Answering the Call...: September 2014

My last day in Kenya (11th of Sept) was our second week in the study on Prayer...i am just now getting to the blog post!

Rose is asking the kids outside to be more quiet

As usual, we opened the session with prayer and then Denise began the teaching...

Rachel and Linet

The title for this week was "Renewing Our Passion to Pray"...

With Josephine away, Rose translated for Denise

Denise covered the first two points: 1. Prayer reveals the assignments of God and 2. Our needs become the opportunities of God...

Morning break for the school kids

Elijah (seated to the right) is captivated

1. Prayer reveals the assignmnets of God: Using the passages from 1Kings 18:16-46 we get a glimpse into the heart and life of the prophet Elijah...

Rose is such an able teacher!

...clearly he enjoyed an intimate walk with God and was able to hear when God gave him an "assignment"...

Elijah has warmed up to me again

One of the most powerful stories of Elijah's life and ministry is when he confronted the fals prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel...

Playing with my camera

Elijah revealed in an amazing way his deep trust in God and His powers.

Good thing I brought a bag of toys!

We learned that prayer is the discipline that keeps us hearing clearly what our next assignment is from the Lord...

...it is out of our prayer times that we become sensitive to His voice and begin responding to his promptings.

2. Our needs become the opportunities of God...every time Elijah had a need, he prayed.

Susan, Rachel and Linet

Sarah reading Phil 4:6-7

Throughout the Bible, we discover that God meets us at the point of need...

He loves to show His power and grace in the midst of our need...

In Phil 4:6-7 Paul urges the believers in Philippi to "...not be anxious about anything, but in every by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"

I gave him a piece of chalk...

My favorite part of that scripture comes next "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Prayer is God's way of keeping us in the place of peace when we are confronted with large problems.

Also - all the potential and possibilities that exist with an eternal and all-powerful God are unleashed when we pray - wow!

He is getting so handsome!

Need does not have to be a curse...all too often I resent needing anything or anybody - it was quite freeing to begin to understand that my need is a way for me to encounter God!

Hebrews 4:16 says "let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to hep in time of need."

Looking into the classroom next door!

Denise then told a powerful story of a great need, when she and her sister-in-law Susan were at the hospital waiting to be scheduled for radiation treatment for Susan.

The ladies really responded to the story...

They were told the wait would be a whole year...reality is - Susan will not live that long without treatment. They both began to pray and send messages to several people to also pray for God to hold back despair for Susan just as He held beack the waters of the Jordan for Joshua and the priest to cross on dry land.

He did so much more! Somehow they met with the head of radiology and even though he repeatedly explained he could do nothing about booking appointments, suddenly he grabbed a red pen and wrote on her file in big letters "URGENT/EXPEDITE" and set the treatments to begin in less than one week!

he kept very busy!

Rose taught on point #3: God's invitation to pray becomes our confidence...but before she began she asked the ladies to share answers to their homework question; which one of God's promises is most meaningful to you.

Sarah sharing from her homework

Sarah shared first from Rom 10:11-13; she is most thankful for the salvation that God offers to all His creation...

Drinking water

Linet then shared from Matt 7:7-11 in which God is likened to a good father who wants to give his children good gifts...

She needed school fees for her children; a constant need here in Kenya, but there was not money.

She began to pray this scripture over and over, trusting and believing that God wanted to supply her need...

Emily and Emmanuel

Out of the blue a relative contacted her and indicated the desire to send money; more than enough to cover all the fees that were owed!

Susan going next door

She asked them to be more quiet

3. God's invitation to pray becomes our confidence...He wants us to know that it is in His heart to respond to our prayers (just like He did for Linet!)

In James 5:17-18 we read "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."

Elijah was a man like us! We can approach God with the same confidence that Elijah possessed...

Rose told of the fears, frustrations and even faults of Elijah...helping us to see that nothing can hinder God from using each one of us, except our unwillingness to pray and trust and depend on God.

Eating a square of my sandwich

We tend to struggle with our understand of who God actually is...

Just as we read Matt 7, He is a good Father who has our best interest at heart.

Susan reading Matt 7:9-11

He is the God who is for us, not against us...

Stacking chairs

This story of Elijah is most exciting because when he prayed in his time of need, it became an opportunity for God to do something powerful.

Josephine arrived late...

Just as with Susan, the need was heavy and so hard to bear. But, in turning to God in prayer, He proved Himself mighty, powerful, gracious and loving...

Rose ended her portion of the teaching by reminding us that in all that God did in the story of Elijah the end result, that we must always remember is that God was glorified!

Susan helped us see how our answers to prayer bring glory to God, which is the 4th and final point of today's teaching.

First she shared a personal story about her mother who has been very ill. She prayed from Matt 7 and reported to us this day that her mom is doing so much better now!

It was truly exciting and faith-building to hear so many praise reports about the power and love of God!

Denise trying to entertain Elijah...

Backdrop to the story we have been studying; the people of God had lost confidence and faith in their God...

He does pretty good entertaining himself!

...they had begun to worship false gods.

Sarah, Emily, Susan, Rachel

God wanted His reputation back! It was important, even critical, that He demonstrate Himself on behalf of His people...

Josephine

...the only way for Him to demonstrate Himself was for Elijah to pray...

Emmanuel woke up!

Here is the progression: Elijah prays, God answers, and the people give glory to God!

He is getting so big!

In 1Kings 18:37-38 we read that portion of the story...

In John 14:13 Jesus says it this way "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Exploring!

We live in a world where billions of people worship many different gods.

Susan challenged us by asking us to identify an idol that is worshiped...

Busy scraping dirt

...and carrying it inside!

Linet shared a story of a neighbor who believes in omens...

...she watches for signs of approaching good fortune or bad...all too common in this culture (sometimes even in the church!)

Josephine shared that sometimes we can be on our way to church, or a Bible study, and we meet a friend on the street who distracts us from reaching our destination...