Darkness flooded the landscape, but I stood in a luminous tent — a light on a hill. Sprinkled around me were strings and clothespins, filled not with garments but white cards marked by handwriting.
Please pray for my mother, who is fighting cancer. Pray that I will be able to pass my exams. Pray that my friend will escape depression. Please pray that I will be willing to have more faith.
Plea upon plea had been scribbled down, clipped high, waiting. Waiting for an answer.
The needs and wants and burdens of the university’s campus were on display, and initially my mind felt feeble, as if their weight would crush me if I dared to read them all.
Then I remembered: God is victorious.
That was why I was there, why everyone in the tent was there. Some worshipped the Lord through song, others were holding hands in supplication, while still more faithfully planted themselves by a front table, beckoning students to cast their cares upon God.
This was the 24-7 prayer tent set up in the week leading to Easter Sunday. This tent arose year after year, not to mourn over our broken world, but to shine forth the truth that Jesus Christ had overcome it.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5)
Now I am a college alumna, but these memories stand clear, and encourage me today. The sweet fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ in the wee hours of the morning will never be forgotten, because it demonstrated faith exercised at its fullness.
Faith in Jesus, celebrated in community, proclaiming His love to the world.
Together we praised our Savior and interceded for our peers, knowing that His resurrection was the proper response to every request around us. Though I am far from that grassy college quad, I hold dearly to that truth — that because He is risen, we can rise each day with fresh, fresh hope.
I know Jesus is ready and able to answer our deepest longings, because He already did at the empty tomb.
God had come among us, and He did not leave defeated. No, Jesus conquered sin and death and thus enables us to do the same, starting now. We are completely alive in His grace!
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Now alive with and in Him, we can testify before others about His life-giving power, this Easter season as well as every season here and in eternity.
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Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Danielle,
I can just see the picture you drew on that grassy quad…some memories just stay with us – especially the ones that give us hope. All those prayer requests that seem, to us, overwhelming….all the sin and evil in the world that we don’t understand….all the heartache and disappointment, fear, and anxiety that we deal with every day…all the doubts and insecurities….BUT, GOD. It all appears insurmountable, but, God is undaunted by it all. He looked at all the mess that was, and is, and will ever be and said, “I have the answer. ” In His inexplicable love and mercy He made a way for all of it. He made a way for forgiveness, healing, and hope. But, God….this Easter this is where my heart rests. Loved your post – so inspiring!
Easter blessings,
Bev xx
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
Amen, Bev! We can list out endless worries, problems, yearnings for more on this earth… BUT God is there, and the love He displayed through Christ is sufficient to answer every single one. What an amazing God we serve, what hope we have! Thank you for reading!
ME says
Thank You Jesus for loving me enough to die for me. Thank You that you rose again! If You could do the ‘impossible’ and die for the sins of the whole world. And go on to do the ‘impossible’ and rise again. Then I know You can do the ‘impossible’ in my life, and the lives of all people!!!!! Thank You Jesus!!!!!!
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
Amen, amen, and amen! He is so glorious and worthy of praise!
Kathy Cheek, Devotions from the Heart says
Thank you for sharing your story. I really do pray the Light of Jesus will shine this Easter and draw many to Him. And that all of us are freshly reminded of the power of the cross.
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
I prayed likewise, Kathy! I hope you had a blessed Easter, treasuring our precious Savior!
Rebecca L Jones says
That’s the college experience that all teens should have. It would be my prayer for them.
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
Yes, I am very thankful that our secular university had a solid Christian fellowship group to grow in. We must pray that His will continue to shine on these campuses where so many are seeking truth!
Beth Williams says
Danielle,
I can visualize you and some students in a tent with hundreds of prayer requests. It seems overwhelming-the weight of the world’s problems and all the sin. That is until you remember God is victorious. Because He is risen, we can rise each day with fresh hope and show the world His vast immeasurable love for us. We need to be Easter people all the time commemorating the Risen Lord.
Blessings 🙂
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
I agree! We should be “Easter people” faithfully year round! God’s grace at the cross and glory at the resurrection cannot be contained to one week of the year. Thank you so much for reading!
Mary McCauley says
Thank you! Please pray for my friend Jen, a single mom who just broke her ankle drastically and will be off work for at least 3 months. She is a semi driver and this is her clutch ankle, so she is struggling with faith, finances, and friends. thanks. Indeed HE has overcome the World, praise be to Jesus our Savior forever.
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
I will pray for your friend, Mary. I pray that she would grow to trust God and love God more deeply during this time, and that you can be an encouragement to her through His wisdom.
ME says
I am Praying! For peace in Jesus in this terrible storm! For healing and for God’s strength to face each day with Him! That this is a drawing-closer-and-closer-to-God-experience. Many PRAYERS! That is a very difficult place to be in!
Beth Negrey says
By ourselves, we can do nothing, absolutely nothing. But with God, all things are possible! My heart sings with thanks for His presence, His grace, His forgiveness, all His wonderful gifts. Have just the most Blessed Easter!
Dani Munoz @ Free Indeed says
Amen! Our hearts have so many reasons to sing! And thank you, I hope your Easter was a blessing as well!