My son's missionary outreach in Kenya has made it possible for me to get to
know a few Kenyan people, and I have come to the following conclusion:
1. There is a real hunger for God in Kenya.
While the mission team was in Nairobi, I received an urgent message from a town
named Kitale, also in Kenya. It was a plea for help: "We kindly request you also
to plan for willing preachers to come and preach the gospel of Christ in our
town Kitale. Which is also in Kenya. We also request you to organize if possible
for the establishment of a small orphanage here."
My heart was broken and I tried to rise up some willing candidates to answer
this call, but I came up empty. I do know, however, that our God will answer
this call! You may be the one through whom He will bless the people of Kitale!
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Luke 10:2 NIV)
2. Kenyan people have an amazing childlike faith.
One current prayer request from a Kenyan was a call for healing: "I have
recently developed a bump on my right hand near the wrist. It started last week
Monday and is growing by the day. I went to the hospital and was told they have
to remove the growth."
A few days later, we received an answer to prayer: "Praise God! Praise God! I am
so happy and glad. We surely serve a faithful God. The bump started receding and
is now almost not there! I never even went to another doctor for any second
opinion, I had faith Jesus would heal me and He has! Oh, Praise God!"
Testimonies like these are numerous throughout the continent of Africa. God is
on the move and He has a passion for people to get to know Him!
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 18:3-4 NIV)
Faith is a necessary ingredient for beginning to experience Him in our lives. Is
it possible that miracles like these are limited in our Western world just
because of our lack of faith in God? I wonder … "According to your faith will it
be done to you" (Matt 9:29 NIV)
3. The people of Kenya that I know don't let circumstances overwhelm them.
Instead they use them to glorify the Lord!
Since my son's arrival back home, we have had the privilege of welcoming two
prayer warriors from Nairobi, and they sure are full of fire! Although they
never met my son, they felt the calling from God to join Answers2Prayer. One of
them prayed for the person mentioned above with the bump, and witnessed with her
own eyes the miracle in the making!
"I was given a prayer request for a colleague in my work place, and she had a
hump on her wrist. Though I was praying, it was hard for me, I could not follow
up since she knows me, and I felt she could feel uncomfortable. But glory to
God! She came after sometime and told me that she sent a prayer request after I
encouraged her to subscribe. She wrote about a hump on her wrist and now she can
see a great change, the hump has reduced a great deal."
And it did disappear completely without any surgery!
The fiancé of a Kenyan friend of mine broke up with her. Instead of falling into
depression and self-pity, she stood firm and glorified God instead. Oh, it had
been a terrible shock to her, but she knows her Heavenly Daddy will never stop
loving her, and that is more important to her than anything else in this world!
Winnie, one of our prayer warriors from Kenya shared with me a dream she had
received from God, just after she graduated from high school: "Something was
brought forth like a great camera show; it was a great multitude of worshippers
of God, white, black and all colors. Covering the greatest sphere of the earth,
somebody called my name to watch, he told me to watch carefully, my eyes were
elevated. I could see the far corners of the earth, as far as my eyes were able
to see, I could see great multitude of people seriously submitting requests to
God.
God' great presence was in their midst, I walked with the person who called me
to watch, whom later I guessed was the Holy Spirit since he was different from
all the rest, amazingly, I also saw myself in the group submitting the requests.
Now the theme; he showed me that people who prioritized to pray for others were
given much more strength and were growing strong. While the people who were only
praying for themselves were dropping down and become exhausted. The secret was
pick the needs of others first."
Touched by this message, I had the opportunity the next day to put it to test. I
was facing a very painful procedure called a root canal. Anyone hearing that
word squirms just at the thought of this generally painful experience. During
the procedure I decided that instead of concentrating on my own needs, I would
pray on behalf of those God brought to my mind. You won't believe this, but I
did not feel a thing: no pain, no discomfort, no panic! Instead I felt God's
presence, and I enjoyed my entire stay in what some call "the torture chair".
Praying on behalf of those in need sure makes a difference, not only to those we
pray for, but also to the person who takes the time to pray for others!
In fact, James encourages us to: "Make this your common practice: Confess your
sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole
and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful
to be reckoned with." (James 5:16 The Message)
I fell in love with the attitude of the Kenyan people. They are open and willing
to experience God in their lives, and they can expect huge miracles in their
midst. My question is: Are we westerners as eager for God?
I long for the day when I can visit Kenya as well, and meet my Kenyan friends
face to face!
"Another root canal! Great! I can't wait to spend that time with God!"
Rob Chaffart
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