By Jerry Coleman
“I stand at the door and knock!” I asked my Kenyan hosts to haul an actual door and door frame into the middle of the street of a Nairobi slum – or Nairobi “estates” – as my hosts refer to the area of the city where we were conducting an evangelistic crusade. As I preached, I knocked on that door, illustrating how Jesus knocks on the doors of our hearts. Our prayer was to reach the hearts of these several hundred listening Kenyans who live in cramped and primitive spaces, who daily hope for food and water.
“But at the same time, sin and the Devil are crouching at your door!” (Genesis 4:7). I saw looks of understanding on their faces. Just walking through the slum, I could sense the influence of evil and the Devil’s work. One quarter of the “estates” had just recently been burned down by a flame dropped from a lady who was drunk. Thousands were displaced. I saw many children with their mothers but few fathers. Some beat away neighbors if they tried to get water from a storage tank on the other side of the “estates” when their water ran out. “Tell the Devil to get out in the name of Jesus! Out!” I encouraged all to shout with a kick of the foot.
Even though my hosts suggested I ask them to simply lift a hand to request prayer, I invited them to join me for prayer around the open door. “Yes, Jesus, come in!” I encouraged them to pray. Dozens gathered in a tight circle around that old door we dragged into the dirt street. I saw some smiles for the first time after an “Amen” and another rousing song.
Thank you, Jesus, for knocking on the doors of our hearts and meeting us right where we are!
After this week of ministry in the “estates” and seeing over 100 make decisions for Jesus, John Adams and I provided training to 273 evangelists with the Africa Gospel Church in four different locations.