shower the people

It's around 1 a.m. Friday morning and there is an alarm going off in the hotel I'm staying at for Passion LA. It sounds like one of those plastic snakes you would buy at a carnival and whip through the air to make noise. It's incessant and I'm praying Lord have mercy. It stops and I thank Him. A few minutes later, it's back. My prayers feel ineffective, not something I want to be feeling before I head up intercession for the weekend. I even prayed before I went to bed for alarms not to go off, because this happened to us at Passion '07 in the hotel.

Once again, God proves He's in charge. Pray what you will, He will do and allow what He will. I am feeling some holy anger, as I think upon all the attacks I know of in recent weeks against the leaders of Passion. As the alarm goes off again, I tell Satan, "yeah, well GOD is going to sound His alarm tomorrow. Get ready." And I go to sleep dreaming of plastic snakes.

It's Thursday evening in the hotel lobby. I've made a new friend, Esther Havens, who is photographing the weekend and is also from God's favorite city, Austin. She is talking to some guys with an Irish accent. Wait. "Where are you from?" I ask. "Belfast," they say. "What are you doing here?" I ask, knowing who they must be. "Oh, just came for the weekend," they say, smiling. "Really," I say. (I know this is a fascinating conversation so far.) One of them nods at the other, and smiling says "He's the one who wrote the God of this City song." I can't really tell you what I said after that, but it's probably certain it was as crazy as when I talked to Francis Chan moments earlier. When I'm around people who have been used mightily by God in my life, well, you get the picture. It's not unlike Chris Farley on his SNL talk show. "Awesome, so cool, so great, so praying for you..." Just what my husband had prayed against.

I talk to Aaron and Andy more at dinner and what strikes me most is how their hearts are broken for the city, Pattaya, where the song was birthed, in Thailand. The prostitution there is a major source of income and "anything man could think or imagine goes on," they tell me. It's no wonder God had them prophecy this song out into the darkness surrounding them, flooding a strip bar with His merciful Light, bringing hope to the hopeless. And since then people from their church in Belfast have gone back to play that song in that bar in Pattaya and souls have been saved. Praise the Living and Mighty Son of God!!

It's 7 p.m. Friday evening and the intercessors are gathered in the Board Room in the basement of the Nokia Theatre in downtown LA. I feel like we are in a boiler room and think of Charles Spurgeon and his prayer crew. Earlier in the day we praywalked the entire theatre and anointed it with some Jerusalem oil. Holy Spirit smackdown. Outside, the entryway is flanked with white columns and illuminated pillars of giant golden winged creatures arching to the skies. It's baby Babylon and Garth Brooks is across the street warming up in the Staples center. Lowcut shirts, cowboy hats and beer are soon to follow. We are on the street famous for red carpet stargazing. Beautifully poured streets and bright glowing lights mesmerize for blocks. Outside I walk the perimeter with Amy Parker, and I envision God's hand holding back all that is not of His Spirit and preparing the way. It's going to be good.

This intercession team is serious. Some of them know me and know I will try to skip introductions and go right to prayer. Tracy Fowler makes sure they all feel loved. I hope they know how much I am grateful for them, but really I just want them on their faces. I know God has handpicked every person and He is going to use them mightily for His purposes. When I prayed for this team, I asked God for intercessors from LA, for men, and for Asians. He supplied those and more. He is so good and faithful.

Jeff Chan leads our worship and he cranks up the songs LOUD. I'm wondering if they can hear us upstairs but definitely know the guest services people can hear us outside the room. This team is thanking and praising God for what He's going to do that evening. It feels explosive.

And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
“ Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
Jonah 2: 7b-9 (nkjv)

to be continued...