Our Reponse

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly." Joel 2:15 (NIV)

Over 30,000 gathered in Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX, in response to Governor Rick Perry's call for a day of prayer and fasting for America.

The seven-hour meeting included prayers for personal and corporate repentance, repentance for idolatry, the shedding of innocent blood, and violating the commandment to love God with all our heart. We prayed for the nation and Israel. The older generation blessed the younger generation, and the younger blessed the older. We cried out to God for forgiveness and mercy, asking Him to heal our land and send revival to our nation. A team from International House of Prayer (Kansas City) led worship.

Dr. James and Shirley Dobson of Focus on the Family welcomed the attendees and she led a prayer.

After sharing his story, Luis Cataldo, director of The Response, said,  "Perhaps the shakings we're suffering are a wake-up call to the church to turn back to the God of the Bible."

The humbled Texas Governor, Rick Perry,  read Joel 2: 12-17; Isaiah 40: 28-31; and Ephesians 3: 14-21

Governor Perry prayed, "Lord, You are the source of every good thing. You are our only hope. And we stand before You today in awe of your power, and in gratitude for Your blessings; in humility for our sins.

Father, our heart breaks for America. We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government. And as a nation we have forgotten Who made us, Who protects us, Who blesses us, and for that we cry out for Your forgiveness.

We pray for our nation's leaders, Lord -- for pastors, for the generals, for governors -- that You would inspire them in these difficult times. Father, we pray for our president, that You would impart Your wisdom upon him, that You would guard his family. We pray for our military and the families who love them. Father, especially for those special operators who lost their life yesterday in defending our freedoms.

You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response. We give it all to You. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen and amen."

Dr. Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, TX, spoke about idolatry in the church. He said, "The reason why America is in a mess, is because God's church is in a mess.  If we want to fix America, fix the church, and God can use the church to fix America."

Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares America and Somebody Cares International, spoke that because of the blood of Jesus, we crossed our racial, political, and denominational barriers to lift up the name of Jesus.

In a video message, Florida Governor Rick Scott asked us to pray that our leaders will have wisdom. He also announced he and his wife are praying for their soon-to-be born first grandchild.

Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas read 2 Chron. 7: 12-15 and Matthew 5: 3-16, exhorting the worshipers to let their light shine across the country and world. He prayed asking God's forgiveness of our sins, and that we be salt and light. He asked God to heal our land by His mercy and grace, and asked forgiveness for looking for God's blessing instead of looking for Him.

To view the video archives of this historic event, held Saturday, 6 August 2011, click here.