Are You a Storm Rider?
Word released on June 22, 2022:
We are in unfamiliar territory. As a nation, and as Believers in Christ, we’ve never been this way before. All that we once knew to be “normal” seems to have slipped from our fingers, blown away by unexpected winds of change and opposition. Everything in our daily lives has been disrupted by powers beyond our control. And yet, we must see that the One who is carrying us along through these turbulent currents of change is not our enemy, but our Friend.
“He rode on a cherub and flew; He came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His covering, His canopy around Him, thick clouds dark with water.” (Psalm 18:10-11 ESV)
In His infinite wisdom and foresight, it is God Himself who is blowing these winds of adversity and directing the storms of uncertainty. It is His hand of providence that is directing the affairs of men and leading us through the unfamiliar toward an outcome that is beyond our natural comprehension. Though our adversaries may believe they are responsible for the increasing clouds of chaos and confusion, it is the Creator of those clouds who has clothed Himself in the midst of them.
“Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” (Psalm 97:2 ESV)
It is HE who speaks to the elements and commands the realms unseen. It is HE who is Master of all and servant to none. He wears the storms as the mantle of a Champion. His eyes are fixed on the destination ahead and nothing can stop His advance to victory.
Even more important, He invites us to ride on the storm clouds with Him and join Him in the charge through this unfamiliar territory. We are not merely observers of His workings, but we are also seated beside Him. With pleasure in His eyes, He hands us the reins to ride on these storms and take the lead to the finish.
He reminds us that He has given us charge over His enemies! They are beneath us, not over us, and He is using their darkness against them! The momentum they believe they’ve attained has only served to fuel these storms for His greater plan. For those of us who look with eyes of the spirit, focusing on Him, He has turned the enemy’s storms into the very vehicles that are propelling us to victory! Our willingness to press into the unfamiliar defies those who seek to blow us off course and unseat us from our position in the spirit. It is our determination to pass through the storms that will bring us to a destination we never expected.
In spite of the winds and the opposition that seek to take us out, there is a truth the enemy has forgotten. We were made for the storm. He who spoke them into existence, and blows them at will, has imparted that same Spirit to those He calls His own. It is we, the storm riders, who carry the wind of His Spirit, driving all others into submission and calling the chaos into order for His divine purpose. He has given us charge to ride the storm to the finish and receive His promise. Do not despise the storm. Harness it and ride it to the end to receive the champion’s reward!
Stepping Into Darkness
Dream Encounter – September 12, 2013:
I was inside my house getting ready to go out for the evening, finishing last-minute preparations. I was alone in the house and could see the darkness outside my windows. Though I wasn’t frightened, I was reminded of the big open space and unknown territory right out my front door. Even so, I had an appointment and needed to get going. I finally turned out the light and stepped outside, closing the door behind me. (Photo via Unsplash)
At that moment, I saw lights begin to flash to my right. I looked and saw, over the hill, numerous police cars lined up with their headlights shining. I hadn’t seen them before and wouldn’t have noticed since they were hidden behind the hill. However, more lights began to turn on, and I saw more emergency vehicles begin to line up in formation facing my house. One by one, they moved into position in a straight line: police cars, secret service detail, 911 responders and even two huge fire trucks which pulled up with their lights flashing.
Though there were no sirens, I could hear the noise of the engines and the radio calls going from one to the other. There were so many of them, and it was obvious that they had been there all along. They were on an assignment, and it seemed that their assignment was me.
Then I woke up.
I immediately thought of Elisha’s servant whose eyes were opened to the great and mighty angelic army that was gathered on the hillside when he and Elisha were outnumbered by a formidable army (2 Kings 6:17). The Lord wanted to reassure Elisha’s servant that someone else had their backs.
When the revelation hit me, I felt chills. The Lord was opening my eyes to the same reality of His supernatural aid and assistance which were available to me. There was a detail of angelic hosts that were already positioned in the spirit to back me up on my assignment, ready and fully equipped on my behalf. This thought was both alarming and overwhelming. I also realized that they only stepped into action when I STEPPED INTO THE DARKNESS. Had I not stepped out that door into the unknown, they would not have been called into position, and I never would have known they were there.
I believe this is a picture of what the Lord wants to tell many of us who are feeling “in the dark” and facing overwhelming challenges or assignments. In the dream I knew I was alone, but I had an appointment and was determined to make it. This is what faith is like. It requires courage and conviction to step out in what God has called us to do. Though we may be heading into unknown territory, we choose to trust in HIM by stepping into that situation, believing that He will back us up.
