like his. Unlike many religions, I can talk and pray to him whenever I want, and he talks to me. I don’t have to travel anywhere or get anointed by some extravagantly holy individual. He is available 24/7 and always ready to talk. There is no need for a middle man or special building.
PenHop was a space that encouraged communication, but it is not the only place to experience the Spirit in powerful ways. When PenHop closed for the holidays, prayer was still a majority of ministry. It was taken from the confines of a room to the city in the form of ATL (ask the Lord). Some people also call this scavenger hunting! My team and I dug deep into the practice of ATL which is the quick and easy way of explaining a type of prayer. Every morning after morning worship we would pray for 15 minutes and ask God for a picture, word, or some sign that would lead us into whatever his plan for the day was. Then we went into the city with a partner to see what we would find.
Sometimes my partner and I would walk around all day and never find what we saw in our head, and other times we did. Ultimately, ATL isn’t about doing it right or wrong; for us, it was learning how to live a Spirit led life and being open to the uncomfortable. On one of my last days of ATL, my partner and I decided to worship in the oldest Anglican Church. After worship I felt like we needed to go to the left and follow Holy Street (it is named that because in only a couple of blocks there are 2 mosques, a church, a Hindu, Buddhist, and Chinese temple). In front of the Chinese temple, we met a Scottish man, and meet him let to us meeting a group of Indian Christians who give away free food as a tool to share the gospel. After that, we were led into conversation with a homeless man.
You could say that the desire to go left was not from God, and maybe it wasn’t. But if we weren’t intentinally listening to God, those 3 conversations would never have happened. Whether it was from God or not, our day was edifying the kingdom.
I’ve been in the Philippines for 3 days now. I don’t hear the Adhan, and prayer is not my my set ministry, but the beautiful thing is, I don’t need prayer to be my ministry. I don’t need to wait to hear the morning call and the evening call. I don’t need to go to a temple or give gifts out of shame. I am called to pray, but I am called to pray where ever and whenever. I left Malaysia walking away with more than head knowledge. I left with the gratefulness and a love that my God doesn’t exist within those restrictions.
He’s taught me a lot, and there is still much to learn. But, I am thankful for this past month, the mornings filled with the low hum of the Adhan and the springboard it gave me for learning this month. He hears you and me just as much as he hears the prayers of everyone else that has ever existed. He hears them, and he loves them even when they pray to a different God. And that is what I am going to this next month with—the love of a God who hears and speaks from all and to all! There is one truth, but everyone has access it!
This month, I’ll be evangelizing to thousands of students ranging from preschool to college age. What I’ve learned last month will come in handy as my team an I prepare for sharing the gospel and our testimonies.
