Week in Pictures! (click on the link below)

Wedding/Naga Church

Prayer

So last night a couple of my Indian girlfriends came over - Mary and Munnu. They are crazy 21 year-olds and full of fun and laughter. But they also, like most Indian Christians, know the importance of prayer. A few days ago I went to Munnu's house, and as I was about to leave she said, "Wow, we've been talking this whole time and haven't even thought to pray." It kind of made me chuckle, but I agreed so we ended our time together in prayer. I love it!

But what is unique about many group prayers here is that, to start, everyone will pray individually at the same time. So it sounds like a jumbled mess, most likely with 5 different languages being spoken too. But then after everyone has finished, one person will close the prayer aloud. That is what we do at the house church I go to (maybe sometime I'll try to get it on video) and that's what me, Mary, and Munnu did last night. It was really neat because Mary was praying in Nagamese, Munnu in Nepali, and me in English. And then Munnu finished the prayer. I love the picture that Jesus hears and understands all of our prayers at once.

My Indian friends have encouraged God and prayer to be central, even when we're just hanging out. Gives this verse "pray continually" new meaning. It's cool when God isn't simply someone who we talk about on Sunday but someone who's in our everyday lives. I think that's how He wants it to be.

¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)