CT Capitol Prayer Walkers April 2018 Newsletter Robin Hansen, Lucy Snow – Team Leaders
Praise God and thank you for your faithfulness in praying for our state … and there is a lot happening! First … we are revamping the ministry of the CT Capitol Prayer Walkers. Nothing dramatic – just tidying up a little. For over 10 years, Lucy Snow has been the Coordinator of this ministry. She has done an incredible job, but it is a lot of work, so as of 2018, Robin Hansen will be co-coordinating with Lucy. Robin has been a prayer walker for over 4 years & is thrilled and excited to come alongside & partner with Lucy to help share these responsibilities. In the next couple of months, we will be creating a new brochure, hosting a “Info Session” at the Capitol, renovating our web page on the House of Good Hope’s website, and doing a radio interview on Christian Radio Station WIHS, 104.9FM. Details to follow… We will also be creating a newsletter that will contain current prayer needs and other information. The Newsletter will probably be every other month (we’ll see) And … we are working on a Facebook page – stay tuned!! 2018 provides a unique & powerful opportunity as all of the following are up for election:
ALL 151 seats in the State House of Representatives ALL 36 seats in the State Senate All 6 State Constitutional Offices: Governor & Lieutenant Governor Secretary of the State State Comptroller, Treasurer & Atty General ALL 5 of Connecticut’s U.S. Representatives PRAY – Get the word out about this – VOTE
67th Annual National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 3, 2018
National Day of Prayer events will take place in over 160 locations throughout our state & throughout the day at various times. Get involved & tell others! Attend one of more events and make a public witness for Jesus! For the nearest location(s) to you visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org CONNECTICUT PRAYS – This is part of New England Prays, the Prayer Initiative to have New England covered in prayer 24/7/365 until Jesus returns. The goal is to have our state covered in prayer by uniting churches across Connecticut to participate. There are currently over 25 churches across our state that are involved! Maybe YOUR church wants to get involved? For more information &/or to get your church involved, visit www.ctprays.org
CT Capitol Prayer Breakfast – On Tuesday, April 24th the Connecticut Capitol Prayer Network, along with several State Senators, are hosting the Connecticut Capitol Prayer Breakfast at the State Capitol. All State Senators and State Legislators are being mailed official invitations. (this event is not open to the public) Personally invite YOUR Legislators by writing a note, sending an email or calling their office — they are much more encouraged to attend if they are personally invitedby the very people they represent!! Prayer Points 1. PRAY God will raise up bold, born-again Christians to serve in our State Government!! 2. PRAY Christians will spread the word about this year’s election & VOTE!! 3. PRAY for supernatural intervention at each event on the National Day of Prayer! And for great weather!! 4. PRAY hundreds of churches across CT will get involved with Connecticut Prays!! 5. PRAY every state citizen personally invites their Representatives AND that every single state legislator attends the breakfast & joins as we pray in the Name of Jesus!! 6. PRAY God’s protection and wisdom for Peter Wolfgang and the Family Institute of CT. 7. PRAY for God’s protection for local Christian Radio Station WIHS – 104.9FM. PRAY for His wisdom and guidance for the WIHS Board of Directors!
Please feel free to submit your suggestions, ideas & input for the CT Capitol Prayer Walkers. Email us at ctprayerwalkers@gmail.com Connecticut Capitol Prayer Walkers is a ministry of House of Good Hope/Hartford House of Prayer. For more information visit www.hartfordprayer.com
“.…And who knows whether you have not come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b (RSV)
Last Saturday night at the conference I attended, the worship was so exquisite! In fact, the atmosphere of the room became more of an intercessory worship more than just a congregation in worship, loving on Jesus. We all began to scream, cry out, dance and sing our prayers & intercession. It was raw, noisy and raucous and wonderful! I’ve been in that place many times before, mostly with the group of people I was with that night. Many of us have been friends and prayer partners for years, some for decades. The sanctuary was filled with intercessors with a burdened passion to pray for the next Great Awakening in New England. We all were of one heart, one mind, one spirit. I cried out , begged the Lord to increase my passion for prayer. I asked the Lord again to put a birthing travailaing prayer for New England back in my gut. Over the years I found that I’ve grown tired, bitter and cold. I found that I was better at organizing prayer rather than entering into the place of deep intercession. But that is not where I want to be. I know that the Lord wants to take me into the deeper places of intercession: to be prayer rather than to “do” prayer. Organizing another prayer meeting won’t do it. Teaching on prayer won’t do it. I need to pray. I need to travail in prayer. I know the Lord has been calling me to this, but somewhere along the line I got burned out. My cry has been “RE-FIRE ME Lord!” I need that passion, that burning passion back in my gut again.
