breaking the hush

     A week or so ago, God challenged me to pray! I have fallen so much in love God’s Word – it’s like I’m reading it all new for the first time! –it seems like with the lack of privacy, my prayer life has decreased as my reading has GREATLY increased. He reminded me of the Muslim in my dorm the first week I was here – I mentioned him in an earlier blog – and how he didn’t care about privacy, but did it anyway! So, in perfect Holy Spirit fashion, I was yet again convicted. One day, while meeting with the guys, I shared my heart about my lack of prayer, and it seemed like we all were in the same boat! I shared the challenge that the Lord had given me – to make a time and find a place – like the Muslim, no matter who was watching or hearing – not to be a Pharisee, but out of pure desperation to spend time with the I Am, abandoning our own inhibitions. We discussed it, and decided that we would do whatever we needed to, for prayer – including missing a trip to the chow hall for a few minutes of privacy. At the end of each day, we would check up to see if we got our time in.
     This morning, we were in some type of lockdown. As we awoke, we had to stay in our bunks, which means no TV and plenty of quiet! A perfect time for prayer! Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who thought so; as I looked around, I saw men begin praying, and not only the guys who heard my challenge, but also others who are hungry for God! Something welled up inside of me – maybe I was proud of these men accepting and listening to the Lord, or maybe it was excitement for what God is getting ready to do here at Gurney. Whatever it is, it is not going away anytime soon. Please pray for us men, that as we draw closer to Him, we will only desire to know Him more and that as we learn to listen, we will begin to obey, This is our desire! To be vessels – an extension of God’s hands, mouth, and feet to the hurting men; that we will understand that sacrificing time, pride, and inhibitions is worth hearing as obeying Him is greater than these sacrifices we make.