Pray for Beer.
Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
March 6, 1999
When one consumes beer, they tend to loosen their inhibitions. At the time when they are fully relaxed and pleasantly content they are prepared for Thy hand. Once they are prepared, they are in an environment where Satan thrives. Lord, we can pray over beer and be excited at the possibility that it represents to a lost soul. The possibility that they will one time be inebriated and one will say "Oh God.", in total exhaustion and boredom or being tired. Another present will think..."God? God, GOD! Oh my, I left my home and family bound for this land and have forgotten the promise to my church family and friends to seek the things of God and be refreshed in spirit during this time in the wilderness." Panic begins to well within this persons soul. Beer has lost it's bitter sweet taste. He sits there in an awkward predicament. Surrounded by Satan...music, drink, and company all focused on being in the dark and shunning the light. He sits there and the all consuming fire of God falls upon him. He continues to think on God and begins to look for music that will be less driven by the dark. He seeks...and seeks... finally finding nothing to satisfy his soul, he decides to go to the room of a Christian next door and ask if they have music, at 2 AM. With some trepidation, he approaches the door and begins to knock softly. However, our Brother has been out all day ministering to the Lord's people passing out tea and the word to passers-by. His devotional time was spent praying for the party that was then in its infancy so he decided to rest well for church the next day, he put in ear plugs. Our friend is in a predicament now. The party is growing impatient and he has not returned. Now panic sets in. With balled fist he pounds mightily upon the door, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM...
Our Brother stirs then rises to see who it could be. Thinking, probably work, not knowing the Lord stands at his threshold. He opens the door while putting on his glasses and peers from his slumber at a weary soul, desperately seeking relief and refreshment from the din and howl of Satan slithering into the room from whence he came. He speaks," I know it is late and you were sleeping, forgive me. Do you have any of that Christian music you always listen to?" "Excuse me?" comes a soft voice awakened in the night. "Do you have any Christian music?" "Uh, what do you like, please come in. Here are my CDs and tapes if you need." "Ever heard Carmen? Newsboys? Supertones? how about Fred Hammond?" The lost soul thinks, remembering the music his son listens to that he brought home from his youth group. Newsboys? Fred Hammond? puzzled but desperate he says, "Give me the one you listen to the most, please---I need the Lord, so do my friends next door." You nod agreement and pass along your favorite disk. He smiles immediately, knowing what he is doing and where he is going. He rushes from the room filled with joy at his discovery.
While he was gone the party roared. He returns and is excited. "Hey, let’s listen to this." "What is it?" Well John, it’s music we use to listen to at home. John stops and is silent. He peers into the eyes of his friend and knows exactly what he is talking about. John thinks and looks around the room, "These are guys I work with…what will they think?" Our friend gets agreement from most in the room and seizes the day. He turns down the stereo and places the CD in the player. As he presses the button to play, he prays softly and quickly, "Lord, Thy will be done." He adjusts the volume and looks around to see if the volume is working, not too loudly to disturb the neighbors, but enough for the presence of God to emerge from within the room. "Turn it up!" The buzz of the room changes from the din and dark Satan thrives in to the light and love of Jesus Christ. "Who is this?" "I don’t know" replies our friend. I think it’s Carmen. Carmen? Who’s that? "Why, don’t you like it?" Looking around the room, everyone is looking at this person asking the questions. Our friend sits back in his usual place. His dry throat now reaches to his mind---HEY, I need a drink. He goes to the fridge and gets a bottle of water. The room grows silent and returns to conversation the brash language strangely has subsided. Then the words grab them. "Hey!, this is Christian music." "Yeah, sounds good doesn’t it." Our friend says. The room returns to light conversation. Then our friend and John start to talk about their families and their churches. Quietly ministering one to another. John gets a bottle of water and returns to his seat. One of the other fellows rises and gets some water also, then returns and asks John about his church back home. He shares that he was a strong church goer and is disappointed at what his life at Kunsan has been, now that his tour is near its end. He tells John that he doesn’t know what he will tell his family, his wife. Oh and his daughter, she’s on fire for the things of God. "What will I do?" he asks. He becomes silent and grows distant, the Holy Spirit working with him and his trials. John moves closer to his friend who is silent. "Bill? Don’t worry. Tonight we will pray for you. I know the time here can be difficult and so does God. The beers we’ve shared and the times we’ve been carrying each other drunk from the club. What were we thinking?"
Their conversation is now the focus of the room. The music grows soft and the Holy Spirit floods the room. The lights all come on, John moves around the room and turns on all the lamps and dispels the darkness. John calls to our friend, "Terry, come over here and help me pray with Bill." The others in the room get a puzzled look. "What, pray? Here? We’ve been drinking…HELLO!" Joe replies. John turns to Joe and tells him, "What, you think Jesus only ministers in church?" "Jesus was known for associating and ministering to drunkards and whores." The group rises, joins hands, and bows their heads. Terry, adjusts the volume on the stereo. Returning to the circle of friends, he sees the neighbor he borrowed music from in the door. "Greg, come on in. We--we’re about to pray." Greg smiles from within his soul, "Amen." "Greg, will you lead us in prayer. It has been awhile since we’ve prayed." Greg offers, "Terry, God is still where you left him. He’s reaching out to this group through you." "I will begin then you may continue us in prayer, sound OK to you?" "OK" Terry agrees. Greg begins. "Let us bow our heads and
go to the Lord in prayer."