The Prayer Walk
The Stake Out
After two years of enjoying a deeper walk with Jesus, I felt a little bit restless. I had been attending conferences, prayer meetings, worship meetings, as well as spending personal time with Him. One day I felt compelled to DO SOMETHING! So I took four wooden stakes, wrote scriptures on them and drove them into the ground in each of the four corners of Tarrant County, TX. Pleased, I said to the Lord, "This is my gift to you, I have staked out this county as your territory." Afterward Isaiah 54:2-4 became meaningful to me: "Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities. Fear not, for you will not be put to shame, and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced..." One day while leaving a prayer meeting the Lord spoke to me clearly He said, "Let's take a walk." I didn't know what he meant at the time, but after many months I realized I was to walk around the perimeter of the county. So I did.
The Ride
On the fourth leg of my first prayer walk I was in the north western part of Tarrant County on a large highway. At 2 PM in the afternoon however there are very few cars on that highway mostly just a lot of eighteen wheelers. It was another very hot Texas summer with temperatures over 100. I had just finished walking about 6 hours, no lunch yet, and I was out of water. I had reached my goal for that day and now I was looking for a ride back to where I had parked my truck. As I was crossing over the highway to the eastbound side a lunch wagon came by so I asked them if they were headed east - no they weren't. So I continued over and set myself alongside the highway and began to hitchhike. I thought I would not have any problems getting a ride - then 5 minutes, 10, 15, 20. I was getting desperate. I had a blister on the bottom of my foot, it was so hot, I had no water. I began to look at the possibility of walking all the way back to my truck. I thought, "Lord I don't see how I can do that, it would be 8PM by the time I walked back." I pulled out a $10 bill and waved it at the cars going by - surely money would do the trick! It didn't. I stepped out into the lane, cars moved to the other lane to avoid me. After 45 minutes I turned to walk without hitchhiking. I looked up to heaven and yelled, "GOD YOU SAID YOU WOULD MEET MY NEEDS! WELL THIS IS A NEED! IT IS NOT JUST A WANT, IT IS A NEED! I NEED A RIDE! JESUS GIVE ME A RIDE!" I thought to myself, "Okay there I said it I will just wait for my ride and if I die waiting then I die." Then I thought "I had better stick my thumb out that way people will know that I want a ride." About one minute later a van pulled up. I yanked open the front passenger door and literally fell into the front seat as I felt the air conditioning in the van. I said, "Thank you so much I was praying for a ride." (now get this) He said he had already driven by me and turned around about a minute ago to come back and pick me up. I thanked him again and stuck out my right hand to shake his hand. I said, "My name's Jeff." He shook my hand and said, "My name's Jesus." He was Latino.
Authority
The second prayer walk took place in November. This time it was winter and a bitter cold front had moved in and the wind was blowing. I was wearing the thickest warmest coat I had ever worn in my life - a coat that the Lord provided just months before. I found it in a dumpster, as I looked at it I somehow knew that I would need that coat in the future so I took it and here I was ever so thankful for this coat! The wind was blowing so hard that I had to put my head down to avoid the cold wind coming into my face. In this position all I could see was about 6 feet of the ground in front of me. I looked up to get my path then back down thinking "That's all right I don't need to see the entire path ahead just step by step in front of me is fine." As I walked by a house with a fence a dog barked at me. I didn't look up, it was so cold. As I walked the barking got louder and louder. I thought, "He must be just inside that fence" still not looking. Then I heard growling growing steadily louder. I thought "I had better look and see where this dog is!" As I turned I was shocked to see this large dog with his teeth bared, hair on his back sticking up, coming step by step toward me about 15 feet away. My first thought was "You cannot out run this dog, running would be foolish." I turned to face him; I said "Stop!" He didn't. Now just ten feet, I said, "Stop!" He didn't. As He came within three feet of me I heard the Lord speak to me. Jesus said, "You have authority over him, I have decreed it, it is impossible for him to not stop." Taking Jesus at His word I pointed my finger right in the dog's face and forcefully barked "GIT!" I never will forget what happened next. Suddenly there before me was the most pitifully looking dog I had ever seen. His entire face was sunken and sullen and hanging down, in fact his entire body was hanging down! As he turned to walk away his long tail was tucked completely up between his hind legs under his body. He dragged his feet as he walked back with his head nearly touching the ground. I just thought "Wow, I do have authority!" On the course of this walk I was attacked and charged at by about 24 dogs. Each one tasted of the authority of the Lord Jesus. Here are a few more stories.