The days we are living in are getting increasingly dark and outright evil. The works of the enemy are becoming more and more pronounced. I believe many are being called into places of darkness to be light and life to those living in bondage. As followers of Christ, we must be ready to do what our gifts, abilities and human reasoning can’t do. God is calling many Believers to fulfill assignments that can only be accomplished with supernatural aid. We cannot walk in fear but must be ready to step into those dark places and trust that Heaven is right there with us. He has Heaven’s special ops team ready and waiting to assist us and help us in our assignments. He is looking for each of us to step outside our doors of comfort and safety, trusting that He will meet us in the darkness.
He’s Leading Us Into the Darkness
Dream Encounter – January 6, 2017:
In this dream encounter, I heard Him praying for me as I followed Him. Though I couldn’t hear His words, He was intently interceding for my journey. His head was bowed as He led me to an opening alongside a rocky mountain. As I continued to follow close behind, He led me down some stone steps into a small cave.
Then, He knelt in front of me in prayer, head bowed down as His hands cradled my feet. He was still interceding and praying for this journey. Knowing it was HIM, I longed to see His face. I reached out and pulled Him to His feet so I could look. As He stood before me, I was struck by His small stature. He was not noticeably tall or large. He was a simple man with dark hair and medium build. It was too dark to see His face clearly, yet I saw His eyes. They were dark and piercing, yet they looked at mine with a longing and earnest desire for me to know what this meant.
I always wondered what it would be like the first time I saw Jesus. Though I had interacted with angels in my dreams and heard the voice of the Lord, I had not seen Jesus face to face. I had always imagined seeing Him as others had described – in light and glory and majesty. Yet, in my encounter, He did not appear as I had supposed. He did not reveal Himself in His glory, but in His humanity. Though I was expecting a demonstration of His kingship and authority, He took the form of a servant. Where I was hoping for an invitation to His throne, He was inviting me into the darkness.
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:6-7 NIV) (Photo via Max Pixel)
Even as many Believers have been praying for Heaven to come to Earth, it is evident that Jesus is calling us into the darkness to deliver those who are in bondage and captivity. Where we might think the fullness of His love is seen in His glory, perhaps it is best seen in what He left in order to reach us. He is not fixated on His equality with God (Philippians 2:6-8). His heart is fixated on those He loves and passionately longs to be with. It is because of this that He calls us to go where He would go and reach those who have not yet heard. Our only qualification is to serve, not to be served. It is the humble heart of a servant that will have the most authority to overcome the works of the enemy.
I was not intending to go into the darkness. I was simply following Him. I was close enough to hear His prayers and to feel the burning in His heart. This is critical in our walk, because He alone knows where we need to go. Even as He led me down the steps, a part of the stone railing had come off, and He reached out to fix it so I could get a handle on where I was going.
For many of us, the places of darkness that need to be reached will not be familiar or understood. Yet, He will give us a handle on what we need to grasp in order to take the necessary steps. It is His love within us that will compel us to follow His lead into those places of captivity, so we can bring the lost into the light.
Jesus’ Invitation to Us
I never realized the intensity of Jesus’ intercession for us. Romans 8:34 states He is sitting at the right hand of His Father praying for us. Hebrews 7:25 says that He lives to make intercession for us. We may be longing for HIM, but HE is longing for us. His love is what consumes His heart, and He will not rest until all have heard of the power and victory He secured for us through His death and resurrection. He invites us to join the journey and to follow Him ever more closely, with ever increasing faith.
Glory will come soon enough. Until then, let’s take His hand and follow Him into the darkness.
When confronted with days of darkness, we must remember that the Lord of hosts is dwelling right in the midst of them. Rather than standing on the sidelines as the enemy stirs up the storms, the Lord is riding on top of those storms and directing them for His purpose. He has a mission on His mind and destination in sight, and He will not be denied His reward.
Greater still, He invites us to join Him. He knows we were born for this moment and prepared for this hour. This is not the time to hide in the shadows or cower in safe places. It is time to step into the darkness. He has been earnestly interceding on our behalf and leading us step by step. Unlike any other generation before us, He has been waiting for this very time when we would rise up through the power of His Spirit to overcome the darkness and shine forth His glorious light.
Wanda Alger
Email: wandaalger@gmail.com
Website: www.wandaalger.me
Wanda Alger has been a field correspondent with Intercessors for America, is a recognized fivefold prophetic minister, speaker, and is the author of several books including Prayer That Sparks National Revival and Moving from Sword to Scepter: Ruling Through Prayer as the Ekklesia of God. She and her husband founded Crossroads Community Church in 1998 where her husband serves as lead pastor. Follow her blog at www.wandaalger.me.