Are we really desiring God's will?

OK, So I am reading this book: "Behind the veils of Yemen" by Audra Grace Shelby. She shares her and her family's experience in moving from America to go and share The Light of the World, Jesus Christ, with this dark Muslim country. But more than that, her innermost heart thoughts and walk with God. You know, those questions of "why me?" and "why this and why this now at this time of our lifes?" etc. There are so many things that needs to be chewed on. I'll probably reread this book a couple more times in my life. But this one thing that I read this morning, is chewing on me. I have to share it. Each and everyone of us have to go and check our hearts, when we pray, do we really believe that God can do that which we pray. Well of course He can, He is in control of everything in this world, from the stars in the sky and politics and the beating of our hearts. but is our words just mere words, because it is the right thing to pray that God will save these people. or for that matter anything that we pray about. Let me quote the passage from the book:

"I (Audra) prayed passionately, longing for the Tihama people to hear and know Jesus. Then, as I prayed I became suddenly overwhelmed as I saw God's power. I saw His ability to move across Yemen as the Almighty God, pouring His love, surging forward to bring His peace and reconciliation to every man, woman, child. I was ecstatic. "Yes, Lord, Do It!" I cried. :Move forward!" But then I saw God holding back. It was as if He were standing on the crest of the mountain ready but waiting. He was capable, with every resource at his command, fully able to take over the valley. But He was not moving. He was waiting. I was confused. "Why, Lord?" I did not understand. "Why are you waiting?" You desire that every one of these people be saved and come to know the truth. Your word says so (see 1 Timothy 2:4)! Why are You waiting?" I heard the Lord's clear answer. " I am waiting until My desire is the desire in the hearts of My people. I am waiting for My people to want what I want and to ask Me for it....... Did God's people desire Muslim nations to hear God's message? ...... Were they praying like they desired it? Were they praying like they believed God could do it? "

So this had me pondering. Do we pray Please God save all these people but do not really mean, we just pray because it is the right thing to do. when we meet for prayer meetings it is what people would want to hear us pray, but deep in our hearts we feel a bit uncomfortable because maybe tomorrow God will ask of me to go to Yemen or Mozambique or to my next door neighbour or wherever and share His word. or my Muslim/ Hindu/ Atheist/ Jewish/ gangster/ add what you like neighbour would sit next to me in church and I don't really want to see them, here in our church? It's so comfortable here just us group of friends, why more people? Do we really desire what God is desiring. and if we do desire that, do we believe that He can do it?

Here is some scripture verses that go with this for you to ponder on. and Yes there are probably many more verses that I could have quoted. Shall we check our hearts before God and really pray what He desires and believe that He can do it?

Psalm 44:21b "For He (God) knows the secrets of the heart.

Psalm 37:4. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 6:6-7. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who sees in secret and He will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Matt 19:26: With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.

1 Tim 2:1-6

Hebrews 11:6, and without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Heb. 9:14 : How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Col. 4:2-3  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.

John 14:13-14. Whatever you ask in My Name, This I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in My Name, I will do it.

John 15:7-8. If you abide in me, and my words abide in your, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you may bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

Psalm 25:14; Psalm 104:34; Psalm 96: 3, Psalm 112:1; Heb 13:20-21; James 1:22; James 4: 5-10.

The Christian Walk

So there was me walking

In a beautiful mountain range

But on a very narrow* path in a cliff

A step to the one side

And I’ll be stuck in religious legalism

And a step to the other side

And I’m falling deeper down into sin

Only by the Grace of God

Do I make it to not slip into either false way

He gave us hinds feet**

And friends to pray for us, correct us

And most of all encourage us on the way

To the beautiful place where He

Will meet us and reveal His glory.

*Matthew 7:14
**Habakkuk 3:19

Prayer and life of a Muslim background Believer

Walking down the street
The valley of the shadow of death
My Hope can only be in Him alone
I have a small frumbled piece of paper
That might cost me my life
For it contains His Word of Life

Just yesterday I heard the news
My friend was so badly bruised
'cause she might have been at
the reading of our Father's Will

My family and friends have thrown me out
To them I am but a filthy pig
but  in Him, I have a new family without a doubt
They might view me as an oxygen-thief
But don't they realise that it is my GOD
Who gave freely to us all the oxygen??

