I Beg Your Forgiveness

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. In order to communicate with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning our actual life. Having done so, and having righted all known wrongs, we may believe that our God will answer our petitions.

Do not fear to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely upon His sure promise, “ Ask, and it shall be given to you.” He knows your desires. He holds your future in His hands and therefore He will give to the old and to the young what suits them the best. God will always have a way when there seems to be, in our human reasoning, no way out. Have you ever experienced this?

One night, there seemed to be no way for Jane to escape from a small “prison” that she found herself in. It was about 9:00 p.m when she wrestled with an energetic young man in his house. How did she end up in this situation?

On her way home from college she arrived at 7:00 p.m. to the second last town of Kitale. She was supposed to board another vehicle, a ‘matatu’, to take her to her home village 30 kilometres away. Her late arrival was due to a mechanical breakdown of the bus from the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi. At Kitale she learned that the matatu station
had recently moved to a new location, and therefore she sought assistance to this new station since she had no idea where it was.

In the town there were only a few vehicles and the ordinary noise of the day had died down. A woman, who was preoccupied by her business of roasting fish in her small shop, seemed sympathetic toward Jane in her predicament but declined to direct her to the new station. She, however, called a robust young man to escort her.

“George,” the woman called. He came running.
He smiled and immediately he picked up Jane’s luggage and began to carry them away in a hurry, before even bargaining with her for the service. He did seem to be a good man though.

Jane followed him trusting this seemingly honest man. She had no other option at this point in time. George now began to walk even faster and nearly disappeared rounding
the narrow corridors of the town. Jane thought that this was perhaps a shortcut to the new bus (matatu) station.
When she caught up to him she asked, “George, how far is the new station”?

“A few metres”, he replied.
Jane shouted, “Provided I arrive safely.”
George laughed and added, “Don’t worry, we are quite safe even though this place is unfriendly especially to strangers at this time of the night.” Sounds of crickets had long died down. Far behind, Jane could see the towers of the town and
ahead was totally dark. Now they were in the slums, passing staggering couples who had had too much alcohol to drink. They instilled her with terrible fear. In the air, wafted the smell of cigarettes.

She would occasionally slip on the slippery muddy pathway. It was clear to her that it would be impossible for her go to back on her own in this maze of pathways they had just come through in the dark, and even worse, if she left the man now and tried, how would she get her luggage back? She was a prey in the hands of a cruel predator. She was under the control of the wrong master, this “Good Samaritan”. It was too late at night (9:00 p.m.) to call for help. Who would help her in this forest full of carnivores? A forest full of murderers and immoral people?

In this place, dead bodies stripped of their garments were often a common sight. She felt weak but she recalled into her mind the word of God that “although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven”. SC 99.

She closed every door to impure imaginations and unholy thoughts by lifting her soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. She constantly talked to God now and she thought of how prayers can move mountains. We all know that the enemy within should be feared more than the enemy without. Our imaginations can become the enemies we need to fear the most. However, Jane’s internal enemies were defeated. She took control of her thoughts and emotions, by constant prayer to God.

At last she found herself in a mud hut with George. The tin lamp was lit. In the same room Jane could see a bed and three stools. In one corner were two thick knotty sticks and a slasher. On the floor, though the room was dimly lit, she could see several cigarette butts.

She lamented as to how she could find herself in such a place. Quietly she said, “Father, come to my rescue. You know under what circumstances I have found myself … Father, I’m in the Devil’s jaws, snatch me out of the Devil’s dirty, stinking mouth before it snaps to crash me.” She recalled the promise of Jesus in John 6:24, “hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name; ask, and ye shall receive; that your joy may be full.”

This is a true story and is a common occurrence in our country. From Jane’s experience we see how some faithful ladies get into trouble as opportunists take advantage over these victims of circumstances.

As a result many are defiled, transmitted with HIV/AIDS, or they get into a forced marriage or may give birth to unwanted children in a society perpetuating this evil generation.

“Jane, I understand you are hungry and tired as well; you are welcome here. I tell you Jane, that you are more at home here than I am; everything is yours.” George said these words while seated on his bed, his arms folded across his heavy chest. “Everything is yours,” said Satan, “If you just fall down and worship me”. Matt. 4:9.

Many girls, once they are shown all the glory of such boys or men will fall down and remain sold under the slavery of the devil. This was not to be with Jane. She remained calm, happy and confident that the Almighty would do all to save her although she didn’t know how, but she was sure of His promise. She had learned that God has a way out when there seems to be humanly no escape. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of thine hand.” Dan. 3:17.

The lady prayed, confessing all her sins and promising to be faithful in all her life. She prayed for the man as well. At this point the man suddenly rose and welcomed her to one side of the bed! She kept silent. Even though he insisted and begged, she gave him only eyes nothing more. She couldn’t completely hide her human fear although she tried to suppress it.

George lowered his head as he stretched out his hand to welcome her. She suddenly jumped into one of the corners. He followed her there. The girl now tried to resist. She cried, “George, leave me alone, please withdraw from me.” Instantly she again cried, “Brother, George… Brother George, I forgive you … let the Almighty also forgive you.” On hearing these words, “Brother, I forgive,” he withdrew. Such words were like thorns in his breast, pricking his heart. He was ashamed and his facial expression marked with doubt as he stammered like a crazy man, fighting this innocent sister. Then he fell into his bed dumb and slept peacefully.

He was so weary that he did not even remove his shoes or clothes. He threw himself into the bed with his clothes still on and he snuffed out the tin-lamp. Jane prayed again and again in the corner quietly. “Lord, let him sleep soundly and forget about me. Let him not wake up till dawn.” She realized that to make noise was to awaken a gang of similar men to come for her like the men who flocked to Lot’s door in Sodom.

She remained stuck in that corner, petrified like the pillar of salt, not daring to make any movement. The night hours moved slowly, suddenly the man sat up, grabbed a matchstick, struck it and at a glance realized that it was 5:00 a.m. and he was late to work. All at once he stooped, made long strides as if to attack her but he hurriedly went out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

From far away, Jane heard a cock crowing; slowly she picked up her suitcase and made her way out of the slums. She thanked God for His protection the past night. How I wish to urge all who will read this story to believe that the prayer of faith has infinite power to save. However, we should be careful not to place ourselves in the way of temptation.
Our heavenly Father said that we have never asked Him what we want; instead we mistrust Him and trust our own selves and when things don’t work out we blame Him or end up in a more complicated condition than we were in the first place. We end up in a maze of ways that we cannot get out.

It’s my prayer that we learn to pray and trust in Him fully forever and ever.
Amen.

By Charles Mogunde.
Kenya.