Stories that Change the World - 17 May 2012
Have you ever thought about the story you will tell your grandchildren about your life?
Sheena Littlehale is passionate American pray-er and part of the international prayer team for 24-7 Prayer helping to connect and resource prayer all over the world. Along with others from the movement Sheena is in Jakarta this week for the World Prayer Asembly. Sheena will be keeping us involved and informed this week with a series of live blogs.
On day 3 of the World Prayer Assembly I found myself asking people three questions: “What is the story of your prayer journey?” “What is the fruit?” and “What effect has prayer had on your life?”. But more significant than the questions themselves were the people of whom I asked them.
Once again I found myself in the 12th floor prayer room, only this time I was literally sitting at the feet of a man I can only describe as a ‘Father in the Faith’ – someone who dared to pray huge prayers and say yes when God asked for huge obedience. This man was involved in the very earliest days of what we now refer to as the ‘Prayer Movement’, a tidal wave of prayer that is circling the earth. He told me amazing stories of God bringing people and things together at just the right time from the 1960s to the 1980s and up to today. It was a chain of small events and moments of obedience that have culminated in this World Prayer Assembly. The movement of prayer in the earth rests on the shoulders of people like him.
After that amazing conversation I spoke with another man, also a ‘Father in the Faith’, but this man is from a North African nation that has recently seen incredible change as the Body of Christ has responded to God calling them to pray like never before. He told me amazing stories of divine connections and unity that have opened opportunities that could only be from God.
When I returned to my hotel and thought about my day I couldn’t help but ask myself what legacy I might have in 30 or 40 years. I wondered what my small acts of obedience and perseverance in prayer will yield when God takes it and does with it what only He can do.
And what about the other 9,000 people at this World Prayer Assembly? What stories will they tell their grandchildren about what God did in their generation? How many millions will be touched with the love of Father God out of the prayers we are praying and all God is saying this week? I can’t wait to tell those stories!