Recovering from your storm

 

As this year draws to a close, our country located in the Southeast region was devastated by two Hurricane storms. In the South and North Carolina states the people were impacted by Hurricane Florence. In the state of Florida in particularly the Florida panhandle area the people in that area were impacted by Hurricane Michael. Also, in 2017 we saw the news reports from CNN on how the city of Houston, Texas and the US territory of Puerto Rico were leveled by the Hurricane storms of Harvey and Maria. In each of these storms, we watch how each of these places did their best to prepare for these storms. They encouraged the people living to evaluate for their safety and to leave their homes and belongs which could not be taken behind. However, though many appeals were made by those in authority for residents to live their homes for their safety there was still a large percentage of stay behind hoping to ride the hurricane out. As the storms made landfall, the winds, rain and the eye of the storm destroyed homes and cause major power outages to those who had survived through category four or five storms.

The Unattended Gates

 

Growing up as a young boy I lived on the east side of Detroit which was on East Warren and Bewick Street. As you walked down the beginning of my street, to the right side of the block you would see a sign which told a person our block was patrolled by a neighborhood watch group. A neighborhood watch was a group of men who came together on behalf of the neighborhood to monitor and take care of their community. These men were ordinary people who had regular jobs during the day but in the evening they would patrol the local streets until everyone when into their homes at night. Back then there was no such thing as people hanging out late at night because when the street lights came on all the kids and parents made their way into the house. You would sometimes see the men riding around in their vehicles, helping to prevent fights among the kids, or contacting the local police when someone was in of life-threatening situation. The men who were a part of the neighborhood watch were not a part of law enforcement but they believed that their presence represented to potential evil-doers that no type of crime, drugs or the burglary of homes would be permitted in their community.

Liquid Prayers

 

Several years ago I went to a prayer conference which was held in Rockaway, New Jersey. The conference was from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM where people from various churches gathered together to cry out to the Lord with one heart. The conference was filled with intimate worship, the ministry of the word and a whole lot of intense prayer. The people there prayed in their understanding and they also prayed in their heavenly language. Also, people who had never received the baptism of Holy Spirit were filled and those who already had the Spirit received a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). There was also a season of crying out before God in repentance asking the Father to break our hearts with the things that burden His heart. After having a time of repentance, we transition into praying for our loved ones and family members who did not know the Lord to become saved. Finally, after spending time praying for them the Spirit of God moved upon the prayer facilitator to have the congregation, those in the outflow rooms and watching online to cry out for our children. As I prayed for my daughter who was there along with my wife, I experienced the Lord bring me into a deeper level of intercession while praying for my princess.