You see all kinds of things at the prayer grounds.

Done praying. And as I gather my mat and double my steps through the thick bushes, I contemplate on the porridge in my locker that I intended using to  break my fast, my thoughts distracted by the diverse prayer groups dispersed under various trees on the parcel of land dedicated to individual prayers.

I’m passing by a shade under which two women are fervently praying together. I had to listen carefully in order to hear exactly what they were praying about. I’ve reached where they are now and as I’m parting, I hear one of them praying for a couple whose marriage it seems was falling apart.

It appears the woman isn’t fluent in English. And with the little vocabulary she could cobble, she wires a powerful plea to her Maker. It’s Saturday, a day many in the busy city of Accra longs for to rest from the busy city life that’s threatening to break  families apart. For them to leave their homes to come to these far away bushes, whatever is bothering them must be made of steel.

I continue my walk. Another group was praying for a financial breakthrough, a topic on my list of prayer points. I silently join them in their praying while passing by.

Now I’m out of the woods, onto a tarred road, thinking about the best shortcut back home.

Another group had come to the prayer grounds with loud speakers, something that was rarely done in order to not distract others. Perhaps one of those churches people have tagged  ‘noise makers’. I was initially irritated by their noise while praying. But soon, they started singing one of my favorite songs. I became silent while enjoying the song.

At the prayer grounds, you see many things. Squirrels running on tree branches, insects falling off trees onto your neck or hair, mosquitoes, very young people passionate about prayer, married women on the verge of divorce, the unemployed desperate for a job, student groups and the homeless who come to spend a few sleeping hours on the benches there.

They say the prayer grounds have produced lots of miracles, and some were there to put those rumors to test.

Sometimes you meet two married adults, a male and a female, that are not married to each other, or a young girl and a young boy, heading into the bushes to pray. You don’t wish to think evil, but at the same time you wonder how prudent that is.

You see all kinds of things at the prayer grounds. So will you hear all kinds of prayers, some will make you want to laugh due to the desperation attached to making them, and others will make you want to cry. Thank God for the giant ears in the sky, patient enough to hear every one of them, kind enough to overlook the dark hearts behind some  of  them.