Bowed heads, closed eyes, and folded hands. This is what prayer used to mean to me. But after a week in Guatemala, I’ve seen the power of prayer firsthand. We’ve prayed out loud in the middle of the street while laying hands on each other, believing in what the name of Jesus can do. We’ve prayed for protection and healing, perseverance and confidence. But prayer isn’t just about asking God to provide, it’s also about listening to what He has to say. It’s a conversation. Jesus spoke to Moses through a burning bush, and he spoke to us in a coffee shop and in the middle of a crowded street.
As we were waiting for the God to speak to us through listening prayer in Café Atrio, multiple people heard His voice. I clearly heard the color green. My teammate Sarah saw a yellow wall, and our leader Kailey had a vision of a man with a cane. These didn’t seem connected until we walked out of the coffee shop, turned the corner, and saw a homeless man with a cane standing in front of a yellow and green wall. After talking with him, we found out his name is Sebastian. We prayed with him, thanking God for him and asking God to provide for his needs and protect him. While we may never know how the prayer affected Sebastian, it’s clear that God needed us to show him love and encouragement through prayer. The visions we had in the coffee shop didn’t make any sense at the time, but together they lined up to fulfill what God wanted us to do that afternoon.
On Friday night, we were walking to church when we saw a crowd of people standing around something. In the middle was a lady seizing, but no one in the crowd would touch her. Immediately, everyone on our team knew we needed to pray for her. Some of us held hands and prayed out loud while others laid hands on her. Our leader Rob prayed for total peace and healing in the name of Jesus. Instantly, she stopped seizing and was able to sit up! An ambulance arrived, but instead of going to the hospital she stood up and walked home. The power of God is so immense.
Even if you don’t get an immediate response, don’t be discouraged because God hears all of your prayers. He cares for you and will answer them in His perfect timing. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Fraser Johnston and Emily Wakefield
