Solemn Assembly: March 6-7, 2010
First Prayer Set begins at 2:00pm on Saturday, March 6.

Join us in the IHOP Prayer Room for a 24 hour Solemn Assembly as we cry out to God for mercy and an awakening in America.

The prophet Joel said that when we are in a time of national crisis, the way to minimize judgment and release blessing on the land is to gather all the people of the land into prayer meetings and cry out to God.

13 "Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; wail, you who minister to my God... 14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD." (Joel 1:13-14, NKJV, emphasis added)

Israel had just come out of a disastrous economic crisis (locust invasion which destroyed thier economy; Joel 1:4). He then warned that this was not the only judgment coming upon Israel, but only the beginning in a series of judgments that would result in the complete removal of Israel from thier land by a military conflict (Joel 2:1-11). Joel told them that the problem was not the devil, or "unfortunate circumstances", but that Israel's problem was God. He was the One who orcestrated the locust invasion and He is the One who is bringing the military conflict (Babylon). They had to answer the question, "Why is this happening? Has we ever experienced anything like this before in our lifetime?" (Joel 1:2)

15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty." (Joel 1:15, NKJV, emphasis added)

Israel's problem was that they had turned from the LORD. Joel also gave a solution to this problem: Turn the LORD with all your hearts. Israel needed a wholehearted turning to the LORD. However, the only way Israel would turn fully to the LORD is if He broke in suddenly and powerful. Their only option left is to gather in corporate prayer and fasting and ask the LORD for breakthrough.

11The day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? 12 "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, with mourning." 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him - a grain and a drink offering for the LORD your God? 15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders... 17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD..." (Joel 2:11-17, NKJV, emphasis added)

Currently in America, we find ourselves in a soberingly similar situation to what Israel was facing in Joel's day. We are in one of the most devastating economic crisis'since the 1930's and we must ask ourselves, "Why is this happening?" Before we are quick to make assesments on why this has happened, and begin to rebuild, we must answer the question, "Has anything like this happened in our days, or even in the days of our fathers?" Is this just unfortunate circumstances from bad oversight, greed, etc, etc. or is God behind this? We are in a 40 year holocaust of 50 million innocent lives murdered through abortion. We are continuing to turn our hearts from the Lord and are increasingly embracing darkness.

Currently in America, God is our adversary. But there is good news: God is our solution. He is the answer to our dilemma. But we must respond. We must gather in solemn assemblies (prayer meetings) and "cry out to God for mercy." The answer is simple, yet often difficult to sustain until He breaks through.

Join us in the IHOP Prayer Room March 6–7 as we cry out to God for mercy and justice.

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In addition to this solemn assembly, our main ministry function at the house of prayer is to lead and attend prayer meetings. We hold 4 prayer meetings per week (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; See our schedule on the main page). All of our prayer meetings are led by worship teams.