The air felt heavy, and the atmosphere was full of promise. Glory was present, and kingdom was being brought.
All-squad worship was underway.
Let me set the scene a little. You see, Gap I was in Bangkok, Thailand for five days for a debrief of our month one in Cambodia. It was about night three, and the women of Gap I were excited for a night of worship, fellowship, and learning more about who the Lord is, and all that He does for those whom he loves.
This night I learned how richly he blesses us when we ask him to, and just how much he loves to hand out new lives and second chances.
The theme of this worship session was intercession. Intercession is standing in the gap between how things are and how God wants them to be. It is basically praying and worshiping on behalf of someone else; being a conduit from the supplier (the Lord,) to the need (the people of Thailand.)
We understood that Thailand does not need us, but that Thailand needs the Holy Spirit working through us. Intercession is used as a tool to pave the way and prepare the soil for the fruit that the Holy Spirit is going to grow in that place.
And as my squad worshiped that night, most of us could tell that something was different. There was something special in the air, a peculiar feeling of glory and honor that was new to the atmosphere in Bangkok.
The Holy Spirit was on the move.
Usually as I am singing and worshiping our Father, my eyes are closed, and all of my focus is on Him. But this time they were not, and I was distracted. For some reason, my eyes kept straying towards the sliding glass doors, which we closed to try and keep our noise level to a minimum inside of the hostel we were staying in. I could not fully give all of my attentions towards the Lord.
And that’s when I saw him. A Thai man, who I assumed to be a guest at the hostel, staring at us curiously through the glass doors. He furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side as my squad belted out the lyrics “I am no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.” I shrugged my shoulders and figured that the man was curious as to why 51 American girls were standing on a porch outside of a hostel in Bangkok whilst singing very loudly and enthusiastically, so I turned my attentions and focus back to worshiping.
Boy, was I wrong. It wasn’t until a couple of hours after worship had ended, while I was laying in my bunk, that I heard the whole story from a squad mate.
The man was a Thai man, but he was not staying at the hostel. He was actually just walking by on the street, when he heard Gap I singing and praising the Lord. He quickly ran into the hostel, to make sure that the singing was actually coming from there. Then, he quickly ran home to get his wife, and brought her back to the hostel too.
You see, this man and his wife were new Christians. They had been having trouble with their marriage (they were newlyweds as well,) and had been praying to the Lord for a sign. A sign for this new life that He had given them, for this second chance at life that had been given to them by grace.
We were that sign. (Everytime I think this to myself I can’t help but to be amazed. Our God never ceases to amaze me, and he never tires of giving new life and restoration to his children.)
This couple was able to talk to our Squad Coaches, an incredible couple who have been together for a long time, and be encouraged and prayed for with their walk together as a married couple, and also their walk with Jesus.
On our last night in Bangkok, the Thai couple was able to come and meet our whole squad. Some girls on our squad didn’t even know the story, and watching it being retold was a moment that I will never forget. We as a squad were able to pray over the couple, and it was such a powerful and unifying moment for us as a squad, but also for the couple and our squad as believers.
That night, the Thai man and his wife were able to know that they were thought of by Jesus, and cared for so deeply by him.
So deeply that He would lead them to a random group of 51 American girls to remind them of His love for them.
Oh, how he loves us.
