2021 Prayer Walks at the City/County Municipalities

My thoughts (Stephanie Lindenberger): I was pondering the history and my feelings as an adult driving through the neighborhoods on very familiar roads. I grew up in Millcreek and then returned to live here as an adult with children, and now our grandchildren (3 of whom now live-in same house in which I grew up). Often, I have felt a spirit of depression and not the sunny happy memories of my youth, growing up in a safe and secure home in a middle-income neighborhood. The demographics and median income look healthy enough, but I sense a spirit of poverty. (God thought – Possibly the lack of church attendance as in the past and ignoring God’s principles of tithing and sowing and reaping.)

Prayer Points:

Father we are coming before You lifting up the people of Millcreek:

1) In the Homes – Father, we’re asking that You would begin rebuilding families in Millcreek. Call the men back to their wives and children, bring a revival and spirit of repentance on those who have called You Father in the past and have backslidden. Father, call the women to repentance of their superficial wonderings into the things of this world and pursuing vain imaginations and self-centered endeavors, before the needs of their children. Restore their love and submission to You first, so that all else will fall into place.

In Jesus Mighty Name!

2) In the Churches in this township – that uphold You as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and our Comforter and Wisdom Holy Spirit. May the leadership in Your churches pursue You as their first source of Wisdom, and that You would inspire them with Your purposes, Your plans for them and their flocks, and the people You have planted in this area. That You would baptize them in the Holy Spirit, regardless of denomination, so that Your Power will manifest in Erie and in the Earth. In Jesus Mighty Name!

3) In the Elected officials – that they would govern as Your representatives in Spirit and Truth, obeying and respecting Your Word and Your Will, acting as Your agent to govern and enforce laws that are for the good of the people and not to oppress by way of over taxing, or being wasteful or using their delegated power to enrich themselves. In Jesus Mighty Name!

4) In the Employers and those self-employed in Millcreek – in particular the entrepreneurs and small business owners who have Your gift of inventing and producing things and bringing them to market, especially the farmers. For those who know You, bless and prosper them in their fields of endeavor and help them to be obedient to the Tithe that ensures them Your protection over the devourer. Help both employers and employees to follow Your Word and honor You with their first fruits, and return to Your Word and Your concepts of sewing and reaping. (Malachi 3:10) In Jesus Mighty Name!

Family: Shore land was purchased by settlers from the State of Pennsylvania in 1794, making this the first of the PA lakeshore townships to be developed. Borough land was purchased 14 years later. A speculator named Gibson built a tavern on the site of what is today, Haynes House. Taverns then were focused on gathering family and community and a village formed around this tavern called Burgettstown, then Gibsonville. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. ⁶ He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction (Malachi 4:6 NIV). When the borough was incorporated in 1834, the name North East was chosen because it is the most north eastern part of Erie County.

We prayed for families, children, and the educational system here. Declaring, mercy triumphs over judgement (James 3) and kindness is meant to lead men to repentance (Romans 4). We asked the Lord to hear our prayers today, not only for North East but for all of Pennsylvania as North East is the northern most point of PA.

Agriculture & high business standards: Fruit growing was the early economic endeavor and still is. Local Fire Departments hold yearly festivals celebrating the harvest of cherries, grapes and wine. There is also a strong manufacturing base and food service industry providing jobs and revenue. Their web-site business page states, “Standards of operation exceed both state and federal.” “So [as the result of the Messiah’s intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in / like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives] (Isaiah 59:19 AMPC). North East has good schools, world class fishing, its own guarded beach, and, according to the web-site, is still focused on the well-being of its residents.  “My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places” (Isaiah 32:18 AMPC).

We prayed for even more integrity in business, for the whole county as led by North East. Taste and see that the Lord is Good as abundance of produce is brought to the table. We pray there would be enough workers in the fields; both physical fields and spiritual fields. In these last days the Bible says men will call good evil and evil good. And as in the days of the Judges, each one will do what seems right in his own eyes. But God! Raise up a standard against the enemy of this land and flood it with Your glory!

Property crime: As well as agreeing in prayer for the goodness of God evidenced in this community, something we can cover in prayer for North East is the high rate of property crime. The Neighborhood Scout report gathered by the FBI, shows North East as having a property crime rate (not violent) higher than 83% of PA cities and towns of all sizes. Property crimes are identified as motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary.

