Praying for Lost Souls

So today I was giving a tour to 3 women at my current gig job. I'm a docent, I give tours of the community and art exhibits. 1 woman was from South Africa, I'll call her Liz. 1 woman was from Bryan, I'll call her Jesse. 1 woman was from here, I'll call her Prisc. So these women came right around closing time and I told them I would give them a tour. What the hey, I'm about to close anyway. So I'm giving the tour, talking to them about the history and everything. They ask me my name, I tell them. Prisc proceeds to ask me where does my name come from and what does it mean. I tell her it's arabic for handsome and the one who puts things in order. She ask me do I have roots in arabic, I tell her my family is Muslim and I grew up muslim. She ask do I still believe. I tell her, I do believe but I'm becoming more shamanistic, more spiritual. We talk some more and I invite them to the art performance that's going on tonight about Black Jesus and the Devil. I tell them about the artist who's playing the psychologist and how she believes in Jesus but then turns around and goes to the Devil. While I explain this , I see Liz's face kind of light up and her mouth kind of go in a position to where she was itching to say something. But she didn't.

So after the tour is done, we're laughing, I tell them about the performance that's going down tonight in one of the houses, we reintroduce ourselves again. They ask me how to spell my name and everything, then they about to go. But before they go, Liz asks me can she pray for me so I can find my way. I tell her I do still believe in God and everything, but she insists on praying. I accept, and she takes my hand I close my eyes and she says something along the lines of "God please pray for this man as he journey along his path trying to find his way. Lord Jesus..." That's all I can remember for the most part. Afterwards I told my friend what happened and he told me "be careful who you allow to pray for you...Even the devil was an angel once.. Sad but true my friend." And that really got me thinking, is that true?

Things like that are not new to me at all. Growing up muslim and working at jobs where I deal with the public(Leo Merc/Chiron in the Midheaven), I'm always put in these situations. Somehow we get on the subject on religion because of my name, my beliefs or just something and someone always ending up praying for me. This has never failed. 9H stellium, I can't get away from it.

Most people don't understand other religions so when you tell them you're a different religion from, they feel you're lost. Most people, for lack of better words, are ignorant to other religions so they feel theirs is the best way and do all the can to convince you of this. If you are still not swayed, then you're just lost and won't be saved. Whatever. I have never been one to have been swayed of my beliefs only if I sway myself. Despite how many times I have people pray over me, I have never let them sway me.

One time when I was a teenager, 17, at work a group from the local church came in my job. I was always put in the front because that's where I worked best. Anyway, they came in and I don't know how we got on the subject of religion it just always happens like that. I think they asked us to come visit their sermon that night, they asked my religion, I told them I was Muslim and I don't know how it lead to it but again, it always does, they asked to pray for me. It was +10 people praying for me in a circle, I went along because I always do. I always let people pray for me. Prayer is a powerful thing. But I still had my same beliefs at the end of the day.

In college I was walking to my friends dorm from my dorm, next thing you know this guy stops to talk to me and ask me have I found Jesus. This guy, I think, was the minister at the college's church group at the religious center which my dorm was directly across from. Me, with my beliefs, I told him I was Muslim. After I told him that, I could not shake this guy. I told this guy I had to leave so many times but he insisted on talking to me. It was like being harassed. He talked to me for pretty much an hour and we were going back and forth. Before I left though, he told me at night before I go to sleep pray to Jesus and ask him to show himself. If I see him then that's my answer. He's real. If I don't then I go on about my business. Well curiously that night I tried this and he didn't show up. So a month or so pass and I run across the guy again, and he's with a girl this time. He asks me did I see him and I say no. We talk a little more, he invited me to come to a sermon that night. After that I never saw the guy again.

Next year, semester, whatever, some guys were stopping people doing surveys. Of course it was on religion, of course they called me over, of course I don't deny an experience or a chance to chat, Leo Merc-ing it up. So I sat down with them and they asked me did I believe in Jesus and I explained my views. He asked me questions, and I gladly answered.

Jehovah's Witness knock on my door all the time. I talk to them too.

My father is an Imaam, a Muslim preacher, so I had certain religious views installed in me. Even though I am branching off on my own, I still believe in them still recall on them. 9H stellium again. So I'm always up to explain my different views. I'm always up for a religious debate even when I don't feel like it. It's innate.

I ultimately feel like every religion is the pretty much the same, so I never got the division. Yes we have our different beliefs on how to get there, but we all believe in some form of God don't we? Heaven, Hell, the Devil don't we? As it all boils down to it, we all believe and have the same destiny pretty much. Others karmas might not get them to certain places, but we're all on this Earth searching for the truth. I believe religion is a form of division. Different groups believing in the same thing, but slightly different coming together to vibe off this idea and rise together. There's always going to be division in this world, it's inevitable.

I plan to travel the world when I get older and get into theology more. I want to learn about different cultures and religions. One of my passions, dreams, so innate.

When my sister was first diagnosed with cervical cancer, she had to go to the emergency room. She was in immense pain and I accompanied her. She was given a wheelchair when we arrived and I had to explain what was going on. She was like in immense pain, it scared everyone. After explaining what was happening to the people at the desk, I went back to my sister. When I went to her she told me this lady passed by her and asked to pray for her. My sister said she actually felt a little better when the lady finished, she was very thankful. Someone actually prayed over her, and left. I never even got a chance to see this woman.

Prayer is powerful.