National Day of Prayer

National Day of Prayer

Introduction

Every year, the National Day of Prayer (NDP) is a very special day for intercessors across America. This is the one and only day of each year when we are all united, crying out for revival to visit our country, and moving in obedience to the federal statute: (Public Law 105-225).

Each year, during the National Day of Prayer, America's civil government aligns with God's Kingdom government, as we all join hearts and hands to "pray for all those in authority, according to I Timothy 2:1,2.

The following report is dedicated to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, whose members work tirelessly throughout each year to bring us to this day. In 2017, due to their unceasing efforts on behalf of the NDP, millions of believers gathered across the nation, in over 40,000 observances, to pray for our nation on May 4, 2017.

This year's theme, chosen by Anne Graham Lotz, the National Chairman of the National Day of Prayer, is:

For Your Great Name's Sake! Hear Us . . . Forgive Us . . . Heal Us! This theme was directly used from Daniel 9:19, which says,"O Lord, Listen! O Lord, Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act! For Your Sake, O My God . . .". On May 4th, 2017, thousands of individuals, churches, and communities worked to rally millions of Christians to once again heed this call!

We respectfully submit the following report in honor of the work of the NDP Task Force and to its National Chairman, Anne Graham Lotz. Thank you for all you do for our land.

Background

Introducing the NDP Cannon Prayer Watch

The NDP Cannon Prayer Watch was founded in the year 2000 by a local ministry to provide a place for intercessors to quietly support and lift up the NDP National Observance in prayer while it was taking place each year, in the Cannon House Office Building (CHOB). When the vision to establish this watch was submitted to the leadership of the NDP Task Force, it was immediately endorsed and honored. The primary mission of the Cannon Prayer Watch is to provide a "prayer shield" for the National Observance each year, so that God's will shall be fulfilled in that gathering.

The story you are about to read took place on Thursday, May 4, 2017 inside the Cannon Building, at the same time that this year's official National Observance was being held in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Before this story is told, there are four specific details that must first be explained about this year's NDP Observance . . . each one testifying to the Sovereign move of God in its orchestration. These are: 1) the vision for revival; 2) the location of the event; 3) the timing of the event; and 4) the call to repentance which was the core theme of this year's program.

First: the Vision

First, much like the time of the Great Awakening in years past, many have been hoping, praying, and waiting for revival to take place on Capitol Hill and in our land. Indeed, in a sovereign move of God several years ago, our Lord released the following word to the Chaplain of the U.S. Senate Chaplain, Dr. Barry Black:

"Revival should begin in America similar to the Great Awakening that happened many years ago. This revival should begin in the Washington, Maryland, Virginia area. D.C. is the epicenter for the revival that God wants to send. Certainly with the branches of government represented here - the judicial, executive, and legislative branch - this is a very important place to get things started. This place can be the engine for revival. It needs to start here - at the Nation's Capitol!"

Could it be that this vision, received by our Senate Chaplain many years ago, is now actually coming to pass?? As you read on, perhaps you will agree that, indeed, this is so!

Second: The Location

The second factor that probably led to the huge spiritual impact of that day was this fact: In all the years past, the National Observance of the National Day of Prayer had been held on Capitol Hill, in the Cannon House Office Building. It has never, however, been held in the Capitol Building itself.

This year, the LORD moved this Observance into the Capitol Building - to be held inside Statuary Hall. In doing so, the level of authority we all released increased greatly, so that heaven was impacted at a "higher level" than in days past. Working together on Capitol Hill (the Prayer Watch undergirding the Official Observance), a corporate anointing of unity was birthed in Washington, D.C., waiting to be released to the nation! Praise be to the Lord for His orchestration in all things!

Third: the Timing

Third, over the past seventeen years, the official observance of the National Day of Prayer was traditionally held at 9:00 a.m. As we met each year at that hour to honor the National Day of Prayer, we in the nation's capital were also were prophetically "launching" or "birthing" an anointing for that day that would then reach all across America, as the many other observances also began to take place in every other time zone in the nation. Once again, by simply moving in obedience to the leading of our Lord, this "birthing anointing" was being released - establishing a "sound" in heaven that would then be a blessing for those of us on earth.

In addition, due to the tireless and dedicated work of the NDP Task Force throughout the preceding year, millions of intercessors joined forces in unity - at that set time - to pray for our nation, year after year after year . . .

To learn what happened next, we turn to Scripture, because the energy of intercession had by then been building and increasing throughout this day, while in heaven, Revelation 5:8 records what God was doing with those prayers. It is written:

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

Therefore, by the end of the day rather than at the beginning, those vials were filled with the prayers of the saints. Filled to the BRIM, they tipped over, and God's will was done on earth as it had been done in heaven! HALLELUJAH! His timing and His ways are perfect in all things! Our Lord had sovereignly called all of us on Capitol Hill - in Cannon AND in Statuary Hall -- to be those who would capture the energy of those prayers which had been stored up in vials of the heavens! As we continued in prayer, then, we all experienced the PALPABLE PRESENCE of our Lord among us! What an AMAZING GOD we serve!

Fourth: Repentance

In addition to the time adjustment, Anne Graham Lotz planned the program for the official National Observance and she dedicated at least half of their time together praying prayers of intercession for repentance. These intercessory prayers of repentance were offered for both personal and national sins. To add more fuel to the fire of the Holy Spirit, not only was there an extended amount of time given to repentance this year, but this was also the first year those prayers had been offered inside the Capitol Building itself. This was indeed unprecedented!

"Expect the Unexpected!"

That afternoon, our core team assembled to prepare Room 121 in the Cannon Building for His presence to be with us. Intending to both decorate this room accordingly, and to pray over the atmosphere therein, something totally unexpected happened. [The Lord had already prepared the heart of the watch leader earlier in the week by warning her to "expect the unexpected," and indeed the unexpected did happen!]

Sadly and suddenly, one of our intercessors, a dear sister named Debbie, started to have trouble breathing. We tried to help but to no avail, so we sought the immediate assistance of the on-site medical unit in the Cannon building, who determined that this was a serious situation and called an ambulance. Debbie was taken to George Washington University Hospital with an asthma attack that was severe. (We later learned that this attack was, indeed, a life-threatening episode!)

Meanwhile, we all remained in our room and joined in continuous prayer until we could ascertain that our dear Debbie was out of immediate danger. . .

When I asked our Lord what all of this meant (as our own schedule to prepare the room had, by now, gone out the window), He said, "Tell My people that you are now engaged in a life-or-death battle for the destiny of your nation!"

Expect the Unexpected!

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Are you praying?

Are you expecting the unexpected?