As I walk over to the big brick house next door to mine, the
house that use to be a drug den and brothel, but is now a lovely big house that
some of my closest friends live in. I choke a little at the overwhelming smell
of weed in the air. I see my friends and neighbours further down the road
sitting outside on their porches smoking and talking. They don’t know Jesus yet
and think we are crazy people, that seem to love everyone. White, black, rich,
poor. They see the love daily, yet they struggle to see how they can be so
loved.
I step into the brick house to have a relaxing and fun
evening with my fellow missionary friends, I play games, chat about our days
and then watch a movie. Yet as I do I pray. I pray for those outside and down
the road. My close neighbours who don’t yet know Jesus. And God says gently to
me…'I call them by name.'
Every Friday night, after some prayer and worship for this
city, I get in a car with my friends and I drive down to the local clubs to
pray outside, say hello to the bouncers outside, and sometimes the lead of the
ministry and one of our pastors hand out gifts to those inside, making sure
they let each person they see know that Jesus loves them. And so do we!
As I sit outside the clubs, Jesus tells me 'I'm am calling
them each by name.' Not their stage name, but their real name, just as he did
with Samuel. He asks me to pray along with Him. I do, as I thank Him that He
has called us all by name.
God takes me to Galatians 4v1-7 and shows me such truth. As
the Lord calls us by name, as we become sons and daughters of His, our spirit can't help
but cry out 'Abba Father.'' So as He calls our name, we cry His name and then He
cries our name. We are in a perfect relationship with Him as we focus on each
other. He has our complete attention and we have His.
As He brings me to this revelation, He shows me why He has
been getting me to pray that my beautiful neighours hear Him call their name.
Because when they hear, and they become sons and daughters, they can’t help but
respond.
‘Father, you love us without measure Savior, you lead us to
life Spirit, you teach us to listen, to laugh, to love, to cry and we feel this ache inside
Jesus,
oh how we love you Jesus, oh how we love you
There's no other we desire
There's no other we desire thousands of songs have been sung
stories of loss and of love we can't deny this aching desire to respond Abba,
oh how we love you
You're our hope and you are our refuge’
Oh how we love you, United pursuit
As I respond to Him I learn more about Him, about myself in
Him and I learn how to pray. I pray for salvation for our kids and I get to see
two of our precious little ones give their lives just yesterday. I pray to be
extra close to Him, and the desperation in me heightens. I pray for the perfect
time to return to England for a couple of weeks. So although my visa is going
to take time, and I won’t be returning in April, I know He has me.
I know He has me in all things, as I look to Him and He
looks to me. As He calls my name, I call His. As I stand in my position as a
daughter of my Abba Father.
