written by Kelley who served with her husband Jeff in Lesotho as part of Farming Quest
The warm air was stiff in the small schoolroom where the African students gathered for Bible study. I had just finished teaching about prayer, focusing on James 5:16B: A prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.
One student argued, “God doesn’t answer my prayers. I wanted a new car, and I still don’t have it.”
“God certainly does answer prayers," I replied. "He answers the prayers that glorify Him. He answers the prayers that lead you closer to Him.”
There was chatter in the room because as I talked, a cricket began chirping loudly. With English as everyone’s second language, listening carefully was vital, but with the incessant chirping, it was almost impossible.
A few boys snickered, “The cricket comes every day to confuse us. We look for it, but it hides deep in the floor. It just squeaks louder and louder.”
“It must be a demon cricket," I said. "Josie*, please pray God will silence the cricket.”
I continued to read the passage in James and Josie gave me a quizzical look.
“You’re a prayer warrior,” I told her. “I have heard your prayers, and they are powerful. I want to you to pray now that God will silence the cricket.”
Josie immediately dropped her head, and I saw her lips moving in quiet prayer. I turned back to read James, but I barely got two words out before the room was filled with silence. The cricket had stopped its mockery after Josie bowed her head. The students looked around with huge eyes and open mouths. As they sat, astonished, the cricket crawled from behind the baseboard and silently wiggled his way to the middle of the room, right in our midst. His bug eyes seemed to be sizing us up.
We all thought the same thing, so I spoke it out loud:
“Josie, please kill the cricket.”
And with one swift motion, she brought her heavy foot down on its frail body. There was another moment of silence and then the room exploded with joy.
I repeated, “God answers the prayer that glorifies Him. He answers the prayers that lead you closer to Him.”
The students all confessed they had never seen God move so quickly on their behalf.
I said, “If God can raise Jesus from the dead to save humanity from certain death, He can certainly silence a cricket. And if He can silence a cricket, imagine what else He will do for you!”
Share your life. Share Jesus.
*not her real name