Here’s an excerpt from my prayer journal from Oct. 7th… enjoy 🙂
Last night we did something I had never quite done before: we worshipped for other people, we had a night of intercession. The people of Guatemala who are yearning for more of the Father, but don’t know how to receive from Him.
I feel that corporate worship is very self-oriented sometimes. We always focus on what God is doing in our personal lives, we don’t look beyond that. Something crazy happens when a whole group of people come together and sing at the top of our lungs for others who can’t.
Something I have learned is that there is a spiritual battle happening in Guatemala and around the world. But, right where I am right now, there is something powerful going on. Recently there has been some violence in the surrounding cities from our base. We spent time in worship interceding for the victims, the people creating the violence, the people suffering from loss of family members, and everyone in between. Basically if God told us to pray for specific situations or people groups, then we would do so.
Of course my heart was led to pray for our village (Bola de Oro). That morning God had told me to pray for Bola, but I didn’t know why. I just had a feeling that something bad had happened. When we got there that day, Brayan and Josephina told us that there had been a terrible motorcycle accident. There was a guy our age that had died, and he and Brayan were pretty close. We went to this family’s house and immediately felt the heaviness in the place. We met the family and all we could do was sit in the sorrow with them. There were no words that would suffice for that situation. So, we prayed, and sat, and prayed again, and sat, until we felt it was time to go. Sitting with that family brought me to tears because I couldn’t begin to imagine their hardship.
As we were walking back to Josephina’s, Brayan told us to never walk in that area alone because there is a lot of gang violence. So that shifted my perspective of our beautiful Bola de Oro.
Also, everyday we go to ministry, we walk through one of the most dangerous cities in Guatemala. Chimaltenango is in a red light district and is known for prostitution and car parts.
Many different situations had hit me and my team all at once and I found myself starting to get fearful of this country I have the privilege of living in for three months.
I am learning that fear is not from the Lord because He has total protection over us. Our intercession session came at just the perfect moment because I was seeing Guatemala as the world sees it. Here’s the truth: God sees this country with a spirit of shalom (peace) and He has SO much favor over the people here, even if they don’t know it yet. That why we are here, to tell people how God already loves them and they are straight up HOLY in the eyes of the Father.
Last night we got to proclaim the spirit of shalom despite the violence and corruption. Guatemala is not known for violence, it is known for PEACE.
We get to be here and use our WORSHIP to fight for the hearts of God’s people in Guatemala. And Thanks be to God for that!
Peace and Blessings,
Hannah Keller
