Monday, March 2, 2015

At the sound...

"Lost are saved, find their way, at the sound of your great name
All condemned feel no shame, at the sound of your great name

Every fear has no place, at the sound of your great name
The enemy—he has to leave, at the sound of your great name


Jesus, 
Worthy is the Lamb
That was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up 
and all the world will praise your great name

All the weak, find their strength, at the sound of your great name
Hungry souls receive grace, at the sound of your great name
The fatherless—they find their rest, at the sound of your great name
The sick are healed, and the dead are raised, at the sound of your great name"

Eyes closed, I see them. 
The fatherless. The motherless.
Big brown eyes that stare at me, 
brimming with tears and apprehension, 
Espresso skin that lightens in the palms,
upturned to ask the question...
"Are we seen?"

A statistic flashes through my mind, "11, 000 children orphaned by Ebola." 

I say another prayer for them with my eyes closed, hands raised, and heart soft on a Sunday morning in the auditorium. The song in the background proclaiming the truth I need to hear.

A few days prior I hosted a global prayer night, the third of its kind. And I keep waiting for the shine of these nights to wear off, for them to become a burden or a bore, but they just never do.

My heart begins to rattle in my chest a few days before we gather. A surge of excitement sends chills down my spine thinking about how we are engaging in work that will shake the gates of hell in another part of the world. 

I lose sleep preparing for it, thinking about it, praying it to fruition. And then comes the best part... we gather. And from different rooms in my house, all at once I hear the sounds of women's voices rising in unison, praying for people we have never even met.

And I can feel God's presence, and I can feel God's pleasure, because I know God loves a good women's get-together as much as we do.

Here are the facts, here's what we do:
We choose one global issue a month, ie. a country in need, a medical emergency, a terrorism spree... and we spend one night together, digging deep into the lives affected by the crisis. We learn their stories, their names, their struggles... and then? We pray for them.

So simple. So good.

Of course we make it fun, with indigenous food to snack on, documentaries and visual aids, interactive prayer activities, and fun swag to take home, because, as my sister likes to tell me, "You can hit them with the truth when they get there, but firsyou have to get them there."

I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing these nights are to my wander-lusting, Jesus-loving soul. 

The opportunity to come together and pray for other people in other places where life looks different then ours? The experience of connecting with non-profits both here and abroad that are making a tangible difference in the world? The privilege of bringing an offering to our Almighty God on behalf of those who are suffering?

Yes. Count me in.




(I will be posting details on the different topics and prayer night formats that we have used, in the coming days. If you have questions or want to host a similar night and are looking for resources, I would love to chat! email me at adrianedimmitt@gmail.com)

4 comments:

  1. Adriane,

    Thank you for the reminder that with prayer gives us power in Jesus no matter how physically close to or far from the issue at hand we may be.

    Grace and peace.

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    Replies
    1. Brianna! Thanks for coming by=) Isn't it a beautiful reminder, to know that our small offering can impact another life or situation that we may never see in this life?! I am constantly amazed at how we are invited in to the kingdom work God is doing all around:)

      Blessings, friend!

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  2. I adore this- EVERYTHING about it.
    Your story, your heart, and your desire to lead others into doing likewise.
    Can't wait for you to share all the details.
    {maybe you could develop some printables or templates to share...Anything to help someone press the Easy Button. Just trying to load you down. =) }

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    Replies
    1. LORI! Thank you, friend! I am so so excited about this small endeavor that God has put on my heart, and the ways that He is bringing it to fruition! He is SO GOOD. I am hoping to get details posted asap, and yes, I am going to include all the print outs that I used, so that if anyone else *wink, wink* wants to host a night like this, the resources are ready and available=)

      Thanks for your words of encouragement.

      Blessings,
      Adriane

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