Introduction

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” — James 5:16

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There are moments when God begins to stir hearts, awaken urgency, and call His people to attention. I believe we are in one of those moments. As it is written, “Blow the trumpet in Zion. Consecrate a fast. Call a sacred assembly” (Joel 2:15). This is not a casual invitation; it is a divine call.

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While Rachel and I were in Washington, D.C. during  America Reads the BIble, the week of April 18–25, the Lord met me in a profound way through two distinct dreams. The first was deeply personal—a clear admonition to carry the dreams of my spiritual fathers, to not let what has been entrusted fall to the ground, but to steward it faithfully in this generation. It was a call to pick up the mantle and continue forward with obedience and resolve.

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The second dream, however, carried a weight that extended beyond myself. In the dream, I was with my sons, calling a sheriff in Waco, Tx,  McLennan County. There was urgency in the conversation. The sheriff raised objections and concerns about  my request for prayer gatherings to take place at the fairgrounds during the summer months, but something in me would not yield. With conviction rising in my spirit, I responded again and again, “But we must pray. Above all else we must pray. We must put up the canopy of prayer.” The setting felt like a time of crisis, with the fairgrounds functioning as staging areas for relief efforts. Yet even in the midst of activity and preparation, something essential was missing—prayer. That absence was undeniable, and the urgency to restore it became overwhelming.

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When I awoke, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart that we are entering a specific window of time—a 40-day season where I am called to champion prayer with fresh urgency, especially as we approach the 250-year anniversary of our nation. There is a convergence of significant events during this time. On May 17, our nation experienced a rededication to God, something that had not occurred since George Washington dedicated the nation on May 17, 1789 at St. Paul's Chapel. At the same time, the nations of the earth are coming to North America for the World Cup, with a unique concentration in Dallas, where nine games will be held at AT&T Stadium. Then, on July 4, we will mark the 250th anniversary of our nation, alongside a unified call known as America Prays 250, believing for 1,000 churches across America to gather in prayer, dedicating our land under the covering of intercession.

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Read full Introduction here.