This month my team is serving in Rwanda at Kingdom Gate. It is a school for nursery, kindergarten, and first graders in a small village. Our host’s vision is to serve the local families. He runs programs in the afternoons such as youth groups, a single woman’s group where they learn jewelry making and other crafts, and a financial advising group.
On Mondays, the school staff and others in the community fast from lunch and have a time of prayer together. They had already started as my class was finishing up. I heard loud singing and stomping feet in one of the other classrooms. I quickly grabbed my bible and headed in there.
There were around 20 people in this small classroom, sitting on child-sized chairs and on the floor. We worshipped with them for several songs. More people from the community kept piling in. There were young children running around outside, and SO MANY babies in their mom’s lap. The numbers kept building until we reached around 60 people, all piled into a 15×15 room. We covered every inch of the floor. Things got really interesting when they started singing a fast song and got up to dance. Their joy was contagious.
A local pastor was there and shared a message with everyone. Then different groups were prayed for, and we sang more worship songs. Our host had asked us to prepare things to share, and we had just assumed that the schedule changed. (This is Africa after all.) However, about 3 hours into the “lunch prayer meeting,” our host said it was our turn.
Stephanie shared her testimony, and I preached a message. I read the story from Acts 12 about people praying and Peter being supernaturally rescued from prison. Even though verse 5 says that the church was making “earnest prayer” for him, they were in complete disbelief when he showed up at their door. I talked about how there is a difference between praying earnestly and praying expectantly. We can put a lot of passion into our prayers without thinking that God will really answer us. However, this is not what he wants from us. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be opened.” I also read the story from Matthew 8:5-10. I talked about how that man had such great faith in Jesus, and we should pray with that much faith. We then spent a few minutes praying big prayers for families and this community.
Even after we finished, the time of prayer continued for a while. It finally came to a close after we passed the 5 hour mark. I was so in awe of the passion and priority this community puts on prayer.
It would be “radical” at home to skip lunch and even just spend the 30 minutes in prayer. THEY WORSHIPPED FOR OVER 5 HOURS. Crammed into a tiny room with nowhere to sit and no air flow, with babies crying and no refreshments. I was so inspired by their dependency on the Lord. I want to be not only willing but excited to put everything aside to get into the Lord’s presence and worship with fellow believers.
I have seen the Lord answer big prayers. Even though we may be in a village in Africa, God works just as much at home. We all have big things in our heart that we have trouble believing God for- whether it’s someone’s salvation, healing for someone who is sick, or finding a strong community. I heard an illustration once: Imagine that the world’s best chef was in your kitchen. You could request anything to eat, and you ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That’s what it is like to only take small requests to God. He loves to hear about the small details in our lives, but He’s also a big God who can handle big prayers.
I want to challenge you to take those big prayer requests to God. It may look like waking up 30 minutes earlier or praying through your lunch brunch. It will be well worth your time when God shows you His faithfulness. Pray big. Pray earnestly. Pray expectantly. I can’t wait to hear how God moves.
