Recently, Mila's village began clearing space so they could build a house for Mila's mom. I was there the Saturday before they began building, and told Mila that I would be praying for the house and those working. I did.
Mila came to our house to work on Tuesday, and she said the walls were already in place, and twice as many people had showed up to work as expected. In the village, the whole village will participate. They were expecting twenty-five builders for twenty days. They got fifty.
I asked again on Thursday how progress was going. She told me she had phoned home the night before that the walls were almost finished, and that it was because of the prayers we had said. She said that when she heard of the progress, she began to cry (because it was unbelievable). She also said that her mother wanted to thank us, accrediting our prayers to their success.
That's one example of what God does when I least expect it. I've already explained that Erin and I have really been taking more things into prayer lately, and I am convinced that once our hardened hearts are beaten into an attitude of "Yes indeed, everything does belong to the Lord and he will expand his kingdom as he sees fit," then it becomes easier to pray. We are more eager to pray, and eager to be involved with the expansion of that kingdom.
In the past couple of weeks, God has answered some prayers I didn't know I had, and other prayers exactly the way I prayed them. There are some he refused, making my life a little complicated, but reminding me that the idea of proprietary prayer is really based on proprietary living--the idea that he owns the life I have, and everything that enters can be used for his glory if I would suck it up.
Lately I've been praying specifically for an unbelieving friend of mine who has experienced quite a bit of problems. The other day we were walking through the jungle (have I mentioned how much I love my life here?) when this song popped into my head, a testimony to her and a reminder to myself:
"Never Let Me Down" by Andy Gullahorn
I guess I learned the hard way that this world can’t give me what I need.
Even though the house I built on sand was swallowed by the sea, You never let me down. Sometimes I think I’ll only be content with things that money buys.
Its like trying to squeeze water from a stone – it will not provide.
But You never let me down.
You might let me cry.
You might let me sing.
You might let me feel a fraction of your suffering.
But you won’t let me down.
If I could just stop striving and surrender to Your holy power
I know Your loving arms will lift me up and never let me down.
