I have always loved listening to some of our National Prayer Committee founders talk about the early years when they travelled together as a team tominister in prayer in various cities. I’ve longed for such ministry with myfellow NPC’ers. I think it just happened. If the Lord tarries, years from now, Ibelieve we’ll be telling stories of how the members of the NPC travelledtogether to Kansas City to minister in prayer at the International House ofPrayer.

What an amazing time of ministry! I’ll never forget Mike Bickle, founder of IHOP, paying such great honor to Vonette Bright, founder ofthe NPC. Nor will I forget how Vonette grabbed my hand and said in the midst ofthe intercessory worship taking place, “This is just likeheaven!”.

Norval Hadley stood before these worshipping young people and said, “In my 65 years of ministry, I have neverexperienced anything like I have here these past three days.” Those kinds ofcomments from some of our founders ought to cause us to stop, thank God, and askHim what He was doing in our midst.

From Thursday, Aug.26^th at 6pm until Noon on Sunday, Aug.29^th, the NPC led in a 66 hour time of worship and prayercalled, “Prayer Watch 2010”. The IHOP team and facility was put at our disposaland they served us and their Lord in an astonishing way. The time was dividedinto 33, 2 hour segments around a common theme. The IHOP worship teams led inthe first 45 minutes of every segment, followed by a 15 minute teaching by oneof our NPC or NDP leaders. The purpose of the teaching was simply to set thestage for the next hour of prayer. Topics of prayer included revival, youngpeople, families, the media, spiritual warfare, our government, evangelism, andmany more.

So what happened? First of all, a strong call to prayer went out to the nation. Through GOD TV and the IHOP live streaming, manythousands were able to participate in Prayer Watch 2010. Secondly, God broughttogether in an amazing way very different streams within the Body of Christ topray with power and unity. Thirdly, and most importantly, God showed up. Oh, itwasn’t what I would call full-blown revival. But the Presence of God was presentin a powerful way…not only in the public gatherings, filled with joyous worshipand sweet, repentant hearts, but also in the many private encounters with God.Many from among our NPC suggested that this was one of the strongest, sweetestencounters with God they had experienced.

There is one other significant happening. It is what I would call impartation. When the NPC comes together, there is a wealth of prayerexperience and ministry vision. Prayer Watch2010 was a glorious time ofimpartation of that to the hundreds of young people who were present. Thishappened all through the 66 hours, but particularly in the last hour together.Barbara Byerly prayed a powerful prayer of impartation as the members of the NPCand NDP walked through the crowd, laying on hands and praying for the power ofthe Spirit of Prayer to come upon these young people. God truly was moving inour midst!

Proverbs 8:34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” (NIV)

Believing that God is calling His people to stand watch with Him in prayer during these critical times,America’s National Prayer Committee is calling upon the Lord’s peopleto pray with them for 66 hours of intense intercession and worship,August 26-29, 2010. From 6pm on Thursday, Aug. 26 until Noon on SundayAug. 29, prayer leaders from around the world will gather in KansasCity, MO at the facilities of the International House of Prayer toworship and pray. Live streaming of this event will be seen around theworld, and portions will be seen on GOD TV.

Dave Butts, Chairman of the National Prayer Committee said, “God’s Word is filled with the commandto ‘watch and pray’. This type of intense intercession is increasinglyneeded in a world that seems to be unraveling before our eyes. As thosewho belong to Jesus, we want to proclaim His Lordship over the nationsof the earth, and ask Him to intervene to bring about His purposes inour day.”

There are a number of passages of scripture that call us to this sort of watchful praying:

• Psalm 5:3 “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
• Luke 21:36 “Be always on the watch, and pray.”
• Isaiah 62:6-7 “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day ornight. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give himno rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of theearth.”
• Habakkuk 2:1 “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what hewill say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.”
• Micah 7:7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
• Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

The theme that continued to arise during the planning of this initiative was “preparation”. There is astrong sense that God is calling us to the walls of our communities andnations to watch and pray as an act of preparation. It may bepreparation for something that God is going to do that will shake thenations. It may be preparation within the Church, a calling toholiness, purity and repentance. It may even be preparation for theLord’s Return. All we know is that God is calling us to Watch and Prayin order to prepare us, and to prepare the way for something that iscoming. We call on the Church to stand with us in prayer. For more information go to: www.prayerwatch2010.com ;

Joining God in Watchful Praying

By Dave Butts

One of the most fascinating aspects of watchful praying is how closely it ties us to the very nature andactivity of God Himself. God is a watcher! Again and again in the Bible we readof how He watches over the affairs of both nations and individuals. He calls usto join Him on His watch…to devote ourselves to watch and pray that we mightparticipate with our Lord in His purposes. What an amazing privilege! Carefullyconsider these Scriptures that point to God on His watch:

• "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you backto this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promisedyou" (Genesis 28:15).

• "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel youand watch over you" (Psalm 32:8).

• "He rules forever by His power, His eyes watch the nations – let not therebellious rise up against Him" (Psalm 66:7).

• "The LORD will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; theLORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore"(Psalm 121:7-8).

• "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and thegood" (Proverbs 15:3).

Would you today join with a watching God? He is calling His people to such an intimateplace with Him that we begin to see some aspects of what He is seeing as Heallows us that privilege. Our watching is for the purpose of praying into ourworld the purposes and plans of God. How amazing is the grace and calling ofGod that He would grant us the joy and favor of laboring alongside Him throughwatchful praying!

(excerpted from Prayer and The End of Days by David Butts; available at http://www.prayershop.org/Prayer-and-End-of-Days-p/int-bud-bk-001.htm)

For more information on this ministry:

www.harvestprayer.com

www.prayerleader.org