When you think of a typical 13-year-old boy, what comes to mind?
Playful, curious, mischievous? Well, I met with one young man, and
after spending a few moments with him, I found he was not so typical
after all.
His name is Gabriel Aaron Sutton, the oldest of four children. Just
like other kids his age, he loves sports and horsing around with his
friends. But there's something that sets him apart: He's a mighty
prayer warrior who's going to change the world.
"It was right after the terrorist attack [in 2001], and I just felt that
I needed to pray," Gabriel said.
One day while watching The 700 Club with his parents, Gabriel
decided to take on the challenge of praying for the nation for 50
days. Lisa, Gabriel's mother, encouraged her son to pray, but she
also advised him of the seriousness of the task he was about to undertake.
"Don't call because that's what you feel you need to do and
then pray for a couple of days and that's it," Lisa told her
son. "You've got to really commit."
Excited about the challenge ahead, Gabriel encouraged his younger
brother and sisters to join him. He even recruited the kids in the
neighborhood.
"The first three days were relatively good," said Gabriel.
"We prayed for 15-, 20-, 30 minutes."
Soon 15 minutes turned into 30 minutes; 30 minutes turned into 45
minutes. Eventually, the kids were praying for at least an hour a
day -- every day!
"I have seen their prayer life flourish," Lisa said about
the children. "I've just seen it bloom and flourish. It's just
been incredible."
"I remember one day in particular I was home and the kids were
praying," Greg, Gabriel's father, said. "Twenty minutes
had gone by. Thirty minutes had gone by, and I began to wonder. Forty
minutes had gone by, and finally, Chrysa comes to the door. I asked,
'Chrysa, where's Gabriel?' She said, 'He's still praying. Oh, Dad,
he is really praying! He's shaking, he's rocking back and forth, and
the Holy Spirit is all over him!' I waited about an hour and he finally
came in. I didn't have to say anything to him; I looked at him, and
when I looked at his face, I knew that he had been with the Lord."
Have you noticed a difference in your life since you've been praying?
I asked Gabriel.
"Well, it feels like the Lord put something in me, but I don't
know what it is," Gabriel revealed. "I think it's for people,
people who are hurting in other countries, because it's hurting inside
of me right deep down inside. I feel like I have to pray hard."
"I always tell them, 'Don't wait. Do not wait for God to use
you, because God wants to use you right now," said Lisa.
"He's prophetic in some ways," Greg explained. "He'll
have a prophetic word deep inside himself. As a matter of fact, his
name at first was to be Michael Gregory. God changed it and said,'
I want it to be Gabriel Aaron, because he's going to be a messenger
with a mouthpiece.' "
The more time Gabriel spends with the Lord, the more the Lord reveals
himself to Gabriel. He says he's seen visions and has prophetic dreams.
"I had a dream that a rain came and there was a big flood and
everybody came to our house for shelter," he said.
I asked him, What do you think all that means?
"I guess there's going to be a revival," Gabriel concluded.
"Revival means people get right with the Lord, miracles start
happening, people come together -- any denomination -- and start worshipping
the Lord together."
Gabriel wants to help usher in revival, so after reading "Steps to
Revival," he read the booklet to his Sunday school class.
I asked Gabriel's parents, What's the Lord's calling on this next
generation?
Said Greg, "I see a hunger and a thirst in young people that
I've never seen before. It makes me jealous. It stirs me up."
"They're not going to know doubt," added Lisa. "They're
not going to know unanswered prayer. They're not going to know lack
of faith. All they're going to know is Christ and His power. And they're
going to walk in it."
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