I'm stunned by this. I'm stunned by the fact that already people have committed to upwards of 400 hours of prayer over the next 40 days - with more to come. And the fact that right now, a middle aged man is on his knees in our little prayer room humbles me.

We must fully come to grips with this reality: God responds to his people praying. I cannot explain it. I don't know how it all meshes in with his soveriegnty and all knowingness - I'm not the kind of person that wrestles with such things. I just know it to be true. God loves to see his kids in prayer. He loves to respond to them there.

If we desire to flood our city and world with the living water of Jesus then we must take this reality with the utmost of seriousness. When we engage on this level we engage in war the likes of which our world has never known. We unleash an atom bomb of Holy Spirit power the ripples through the heavenlies with a force that impacts the earth. This is serious buisness. Really. The war will never be won and the vision Jesus has given to us will never come to life apart from it.

And yet, with all its seriousness, its also the kind of thing that should be so filled with delight and joy. We are engaging with a father who absoulutly adores us and who promises to confide in those he loves. When you step into prayer you are stepping into a place where your truest father can whisper to you what he really thinks of you. You know how, in our deepest secret places, more then anything else we just want to be loved and cherished, valued and cared for? When we step into that place of prayer we are arriving at the only place where that longing can really fully be answered. Don't beleive me? When you are in that room, I want you to take the time to ask at least one question: Father, what do you think of me?

The box of kleenex will be right near the couch.

Friends... lets go to war. This city needs us to be praying. This world needs us to be praying. Lets go to war! But while we're marching out to the front lines, be sure to keep an ear open to the generals voice he'll be the one telling us how much he thinks of us.

Happy praying Paul. Your time is just about up. Bless you in Jesus name.