I don't know about you, but I don't like to feel helpless.

There's so much happening in our world today that I can't think of a single part of our lives that is untouched by the shaking. Darkness is being revealed in everything. I know, for me, I've been a bit embarrassed at how much I didn't know about the goings on around me. Between corruption and human trafficking....it all seems so much that I think, "What can I possibly do?"

While individually we can't solve our world's problems, I think we don't give ourselves enough credit with what we CAN do.

Yesterday, I learned about some issues within our culture that rocked me to my core. My heart was so grieved that I found myself wanting to ask God how He can allow certain things to happen. I've had people ask me the same question. In 1996, in the middle of winter, I visited a tiny community in the north of Belarus (next to Russia).

It was exactly as you and I would expect it to be. Cold, gray, lonely, miserable.

I walked into a hospital with concrete walls where the paint was faded and chipped. Metal hospital beds were crammed into rooms the size of a small closet. Some rooms were only the size of a twin bed. Patients were curled up under wool blankets. I wanted to cry. One older woman called me into her room and I sat next to her. She had a kerchief on her head that was white at one time, but was stained with time & neglect. She was bundled in many layers of brown, drab clothes, and had deep wrinkles of sadness. Through a translator she asked me to pray for her healing. I did. But then she asked me if God was real. I said "yes" and shared the gospel. To which she said, "How can I believe that God is real? How can He allow such horrible things to happen to good people? I was a little girl when the Nazi's took me and my family out to the woods and shot my mother and sister in the face while I watched. How could a good God allow this?!" And I could see her pain and struggle as she desperately wanted to believe God existed but was unable to accept that a real God would allow her to go through what she did. It was a fair question and I had no answer at the time. I gave her a hug and left her with tears in her eyes. I was shaken as I had never met anyone personally with such a story. Sure, I had read about such things, but to meet someone who lived it...

I began to ask the same question yesterday, "God, how can you allow this?", before I heard God, in my spirit, interrupt my question, and He turned back on me with, " How can YOU (i.e. Believers) allow this? Jesus gave you authority over the earth!"

I haven't stopped thinking about this since that moment.

Last night, in my evening prayer time (my secret place), I was flooded with ideas of how the church can change this world. I may not be able to join a task force that rescues people from human trafficking or stop someone from choosing abortion. I can't directly stop corrupt leaders or businesses from evil actions. However, I CAN walk through my neighborhood and pray over each house. I can decree the blood of Jesus everywhere I go.

In my business, I can take authority over the industry God has called me to work within and bind the enemy in my circle of influence and loose the Kingdom of God and His righteousness upon my contacts.

What would happen if each church in our country gathered together and sent out groups of 2 or 3 to watch and pray over playgrounds - or pray over each house in the neighborhood around them?

Or what if each Christian family went out and prayed over every single house on their street? Pray that relationships/marriages are healed, any abuse stop, addictions end, families reunited, any children (or adults) held against their will released, and people find Jesus!

How about if we visit our local shopping district on a regular basis and prayed over the each store (and did a little shopping?).

What if we rebuked the devil every time we pass by a bar, psychic, or adult store?

Could it be that we have more power through Jesus than we realize?

What if we visit our local police or sheriff office and ask what the greatest needs are in the community? What are they fighting the most? Then we pray over our city or town to break the spirits of whatever it is? We have the power to go to where witchcraft is practiced and tear down the strongholds!

I know I can feel isolated and alone and wonder if there is anything I can do to make a difference, but God gave us very powerful spiritual weapons and authority!

You and God make an army that can't be defeated.

Of course it's even better to have brothers and sisters in Christ to parter with but even if it seems like you are alone in the storm, remember: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Amen.