A few years ago the Lord had me study the process it takes to be an excellent marathon runner. My daughter at that time was training to run the half-marathon and she shared her experiences with me every step of the way. Through her sharing this with me, I heard God’s voice. I heard and began to understand that this thing that I’ve spent my life doing is going to be a lifetime work. I need to know that one short prayer meeting is not going to bring in revival. It’s going to take a lifetime of prayer. There is no magic formula for this. There will be years of hard work, little or no recognition, and many many tears of intercession. I need to be trained well in this. I need to learn the value of living in constant repentance, and constant humility. Many will not understand what I’m doing or why I’m doing what I’m doing, they may even try to tell me not to waste my time. They may even make fun of me. But no matter what, I’m to continue in prayer and intercession, no matter if I have to do this alone. The years have been long,and it has been exhausting. And, as in a marathon, I know the culmination is about to come. I also know that it gets even more exhausting just before we reach the finish line. I must not give up. What I’ve been praying and travailing for in intercession is about to break through! I cannot quit yet. I also cannot coast or be half-hearted. I cannot organize another prayer meeting and rely on the others to do the praying for me. I must run this race to the end.
That was the cry of my heart Saturday night. I found myself face-down on the floor, prostrate in worship and in prayer. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at the front of a church face-down on the carpet. It felt good! As I was lying on the floor, I suddenly felt something covering my legs. Someone dropped a “cover cloth” on me. As it hit my legs, the Lord told me this was His prayer mantle He was placing on me. This was His “tallit”. He was giving me His mantle of intercession and travail once again. A sweet sense of peace overwhelmed me! Even though I had been “slacking”, the Lord has not forgotten me! The Lord has not turned aside looking for others to do what He has called me to do. I heard the Lord calling me once again to the place of intercession and travail that He placed in me when I first moved to Connecticut almost 31 years ago. It seems so many years ago that I had to pull over to the side of the road as I was driving because I was crying in travail so deeply for this state, for these people!
Because of the Lord’s word, it was a little disappointing to see that it was just a “cover cloth” many churches have, not actually a tallit that covered my legs. But the cloth was a brilliant red filled with sparkles. Somehow I had a sense there was something to the color, at first I didn’t quite get it. The next morning I was listening to John Paul Jackson as I traveled to another prayer gathering. He said the color red was the color of anointing. I didn’t know that! How reassuring! So there was a glittering RED tallit covering me! A re-establishment of anointing!
So, dear intercessor, to all of you who are reading this: Be encouraged in and through all of your prayer and intercession. You are not forgotten! This intercessory ministry at times may be hard, difficult, even lonely. But the Lord has called you to a special place. You are “famous” in the eyes of the Lord rather than famous in the eyes of man. That’s a uniquely special place to be! Also remember that the most powerful position you can ever hold is flat on your face in deep intercession. People may not know what you’re doing, but God does. Great is your reward in heaven!
Wherever you are…..keep praying! Do not stop! In fact, increase your prayer. Pick up the pace a bit. The finish line is within sight! The answer to your intercession is right there!
As we pray for the city of Hartford, we were given a mandate by the Lord to pray for the street gangs in the city. There are as many as 12-27 gangs in Hartford alone that we know about. Below is a list of the gangs we’ve been praying for:
NorthSide / North End:Blue Hills / Bloody Hills / Chappelle Gardens / Tuscan Homes (Montville) / Backyards (Soldier City) / Albany / Money Green Gang (Bedroc/Bedford Gardens, Magnolia Side) / and more
East Hartford: Deerfield Park Projects / Burn Side Zone 1-4 / Wickham Gardens (Wick Town / Parkview Gardens) / Easton Projects
SouthSide / South End: Los Solidos (Franklin Ave / South Green Park) / Zion Hill (Trig Town / Park Terrace) / Netas / Latin Kings (New Britian Ave) / Sur 13 (Sur Side) / Flatbush Mob / and more
West End: Orange Street / Park Ville / Cap Town / New Park
The video below was made a few years ago, it gives you an idea on how dangerous some of these gangs are, especially how the youth get drawn into them Watch it as you pray for our capital city.
The following prayer points was written by Lucy Snow, one of the House of Good Hope intercessors. Use these prayer points as you pray for Connecticut’s state government:
PRAYER POINTS FOR CONNECTICUT’S GOVERNMENT
Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
Psalm 21:13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
Nehemiah 1:5-7New International Version (NIV) 5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Zechariah 1:17: Cry yet, saying Thus said the Lord of Hosts, My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Lord you are the giver of life! We declare and decree this is your word! It is written that you give life and you have defeated the power of death.
John 10:10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it tothefull.
PRAYER POINTS:
Father Lord, by your mighty power, by the power in the Blood of Jesus, Fire of Holy Ghost, scatter and destroy any hindering spirit around us, in the name of Jesus.
Father Lord, scatter and destroy the power of devouring spirit and limitation, in the name of Jesus.
Father Lord, any decree made upon destroying of life, let it be revoked in Jesus’ name.
We declare in the blood of Jesus you have defeated death on the cross!
Father Lord, let our lives be anointed and washed by your blood to lead me to peaceful places, in the name of Jesus.
Father Lord, release the spirit of carpenter upon us to destroy the horns of enemies, in the name of Jesus.
Any decree to cause satanic road-block in our way of breakthrough, be scattered by the blood of Jesus. We declare and decree you have broken all satanic power.
Father Lord, come and be our shepherd, to keep us together and save us from thieves, in Jesus’ name.
Every satanic or collective power that wants to scatter what I have gathered, I command you to fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.
