By Charles Taylor
MIAMI, Florida--The following events took place after the murder of a black youth leader whose church rents its facility to the Miami North congregation.
He was married for less than two years and had a little baby. He served his church by picking up destitute children and bringing them to Sunday school.
By Charles Taylor
After the young man was killed in the housing projects, we dedicated time for praying for his family and the area where he was killed.
On Memorial Day morning as I was praying, the Holy Spirit moved me to get up out of bed and go to pray in the area where the young man was killed.
I was in tears because the inaudible voice of the Holy Spirit was telling me to do something that was out of my comfort zone. I asked God to tell me for sure that this is what he wanted me to do. He showed me clearly, so I got up from my bed, put on my clothes and went down to the housing project.
When I got there I parked in the alley. On the wall of the complex was written Welcome to Hell-- Home of the Nigga Killas (a common term used by gang members).
I sat in my car and prayed, then I got out of my car, jumped the wall and knelt down in the street of the complex and begin to pray out loud.
I forgot about being embarrassed and begin to cry out to God in a loud voice.
This may seem a little strange to some, but when so many of our youths are being killed every day, there comes a point where it's obvious that if we as the body of Christ don't start to make a difference in the streets of our cities, we're just playing church and preaching to the choir.
I continued to pray and cry out to God, and as I was praying I heard someone else praying beside me. As we continued to pray, I heard more and more people praying.
A group of children came up and they started to pray. Men and women stopped in their cars, and they joined in prayer. People started to pray and stretch out their hands on their balconies and pray. As a group we just prayed and worshiped God in song with joined hands.
I know that God is bringing healing to that community. By his love and glorious grace he will set the captives free.
As we were praying, a young woman walked up and just started crying. We prayed for prostitutes, drug dealers, gang members, parents and the children. This woman accepted Christ as her Savior, and I assigned two of the women there to mentor her.
As I was kneeling in the street on a corner where many drug deals are made, I saw a number of empty bags of crack cocaine scattered around my knees.
To God be the glory. We must pray and wail for the suffering for God's children who don't know yet that they have a Daddy who loves and cares for them.
Charles and Keysha Taylor pastor the Miami, Florida, North and South churches.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999