Are you listening?

After a week of prayer, fasting and recovery before we head out to our 5th country for ministry, I have three challenging questions I think may be of eternal value.

1. What book are you currently reading

One of my dear friends once mentioned the value of the books we permit to influence our way of thinking. It is interesting to find some books that you read, while others you allow to read and change you. Looking back on the books influencing me the past few months I see clearly that God is preparing me for something.

2. Who do you permit to speak into your life

During this week we exercised a few principles including that of silence. During prayers opening your ears rather than your mouth, you become quiet before the Lord awaiting His guidance. Other than experiencing a deep release from things I desperately tried to manage myself, I also received clarify on many parts of Scripture that I previously did not wait for God on. In listening to hear His guidance and knowledge we need first to admit our own inability to know and understand, and then humble ourselves before His throne and acknowledge Him for Who He is. Only then can we be open to receive His guidance and words, even if it is then to be taught by a brother dressed in rags, shining because of the love He experiences in God.


3. What is your (thing or place of) comfort

If we say we believe God is our Comforter, Lord, Bridegroom... why do we constantly seek for an alternative place or thing of comfort. Are we not extinguishing the flame of God in us if we seek for anything else than Him?

Bathed in prayer or Following on the Way with Prayerful Intimacy?

Three hour Sunday Discipleship session on
the Chronological Teaching of Jesus
 throughout the Old Testament 

"With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Pray for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak – that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak."

Eph 6:18-20 talks about prayer in a way I have never experienced or thought of before our time in the unreached Chisopi area in Malawi. The Yao people live caught in dark strongholds of Animistism and Muslim influence. We were sent as ambassadors to proclaim Jesus as King, and we saw evil strike back, making war, and God victoriously bringing His Name to the lips of the people. But neither our witnessing to this happening or them proclaiming His Name were able to happen without prayer.

Two weeks ago asking me about prayer and its importance against attacks from evil during the proclamation of His Kingdom, I would have answered in a way that sounds something like the Lord's prayer - to trust that by asking for deliverance would be sufficient. Obviously enough, just as the rest of the Lord's prayer provides a guideline for our relational conversation with God, He also includes this topic as one of importance. And not merely importance to be mentioned in a prayer ritual like those practised by Muslims, but a topic of conversation with God in proclaiming His glorious victory over darkness.

God moving in these places and in such darkness does not depend on our prayers. God does not depend on us, His mission does not depend on us, His love does not depend on us. Our awareness and intimacy with God as He advances on His mission to have creation glorify His Name does depend on our relationship with God. Believing in Jesus as the all-sufficient Saviour, and proclaiming Him as the King above all Kings is not enough for intimate relationship if it doesn't change your conversations with Him.

I would like to suggest that rather in bathing your life in prayer, to walk in intimate prayerful relationship with God and be aware and busy with what He is busy with.

Praise our Lord, for His loving-kindness endures forever

With great joy I bring news. The heavens are giving a great warm welcome for our new sister in the faith. And the joy continues for our brother who cared enough for her salvation that he went back into the Muslim community he came from to minister to her.

She had her baptism on Sunday, and in my previous letter I wrote about this brother and his desire to be discipled. Please praise God for His loving kindness in answering their prayers.  Not only did we receive enough finances for him to go for Discipleship training, but also two other believers who will be going for training in January. Thank you for your contribution whether prayer or finances. The labourers in the field in Chipata are being raised up by God Himself.

In the past two weeks I saw an unreached village in Mfuwe area, Northwest of Chipata, coming to know Jesus. I saw people being healed from diseases and set free from demon possession.  Our time in Chipata opened my eyes to various aspects of God's character. The most important and intense - His Lordship. The question that keeps me returning to this foundational part of my relationship with God is this:

"Am I willing to submit to God as the Lord of my life, and to be satisfied and rejoicing as a bond-servant onto His purpose and mission of His glory?"

I will be turning 27 on Saturday and as I give thanks to the precious moments that I could spend growing in intimacy with God, I wish and pray to receive a freedom I long for. A freedom in my relationship with God. Freedom from a lifetime of legalism. Legally trying to control relationships, especially my relationship with God. Digging into the reality of this in my life, I see the similarities between my life and every other person trapped in trying to earn freedom. Without grace my life is no different than a Muslim with their rituals, a Hindu with the drive to find self-realization,  a Buddist trying to get to the right ways, or even the new age believers who want to get the flow of energy right. If God does not choose to reveal and I to accept this revelation, I will never know what relationship with God means.

We will be travelling to Malawi for two weeks to visit Chisapi, a Muslim village, to support and disciple a newly born church from a Muslim background.  The 15 belivers who were baptized last year now love Jesus and follow Him, and live to serve their fellow Yauw people.

Please pray that God would reveal Himself as the relational God to the Yauw people we will be serving, but also pray for me to taste the grace to grow in relationship with Him.

May you also receive the blessing for growing in your knowledge and in relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.