Three hundred pairs of hands are not quite enough hands to reach around the Wisconsin capitol in downtown Madison. But still, 300 is a powerful number. With only 300 men, Gideon defeated thousands of Midianites. "Gideon had 300 people and God did amazing things," Renee Springer told the group of worshipers who gathered at the Inn on the Park this evening for the first annual Wisconsin Prayer Rally.
Renee and her husband Steve are the senior leaders of Advance K ministries, which is located at The Furnace, 555 W. Mifflin Street, on the edge of the UW-Madison campus. Advance K (Advance the Kingdom of God) partnered with Salt International (Strategic Apostolic Leadership Training), an Appleton-based ministry, to sponsor the prayer rally.
Pastor Steve Driesen, the director of SALT, said "We hope this will be the first of many events to come." Steve Springer added, "We want to see Jesus come, that’s the only reason we’re doing this."
At 5:55, as the pray-ers held hands to encircle the capitol building, they prayed the Lord’s Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Then, at each of the four main entrances to the capitol shofars sounded, followed by a chorus of "We Exalt Thee."
In the afternoon, small groups of intercessors prayer-walked around and through the capitol, down State Street and up to the Abraham Lincoln statue on top of Bascom Hill, praying prayers of confession and repentance. About 50-75 people from all over the state participated. One team joined a tour of the Capitol and a prayer walker sat in the Governor’s chair and prayed for wisdom and God’s presence in all that happens there. Another team ran into a team of Mennonites on Library Mall. A group of 50-60 came from Wautoma to pass out tracts, worship and witness during the night. Prayer walkers prayed that their witness would bear fruit for the kingdom.
They reconvened at the Inn on the Park about 5pm. Gradually they were joined by several hundred additional worshippers during a half hour of praise and worship music. Then, after some final instructions, headed across the street to the capitol.
Following the prayers, the shofars, and the worship chorus, they returned to the Inn on the Park for an additional three hours of worship and prayer focused on the state of the state of Wisconsin and the "7 Mountains of Society," led by worship teams from the Fox Valley and AdvanceK.
A prophesy was shared that described streams of tributaries flowing from churches and ministries from all over the state, converging into one massive, unmanageable (by man), force that will bring destruction to preconceived structures and institutions that are not of God, and life to to those who are willing to be led by the Spirit. Another highlight of this time of worship and prayer was the prayers for alignment of God’s authority over the seven "mountains" of influence in society: Government, education, arts, media, business, family and religion. Representatives from each of the mountains offered prayers of intercession while small groups joined in agreement.
There was a real sense that this event was another of a long series of prayer initiatives in the city, both formal and organized and personal and random. And that this generation would witness the fruit of those prayers.
"We are crying out to God and He will meet us," said Renee Springer. "Change our state and change our country!"
Thanks to Fred Grossenbach for additional details added to this report.