The Raging Pipsqueak
I walked down a country road with houses alongside, most with large acreage and fences along the front. Suddenly I heard the most high pitched nonstop yapping and barking I have ever heard. He took me by surprise! I looked up just in time to see this little wire haired mess of a dog coming toward me at full gallop. He was flying! Again teeth were bared, hair standing up on his back. I barely had time to say it before he was upon me. "Git!" I said, and just as suddenly as he came he left - he was flying back the other way!
The Trio
Now I was in southeast Tarrant County on an old country road with a lot of trash alongside of it, weeds, ditches, trees. Suddenly three dogs sprang to life across the road up by a house on my left. Here they came literally charging at me at full speed. I stared at them, I knew I had them, and there was no doubt at all. In a flash (since there were three of them and they were running at full speed) I thought, "I need a more powerful command and I need to speak it to the leader." I spotted the leader who was out in front - his eyes were brighter than the other two. I pointed my finger at him and said loudly, "I rebuke you!" I nearly laughed at what happened. In an instant it was as if he had hit a brick wall! His entire body was straight up on his hind legs as he twisted in the air and stopped instantly! He fell down backwards. The other two dogs just stopped and stared at him. Then they all walked away with their tails between their legs. On this walk I took my bike to ride back to my truck (no more hitchhiking!). Hours later as I was peddling down this same road on my way back, I thought, "Those same three dogs should be at this house just around the corner, maybe I won't have to deal with them again." Then as I rounded the corner there right smack in the middle of the road on the yellow line was the lead dog! I looked directly at him he looked back at me, then he slowly walked over to the side of the road and laid down as if to say, "I recognize you, I yield to you." He just watched as I peddled slowly by and down the road.
There were many exciting things that happened during the course of these prayer walks. Each walk had a specific theme and there were specific things I spoke over Tarrant County. On each walk there was the word of the Lord coming to me for hours and hours; I heard wonderful music that brought tears to my eyes; phrases and sayings echoed in my spirit. I would often get back to my truck and think "that was wonderful I will write those songs down" as I got out my pen and paper I could not remember them. They were from Jesus, just for that time. Friendship and fellowship with Jesus is the most wonderful thing on earth! Do you know Him? Do you really know Him?
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After two years of enjoying a deeper walk with Jesus, I felt a little bit restless. I had been attending conferences, prayer meetings, worship meetings, as well as spending personal time with Him. One day I felt compelled to DO SOMETHING! So I took four wooden stakes, wrote scriptures on them and drove them into the ground in each of the four corners of Tarrant County, TX. Pleased, I said to the Lord, "This is my gift to you, I have staked out this county as your territory." Afterward Isaiah 54:2-4 became meaningful to me: "Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities. Fear not, for you will not be put to shame, and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced..." One day while leaving a prayer meeting the Lord spoke to me clearly He said, "Let's take a walk." I didn't know what he meant at the time, but after many months I realized I was to walk around the perimeter of the county. So I did.
The Ride
On the fourth leg of my first prayer walk I was in the north western part of Tarrant County on a large highway. At 2 PM in the afternoon however there are very few cars on that highway mostly just a lot of eighteen wheelers. It was another very hot Texas summer with temperatures over 100. I had just finished walking about 6 hours, no lunch yet, and I was out of water. I had reached my goal for that day and now I was looking for a ride back to where I had parked my truck. As I was crossing over the highway to the eastbound side a lunch wagon came by so I asked them if they were headed east - no they weren't. So I continued over and set myself alongside the highway and began to hitchhike. I thought I would not have any problems getting a ride - then 5 minutes, 10, 15, 20. I was getting desperate. I had a blister on the bottom of my foot, it was so hot, I had no water. I began to look at the possibility of walking all the way back to my truck. I thought, "Lord I don't see how I can do that, it would be 8PM by the time I walked back." I pulled out a $10 bill and waved it at the cars going by - surely money would do the trick! It didn't. I stepped out into the lane, cars moved to the other lane to avoid me. After 45 minutes I turned to walk without hitchhiking. I looked up to heaven and yelled, "GOD YOU SAID YOU WOULD MEET MY NEEDS! WELL THIS IS A NEED! IT IS NOT JUST A WANT, IT IS A NEED! I NEED A RIDE! JESUS GIVE ME A RIDE!" I thought to myself, "Okay there I said it I will just wait for my ride and if I die waiting then I die." Then I thought "I had better stick my thumb out that way people will know that I want a ride." About one minute later a van pulled up. I yanked open the front passenger door and literally fell into the front seat as I felt the air conditioning in the van. I said, "Thank you so much I was praying for a ride." (now get this) He said he had already driven by me and turned around about a minute ago to come back and pick me up. I thanked him again and stuck out my right hand to shake his hand. I said, "My name's Jeff." He shook my hand and said, "My name's Jesus." He was Latino.
