Why, God?

Questions for God

Greetings, Dear Readers-

Do you ever wonder why God asks you to do some of the things He does? This question has rolled over and over in my mind since my return from Los Angeles. So far, the answers have been vague. Here’s what prompted the question:

Near the end of our time on Hollywood Boulevard, on the second day of our trip, we stopped at the entrance to a shopping mall to pray. As we were deep in prayer, a lady came near and took a seat on a wall, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive. Sam felt God nudge him to pray for this lady, but while we were still in prayer, she walked away. He prayed that God would bring her back if she, indeed, needed prayer. She came back. Finishing our prayer, we approached her and tried to have a conversation with her. She was from Holland and only spoke Dutch. We couldn’t understand her and she couldn’t understand us. She seemed okay with us praying anyway.

Echo Park Entrance

On Friday, we returned to Echo Park (more on the park next time) to pray. We all had the feeling we weren’t quite done yet. I felt God urge me to go pray for a man scrunched down behind us painting. I left the prayer circle and approached the man only to find he couldn’t speak English. Through some hand signs, I discovered he came to the park to paint canvases which he later sold on the street. He knew the names God and Jesus but I don’t know if he had a relationship with them. He allowed me to pray for him. I returned to my friends who were still praying.

So, my question is, “Why would God send us all the way to Los Angeles and have us pray for people who couldn’t understand what we were saying to them?” What do you think, my dear readers? I’d love to have your insights in the Comments Section.

Prayer Circle

The only thing that has come to me is that it was a question of obedience. Would we back away or follow through, given this barrier? Maybe God translated our prayers into their own language. He did that in the Bible. Both of them had an aura of peace about them when we parted. Did we witness a modern-day miracle and didn’t even know it?

Going out with joy today, waiting for my next set of instructions-

Cathy

Movie, Anyone?

Hello, Dear Readers-

Movie Theater

Before the Hands on Missions Team left for Los Angeles, we spent several months praying collectively and separately about the trip and the mission God had for us. These are the notes I made in my prayer journal after I prayed one morning:

07/07/17 God said, “Pray for the film industry to be flooded with good, wholesome films – no sex, no violence, no foul language – that families can attend together and that I will approve of. Pray for film writers to be writing those kinds of films. Pray that people, especially Christians, will become fed up with films that depict behaviors I would disapprove of and that they will stop using their resources to support these films. Money speaks in Hollywood. If Hollywood rejects these well-written movies, let other, lesser known studios, profit from producing and showing them. Turn Hollywood upside down. Let the current powers that be in Hollywood stand around wringing their hands because they don’t understand what is happening.”         

On the second leg of our flight to Los Angeles, Sam, our Team

Leader, sat next to a young man who is in the Christian film industry. Davis and his business partner work with Christian organizations to make films used to promote the message they are trying to get out to the public. Two evaluations he made in the conversation with Sam touched me:

1)      Christians need to be about the business of busy-ness warfare. Satan is keeping Christians so busy, even doing good things, that they are neglecting their prayer life and other Christian duties.

2)      When we asked him how we could pray for the Christian film industry, Davis replied, “Pray that Christians will support us.” It broke my heart to think that Christians wouldn’t attend good, clean, family oriented movies over those that portray worldly lifestyles.

A familiar scripture says,

“If my people who are called by My name

will humble themselves,

and pray and seek my face and

turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin

and heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

The solution to this and other problems in this world is in our hands, Dear Readers, if we count ourselves as His disciples. Will you do your part to use the resources He has blessed you with to support films and television shows that honor Him and the Christian Worldview?

Going out with joy today to love and serve Him-

Cathy