I Was There 1 !!

Have you ever heard some one talk about an event they were at and maybe how something different or awesome happened while they were there at the event? Then you have an AHA moment and you say" I was there!"

On the way home from work today ( it is a beautiful drive, on two lanes roads with trees completely overhanging in many places) I began to think about some awesome experiences that I have had over the years.

The more I thought about it the more thought that I would write a series here and if you were there and you have an AHA moment that is great! Just leave a comment or share your story as to how you felt.

I remember a service at 433 Druid & Edison Street in Jacksonville Fl. Jim Price was the choir director, Shirley Cohron was on the organ, Faye Burton was on the piano, Ted Carter was on the drums I was playing the congas when all of a sudden I looked up and Jim Price who had been playing a solo part on his Saxophone was gone. I looked trying to find our choir director and he was walking around the church and still playing his saxophone with the choir still singing!

Needless to say we had an awesome move of God that night!

I Remember Prayer Meetings IV...

Our times of prayer with the youth here in North East, Maryland, were very powerful. In fact so powerful that we could not let it stay in the church. So we took prayer to the streets.

We had prayer journeys. We actually went and prayed for each Jr. High and Sr. High school in our county. It was an awesome time not only for our youth to get together and spend time together. But the time spent was definitely quality time!

We prayed for the students to overcome drugs and alcohol addictions. We prayed that they would overcome depressions and other mental problems that tend to plague our youth. We also prayed for the staff and teachers at each school. We prayed for peace at school and that they could have a good learning environment.

This was at a time when we were having a lot of school incidents across our country but we never had any shootings or bomb threats while others were having a lot of troubles in this area.

We went to one school during our Wednesday Night Youth Service and we all got out (about 30) and scattered around the building to pray. After a few minutes a Vice Principal walked out and he asked me what was happening. I explained that our young people were praying for all the school students and teachers in the county and he thanked me and asked me to come as often as we liked to pray!

One particular Saturday we gathered at church to do a prayer journey to pray for all the Middle and Sr. High schools in our county. By this time we had acclimated our youth and staff about how to pray and what to pray etc… After about the third school out of eight or more that we prayed for that day Gods’ Spirit began to move.

I will never forget going to Oxford High School and there was a game out in the field and a crowd was at the game but the school area was empty. Our youth got out and spread out and began to pray!! I remember they were lying on their faces at the doors weeping and crying out to God for the souls of the students and staff! Then came a time of spontaneous rejoicing and we had a great time! We also had a hard time getting them to load up they were just caught away in the spirit of God!

Just a few days later one of the girls that was at the prayer journey she was asked to pray at the “Meet Me at the Flag Pole”. Her picture and a copy of her prayer were printed on the front page of the news paper.

Next time we write about prayer, we will write about taking our prayer to other communities!

I remember prayer meetings...

I can remember walking two blocks from my grandma Hopper’s house in Goshen Ca. to church to pray when I was just 4 or 5 years old. I remember we would meet some of the other people there and they knew how to get a hold of God!

I remember going to Truth Tabernacle in Fresno Ca. as well pastored by Bro. Layne at that time. We prayed for God to have his way and to give us guidance. When we got home from prayer one night my mom got the call that while we were at church our house had sold. So we knew it was God’s will for us to move. The next day when they went to sign the papers the real estate agent even bought our car that my folks were questioning whether to take it or sell it.

Then as I got older I asked my dad if I could get some of the guys to stay after a watch night service in Jacksonville Fl. and pray. He said sure just ask one of the older guys to stay with you so I got I think Sonny, Rodney and one or two more plus Tim Carter to stay and we prayed until about 4am.

We had some prayer meetings in Houston, TX at Greater Bethel Tabernacle, Pastor Rev. O. R. Fauss. The young people came to me at the academy wanting to meet before school and pray for thirty minutes. After a few days the number started to grow and the intensity/fervency started to grow as well. After about 4 or 5 weeks the Spirit of God came down and some were travailing in tongues and a little while later the group of about twenty decided to go on a victory march in the learning center. When the march was over the Jr. & Sr. High Learning Center was empty and they were all in the church praying. Later I got a call from Mr. Edwards whose son and daughter attended our school. He said “Bro. Hopper I understand that my child received the Holy Ghost today. I think that is great!” We used to see that all the time in our (church denomination). You just keep up the good work!

That night at our choir practice Tony Roberts asked a couple of the students to testify about what had happened and that was all it took. God’s Spirit fell once again and we had prayer instead of choir practice!

Of all the prayer meetings that I have been in the one that I remember most was in first United Pentecostal Church San Jose, Ca. Pastor Rev. Jim Shoemake. Bro. John Arcovio was the evangelist and we decided to pass out flyers on Monday evening around the neighborhood. We passed out flyers (15 thousand that week) and got back to the church about 8 pm. The young people then decided to pray for those that received flyers. About 10 pm some of the parents came and took their young people home (some were crying and wanted to stay). At midnight I counted over 25 still there praying in the old auditorium which is now the day care area. I can remember a few that were there such as Samantha, Theresa, Jeanne, Dayna, Jason & Davina, Abran & Vivian to name a few and I think Andrew & Shawna. Around 3 am the Spirit of God moved in a miraculous way. We were ushered as though it was into the throne room of God. Many I am sure can tell their version of what happened. It was awesome! I called the meeting over about 6 and we went home to so we could go to work.

My wife asked me when I got home what happened I could not tell her I just started weeping and talking in tongues. She declared that the next night I was going home with our 1 year old son Curtis and she was going to stay if they were going to pray! Well they brought her home around 2 am and she was drunk in the Spirit! I asked her the logical question, “What happened?” That was a mistake, she got to laughing and I had to carry her to bed!

If you were in one of these prayer meetings or you want to relate a similar incident. Go ahead! Maybe I will share some more prayer meeting memories in a later blog that we have had here in North East MD.