Bangkok

During our first week in Thailand, we had orientation in Bangkok, where we also had our first prayer walk.
We took a bus, a boat and a tuk-tuk around the city to different temples and interceded.
Walking into the first temple, we all removed our shoes and distributed ourselves among the steps.
I was curious to know how many people came to the temple, so naturally, I kept count.  I forget how long we were in the temple, but it was somewhere around 15-20 minutes.
And about 50-odd people had shuffled in and out during that time.
This is when I first started to feel God's heart for this nation.
A Thai woman walked up to the shrine with flowers and money.  She put the money between her hands, knelt down in front of a small bench and prayed.  She bent her head down to touch the bench repeatedly and did this many times.  When she was done, she gave her money and left.
I wondered what she was praying for and who she thought she was praying too.  All around this temple were paintings of a dancing Buddha and I thought "She's praying to an image that cannot hear her, that cannot answer her, doesn't love her, doesn't know her, that cannot help her no matter how many offerings she gives, no matter how much she prays."
God's heart says, "I know her, and I love her.  Even though she doesn't know me."  
Going to Thailand, I was prepared to see poverty, worship of false gods, sickness, spiritual darkness, and I was also aware that I would see a lot of things that were completely new to me, but until I was in this midst of it, my heart didn't necessarily break for it or at least to the extent that it did for me that day.

Revelation 21:22-23

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

God gave me this verse this other day and it just encouraged me when writing that my prayers in the temple that day are going to be fulfilled.  The name of Jesus will be known among the Earth and the strongholds that the enemy has, will come down.  There will be no temples, no false gods, and no fear. It's so amazing to be reminded of how glorious and sovereign He is.