One night this month we did an overnight prayer session. People from our squad signed up to prayer in shifts throughout the night to cover this place in prayer. Here at Hopethiopia, you can see and feel the presence of Jesus all over the place. There is a peace that surrounds the compound and I always feel safe and protected. There are security guards that walk around the compound at night to help keep us safe.
Spiritual warfare is not something I am used to but I knew coming back to Africa it would be a whole different experience. As soon as you walk outside of the compound, you can feel the atmosphere changing. That is why we are not allowed the leave the compound without one of the Ethiopian men going with us. Several of our squadmates were getting sick and having strange dreams and not sleeping well. We decided to do an overnight prayer session for health and safety on our squad and compound.
When it was my time for my prayer shift, I brought my sleeping bag outside because looking at the stars is one thing that fills me up. As I snuggled up in my sleeping bag and looked up at the stars, I was in awe of the abundance of stars and how bright they were, I had never seen stars shining so brightly before. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I laid there looking up at the stars for a while, enjoying the time I got to spend talking with the Lord.
I spent an hour praying, watching the stars, and resting in the Lord’s goodness. These past 6 months have taught me the importance of spending time talking and listening to God and making it a priority. Sometimes at home, I forget to be still. I get so busy and preoccupied with my lifestyle that I forget to stop and look around and praise God for all that He has created. I forget to look up at the stars and remember that God created each and every star with purpose.
Psalm 147:4-5. “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”
This month has been such an amazing reminder to embrace the quiet and peace that this place offers. Every time I look up at the stars this month, I’m reminded of God’s faithfulness and how He answers all of our prayers- in His own timing. Thank God for that!
