This year we launched the first ever FUSION squad – a World Race squad made up of Korean, Vietnamese, Swazi, and US Racers. Through their 7 months on the field, these Racers have pioneered what it means to serve as the global Body of Christ.
Racer Simeon Rodgers shares how the Holy Spirit blew his expectations of prayer out of the water.
I told God when I left for this trip that He could have it all, do whatever He wants in my life, and I was all in. My 31 years of doing the Christian life my way had left me wanting, hungry for something I knew I did not have yet.
Growing up in church, I was taught that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t do anything too crazy, or it couldn’t be Him.
But what I have learned about God is that the limits we place on him are man-made. The limits we place on him are essentially rewriting God in man’s image.
I’ve learned that if you let God out of the box, He loves to surprise you.
During training in Chiang Mai for the World Race Fusion, we were taught “ATL”, which stands for “Ask The Lord”. Basically, you ask God to place specific people on your heart to minister to. It is as simple as saying “God, who is on your heart?”
After that, you write down any impressions, images, words, and names you get. It’s quite simple, but if you have never done it before, you might feel a little weird.
My team decided to pray alone, write down everything, then pray as a group into what each person heard.
We had some really weird things: a food market, an Australian, a shark, a flower, the name Susie or Sue, the color “light green”, Chang Beer (which is everywhere), cargo shorts, a person eating alone with face away from us, and a square 4-person table.
Several seemed to be linked, so we set out to look for signs. We headed for the food market where we saw signs confirming we were on the right path.
Then we saw him, an Australian-looking man in a light green shirt and cargo shorts, wearing flip-flops and a shark-tooth necklace, with a flower-print backpack, eating alone at a square 4-person table.
We were so sure it was him. It was uncanny!
As we approached, the waitress indicated that we should sit at his table with him. I asked him if that was okay and he said sure, so we sat down and began to chat.
We found out his name was Attila. He was Hungarian but living in Malaysia to attend school. He was traveling while on break and was set to rendezvous with his mother and brother in Bali soon. When I asked what his mother’s name was, he said “Susan,” and again it was confirmation.
He asked our names, and when he got to me, he asked me where it came from. I said the story of Jesus.
He stopped me and said, “You say story as if you don’t believe it.”
But I do believe, then I asked him if he did.
“Not really,” he said, but he still considers himself a Christian.
His problem was that he felt the Christians in Hungary were a clique that would reject people unless they paid money.
I shared with him about how in God’s eyes, church looks a lot more like what we were doing at that moment: breaking bread, speaking life, and enjoying one another’s company.
Encouraged by this definition of the church, he shared that he had gotten injured and almost died in a motorcycle crash a while ago in Thailand.
He believed he should be dead, but something saved him. Since then, he had been thankful to that presence.
We knew that presence was God. So we shared about how God had led us to him just to tell him how much God loved him and was actively seeking him out.
When we showed him our notes, his eyes grew big with wonder. And by the end of the conversation, we were able to encourage and pray for him, his injury, and his family. When we left his eyes were wet with appreciation.
In that moment I could feel God’s love for him so tangibly, and even now I keep thinking back to that night.
It amazes me the lengths God goes to show His love for us.
This is just the beginning. I know the Holy Spirit has so much more in store, and I am excited to continue jumping in head first and let God handle the logistics.
Have you ever tried listening prayer? All around us, people need to know of God’s love for them, and if we open ourselves to be used, God is right there waiting to speak.
Is God calling you to serve him on World Race Fusion? Click here to find out how you can go around the world sharing God’s love for people.
