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Spirit-Filled Prayer Sessions at ASI Convention

Posted on Aug 16 2013

One of the special features of  the 13^th Annual ASI Convention being held in San Jose, Costa Rica, was the daily hosting of a testimony and prayer session. This was hosted by Pastor Telemaque, Director of Adventist Mission and the Inter-America Division’s Sabbath School Director. He used each meeting to focus the delegates on building up their faith in God and to “give their business back to Him, so that He can direct them and bless them with success. Using 1 Samuel 1: 27 -28, and 1 Corinthian 1:29 he counseled the business people to give their businesses back to God, just as Samuel had been given back to Him. Whe need to relieve ourselves of the stress of trying to run our businesses all by ourselves, doing it our way, and trying our methods to gain success. When we give the business to God, He will show us what He wants us to do with it and what decisions He wants us to make. With God in controll and we following His lead, then success is guaranteed.

Each day many persons came forward to tell of how God had lead them through various challenges and brought them to a successful outcome. Sis Zoila Aquino from the Dominican Republic, testified of God’s goodness to her after the death of her husband. The Lord guided her through the trials of being a single mother and helped her to develop the medical center that her husband had left behind. Though times were tough and she suffered deprivation and want, she chose to remain faithful and the Lord has seen her through.

Another powerful testimony was that of Sister Claudette Paul-Pearsell who experienced many years of abuse, but made the decision not to retaliate, assuring herself that nothing could happen to her without God’s permission. Her abuse extended to the point of her even being denied the means of her daily sustenance. However she persevered and without having any capital she stepped forward in faith and started a small business. Now the Lord has blessed her effort and her faith and she has a successful business in the center of the city.

Brother Dave Williams, chapter president from Bahamas, spoke of how the Lord directed him and his wife to also start a restaurant business, even though they were looking in other directions. After much effort at securing a job for his wife, he was lead to opportunity of opening up the restaurant which has now grown to be very successful.

Each day delegates knelt before God and outpoured their heart to Him. Some were brought to tears, others were openly overcome by the Spirit of God and we prayed and sang to God’s honor and glory. While we gathered to learn skills and make plans, felt that they will remember this convention more so for these special moments when business and professional persons from all over the Inter-America Division took time out to meet with Jesus.