Association of evil gang-up or witchcraft power to cause derailment in our lives; scatter by the blood of Jesus and in His powerful name.
Lord we worship you and pray that you lead us to repentance, give us your revelation and guidance. We seek to partner with you, we want to see your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven for your glory and our good.
Thank you that in worship we can put aside the uncertainties of this world and rest upon the certainties of the Kingdom for your promises are not changeable as those of a Statesmen might be but immovable and eternal.
Thank you that we can bring to your feet all the hurts and fears that trouble us and leave them there
knowing that your strength and assurance are all that we require
Thank you that as we draw near in worship we are transported from a world of concerns and fears
to a place where we can be at peace in your presence find healing, wholeness and refreshment.
We praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All honor and glory belong to our GOD! Amen.
Esther is a prototype of history’s hinge: a courageous woman who humbly and artfully spoke truth to power. Facing witchcraft and dark conspiracies in Persia’s power base, Queen Esther risked her life, armed with nothing but an undying love for her people, a providential position of authority, her own dignity and the secret arsenal of corporate prayer and fasting. Through her, a nation was spared annihilation.
Three years ago in a leaders summit in Fredericksburg, Virginia, our meeting was sovereignly hijacked as the Lord shifted our focus toward the hidden taproot of strength in the godly women of America. We began to envision something of a million women gathering on the mall in Washington, D.C., similar to the Promise Keepers gathering, that would be a last-stand breakthrough to hold back darkness in America. Those hours of corporate intercession were as strong and clear as any prophetic moment I have ever encountered in 30-plus years of prayer, but at the time we could not see how it could be brought to pass. Habakkuk’s statement seemed to be the counsel of the Lord to us, “If [the vision} delays, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay” (Hab. 2:3b).
The Truly Empowered Woman
That moment arrived Jan. 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, as we watched hundreds of thousands of women take to the streets with the purported aim of “empowering women.” A vacuum had been created by this election, by historic women’s injustices, and it seemed a false heiress rushed in and was seeking now to become the hinge of history by framing the narrative of a future America that does not acknowledge God’s exalted view of women and His biblical design for her glorious purpose in the earth. Instinctively, we had a corporate knowing: It was the time for the true empowered woman to stand up, for the meek (strength-filled humility) shall inherit the earth.
Hundreds of thousands of women watched the March, heard the vitriol and could not identify with the radical ideologies being expressed that would not acknowledge God’s Word and ways in the public controversy. This new woman declared deep inside her heart, This is not my revolution. Now, like Esther, she is arising for such a time as this. It’s time for this corporate Esther to frame the future by recognizing and taking up her God-given role of persistent public persuasion in the open square as well as that of her humble appeal to God in prayer.
Fasting Through Purim
The Women’s March was the first shot across the bow, heralding a revolutionary rise against the president of the United States, “We the people” and in reality, the foundational biblical truths upon which our nation was founded. Soon after, the second shot was manifested publicly: an unprecedented global summons of witchcraft to curse President Trump, his Cabinet and all of those aligned with a biblical worldview. Suddenly, the whole controversy was elevated to a global spiritual dimension, inaugurating a spiritual battle that cannot be won on the playing field of protests and political arguments.
Only the church has the answer to this unprecedented manifestation of witchcraft. Spiritual strategy must be used to overcome this open-faced, brazen challenge of the powers.
According to Derek Prince, Haman (the adversary in the Book of Esther), was practicing divination through the casting of lots and was clearly aligning himself with demonic spiritual powers to destroy the whole Jewish population in the earth. Esther’s three-day fast broke the spiritual power channeled by Haman’s witchcraft. It effectively reversed the curse and shifted the whole public policy of the Persian Empire towards the Jewish people. I cannot stress this enough: We are in a similar day and a cataclysmic battle for the soul of our nation. We cannot live the same way we lived yesterday.
Recently, two women contacted me and asked me to use my influence to call for a three-day Esther Fast to answer this challenge. Immediately after, I experienced a life-changing dream where I saw a nation-wide Esther movement arising that alone could break a major spiritual power of death.
I knew then that I was to take my place as a Mordecai and call not only “Esther and her handmaidens” but the whole nation, to fast and pray for three days leading up to Purim. The Jewish holiday Purim celebrates God’s deliverance of the Jews through Esther’s fasting, sacrifice and courage. This year, Purim begins on Saturday evening, March 11.
Therefore, we are seizing this sudden moment for a three-day Esther Fast from sundown on Wednesday, March 8, through the evening of Saturday, March 11, to counter this witchcraft, to stand against the rising anti-Semitism, pray for the president and contend for the uprising of an Esther movement in America that will, among many things, reverse the decree of ’73, Roe v. Wade, just as Haman’s decree was reversed.
Let the women (and the nation) arise as Esther’s for such a time as this and take their place in the courts of heaven and in the public courts of man to shape history in this hour. If your heart burns, mobilize this fast to all your connections. Blow the trumpet in Zion! Call a fast!
Lou Engle is a revivalist, visionar, and co-founder of TheCall, Inc. For more than three decades, Lou’s passion has been to call believers into radical consecration through prayer, fasting and acts of justice.
