What Do Hurricane Harvey, National Protesters, and North Korean Threats Have in Common?
Hurricane Harvey just struck the Gulf coast of Texas from Corpus Christi to Louisiana with devastating force and unprecedented flooding. One week after it first made landfall, the rains and flooding are just beginning to subside. Hit after hit where it was not expected to hit. Flooding and fear ensued. The weather was mocking and intimidating. Many people’s lives where upended overnight and over 100,000 homes were lost, according to the federal government.
The good news? Media outlets covering the response in Texas have borne witness to people helping people regardless of race or economic status. Moments of spontaneous worship in shelters have been recorded and gone viral. Pictures of emergency responders with heads bowed in prayer are making front page news. Kindness and an open love for God and one another is being witnessed in Texas for the world to see.
All of this came on the heels of political and ideological protests in Charlottesville, VA. A woman was killed as one of the Alt-right protestors attacked a group of counter protestors, ideologically on the left. A tremendous price was paid. Protests like this have repeatedly been planned to intimidate, to cause conflict, and to harm others. A few days later, there was to be another protest in Boston. This time the Alt-right group cancelled, so when the Antifa showed up, there was no one to spar with. The event fizzled.
The good news? People are growing tired of conflict for the sake of conflict. They don’t want to be hurt or have their loved ones and friends hurt. The spirit of intimidation is standing in the street wondering where everyone went! More protests are planned for the fall, leading up to national elections in November, but we must believe that Holy Spirit will increase people’s distaste for rebellion and revolution, which will turn on these movements and they will fizzle out.
In the meantime, North Korea has not stopped its acts of intimidation against America and other “enemy” nations near them. Kim Jong-un continues to threaten verbally and by launching missiles into the sea.
The good news? China, North Korea’s greatest ally, has pulled back from fully supporting them. President Donald Trump has pushed back without fear and is making it obvious that America can stand strong against the madness. America is not cowering or giving into the mocking or the spirit of intimidation. The love that the people of North and South Korea have for one another and the prayers they have prayed for decades are going to be answered by the Lord.
Points for Prayer:
Pray for those who have been in the path of Hurricane Harvey. Intercede for those who have lost much, that they would recover all. Pray they will not blame God, but will meet those who know Him and love them, and will lead them to the One who cares the most.
Pray for the military and emergency responders for safety, and that they would have their own basic needs met, as they sacrifice much to help others.
Ask God to let kindness, unity, mutual respect, care and concern, and a tremendous outpouring of sacrificial giving be seen in Texas through media reports. Declare that this is what a Christian state and nation look like. (We recommend you give generously to Somebody Cares in Houston to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.)
Declare that old structures will be uprooted and new, godly roots will be reset in the soil of our nation. Ask God to uproot old, religious structures, structures of rebellion and revolution, structures of immorality, dividing structures supported by hate, fear, and intimidation, and structures built on anything other than truth.
Decree that the King of Kings is welcome in our nation! We welcome Him into our government, our churches, our homes, and our lives. We look to Him for direction, to reverse ungodly governmental decrees, and to give our leaders new laws and a new Kingdom order to build on.
Call for a baptism of Truth in the public square – from government officials and newscasters. Pray that those caught up in protests against people they oppose will realize what their actions are doing and let them be sick to their stomachs over it. Let them go home, and let the protests fizzle to nothing as they do.
Tell the spirits of mockery and intimidation, operating domestically and through N. Korea’s leadership, that their actions are halted. Intercede for God’s Ekklesia to rise up and operate in Kingdom authority against these things.
Know that God has heard the many years of prayers from Koreans in both the North and South. Decree that it is time for the bowls to be poured out, for the madness to stop, and for the division to fall. Ask God to reunite the nation and the family members that long to be together again. Cry, “Freedom!”