In the words of Paul
For me to live is Christ
and to die; is definite gain

Previously I had to wear a veil
For reasons religious and cultural
Now I do it just to respect their culture
But HIS LIGHT shines right through it all

Now it's time for them to pray
Everyone on their knees facing east
Whilst I can just where I am talk silently to HIM
For He is everywhere all the time
Protecting me from the lions
But when they do kill me I'll be with Him forever and ever

Silently  I cry a prayer
For wisdom, protection and most of all
For their eyes to be opened
Father may they see that
They are actually persecuting You, their Saviour

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

(written November 2010)

Castles in the sky

Castles in the sky

I wish you would smack me in the face
or tell me to wake up and smell the coffee laced
I built a castle in the sky
with foundations on clouds so high

Yes, it was a dream
but it in my dream it was as real
as sunkissed beaches smelling of sunscreen
a thought, how it could be, how I feel

Now the castle came tumbling down
My face had to hid more than a frown
when the news broke to me
that the dream is no longer to be

I wish you would smack me in the face

Love is a strange strange thing

Love is a strange strange thing


Love is a strange strange thing
I can feel a lot about you
and it be the wrongest deed
and when it be so right
not feel a thing except that
my heart tell me: This is right

Some days I can be in the clouds
and the next want to run away
and yet chose to stay on earth
here with you. Be with you

love is a strange strange thing <3

The Road Less Traveled - Robert Frost

The Road less Traveled - Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

and sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

and looked down one as far as I could

to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

and having perhaps the better claim

because it was grassy and wanted wear

;though as for that, the passing there

had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

in leaves no feet had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I --I took the one less travelled by,

and that has made all the difference

Healing Pain

Pushed aside like I'm rubbish

I supposedly don't make your high standards

you so subtly tried to show your fake love to us

with money and selfish stories of yourself

but you never knew us for who we are

we were just not good enough

now that you are gone 

we are trying to get up out the mud

cleaning ourselves and getting rid of the abscess

forgiving you didn't take away what you did

and yes it still hurts

but it allows me to freely live

to be myself

to be who I am, Who I was created to be

not who you wanted me to be

it'll take time to heal to hurt

The Moon

So many nights I sit and watch the moon

How amazing that so far away it’s shining so bright

But on closer inspection,

It’s…...... just a rock

No light shining out of it

It merely reflects the sun

Don't you think that maybe 

Our Creator is telling us something here

We also are merely rocks

Far from perfect and sinless

But we do reflect the Son’s glory

To a very dark world out there

A beautiful lost dream found in an lesser-known mountain

I walked a path up a mountain
where few others cared to walk
or even knew it existed........
a plant displays its beautiful flowers
to the birds and bees around

a turaco hidden somewhere in thickness
screams like a monkey
and a butterfly fluttersby

the mountains so majestic
stands towering above the grasslands
declaring their Creator
to whomever would bother to stop
................ and listen to the silence

I look down and on the path
lays something, sparkling but full of mud
I pick it up and look carefully,
a dream, lost, forgotten, fractured.......
but still so beautiful, asking take me

The Heavens Above whispers softly
keep it safe with you
carry it in the saferoom of your heart
but mostly do what is asks of you

All the random needed pieces are out there
but needs time, patience and mostly
glue only obtained from Above
slowly but surely it'll all fit together

the big picture don't always comes with the package
of the million piece puzzle
 your small piece of dream
might not make sense as it is
but it's part of something else too

Thunderstorms in Africa.

It is so beautiful, I just have to share it with you.

‎(The lost trails of the Transvaal - TV Bulpin) In summer, if the rains were good, it was green and beautiful in its very spaciousness. The air was brisk, the horizon clear and clean from one curve of the earth to the other; while overhead the sky was as blue as a magic ocean, with giant cloud ships manoeuvring around, finding positions, and then opening fire each afternoon with their big guns, hammering away with flashes and crashes, until one sprung a leak and showered the earth with the rain or the hail of a thunderstorm.

The sounds of summer in Southern Africa

On a hot summer's day

on the beautiful african bushveld

the cicada's background noise

make it feel hotter than it really is

and a grey-headed bush shrike plays 

hide and seek with you

A red chested cuckoo and the burchell coucal

sing of the rain to come

whilst in the rainstorm the frogs bursts out 

in their joyous grateful song

with the rumbling thunder as their beat

just as you light the braaifire

you catch a glimpse of an orange tail

as a paradise flycatcher flies past to his cupful of nest

Somewhere in the not too far away

in their gorgeous turquoise attire

a woodland kingfisher and his friend

is practicing for the Christmas Choir