Prayer

Prayer is such a comfort and I find that it continues to be the source of strength to me on days that I don't think I could manage otherwise. Before coming to Malawi I have had various opportunities to experience prayer in different settings and see its power to heal, bring peace, show direction, and be a way to encounter God in a tangible way. As I prepared to move to Malawi I wondered how these experiences would translate into a different culture and if I would have an opportunity to share some of the things I've learned - those opportunities are yet to be discovered. But in the meant time I continue to find shelter and peace in the “hiding place” of prayer. As I pray I am reading through the Psalms and find a depth of prayers and promises that speak to my situation at different times.

I wish I could share with you the ways that God has encouraged me and spoken to me – but they are too detailed and personal to explain. I just feel honored and blessed to be able to communicate – both speaking and listening – to the God of the Universe!

I have come across a few quotes recently that have encouraged me…

When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us. E. G. White

To pray is to take notice of the wonder, to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings, the divine margin in all attainments. Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living. It is all we can offer in return for the mystery by which we live. Rabbi Abraham Heschel

I found this prayer the other day and it seems so appropriate for the work here among different cultures and viewpoints. There are at least 5-6 different countries represented in the staff here at the hospital at the management level – it is not merely my American vs. Malawian cultures. So I close with this prayer:

“O Maker of Worlds beyond us,
help us to live in the world we know
in peace with one another,
a kaleidoscope of nations,
a patchwork quilt of ways and wills
that rise from the depths of cultures
created by Your love.
Open us to the richness
of one another's vision
and the good we can accomplish
when we share one another's views.
We pray this prayer of unity and peace
in the hope of Shalom.”
Amen