“Facilitating night and day worship and prayer to host the presence of God where the poor are loved, the hungry are fed, and the oppressed are set free!”
What is Skid Row?
Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles is the capitol of homelessness in the United States with a stable population of anywhere from 8,000 to 11,000 people on any given day. It is a 54 block area lined with tents, tarps and makeshift shelters where people live. Surrounding these shelters are heaps of all kinds of garbage containing even feces and syringes. It is shocking to see and is comparable to the streets of the poorest 3rd world countries. Individuals roam about the streets in a somewhat zombie state paying no mind to traffic laws, and many are inundated by drugs and alcohol. We’ve seen people so drugged out that they cannot even move but are in a revealing state. Many are deemed mentally ill. It is a dire and serious situation.
There are several ministries that go down to minister on a regular basis ministering mostly to physical need. However, this depth of crisis is not only a physical situation. Merely handing out food, clothes or some scripture is not working. There are dark spiritual forces at work that need to be dealt with. The Bible calls them powers and principalities; which are demons that rule entire regions or people groups.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12
Why Skid Row?
Not a Homeless problem, It's a Hopeless problem....
Personally, the Lord began to speak to me about Skid Row in June of 2017. It had been nearly 20 years since I had gone down there to do ministry when I previously lived in California.
He revealed to me that the situation on Skid Row particularly is not merely a homeless situation as people call it, but it is a HOPELESS situation. He began to show me that there were many prodigals living on Skid Row who had once known Him and been in the church. The Father then began to put an ache with in my own heart for his estranged sons and daughters who have been weighed down with hopelessness, depression, and drug addiction.
He then began to reveal to me his strategy for Skid Row from 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah are surrounded by strong enemies, but a prophet said to them, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…” 2 Chronicles 20:17 Then Jehoshaphat appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness. These worshipers went out before the army. “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set up ambushes against their enemies…” 2 Chron 20:22
Currently, the people living on Skid Row are in a battle for their souls. There are strong enemies that have surrounded them, are controlling them, and are out to destroy them completely. These are spiritual forces of darkness that are unseen. The Lord wants to fight on their behalf but the region is ruled now by these demonic forces.
Why 24 Hour Prayer?
By establishing a place of night and day prayer on Skid Row we are in essence positioning ourselves with singers, musicians, and intercessors to prepare the way for the Lord of Hosts (angel armies) to break in and move powerfully on the behalf of those living on Skid Row. A House of Prayer in the middle of Skid Row offering up night and day worship and prayer will dethrone the powers of darkness currently ruling that region and make way for the King of Glory to be enthroned upon our praises. Psalm 22:3
Night and day prayer has been proven a strategic approach to combating darkness and transforming spiritually dark areas. When Jesus is exalted night and day the enemy has to flee. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands us to pray without ceasing. The House of Prayer model incorporates a unique system called Harp and Bowl based on the continual worship that is going on in heaven that we learn of in Revelation 5:8, simultaneous worship and prayer. This model makes prayer enjoyable and sustainable.
What Will it Look Like
The Hope House of Prayer will not look like IHOP in KC or PIHOP in Pasadena. No house of prayer is really the same. It will cater toward the prayer needs of those living on Skid Row. However, the format will be similar. There will be intercession sets, devotional sets, worship with the word sets and I believe the Lord has some creative things he wants to incorporate. I would like to also have sets where we are only declaring scripture over the region accompanied with live spontaneous music where the singers sing what is being declared. The music will be a mix of old and new, gospel and contemporary, hymns and spontaneous prophetic flow. There will be sets or sections in Spanish. The idea is to get many different ministries coming together to lead sessions based on their style and language. There will be a special day for serving a meal, and we will be collecting for the homeless. However, it will not be a place of hand outs. The sole purpose is to change the spiritual atmosphere of the region. There will be daily outreaches when we will walk among the streets praying for people, loving on people, declaring hope over them, befriending them and finding out what needs they have. Those living on Skid Row will be as much a part of the House of Prayer as those who come in to serve as singers and musicians. They will help us pray they will partake in the sets praying and even singing and playing. I’m convinced that the Lord has placed great anointing, and musical ability in many who have stopped singing, playing or praying due to their situations. We will spark hope again in these ones and they will begin to see value within themselves as we declare how the Lord loves them.
Currently
Hope House of Prayer is in the making. Currently we don’t have a building but felt from the Lord to set up a tent like the Tabernacle of David. We have been blessed to host God’s presence two days a week. I lead a team on Saturday morning’s 9-11am and the Koreatown House of Prayer (KHOP) leads another team on Sunday afternoon 2-4pm.
The presence of God has come powerfully. People are being touched by the Lord. Many tears are shed as they experience His presence and feel his love. Individuals have reported being healed of certain conditions. Some are beginning to remember “home”, to remember their children and family members that they have been estranged from. Quite literally the hearts of the fathers are turning to their children, and the children are turning to their fathers. Malachi 4:6
Often we are blessed with food and clothing to pass out which creates great ministry opportunity as it draws people to our tent. Then we are able to pray for them and minister to them in the midst of our worship, intercession for the region and declarations.
We have been effective in creating relationships with the people living on and near the corner where we set up our tent. They are looking forward to us being there every week and even make way for us. Some are even beginning to serve their neighbors by helping us to pass out food, pray or give a small message over the microphone.
We are making an impact, however, to be effective on a greater scale we must have constant night and day worship and prayer . At this point it is too dangerous to set up a tent at night so eventually we will need the protection of a building especially at night. There is another idea that has gone forth that many tents holding the presence of God through worship would be simultaneously set up all over Skid Row on each block at every intersection, or tents would be set up a different day each week. However, we still would not be able to really do this at night.
To see long term transformation we will need a building to meet to host the presence of God for longer hours in the day. Please pray and believe with us for a building and give as you are led. We appreciate you!
Help us facilitate night and day prayer on Skid Row to see transformation!
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