Five year old Jane was jumping up and down squealing with joy! She wanted to hold little Joel whom her parents John and Jennifer brought home for the first time. Jennifer made her sit on the couch and gently laid the infant on his sister's lap. Stroking his hair gently, Jane whispered sweetly into his ear, "Welcome home my little brother!"
Baby Joel got adopted into a family which loved him tenderly and cared for him as their very own, with all that they had. Every need of his was attended to. Every tear from his eye was wiped away gently. Every desire of his heart was prayed for and answered with wisdom. He grew up to be a loving, caring and compassionate god fearing gentleman, who brought joy into the lives of many.
Joel, just like his parents decided to adopt. He was a maverick in adoption. He brought adoption to a whole new level by what he did.
Joel began by adopting his immediate neighbourhood. No paper work or signing of documents were involved. It was just a simple, sincere agreement he made with Father God. He adopted it in his spirit.
What made him do it? His neighborhood was well known for gangsterism, drug trafficking and prostitution. No one could walk safely outside after 8pm at night. Families in his neighborhood were quarrelling, impoverished and many were unemployed. Suicide rates were increasing. Pupils were playing truant. Teachers were exasperated not knowing what to do. Numbers in the churches were dwindling. Believers were backsliding. Instead of praying for one another, believers were gossiping about each other and pastors were at their wits end. Many believers were leaving their churches and going to churches which were preaching 'Once saved, forever saved' and prosperity messages.
Joel was troubled. "How long will this go on?" He asked himself. He wanted to save souls. Therefore he decided to do the one thing he knew best; that is, surrendering it all into the hands of the Almighty and be burden free.
One day, Joel sat before the Almighty in his quiet time and surrendered his neighborhood into the Father's hands. He told Father God that he was adopting his neighbourhood and every family and shop and building, school, church and hospital in it, in his spirit. Then every morning, he would praise, thank and worship God. He would soak himself in God's presence and His Word, for at least 2 to 3 hours daily. Following that, he would talk to Father God telling Him all that he knew, about what was happening in his neighborhood. Then instead of being troubled or stressed, he would (based on the Lord's Prayer) pray for God's Kingdom to come and reign there and His Will to be done in the lives of every person residing, schooling and working there. After that Joel used to pray in tongues for his neighborhood for an hour. In the evenings he would walk around his neighborhood praying in tongues and asking God to send His angels to stand guard in his neighborhood. He would also thank God for destroying all evil and sinful activities there and for restoring peace and joy in the lives of the residents and workers. He would pray that many would come to know, accept and experience Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
To the surprise of everyone who lived in that city, within 6 months to a year of Joel's adoption, gangsterism, drug trafficking and prostitution were completely eradicated from his neighborhood. People who were unemployed got job offers supernaturally. Broken relationships were mended and financial security was restored. Pupils who were troubled and lazy, went to school with enthusiasm. There was zero suicide rate. Fewer people were getting sick and getting admitted. People were not afraid to walk outside after 8pm.
Eventually Joel was able to talk to a previous bar owner who allowed him to use his building which had been operating as a bar previously. Joel turned it into a 24hr worship centre. Anyone could now come and praise and worship God freely at anytime of the day and night.
The worship centre was now filled with former gangsters, former drug traffickers, former prostitutes and former backsliders who gave their lives completely to Jesus. Instead of the vices which they used to be engaged in, they were now raising an incense of praise and thanksgiving to the Father and were worshipping Him in 'Spirit and in Truth'. All those who stopped going to church now occupied the front seats in their churches and were getting involved in serving. Moreover several home churches or cell groups as some call it, sprung up within a month of the supernatural change. Everyone living and working there were touched by the invisible presence of God.
In short, Joel's neighbourhood was converted into a mini 'Garden of Eden'. That, once infamous neighborhood which became famous, was the talk of the entire city. Everyone was baffled. No one knew what made the transformation take place. Joel did not tell anyone that he was responsible for it. He continued to do what he was doing even after the change. He did not quit.
Why was Joel's adoption plan a great success? Because, he did not do it in his strength. He relied totally on God's.
Firstly, he surrendered his neighborhood, which he adopted, to God. Then, all he did was praise, thank, worship God and got soaked and saturated in God's holy presence and in His Word.
The Bible says in Psalm 8:2, "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."
Next, Joel prayed, the Kingdom of God and the Will of God, into his neighbourhood and the lives of all the people there.
After that, he prayed in tongues. This is the most powerful prayer because it is the prayer of the Holy Spirit, to Father God. Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Therefore it was the Spirit of God, Who prayed through Joel, for all the needs of the residents, workers and pupils in that neighbourhood.
Finally, Joel walked around his neighborhood at least once, everyday praying. Because he was saturated in God's presence, wherever he went, he carried God's presence with him. God's presence was, like fresh oil, dripping from his feet wherever he walked and people got touched by God's presence and were convicted of their sins.
Like a parent who has ten children, and who never stops praying for his adult children till his very last breath, Joel never stops praying for his 'Adult Adoptees'. While continuing to pray for them, even now, in his 85th year, Joel continues to adopt new individuals who are distraught, new neighbourhoods, new hospitals, new churches, new schools, prisons, new organizations, other cities and other nations. He continues to see God's transformation in them and continues to praise and thank God, through Whom the transformation comes about.
If Joel as one single person, could collaborate with God and transform the entire neighbourhood with God's power and strength, why can't we? What is stopping us?
How wonderful will it be, if we too can adopt and pray as Joel did! How awesome will it be, if we too can get saturated in God's holy presence and His Word, and drip His presence wherever we go, like sweet honey. We may not be able to walk around the entire neighborhood and we may not be able to walk daily, but it doesn't matter. Let us walk around our neighborhoods in spirit. But wherever we walk or go, when we are able, let us drip God's presence there.
Only if we cared to get soaked in God's presence, adopt, love and pray for others as a loving parent would (although it is tough), will we be able to establish God's Kingdom and His Will in the lives of the people residing, working and schooling there. That is the prayer Jesus taught us and that is the Will of the Father.
It can only be done with the help from the Holy Spirit. By ourselves we can't. We need the power, strength and wisdom from above.
Finally, let us not expect any reward here on earth. Let us, like Joel, do what we are called to do, without letting our right hand know what the left hand is doing. We don't need the approval nor the praises of anyone to save souls. When we go about bringing the Kingdom of God into the lives of people silently, and without any fanfare, our rewards will be reaped in our after life when we meet our Saviour Jesus Christ, face to face.
I pray that many, like-minded believers, with the compassionate heart of Father God, will come forward to adopt the various neighborhoods, communities, churches, organizations and persons in our nation. Let us arise and ask the Spirit of God to breathe His life into the dead bones and make our nation, a nation which gladdens the heart of God our Father.
Pray with me:-
Psalm 141:2 KJV
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
I pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen!
Original story :- Mary Augustine
20/02/18
