As Apocalyptic California Inferno Rages, Pastor Witnesses Power of Prayer

The pastor of a Los Angeles church is showing the love of Christ to beleaguered California residents who have lost everything in deadly fires that ravaged a reported 10,000 structures and killed at least 10. Steve Wilburn, senior pastor of Core Church LA, told CBN News Thursday night that he spent the day driving through the Pacific Palisades — one of the areas hardest hit by the inferno. Wilburn, who is also a chaplain for the Los Angeles Police Department, was able to gain special access to impacted neighborhoods — and what he saw was trauma, sadness, and "total devastation." "It's like, just as like as far as you can see, just neighborhoods completely level," Wilburn said. The preacher's goal was simply to show up with his son and fellow pastor Brentten Wilburn and minister to those suffering. It's the same tactic Wilburn used a year ago when he went to Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack and showed up to "love the Israeli people" and pray. Wilburn's compassionate efforts in Los Angeles Thursday — which he plans to continue into Friday — included passing out water, helping coordinate individual needs, and, most importantly, praying with and over the individuals whom he reached. He described most people he encountered as being in a state of bewilderment over the impact of the fires. "They were absolutely in shock and just devastated, like not even knowing what to do," Wilburn said. "[They] lost everything. You lost all your baby albums ... all your mementos, everything that you've collected in your life, everything you've had since you were a little kid, all your kids' things. It's just everything's in rubble." The pastor said he and his son used bottles of water to break the ice as they approached strangers and then asked, "How can we serve you?" From prayers to hugs and simply listening to their stories, the duo was able to make a big impact throughout the day. But it was the prayer that really stood out to Wilburn. Everyone aside from one individual took Wilburn up on his prayer offer — and he even read the Bible to some. And none of these individuals were Christians, something he found notable. "This is the most liberal part of L.A. that you're gonna get," Wilburn said. "This is the people that ... support the most liberal things, but let me tell you — there was no liberal action going on today. It was all people in need and they were crying out to God." Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn CBN News. Because Truth Matters™ Download the free CBN News App: http://cbnnews.com/app SUBSCRIBE to the CBN News Channel for more: http://youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline/?sub_confirmation=1 SUBSCRIBE to the QuickStart Newsletter by visiting quickstart.news SUBSCRIBE to the Quickstart Podcast. New episodes every morning at 7am: cbn.com/cbnnews/quickstart What's coming up next? Have a look at our program guide: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcbnnews%2Fnewschann&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description CBN features 24-hour TV news from a Christian perspective. The CBN News Channel provides independent news programming to an underserved audience to enlighten, entertain and inspire Christians around the world. Comments below do not necessarily reflect the views of CBN. Share this live feed with your friends and family: https://www.youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbnnews/ Like us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBNNews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbnnews/ Contact News Editors: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcontact%2Fcontact-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description Questions about other CBN programs: Visit WatchCBNNews.com or call (888) 700-7000. Questions about supporting CBN News? Visit JoinCBNNews.com or call (888) 700-7000 for more information. Questions about Helping the Home Front? Call: 800-700-7000 https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2F700club%2Fhelping-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description #breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews #christian #christianity #church #breakingnews #cbnnews