Northwest Region’s DC Prayer
Karan Reed, US Director, Northwest Region, was blessed to have a large group of 12 participating this year. There were three couples, and 4 of the team had never participated in the prayer journeys before.
Patty & Zack Davis – OR SPCs, Kathy & Dean Redwing, Kathie & Pete Enstad, Marta Richards, Linda Farrar, Marty Lawrence, Carol O’Brion, Wanda Gustfason-OR Capitol Prayer Leader, and Karan.
The team met on a Zoom call prior to the trip to pray over the agenda and answer questions. The focus was to pray for the Nation, our Veterans and the military. Karan said, “We were there during the week of Veterans Day. We prayed for joy, unity, Divine appointments, for our eyes to be open, and for Holy Spirit to lead us. EVERY one of those prayers was answered! It was an amazing trip. Our agenda was pretty much thrown out the window as the Government Shutdown was still in place. Tours through the Pentagon and the Capitol that had to be cancelled, and the White House tour wasn’t available due to construction.”
One of the first Divine appointments came before part of the group even left Oregon. They were staying the night in Medford before their early flight the next morning. They decided to have a late lunch/early dinner and went to a nearby restaurant. While Karan was paying for her meal, the waitress commented that her last name was also Reed, only spelled Read. Karan said, “We pulled out our Lord You Said cards and shared one with her. She was blessed, and we asked if there was anything we could pray for her. She asked for prayer for her children,n who were just getting off the school bus at the restaurant and mentioned that there was an elderly man in the restaurant whose wife was in DC and they were worried about her getting back home because of the airlines cancelling flights.
We prayed for those requests, and as we were leaving, I told the girls I wanted to find that gentleman and pray for him and his wife. As we walked up to the table that he and his adult son were at, I introduced us and said we were heading to DC and would like to pray for him and his wife. When I said that we were from Aglow International, that didn’t really connect with him, and I said, ‘It used to be called Women’s Aglow.’ He said, ‘Oh, my wife used to go to Women’s Aglow in Astoria, Oregon! His son called his mother on the speaker phone and explained what was going on. We prayed for her, and I left my card with her husband to connect with our Aglow group in southern Oregon. We also gave them Lord You Said cards. The son said, ‘I don’t believe in coincidences; this was God.’ They were so blessed, and so were we. We were off to a great start!”
The entire group landed in DC on Friday. As they were landing, the Flight Attendant said, “Welcome to Washington DC”. Karan said, “In my mind, I saw WDC and the Spirit said, ‘What Do you See?’ I was immediately reminded of Jeremiah 1:11, ‘Moreover, the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And he said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree. Then the Lord said to Jeremiah, ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My Word.’ I knew that the Lord was ready to direct us, speak to us, and use us in amazing ways.”
After dinner, the group had a powerful time of prayer, shared communion, and Karan prayed over each one, with them also praying over her. Then it was off to bed to be fresh for the journey.
The next morning, the team spent time in worship and prayer and received words of blessing and encouragement. There were words of: Alignment, Joy – Proverbs 27:9 TPT- Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence. An Echo, this would be a shocking week to our system, Boil Over, 1Cor 12:31 TPT “But you should all constantly boil over with passion in seeking the higher gifts.” Coat of Many Colours, each having a different gift and the freedom to move in that gift. Ephesians 2:10 TPT, “We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, The Anointed One.
Karan said, “The unity of the group was AMAZING. Honestly, I am not sure that I have seen such unity before, and there were 12 of us! We switched the schedule and decided to take our Prayer Drive on Saturday. We had a 12-passenger van, and Dean Redwing was the pilot! This was a great remembrance of the times we had with Jeff Wright driving us through the Embassies and praying throughout the City.”
The team ended up at the Ijma Memorial and came upon a group of Veterans who were celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Marines. Karan said, “I felt led to pray for them and decided to be bold. When there was a break in the program,m and the speaker was changing, I said to Patty Davis, come on, let’s ask to pray for them. So, we approached the leader and explained how both my brother and Patty’s brother were Marines, and we would like to bless them. They were very receptive, and I prayed a short prayer and thanked them for their service and prayed healing over them. Then we left and continued our time at the memorial. As we were heading back to the van, they were ending their event, and several thanked us for the prayer and talked to us, sharing about the Lord. We shared the Lord You Said cards, and each was very blessed. One of the gentlemen came to me and gave me a Challenge Coin that was in commemoration of the 250th birthday and their battalion. That was such an honor.”
The team ended the night with prayer and praise.
