As funerals for some of the 17 people who died in mass shootings at a Parkland, Florida high school continued over the weekend, two prayer leaders called on intercessors to wage spiritual warfare at every campus across the nation before another student or teacher dies as a result of gun violence.
“I am going to ask that each one of you reading this do something more specific to cover our local schools in a canopy of intercessory prayer protection,” Cindy Jacobs, co-founder of General’s International, wrote on Saturday. “Would you do that for the sake of our nation?”
Jacobs, a leader with husband, Mike, of the Reformation Prayer Network (RPN), offered a six-point action plan, including a call to “prayer walk” and “engage in spiritual warfare for the school.”
Praying after shootings like those at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week isn’t good enough for the RPN, Jacobs suggested.
“Since the beginning of 2016, I have felt that our schools need covered more carefully,” Jacobs wrote in an email sent to supporters and friends of the ministry.
A fellow intercessor in Colorado, Brad Tuttle, encouraged members of the Spiritual Warfare Attack Team (SWAT) he leads to support Jacob’s recommendations after reading her email. He forwarded it to pastors, churches and ministries.
“Last summer, a group of us felt led to prayer walk (schools in northern Colorado),” said Tuttle, the leader of the men’s group he founded.
SWAT traveled to 33 schools in five different cities and towns, where small groups of men prayed, took notes and, later, its members shared their impressions from the Lord with each other for each campus they visited.
“It really was the highlight of our summer,” said Tuttle, a husband and successful mortgage broker.
This summer, SWAT plans to prayer walk schools in Windsor, Fort Collins and Greeley, Colorado. The latter two are homes to major universities.
In addition to “prayer walking” or driving around schools, Jacobs suggested prayer warriors adopt campuses by volunteering, becoming the spiritual eyes and ears in the halls and grounds. “Prayer walk as you move through the building, looking for Christian teachers and students willing to pray with you,” she wrote.
Jacobs suggested specific “prayer strikes” as the Lord leads, taking responsibility for the spiritual climate at each adopted school. “Map and pray over the land, and (against) any past violence on it. Drive the darkness out and invite God’s love and revival in,” her email stated.
Amid the tears at funerals and memorials, anger erupted, too, with calls for gun restrictions at public gatherings in south Florida on Saturday and Sunday.
The mourning, Tuttle understands; but not the anger. He does not, however, fault anybody for feeling hopeless or helpless in the wake of school shootings, wherever they occur.
The responsibility for finding solutions to deadly gun violence on high school and college campuses, Tuttle believes, isn’t with governments, political parties, or even the National Rifle Association.
“The responsibility is on the church, the Bride of Christ,” Tuttle said. “Members are called to be watchmen on the wall, guardians of our regions, our country and our world.
“Simply put, we have not been doing our job.
“What we tolerate, will dominate; therefore, let us stand up and shout ‘enough is enough,’ put on our (spiritual) armor, grab our sword (the Word of God), and run to the roar,” Tuttle said in 2017, when he enlisted SWAT members in praying at northern Colorado schools because of the state’s high suicide rates among teenagers.
In Colorado last summer, SWAT members reported “intense energy that felt evil” at one school as they prayed. “The hairs on our arms and neck were standing up. We could feel it all over us,” one intercessor said.
After confirming the sense with his prayer partner, the two men listened to the Holy Spirit, who directed them to ask for the light and love of God to displace the darkness. “Within a few minutes, we felt a warmth and peace settle there,” he said.
Before leaving the school, the two sensed the Lord leading them to pray against violence, suicide, drugs, darkness and teenage trafficking.
At another school, different SWAT members invited guardian angels at every corner.
In Florida, the alleged shooter, Nikolas Cruz, confessed his crimes at an arraignment. A 19-year-old, Cruz formerly attended the high school, but was suspended for fighting. On his return to the school last week, Cruz fired on students responding to a fire alarm he set off.
In November, Cruz became an orphan after his adopted mother died from pneumonia. His adopted father died years ago. Cruz was living with a friend who said he was surprised by his roommates’ confession.
The following are action items suggested by Jacobs:
- Adopt a school. If your child attends a local school, adopt that one. If you have children in multiple schools, determine if you can do more or at least help coordinate prayer efforts for the other schools. If you do not have children in a local school, ask the Lord which school(s) you can cover in intercession.
- Prayer walk or drive around the school on a regular basis. You could do this as often as your schedule allows, but try to do it at least once a week.
- Get others to join you. Form a prayer group designated to praying for your adopted school. It can be comprised of other Christian parents of students attending the school or it could be members of your church that are interested of joining you. It could be a group of close friends with a similar burden. Where two or three are gathered in His name, there He commands the blessing, so try to get others together for prayer.
- Engage in spiritual warfare for the school. Find like-minded believers who understand how to war for the future of these children. Carry out specific prayer strikes, as the Lord leads. Map and pray over the land and any past violence on it. Drive the darkness out. Invite God’s love and revival to come. Take responsibility for the spiritual climate over your adopted school!
- Volunteer in your children’s or grandchildren’s schools. Become spiritual eyes and ears for the school. Prayer walk as you move through the school building. Find the Christian teachers who may pray with you. Pray for students who are open to it.
- Write us and tell us what you are doing for your school! Mike and I want to know what you’re doing. We will keep track of you and pray here at Generals for your efforts. Write us at [email protected].
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