HOW WE BEGAN. . .
“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”
In February 1994, a major threat surfaced on Capitol Hill that may have negatively impacted the opportunity for our citizens to educate their children at home. Specifically, the Department of Education, under the Clinton administration, submitted a bill for passage in the House of Representatives, designated H.R. 6. This bill was to be submitted to reauthorize funding for that Department for the next fiscal year.
If passed, H.R. 6 would have required all home education instructors to pass exams, like those required in the States and given at Schools of Education across America in our colleges and universities, certifying teachers. H.R. 6 would have essentially required the same certification process for homeschooling parents that teachers in public schools had to pass.
Hence, if passed, H.R. 6 would have been a threat to the very freedom we enjoy to “Train up our children in the way they should go.” Instead, H.R. 6 would have required most of our children to be forced to enter public schools, thereby studying curriculum designed by the federal government.
As a homeschooling parent, I was greatly burdened by the threat of the looming passage of this legislation. I was not alone in carrying this burden to our Lord, because tens of thousands of homeschooling parents were carrying the same burden before our Lord.
Late that month, our Lord directed me to go into the House of Representatives and to be present, in prayer, during the debating and voting on the passage of H.R. 6. I knew how to enter the Visitor’s Center in the House chamber, so I was prepared to do so on Thursday, February 24th, when the vote for H.R. 6 was scheduled to take place.
Specifically, we were asked by the leaders of the homeschooling movement to support an amendment to H.R. 6, sponsored by Congressman Dick Armey, which, if added to the bill, would have eliminated the new certification requirements.
Friends then shared with me the protocol for each vote: there would be 45 minutes of debate, followed by 15 minutes to vote. I got settled in my seat shortly before the debate began, and started to pray quietly. I can testify that the anointing during those 45 minutes was so strong, it was as if the Lord had placed an electrical cord in my very body! I was stunned, as I had never experienced anything like this before, but I knew immediately that this was not “my prayer” going forth, but that of millions of others, “praying through me!”
The debate ended; the bell sounded, and the 15-minute roll call of votes was then taken. And in the end, there was absolute silence in the chamber. In a Congress, fully dominated by Democrats – and those who normally would have opposed homeschooling – the final vote was 374 YEA and 53 NAYS.
ALL MEMBERS on the floor were gazing at the tally, and there was ABSOLUTE SILENCE. On that date, our Lord entered the Chamber, took the gavel, and took authority over Congress! THE HOMESCHOOLERS HAD BEEN SPARED A GREAT DEFEAT!
THE BIRTH OF THE VISION
I made my way home, feeling very satisfied by the results of the day, and intending to continue life as I knew it, but that evening, something else happened:
While driving home from a tutoring assignment, the Lord caught me up in a vision:
I saw myself once again in the Visitor’s Gallery, hands outstretched in prayer over all the members below. I knew that God was calling for the same presence and intercession to take place in that Gallery every day, and I also know, automatically, that He was calling for a TEAM to do this (not just me).
His presence was tangible as this vision was unfolding before me!
I also understood that these intercessors were to remain in place, every day that Congress was in session!
I was stunned!
When I returned home, the Lord quickened three verses to me as I sought Him in the Word for direction:
"Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples."
[Isaiah 62:10]"Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in." [Psalm 24:7]
“When the earth experiences Thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
[Isaiah 26:9]
WOW.
SETTING THE PRAYER WATCH IN PLACE
Much has unfolded since then, but to keep it simple, here is what followed:
The next morning, I called my pastor to confirm this vision. (The answer was YES.)
Saints in the area began to learn of this work and called me to sign up. (I never had to recruit anyone for this job!)
God set up the structure for this watch: five saints in place, each week, one for each day of the week. [This structure is still being honored to this day.]
Next, I was advised by wise elders to seek out the one who had the spiritual authority to welcome us in the Halls of Congress as we set up this watch. After prayer, it seemed that the correct one to visit would be Dr. Richard Halverson, the Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. He welcomed our mission with great joy; and set us in place with his hand of blessing.
Finally, there was a distinct sense among our team to remain “hidden in Christ on Capitol Hill.” We were there to pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-4)) and not to call attention to ourselves. Accordingly, to this day, we are not present on social media.
OUR PUBLICATIONS
Later that summer, I began to write a short letter for our five captains, listing key votes for the week ahead and citing Biblical passages for each one. I called it “On Capitol Hill This Week” – or “the OCAP” for short.
Shortly after that, dear friends elsewhere in the nation learned of this weekly letter and begged us to get it to them. “The news is telling us NOTHING of what’s going on up there,” they said. “We need to know how to pray!” So, via fax machine, we began to broadcast the OCAP.
Word grew that we existed, and – more importantly – the OCAP was available for prayer. Without advertising, and by a method of “friends telling friends,” our numbers quietly grew. We began to be available online, and we were reaching about 2,000 each week!
In the year 2008, the Lord visited me with His burden, directing me to write this newsletter DAILY! I was (once again) STUNNED because there was no way I could achieve this task! But once again, before I could protest before the Throne of Grace, the Lord showed me several strategies to use so that, indeed, we could publish our newsletter every day.
The Lord said to call this “The Daily Brief” – and so it is today!
And in His wonderful way, He has brought a team of editors alongside me, over time, who can help me research and write the Brief. We trust each of you, too, will find this to be a blessing for you, as you too “pray . . . for all in authority!”
IN CLOSING
And now, as we launch our new website, we welcome all of you to join us as “Partners in Prayer for our Nation,” one day at a time, and one step at a time. You can do so by signing up below or sending us an email asking to be subscribed to our free alert: The Daily Brief.
Our hearts are full of joy as we present this gift to you, for this is the Lord’s work, and we give Him all the glory for the great things He has done!
Amen and amen!
Sara C. Ballenger
Herndon, VA
Monday, January 6, 2020