As the team walked towards David’s Tent, they passed by the bands and floats that were lining up for the Veterans Day parade. They stopped and shared with the lady Veterans on the “Make America Sparkle Again” float. The team gave them each a Lord You Said card, prayed a prayer over them, and Marty blew the shofar. Some of the group ended up praying with a couple of veterans and also sharing LYS and God Is cards. Before watching the parade, the team spent quality time at David’s Tent.
Karan said, “We ended up getting spots right across from the announcing stand and in front of the National Archives. After the parade was over, an Gentleman came walking over to our group along with the gentleman who was announcing the parade. They asked Zack Davis if he was a Vietnam Veteran and they said they wanted to give him an official Welcome Home and then placed a Vietnam Veteran pin on him. They also wanted to take a picture with all of us. Several of us were given pins to take home to our husbands who were Vietnam Veterans.”
The team returned to spend a few hours at David’s Tent, and while there, Marty and Karan were able to pray for a young lady from Guatemala who had come to serve for a month at the tent. She mentioned that she would take her mother to Aglow in Guatemala! After David’s tent, the team enjoyed a late lunch on the mall before returning to the prayer house and sharing the many things that they were blessed to be a part of and how the Lord was using them in personal ministry on the streets more than ever before.
On Monday, the team was scheduled to go to the Pentagon, and since it was closed because of the shutdown, they went to breakfast at a great restaurant called ‘Ted’s Bulletin’. They blessed the service staff with LYS and God Is cards and prayed for them. Karan said, “It is so awesome to see the smiles on their faces as they read the cards and ask if they can keep them!” Because several in the group had never been to DC, they stopped at the Lincoln Memorial on the way to an appointment at Senator Wyden’s office.
While at the Lincoln Memorial, LYS Cards were being given out, and they prayed for many who were there. Marty was blowing the shofar, and a lady asked what the significance of that was. Karan said, “We shared with her and gave her a card at which time she said, ‘I’m going to look this up, we have a Bible Study group.’” She was from Great Britain.
Karan said, “I had asked a gentleman to take a picture of our group in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I thanked him, and we left. I then realized that I hadn’t given him a LYS card or prayed for him. Then, as we were heading out, he came walking towards us and I was able to thank him again, give him a card and bless him. His name was Rick – my husband’s name.
The team continued on to the appointment with Senator Wyden’s office. They were going to give us a tour of the Capitol, but because of the shutdown, they took us on a tour outside the Capitol, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. It was VERY COLD and windy out, but they learned new things around that area. Karan said, “Really, our time was more about blessing the staff and letting the Lord’s love be released. The staff member was from Eugene, Oregon. When we finished at the office, he quietly said, ‘Bless you, and thank you.’”
The team hurried back to the prayer house to meet with Jordanna McMillan, from the Israel Allies Foundation. She shared about the hostage situation and also how they are working with the members of Congress to give them more truth about Israel. Karan said, “Before Jordanna left, we spent time praying for her, which she always appreciates.”
On Tuesday, the team joined the Family Research Center’s Tuesday prayer time. Not only did the team get to see Aglow friends, Nancy McGuirk and Tina Peck, but they were also able to pray with many of the staff members. Karen said, “It seemed that some were new staff and there was a sense of ‘do we fit in, how does the Lord want me to move forward in this role.” They just kept bringing one after another in for prayer. I was so proud of our team as they weren’t intimidated. They waited to pray as the Lord gave them specific words. One of the staff had to leave to go to the Capitol and then came back with someone for more prayer!”
Next, the team went to meet with Jason Hershey. Jason shared about the team going to Israel a few days before Thanksgiving for a 50-hour prayer assignment. They are going to be praying one hour for each of the States in the US. What a blessing to have them praying for the Nation and each state while in Jerusalem. Jason also talked about the fact that the Tent has been operating for 10 years now!
We headed back to meet with Faith McDonald. She has so much that is packed into her call to the Persecuted Church. Karen said, “I don’t know how she keeps up with everything. We were blessed with having her share, and then we invited her to join us for dinner.”
On Wednesday, the team’s schedule again changed so they went to the Museum of the Bible and had lunch. After lunch, the team met with Peggy Nienaber of Faith and Liberty.
Karan said, “It is so amazing and encouraging to hear from Peggy about the outreach to the staff and interns where they are having Bible Studies with 200-300 attending.
As the day ended, the team closed their time together with prayer, worship and communion. Many had early flights on Thursday. Karan ended her report with these words, “What a blessing it was to see this team minister to those that the Lord sent their way, praying in unity and the Joy of the Holy Spirit that was ever present. A real memory maker. I love the people that I get to serve with in this Region.”
Thank you to each region who signs up annually to take a team into DC to pray. You have been on assignment since 2008, and each prayer avails much!