My favorite moment on the Race so far hasn’t happened on a beautiful mountain top overlooking lush green hills or floating in crystal clear water on a remote island. Although those things have happened and they were wonderful memories I’ll never forget my moment came very unexpectedly inside of a small church building that could hold less than 50 on a good Sunday. Gathered around small metal chairs there were eight local pastors that are changing the world through prayer.
When I arrived in Malaysia I found out really quick that they know how to spend their money. Luxurious malls around every corner with at least three Starbucks in each one, amazing skyscrapers that are world famous, and pretty much any fast food place you could think of (besides Chick Fil A…). It was quite overwhelming coming off three solid months in Africa where they don’t believe in air conditioning or toilet paper for that matter. But deep down inside of the heart of the Malay people is an undeniable ache for something more.
We spent a few days in the heart of the city then ventured out into a more rural Malay cultural town for two weeks. While in this town we began to find out that a large majority (80-90%) of the people were Muslim. Muslim prayers filling the silence of the air five times a day became very normal to us in the sense that we felt the ache of the city at hand. Personally, I felt outnumbered and defeated without a man of peace at our side. Thankfully, God provided that as we started scouting out churches to attend for Easter Sunday. Thanks to Google we found what we were looking for. As we partook in a wonderful celebration of all that Easter entailed we were invited back the next night for a prayer meeting. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves into.
The next night we walked up to the same building for the meeting and it was locked and all the lights were off. We were super confused until the pastor drove up and told some of us to walk and others to ride with him to the real location. We arrived at another small church building that instantly felt like a war room. As the night began eight local pastors and our group of nine filled the room. Walking in you could sense that the presence of the Holy Spirit was thick and tangible. We were told that every Monday these eight pastors gather to pray for the nation, their state, and their persecuted friends. They asked us to join with them in praying that night. It honestly felt like only fifteen minutes had gone by but two hours later we found ourselves saying amen and thanking these men for inviting us in on their battle ground.
In those two hours I have never felt a more powerful presence of the Lord. These men, most having 30+ years of experience, have seen more persecution than they have seen people come to know Christ but will still fight to their potential arrest or death to see this place made new in Him. This moment is proof of what these men of God have and will accomplish in their lifetime.
In moments like this I’m reminded of what unity in the body should look like. WE. ARE. BETTER. TOGETHER. As these men come together through different backgrounds I want to challenge us to come together and pray for our community, our state, our nation. We have everything at our fingertips these days but I believe the fervent prayers are started and finished in the war room.
Sincerely,
Tim
