The dark Malaysian dawn is pierced each day with the sound of the muezzin calling local Muslims to Morning Prayer. It is a ritual that has happened for centuries, and with it, millions of Muslims fall to their knees in prayer. The call of the muezzin has been a familiar sound while on the World Race, but it was only this morning that I realized something powerful about prayer.
When we pray aloud, something happens. Something changes in the atmosphere. Just like the call of the muezzin resonates with the hearts of Muslims, the sound of God’s people, praying aloud, changes the atmosphere and resonates deep in the hearts of God’s people. Prayer brings hope. It brings peace. It brings transformation. Prayer is the connection of communication between the believer’s heart and the heart of God the Father, through His Holy Spirit. And it’s through prayer that the Holy Spirit moves in our lives and in our environment and begins to change things.
Three hundred years ago, the Moravian prayer movement sprung out of a small village in Hernhut, Germany. What ultimately resulted was a 110-year period of 24/7 prayer, which ushered in a 100-year season of revival in much of Europe. Faith fire erupted among people who had been hungering for something more for their lives. Miracles happened. Thousands came to know the Lord. And still the Moravians prayed.
This month in Malaysia, our team has entered into a new urgency with prayer. Sure, we have always prayed together as a team, and we have prayed for our teammates whenever someone is sick or down. But this month, our prayer habits have changed. We pray when we’re driving. We pray when we’re walking. We pray when we pass Hindu temples or Muslim mosques. We pray when we leave a house where idolatry and spiritual strongholds seem so prevalent. We pray with a sense of urgency and expectancy, looking to the Holy Spirit to move in and through our prayers. And we pray, because we want to encounter the Living God, and to usher in His Kingdom here on earth.
In I Thessalonians 5:17, Paul calls us to “Pray without ceasing.” I believe that prayer is a lifestyle. It is about being constantly in communication with God. It is about being connected with the heart of the Father and sharing His love with others.
We have just finished three weeks in Malaysia and are heading into China tomorrow. We will not be able to access the internet during the next four weeks, but I wanted to challenge and invite each of you to pray. Pray for our team. Pray for the ministry with which we’ll be working (special needs orphans). Pray for God to move in mighty ways. And pray, most importantly, to just be in the presence of God Almighty. May you see the fruit of your prayers, and may God be glorified and exalted in them!
A few pictures from KL before we leave…
Visiting the Petronas Towers with my team leader Tom
The Petronas Towers at night
Catching up with my dear friend, Hannah, and meeting her beautiful daughter, Catalina, for the first time.
