Hurricane

 We are right in the middle of hurricane season. There have already been several storms this year. Hurricanes can cause extensive damage from high winds and torrential rains. Even when predictions forewarn people of impending danger, those warnings cannot totally protect people from damage. Hurricanes leave vivid images in our minds of winds blowing trees, ripping roofs off buildings, and flooding rains washing into homes. Who can forget named storms like Michael, Andrew, Harvey, Katrina, and Sandy, Then there was the devastating hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900. 

In the Galveston Hurricane between 6,000-12,000 people were killed. The storm brought 20 foot storm surges along with flash flooding. The bands of rain were felt as far as Oklahoma and Kansas. 3,600 homes were destroyed. That hurricane is considered the deadliest to hit the Gulf Coast of Mexico. After that hurricane Galveston built a sea wall the breadth of the city for protection from future storms. 

None of those things is really on my mind this morning. I am chewing on a phrase I read in a book about revival. The author penned the phrase, "There was a hurricane of intercession," before revival broke out in a certain community. A hurricane of intercession. 

Several things come to mind when I contemplate that phrase. For one, hurricanes are forceful. They impose their will on lives and structures. They are impressively powerful. Now relate that to prayer. Have you ever seen a hurricane force of intercession unleashed imposing the will of God on a community. Just imagine what would happen if the people of God prayed with hurricane like force. The impact would be impressive and undeniable. 

The roofs of people's lives would be uncovered. Hypocrisy would be exposed. So would apathy and lukewarm service. Lost people would be convicted of their ways and need of a Savior. It would shake up the status quo. People would flock to Jesus for salvation and deliverance in repentance. Preachers would have their hands full in counseling, leading people to faith in Jesus, and baptizing week after week. 

The wind of the Spirit of God and the rains of revival that resulted from a hurricane of intercession would leave the church in awe. I have seen first hand when people pray like this and the results that follow. Many times I have written about it. I cannot do it justice. You would have to experience it for yourself to fully understand. Worship services that last three hours. Most of that time was people at the altar in repentance or others finding Jesus as their Savior. Baptisms night after night. Raw testimonies of God's conviction, salvation and repentance from sin. I wish you could hear the worship. A great deal of revival music came out of the Brownsville Revival. Much of that music was recorded live in the services. A guy named Lindell Cooley led most of it. It is some of my all time favorite music. Nobody sings it anymore these days. The passion was contagious. The joy of the Lord evident. The hunger among worshipers cut right through pretense and religious routines. 

I am asking God for a hurricane to hit. A hurricane of intercession like we have never known before. May the force of those intercessions move God to mighty works beyond our wildest imaginations.