There was the “chaplain of Sunset Boulevard,” the “chaplain of Bourbon Street,” and various others in history. Today, the “chaplain of Capitol Hill” continues the long tradition in our nation’s capital.
As the chaplain makes twice-daily rounds for prayer at the Senate, Supreme Court, House of Representatives and the two “war rooms” on Capitol Hill, a senator pauses and asks for prayer for an upcoming hearing, a congressman for an ill family member, a staff member for a family problem, a Capitol Police officer for a job-related need and everyone in between.
Carrying on the great work of the Capitol Hill prayer warrior Dick Simmons, who founded the original war room in 1992, and at his request, the dual prayer times—7:30 a.m., when Congress opens, and noon, when it breaks for lunch—provide a twice-daily forum for those working on Capitol Hill to stop by for on-site prayer, carrying on the ministry that will celebrate 30 years in 2022.
“Thank you so much,” says a senator, with tears in his eyes. “I am just about to go into an important hearing. You can’t imagine what it means,” or “Guess what? God answered our prayer!” an excited congressional staffer stops by to say.
“We prayed I could become a full-time staffer when my internship ended, and it just came through!”
“Thank you for praying for my family; everyone is doing much better,” another says.
The daily prayer going up and being answered is the restoration of the vision of Dick Simmons, who for nearly three decades walked across the street from his war room, along with his precious wife, to minister in person to Capitol Hill.
These days it is a bit high-tech, with the chaplain getting around on a donated electric scooter, favored in Washington, D.C., to navigate the traffic, the Capitol Hill community looking up as he makes the rounds inside the Capitol as well.
Preferring to remain anonymous to keep the vision of Dick Simmons and also incorporating the prayer ministry of former Time magazine correspondent David Aikman, the chaplain carries a long list of prayer requests. He updates them in the twice-daily prayers in normal times inside the Senate and House cafeterias and local diners, where the comment is often, “You come and pray for us—it’s on the house”.
When asked about why he does this work, the chaplain first points to carrying on the ministry of the great Dick Simmons as well as the Scripture in 2 Tim. 2:1-4, “Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone, for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Steve Strang, bestselling author of God and Cancel Culture, releasing Sept. 7, says, “We believe that God answers prayer,” a word that resounds with the chaplain of Capitol Hill praying at the “war room” founded by Dick Simmons and then at the newer “war room,” only feet away, led by the near army of unlikely prayer mobilizers, including Steve Bannon. It all reveals how the Fourth Great Awakening is being led by the “deplorables” and regular people online, on social media and through the ministry of the chaplain of Capitol Hill—on a new and shiny, donated electric scooter.
In a day and age of Zoom calls, text and artificial intelligence algorithms, it is still the arm on the shoulder, the in-person prayer and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ that reaches out in person that has never changed. {eoa}
Amir George directs The World Helpline at theworldhelpline.org.
To support the chaplain of Capitol Hill, go to buck4good.com/project/the-world-helpline-needs-your-help/#project-tabs or mystore.com, promo code “whl.”
Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
For more information on how you can fight back against cancel culture, make sure to get a copy of what Charisma founder and CEO Stephen Strang says is his most important book yet. God and Cancel Culture releases Sept. 7, the day after Labor Day, wherever fine books are sold. Pre-order it at stevestrangbooks.com or on Amazon.
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