Breaking down walls in the town of Apopka

"When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city... and they devoted the city to the Lord."

Joshua 6:20-21

The Remnant Christian Center is new in town. It was last November that they had their first service in Apopka, but they are already having an impact. This afternoon, approximately 100 members of their church and the community marched two miles from Apopka Memorial Middle School to 10th street.

They called it Jericho: Intercession Walk for the City of Apopka.

And the end point of the march had as much symbolism as the name.

10th Street in South Apopka is the dividing line between the city and unincorporated Orange County. There is not a literal wall on 10th Street, but in many ways, there is a metaphorical one that rivals the infamous wall that protected Jericho. The violence that takes place on or around 10th Street rivals the violence the ancient Biblical town in Canaan experienced.

But for the Remnant Church, this march was the beginning of a shout-out to God to end the violence.

"We believe that the "spiritual walls of Jericho" will come down in our city thru concentrated prayer over our city," said Remnant Lead Pastor George Sotolongo. "We claim Apopka for The Lord Jesus and believe God will end any violence or any spiritual darkness in our city. Each of us prayed as we walked to see God open the heavens over Apopka and to believe God that Apopka would be restored to its spiritual destiny. I was happy to see the great unity of not only other churches but the diversity of cultures coming together under one purpose. That purpose is to make Jesus known in the city of Apopka, along with His love and Mercy."

Sotolongo was pleased with the spirit of the two-mile walk, and the potential for harmony in Apopka's future.

"The prayer walk went amazing," he said. "Each person had a sheet of paper with several scriptures to choose from, along with praying with they felt from the Lord in their own heart for the city of Apopka. We all gathered together in unity and prayed that violence would end and over Apopka. That darkness would cease in Apopka! That hate, division, and racism would end in Apopka. That Apopka would be a place where healing and restoration can take place as the name of the Lord is magnified over our city. We Prayed for the restoration of families, and we had a very powerful and historic moment with the family of Camari Dennison (The six-year-old boy that was run over and ultimately died on January 1 of this year on 10th St. in Apopka). The Dennison family walked with us for the entire 2 miles and prayed with us for restoration and healing of families and healing for the city of Apopka."

According to Sotolongo, the group took communion together and thanked the Lord for answering their prayer and believed that something powerful started today in the spirit realm over Apopka. They worshiped and sang a song together.

"We all said the name of Jesus seven times (out loud and in unison)," he said. "Then let out a big shout of victory to the Lord. It was amazing. You could hear the sound of the shout over two or three blocks away."

Photos courtesy of Michelle Bankson.