We declared that the door to this property crime be closed in Jesus’ name! Pled the blood of Jesus over the people here and all possessions. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our provider will keep all the belongs to the people here under His watchful care.

The Hebrew month of Kislev begins November 5, 2021. Kislev is the 9^th month of the Hebrew calendar. It is a picture of completing a full circle. It is the month to enter into a new level of trust and rest. We choose to break up and out of old patterns of mistrust that hinder our walk with the Lord and others in our circle of influence. A time to dream and have night visions. Associated with the tribe of Benjamin (Genesis 35:16-18). Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder (Genesis 49:27).

It has been said, the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of right relationships. Lately we’ve all heard words and a tone of voice that causes division and broken fellowship; “mask/no mask”, “vax/no vax”, “stay open/shut down”. The enemy weaves a sticky web of disparaging words and has been doing so for a long time.  His tactics are not new. There have been disparaging words spoken about this land over the years and today we renew and release a new level of faith over Erie.

It is unfortunate but true that in the 1850’s, Erie was known for its War of the Gauges. At the time, railroads were connecting the country.  A problem arose because a different gauge of rail had been used in Pennsylvania than was used in New York State. Erie officials and teamsters refused to change Erie’s rail gauge to match New York’s causing travelers to off-load near the New York State line and on-load a local train, when it was available. This provided work for teamsters and people selling lunch. However, the travelers were terribly inconvenienced! One such traveler was Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune who is credited with the words, “Go West Young Man.” One cold December day, Greeley was forced to ride an open wagon through a cutting storm of wind, snow, and sleet to get to Erie. Afterward he wrote, “Let Erie be avoided by all travelers until grass shall grow in her streets, and till her pie-men in despair shall move away to some other city.” The railroad was eventually permitted to run a train straight to Erie. But civil disturbances continued and the matter caused such hard feelings that people avoided discussing it for years afterwards in order to avoid starting arguments.   

[http://twainsgeography.com/content/erie-gauge-war, James Ford Rhoades 1895, History of the U.S.A.] 

Joel 2 -`Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, `Where is their God?’` Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. The LORD will reply to them: `I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations… 

The teamsters and local government officials in the 1850’s may or may not have recognized God’s purpose for this land as a connector. Regardless, they got tangled in a web of conflict and fear.  Now is the time we see God shaking and disturbing webs of deception. He is drawing spiders out of the shadows and laying an axe to the root of Satan’s lies!

“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways (Deuteronomy 28:7).

Praying from the high ground in Summit Township, we welcome our friends from New York and Joshua Revolution and say, “grass-roots movements are growing in Erie, come on through!”

The head of Joshua Revolution ’21 prayer team joined with us. She affirmed that, “Buffalo, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania are on the same rails.” Together we are lifting up Jesus Christ our Savior! May this conference be a watershed moment for the people of Erie. We speak faith over fear for the people of Erie!

Blow the Trumpet! 

Gaither Vocal Band, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – Blow the Trumpet in Zion [Live] 

We decree and declare the truth of God’s purpose for the region:

Erie is the GEM CITY (Erie Herald 1888). “People of “Erie” will arise and shine and declare Your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen. For a thick fog will cover the earth, but the Lord will again arise upon Erie and her people and His glory will appear upon us and nations will come to the Light” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Erie is a CITY OF REFUGE a place of healing & restoration to wholeness. “Oh, let not the downtrodden return in shame; let the oppressed and needy praise Your name” (Psalm 74:21).

Erie is a CONNECTOR of people, innovation, and goods. “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, from his innermost being shall flow springs and rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

Erie FAMILIES will flourish with generational anointings.  “He shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6 TAB).

Erie is a GATEWAY for intercession to redeem what is lost. “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Erie will Worship openly with the creative arts. “God’s love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic. Yet in His largeness nothing gets lost; not a man, not a mouse slips through the cracks (Psalm 36:5-6, MSG).

Erie has SOUND GOVERNMENTS with justice, Biblical truth & righteousness in proper alignment. “In reverent fear and worship of the Lord, there is counsel and sound knowledge, there is understanding, might and power. By this kings reign and rulers decree justice” (Proverbs 8:13-15).