Have you ever seen or heard something that is “breaking news” somewhere in the world, but didn’t know how to intercede or pray for them beyond the typical “Oh, Lord, help them, whoever ‘they’ are, wherever ‘they’ are, whatever is happening to ‘them’?”
I’ve discovered an incredible intercession tool—from Google. Here’s how it works.
It’s called “Google Realtime.” It takes the enormous feed from twitter (and other sources) and displays it in real time, constantly updated, based on whatever situation is presently unfolding. So, for example, the other night I watched as tornadoes unfolded all across the midwestern United States. When I heard of a conflict in Sudan, I was able to “watch” the initial stages of the conflict unfolding, dynamically updating before my eyes with on the ground reports of fighting, mortar blasts, etc.
To use this tool, just go to http://www.google.com/realtime?hl=en&tab=wY and enter a search phrase (e.g. “Libya”). As tweets are posted, they will show up dynamically on the page. For example, I’m doing this as I write this, and here’s a tweet:
Leila_MA RT @Machahir123: NATO launched fresh air raids on Zawiya city (50km / 30 miles west of Tripoli) few minutes ago. #Libya #Feb17
Now, you immediately have something to pray for that is a bit closer to the situation. You can pray for the people in the city. You can also pray for the people on the ground who are tweeting these situation reports—by their twitter name, if nothing else. And by watching these conversations you’ll learn a bit more about the realities of life on the ground.
Update 7/15: Unfortunately with the advent of Google+ and the disintegration of the deal between Google and Twitter, Google Realtime has gone offline. There are some other tools but nowhere near as good. I’m hoping this comes back soon.
{ 0 comments… add one now }