It started out as a normal day…
Well as normal as you can get, when it’s your first ATL- ask the Lord (not Atlanta, Ga)!
We get up to eat breakfast and then we go off on our way to worship at the foundation, where we were working the last two weeks! We haven’t had praise and worship music in English since we left the states… I was so excited.!?$!
…don’t get me wrong we had a great time and enjoyed the youth group & church services at the Casa de Pan church in Armenia! But there’s something to be said for worshipping in your own language, understanding the words, not needing a translator…
As the first song starts… I’m a little bit bummed, because I have never heard this song…I decided to sit still with the Lord and pray! As I was praying to the Lord, He was like, “why are you mad?” I pout and say in my head “that I don’t know this song… I want to worship you, but how can I if I don’t know the words!” He says to me, “do you really need words to worship?!?“
“But Lord you don’t understand, I waited so long to have praise in worship and to sing praises to you in a language where I understand the words! Where I can truly feel the words!!!”
But the Lord was like, “no you don’t need words, I want you to not sing during these songs! Worship is more than singing songs! Let’s get down to the basis… let’s take away your instrument (my voice), I want you to be still and worship me!”
The first few songs where easier, mainly because I had never heard of them… but as more and more songs were played, I knew them and wanted to sing! Not understanding why, I asked again, “Can I sing to you Lord!“ He said “nope… listen to the words, worship me with your heart, it’s not a competition of who has the best voice, who can be the loudest, who loves me the most, who looks the best, who looks like the they are worshiping the best…”
It’s about the heart and being obedient!
I wasn’t getting it at the time…
So he told me to not talk the rest of the day! Talk about frustrating!!!!
All the excuses go through my head, but he says be obedient to me!
So I tell the team and continue my day in silence!
In this time in silence; a few things happen…
- A chapter comes to mind that we have recently read in our small group reading. James 3; which talks about taming the tongue! Which is what you need to sing?!? Right! “Ok Lord what do I need to learn from this?!?”
“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts,
consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” James 3:5
It’s as if he’s saying use or better yet choose your words wisely. They can
make an impact! A big impact… either for the positive or negative!
What will you choose?
As the old saying goes,
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
2. Also in James 3, it talks about wisdom. “Wisdom will be given to me from a source of pain in my life” which is phrase a teammate of mine, reveled to me in a prayer from the Lord.
(17.) “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then Peace-loving; considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (18.) Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
This is the wisdom I pray for and seek!
3. At the beginning of the next chapter, 4; it talks about submitting yourselves to God!
(8.) “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded…. (10.) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
This is my prayer, to draw near to God!
To submit myself to the Lord!
It actually took me two days of not talking to come to these conclusions! Yes, it was hard, but totally worth it! To sit in obedience and draw near to the Lord. I walked with the Lord in these findings and it was worth the silence!
I’ve been praying for a few days now to draw nearer to the Lord! One of those ways is to pray and listen to the Lord! This action is just one step in obedience to the Lord and his will for my life! This was day one (&2) of the study I started on listening prayer! I also, feel that not talking & being obedient to the Lord helped me to be in the right mindset, to listen to the Lord!
“Lord, thanks for speaking to me and opening my eyes!”
-Love Mallory
P.S. I just wanted to say, thanks to my team! The whole time, my team was supportive! They encouraged me, included me in the Q & A’s as best they could, waited on me to get my notes out to write my answers, asked a lot of yes or no questions, gave me room to seek the Lord in this, they even said Gracias for me whenever I got my food…
