Well it looks like it's been almost 3 months since I've updated my blog...and if I wait any longer, it will probably be another 3 months before I update it again! Since God opened the doors for our ARME Prayer Team to work with the GC Annual Council at the SDA Church headquarters in Maryland this past October 2010, we've been on a marathon covering Prayer events or needs around the country and the world. Let me recount some of the blessings from these past months. I'll try not to repeat myself.
At the writing of the previous "Big Dipper blessings" post, I was three days away from going on a trip to South Africa to work with the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division. And go I did, and I haven't stopped going since! :-)
My time with the leadership of the SID and with President Paul Ratsara and his wife Denise was profoundly impacting on me. (In fact, I feel like I've inherited another "family" with the Ratsara's as a result of all our extended time together. What a blessing they've been already in so many ways.)
But let me share some more about the the SID and what happened while our prayer team was there. Like I've shared before, the SID (Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division) is the fastest growing division in the SDA church with over 2.6 million members. They have massive evangelism initiatives that they are pushing forward, and as a result, I expect to see them grow tremendously more this next year. After being with them for a few weeks, I realize WHY they are strong like they are. They are a Division that really focuses on prayer. However, we all need MORE prayer...and that's what my teammate Shanter and I helped encourage at their Executive committee meetings this past October. As the Union Presidents and church leaders of 23 countries gathered together in Pretoria South Africa, we began each days Executive meeting with 45 minutes of united prayer. This was not an "optional prayer time" but was scheduled right in the normal meeting agenda. Initially some of the leaders questioned if they would manage to get through all they had to do in their meetings, but God blessed tremendously. Besides taking 45 minutes each morning, and sometimes also in the evening, their agenda items were completed half a day early! Everyone was so happy. We had Union Presidents and leaders coming into our prayer room sometimes as early as 3 and 4am to pray and plead with the Lord for His blessing. And the Lord blessed.
As a result of the success in the SID, we were able to work with bringing united prayer to Executive committee meetings in 3 more divisions in the following areas including Southeast Asia, India and North Eastern Africa. It's been powerful and humbling seeing how God has been breaking down walls and bringing healing and unity to so many, from church leaders to university students, to husbands and wives and entire families.
I have to share a few more recent stories:
One of our Prayer leaders, was working with a “Prayer room” at a University in Asia. During one hour of prayer, a young student prayed earnestly for his unconverted friend. The next day he was back with his friend, a young girl named Christine. She cried during most of the prayer time, and confessed her sins. Afterwards, she told our leader. “I feel like God has lifted this huge burden off my heart and I have peace for the first time.” She also told our leader... “During the hour of prayer, I saw dark evil angels around the prayer circle, trying to break in to disrupt the prayers. But holding them back was a wall of strong angels of light with armor. I can see that God is protecting those who pray!”
On another occasion, our prayer leader was invited to a Conference worker's meeting to talk about prayer where about 40 or so Pastor’s and leaders were together planning for an evangelistic meeting that had just started. After she talked, she asked if she could lead them in united prayer. They were reluctant, but finally consented to 15 minutes or so. However, as they prayed, hearts were melted and the leaders began to cry as they confessed their sins and joined in supplication. The period of prayer stretched into 45 minutes. At the end, the conference president got up, chocked in tears, and said, “We have never before admitted our sins publicly to God. This is one of the best things that has ever happened. We needed this so much!” He couldn’t speak further but broke down. The Holy Spirit’s presence was so heavy, hardly anyone could speak. That night, the Evangelistic series that had been holding about 700 (SDA & non SDA) swelled to over 1,000. They started a prayer room in conjunction with the meetings, and within a few nights the hall was packed with over 1,000 non church members. (All the members were asked to take seats outside with a screen!) Hundreds of people were baptized as a result of this series and the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer. Our team has been amazed and awed at how God blessed after His leaders were willing to confess their sins and pray together.
And the testimonies and stories only keep coming in. We've found out some prominent universities overseas have made "United Prayer" a part of their weekly prayer meetings which include over 500 students. We've heard other places have set up permanent prayer rooms that they intend to keep open until Jesus comes back. Different church leaders have started making this format of "United Prayer" that we've been leading a part of all their meetings, and they've told us they are experiencing a peace and unity among their leaders as never before.
In the short span of 3 months, I'm baffled to realize that our prayer team has traveled all over the world working with church leaders representing over 50 countries. When I stop to catch my breath I'm not even sure that it's real. It's almost a dream! But then I realize, this is NO DREAM! God is moving in a big way....and WHY He's allowed us to be part of this....why he's allowed ME to be a part of this.....well, I still don't know. The more He works, the more in AWE I become. Why me, Lord. Why ARME, why just normal people like us? I feel so small....so insignificant. (And certainly not adequately equipped for the task.) And yet, when God calls...how can you say "No."
Our team just returned from helping GYC host an All-day prayer room for the first time. Once again we saw God's spirit poured out in a large way. At first it was slow, but once people realized there was a prayer room, it drew a crowd. At some points we had over 100 people packed in the prayer room. Over and over people told us, after their time in the prayer room, that it was the most impacting thing to them about the whole GYC experience. Many asked us how they could take this "United Prayer" back to their churches, youth groups and conferences. (Of course we were more then happy to give them suggestions, and we also pointed them to our recently released "United Prayer Handbook" that gives more details! This is downloadable on the Prayer page at www.armebiblecamp.com) While we had powerful experiences in the prayer room, we were also given multiple opportunities to share testimonies, both on stage at the nightly meetings, and behind camera as the GC sent over video cameras to film some of the stories of things that have happened around the world. Talk about overwhelming.... "Um....can we stop for a second here? Do you mind if I step out of the light and take a break. I'm not sure about all this attention." Interestingly enough, I wasn't nervous at all when before the 6,000+ audience with the evening program going LIVE on 3ABN Television. However when I went to record testimonies and share about the prayer room sitting in front of a video camera with only 2 or 3 people present, I got REALLY nervous. Anyway, praise the Lord....He blessed, despite my jitters and feelings of inadequacy. And testimonies have continued to flood in. God is bringing REVIVAL to our nation and across the world.
"If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." II Chron 7:14
Currently our team is preparing for the next ARME Bible Camp. Although two weeks out from the next camp, we are already registered above capacity with 500+ attendees and have had to close registration down early. (Wow - this is a first!) We really don't want to make our camps too large as you loose the personal feel and touch, but we don't want people to be left out either, so are praying about how to conduct things in the future.
After this next ARME I'll be returning to South Africa for 3 weeks to work again with the SID leading United Prayer. After that it will be Bangladesh...and then we have another ARME Camp in April. (You can see why it might be awhile til I update again?! Smile smile...) Where God will lead next, I don't know...somehow I feel like I'm just along for the ride and He keeps saying, "Catch up to me Melody! Catch up...you may be moving fast, but I'm still ahead of you and we have lots of work to do!" Praise the Lord, HE is in control!
1 comment:
Very Impressive
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