Authority
The second prayer walk took place in November. This time it was winter and a bitter cold front had moved in and the wind was blowing. I was wearing the thickest warmest coat I had ever worn in my life - a coat that the Lord provided just months before. I found it in a dumpster, as I looked at it I somehow knew that I would need that coat in the future so I took it and here I was ever so thankful for this coat! The wind was blowing so hard that I had to put my head down to avoid the cold wind coming into my face. In this position all I could see was about 6 feet of the ground in front of me. I looked up to get my path then back down thinking "That's all right I don't need to see the entire path ahead just step by step in front of me is fine." As I walked by a house with a fence a dog barked at me. I didn't look up, it was so cold. As I walked the barking got louder and louder. I thought, "He must be just inside that fence" still not looking. Then I heard growling growing steadily louder. I thought "I had better look and see where this dog is!" As I turned I was shocked to see this large dog with his teeth bared, hair on his back sticking up, coming step by step toward me about 15 feet away. My first thought was "You cannot out run this dog, running would be foolish." I turned to face him; I said "Stop!" He didn't. Now just ten feet, I said, "Stop!" He didn't. As He came within three feet of me I heard the Lord speak to me. Jesus said, "You have authority over him, I have decreed it, it is impossible for him to not stop." Taking Jesus at His word I pointed my finger right in the dog's face and forcefully barked "GIT!" I never will forget what happened next. Suddenly there before me was the most pitifully looking dog I had ever seen. His entire face was sunken and sullen and hanging down, in fact his entire body was hanging down! As he turned to walk away his long tail was tucked completely up between his hind legs under his body. He dragged his feet as he walked back with his head nearly touching the ground. I just thought "Wow, I do have authority!" On the course of this walk I was attacked and charged at by about 24 dogs. Each one tasted of the authority of the Lord Jesus. Here are a few more stories.
The Raging Pipsqueak
I walked down a country road with houses alongside, most with large acreage and fences along the front. Suddenly I heard the most high pitched nonstop yapping and barking I have ever heard. He took me by surprise! I looked up just in time to see this little wire haired mess of a dog coming toward me at full gallop. He was flying! Again teeth were bared, hair standing up on his back. I barely had time to say it before he was upon me. "Git!" I said, and just as suddenly as he came he left - he was flying back the other way!
The Trio
Now I was in southeast Tarrant County on an old country road with a lot of trash alongside of it, weeds, ditches, trees. Suddenly three dogs sprang to life across the road up by a house on my left. Here they came literally charging at me at full speed. I stared at them, I knew I had them, and there was no doubt at all. In a flash (since there were three of them and they were running at full speed) I thought, "I need a more powerful command and I need to speak it to the leader." I spotted the leader who was out in front - his eyes were brighter than the other two. I pointed my finger at him and said loudly, "I rebuke you!" I nearly laughed at what happened. In an instant it was as if he had hit a brick wall! His entire body was straight up on his hind legs as he twisted in the air and stopped instantly! He fell down backwards. The other two dogs just stopped and stared at him. Then they all walked away with their tails between their legs. On this walk I took my bike to ride back to my truck (no more hitchhiking!). Hours later as I was peddling down this same road on my way back, I thought, "Those same three dogs should be at this house just around the corner, maybe I won't have to deal with them again." Then as I rounded the corner there right smack in the middle of the road on the yellow line was the lead dog! I looked directly at him he looked back at me, then he slowly walked over to the side of the road and laid down as if to say, "I recognize you, I yield to you." He just watched as I peddled slowly by and down the road.
There were many exciting things that happened during the course of these prayer walks. Each walk had a specific theme and there were specific things I spoke over Tarrant County. On each walk there was the word of the Lord coming to me for hours and hours; I heard wonderful music that brought tears to my eyes; phrases and sayings echoed in my spirit. I would often get back to my truck and think "that was wonderful I will write those songs down" as I got out my pen and paper I could not remember them. They were from Jesus, just for that time. Friendship and fellowship with Jesus is the most wonderful thing on earth! Do you know Him? Do you really know Him?
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