Prayer Meeting

The last worship chorus was sung, one that led to a deep reflection about surrendering everything we think we are to the One whom we call Almighty, Sovereign, All Powerful, Father.

Two of the guitars are softly still playing the worship tune and a woman quietly joins in, singing this time not in English but in her personal prayer language - "Ah day qua, ma sine, quo tow loco staa".

A man joins in following the same tune using his own personal gift of an unknown language - "So jay clakay, abom ka, kala kalon ka".

Quickly others join in, each with their tongue, but now someone branches off of the tune, harmonizing. And as that happens all of the rest gathered there join in, those who have a special prayer language with theirs, those who do not in English, all singing and improvising and harmonizing.

Those playing guitars and keyboard are also improvising but now instead of leading they are following.

There is a wave of a chorus in tongues from one side of the room which is met with a return wave from the other. The waves come together and splash back, beautiful sounds, uplifting, reverent.

After a minute all is quiet. The room waits, eyes are closed, most hands are open as each person is in prayer or are sensing, expecting that now the Lord has something more.

A man stands up and speaks, slowly, deliberately, several sentences in an unknown language. A woman then rises and gives the interpretation in English. She stops mid sentence and another women picks up right where the first lady left off. It is a message about trusting that God knows all of our needs, that He loves us, and that the questions that have been heavy on our heart are being answered.

Sitting in the back of the room is an unbeliever. He has come tonight more out of curiosity than anything else. All of this, the strange languages, the open worship he just saw without any apparent direction, and the man and women giving a message has been really odd to him.

And yet just this week he had been feeling lonely. Maybe that is why he had been attempting to pray, wondering if God, if there was a God, could or would ever answer his questions, or even hear his prayers for that matter. The "prophetic word" he thought made him feel like he just got slapped upside the head with a 2 X 4.

Then a tall black man gets up, opens his bible and shares a verse that he said struck him right between his ear lobes. It was from Luke, something about asking and knocking and God wanting to give good things to His children.

Next came a little old white grandma. She takes about twenty steps to cover 10 feet, stands in the middle of the group and tells a story about how kind God was to send someone special to visit her this week. Just when she thought that no one cared a neighbor came over, brought her some warm oatmeal cookies then stayed and talked for an hour. She too opens her bible and shares a verse about how God knows our needs even before we ask Him.

That is followed by a young college student who wanted to share with everyone that she hasn't had any bouts with anxiety since the group prayed for her last month. She was able to apply for an internship she really wanted and praise the Lord she had been accepted.

At this point a man gets up, takes his notes, waves them at the group and puts them back in his pocket, He then gives about a ten minute testimony about how he had grown up in the church but didn't have any kind of personal relationship with God but God pursued him and this is how he came to believe that Jesus Christ died for his sins personally.

When the man's message is ended he asks if there is anyone here who would like to have the same assurance that he does about having a relationship with the Lord who loves us so much. He says that he will be available to talk after the meeting is over

After he sits down there is a closing song, some couples are identified as being available to pray with anyone for healing or anything else they have a need for, and there is fellowship time.

The unbeliever doesn't seek out the man after the meeting but he is clearly shaken that this random prayer meeting spoke directly to him. He heads to the book table and finds one that looks quite interesting, brings it home. It answers some of his questions but now he has twice as many new ones.

The next week he comes back and is surprised when there is another "word" and two more sharings that help answer his new questions. As he is buying more books the man who talked at the first meeting comes over and introduces himself. He actually seems to be quite normal.

A few weeks later, alone in his apartment, confronted with his sinfulness, anxious to know the One who has not given up on him, he confesses his sins and steps out in faith. Gently, as sure as anything has ever been in his whole life, Jesus is alive in his heart.

The next week as the angelic chorus moves across the room his voice, speaking in a language just for him, joins theirs.