Power Of Prayer

If there's a pie chart for how time on mission trips is spent, sleeping and eating are very small corners, and watching TV and/or using your cell or the Internet are almost non-existent. Prayer is the huge wedge in the chart. Next in line is probably changing terminals at Miami's airport if you're headed to South America.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" - Philippians 4:6-7.

During our mission trip to Colombia in 2008, prayer was the foundation of our 6 AM meetings, a big part of our breakfast, then Matt and I prayed arm-in-arm before leaving the hotel room. We prayed later in the morning with each church's members ("nationals") where we were building attendance before heading out into their neighborhood, prayed with Colombians who either chose Christ or just desired prayer for a medical condition or personal affliction. Back at the church that afternoon, we prayed over all the forms we collected from neighbors and new believers. Later, when we finally turned out the lights in our hotel room, Matt prayed to Father to thank Him for all we experienced. Matt has an incredible heart and love for the Lord. I was simply in awe that I was rooming with a guy in a foreign country and we were praying together.

OK, I admit I fell asleep during that lights-are-out prayer time. It wasn't a lack of emotional conviction to Matt praying, rather it was my body realizing lights were out, I was in bed ... and my reaction to know it was time to sleep. Tossing and turning is foreign to me.

One of my best memories of the power of prayer when we were in Colombia was the day we started in our second neighborhood. On Monday and Tuesday of mission trips, we grow membership in one church and on Wednesday and Thursday we do the same for another church. On Friday night, we have a celebration service at one central location for all new members ... multiply that times a handful of teams in our overall group and you have about 1,000 people on fire for Jesus.

The church and neighborhood we visited on Monday and Tuesday were so inspiring that I chose to spend my off-day on Friday, before the celebration service, back visiting them. I couldn't wait until our gas-powered taxi dropped us off on their street that morning, and I didn't want to leave them several hours later. Matt did the same on Friday in the neighborhood where he visited on Monday and Tuesday.

My prayer with Matt before leaving the hotel room on Wednesday was for us to trust in Him that day. We knew our new neighborhoods were going to bring struggles that day, after the prayers of so many had opened the hearts of so many Colombians to our message the past two days. We were sharing the story of Jesus, and as a disciple we were aware that Christian persecution was a huge and dramatic part of early church history: 11 of the 12 disciples of Jesus died for sharing the story of Jesus with others.

Before our van stopped at the new church in the new neighborhood that Wednesday, we knew. Doors in the area were closed, not opened, and we couldn't find a child or adult outside their home. What we did see were packs of Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on doors leaving their footprints fresh in the dirt where we were headed.

At the church, I was given a new translator, Mary, a native who taught English at a nearby college, along with two nationals: two elderly women (pictured) and leaders at the church who were dressed their best and shared an umbrella to combat what was easily the hottest day of the week.

The translator, Mary in this case, is tasked with knocking on doors and introducing us (me in this case). The nationals join us for neighbors to meet friendly faces that will remain in the neighborhood once we leave, and to be equipped to build the church in the same manner and with the same message as we present.

From house-to-house-to-house-to-house, etc., Mary couldn't find anyone receptive to opening their door or to want to listen to what we had to share. After more than an hour, I became defeated and frustrated -- new feelings for me in Colombia. Mary even shared with me that she was cramping that morning and it was painful for her to walk.

I was on the verge of gathering the four of us and returning to the church to develop a new strategy once I found our team leader. I told Mary that I thought our two nationals were even frustrated and ready to head back because they were off in the shade under a tree talking to each other. Mary shook her head and said, "Dave, they're in prayer, they're praying for God to open these doors."

I'm such an idiot to not only judge others, but to doubt His strength and power.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" - Romans 8:26.

When they finished in prayer, one of the elderly women walked over to me, grabbed my wrist, looked up to me and smiled, and began walking toward the end of the street. Like race walking. It couldn't have been comfortable and routine for her in the heels and polyester dress she was wearing, but she was going strrong and deliberate, with Mary and the other woman following. The street looked like a dead end, but we kept walking in the scorching heat. We reached the end, I looked at her and she motioned to turn left. We walked around the corner from the set of homes we just walked down, and came upon a new street as we looked back in the direction of the church. And the hot rising sun. She released her firm grasp on my wrist, looked at me, and said (through Mary), "God directed me here. He's prepared their hearts to hear what you have to say. Let's go."

Well, OK then! The first home we visited, the Colombian couple opened their front door to Mary, carefully listened to my words and the story of Jesus that I shared outside on their porch, and eventually chose Christ as I led them in a prayer of acceptance. I was so focused on this couple and enjoying finally being able to develop a new relationship in the area that when I turned around to look at the street, I found doors open, kids now outside in the street playing ... and the two women from the church already next door talking to a woman and waving me over to share the story of Jesus again.

By Noon, the vans of Jehovah's Witnesses had departed the neighborhood. God showed His glory to us and through us the rest of the day and again on Thursday in that area of Barranquilla.

And I became a little bit more patient.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.