Back in Prayer Cabin No. 29

Despite our very tight schedule, during our short trip to our hometown, we couldn’t avoid to miss out on our preplanned visits to a local prayer place in the outskirt of the town. The place housed a common prayer hall which is surrounded by number of small prayer cabins as one reached the top of the hill.

We set out right after having brunch with my wife, my two children, and my brother-in-law who drive for us as well. It was a long hold desire for me to visit this place again while in my hospital bed and after due to many reasons.

Sixteen years ago, here in the same hillock, I was alone fasting for three days and four nights in a row – seeking help, asking for divine intervention in my life. I locked myself inside a prayer cabin burying myself in God’s words and hymns as much as I could.

Today, 24th September 2018, as we checked in we were given Prayer Cabin Number 29 for the day. We’ve seen several other persons, individuals, groups or family like us, checking-in and busy talking to God, which is a usual sight here in this place.

Emotions are running high as we opened the entrance yet small door. We took some time briefing our children about our purpose of visit and what they too could do talking to God. Then, we sang a short chorus as we started our first prayer.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

First, we thank God for giving me a family and bringing us here as a family. Today, I am surrounded by loved ones who can sing with me. It’s a long story of how I’ve prayed for a wife, and adorable children. It is the grace of God, who flew me to distances to get better educations where I’ve seen the good sides of the Lord.

Here in the prayer cabin, I can still remember my helplessness being filled with hope decades ago. The tears I had shed, the joy given, the presence of the Holy Spirit came flashing in my heart.

If it is not for the grace of the Lord who am I to be blessed; and still given a life to live till this day, I said to myself. There are insurmountable reasons, for me, to thank God for it. I am not consumed by poverty, hopelessness, and the ways of the world because His compassion fails not!

The verses given to me in this very prayer cabin decades ago came flashing again. I wanted to share it again and again: Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-23)

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Second, despite walking through the shadow of death; my brain surgery and my failing health, I am able to stand here before the Lord with my family. And that my illness becomes a way of reaffirming His love and care for me.

In the book of Genesis we read of Jacob, who once crossed the Jordan River with empty-hand and returning to his brother with blessings in kinds and create, I too can now praise God for His wonderful blessings in me. The tears of sadness are now replaced with tears of joy and longing for Him.

More than a decade ago, I too crossed the Brahmaputra River with a bag containing only my towel. Now when I came home, I have more than my bag to carry home while caring for my little ones. And I admit I’m no comparable with Jacob but in the joy of my heart.

Despite the sufferings and difficulties one met in life, it’s a blessing from God. Once I am blessed with a job, a broken brain, and now a Stay-at-Home-Dad. Yet I believe God is working for the betterment of His children. So there’s a reason to give thanks in every aspect of our lives.

Acknowledging my Transgressions in Prayer:

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me in your righteous spirit, prayed king David in the Psalms 51.
In the course of our living we did sinned against God. One small thing of transgression led to another. And when we’re deep in the pit, we don’t want to give a thought about our iniquities.

Our desires are hard to control; the desires which led us to sinned against God. Against You, You only, have I sinned, declared kind David. In that way, the sinning ways I wanted to ignore can’t be ignored; they need cleaning.

Thus we acknowledged all our sinning ways throughout the years and asked Him for forgiveness and His cleaning ways. We prayed for Him not to cast us away from His presence, as a family and an individual.

For I acknowledged my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. … And do not take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalms 51: 3, 10, 11b)

Prayer for our Future:

Now, bits by bits, our time in the Prayer Cabin nearing an end as we prayed. For the past few years, our family had witnessed tumultuous period more because of my health issues, which further lead us to spend our time closely with God.

Certain number of bad debts, side effects of medicine taken, accommodations, and many more troubled our living. Some ventures are hard to pass by with our limited skills.

We are in the ‘waiting period’ in almost everything: good health, good income, good accommodation, taking the right steps, good investment of life and time for God, and the likes. So, it is high time for us to pray for our future living, as a family and as an individual, as per His will.

All of us wanted our children to perform well in whatever they do and not get perturbed from the love of God in the wild world. Thus we have a dedication of our future, younger and older, in the last leg of our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer:

‘You raise me up’, ‘God will make a way’, ‘Bless the Lord, Oh my soul’, ‘Ka lungsung hong luah in’, etc. were some of the choruses we sing in the course of the time, and in between our prayers, we spent here in this prayer cabin.

And before we leave the prayer cabin, we held each other’s hand as we say the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer had summed up all our needs, as we can be greedy, and the kind of prayer we should offer to God. We can pray to Him as we’re now His children in the blood of Christ.

Again, we thank God for giving us a good time to commune with Him today!