Hungry for the Presence of God:
A House of Prayer in Napa Valley.

What would happen if a permanent site in Napa Valley was set apart as a House of Prayer? How would 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of continual worship, prayer and intercession impact our community? What if participants from various Christian churches in the valley took their watch in prayer and worship to keep the continual House of Prayer in motion? This is a vision the Lord has given us at Napa Arise: to grow a House of Prayer - a place of God's people gathering as a "Living Sanctuary" attracting God's presence to increase and dwell in the region.

The Bible describes different levels of God's Presence:
1. God's Omnipresence -God is always present everywhere.
2. God's Indwelling Presence - When we trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us.
3. God's Manifest Presence -God makes himself known in a way people can discern through their physical senses. God's Manifest Presence is a "visitation" of the Spirit.
4. God's Dwelling Presence or Shekinah - "shakan": means "to dwell".
God wants to do more than visit - He wants to DWELL with us - He wants to make His habitation with us! He wants His Presence to ABIDE in the midst of His people – We call this His Shekinah glory.

Jer. 29:31: “You will seek ME and find ME when you seek ME with all your heart”.

God’s presence comes – when we seek HIM with all of our hearts.

The number one ministry of the church is not a ministry to people; it is a ministry to God. Where there is continual praise, prayer, and thanksgiving, God’s Presence will dwell. Where the Presence of God dwells in power, there is revival and everything is changed.

As individuals we were created to be walking “sanctuaries” of God’s glory—we are the light of the world. As the body of Christ, we are to corporately be the presence of God in this world—bringing the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. God wants His Presence to dwell with us. Our responsibility is to prepare a place for Him. One vital way Christians across the world are preparing a place for God to dwell in regions is through Houses of Prayer.

Each House of Prayer has its own unique style and form but has in common continual prayer, praise, thanksgiving and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (For a fuller description/teaching on this— look under the “resource” tab.)

A House of Prayer in Napa Valley is Launched
through a Weekly Night Watch

In November 2006 Napa Arise began a weekly night watch of prayer and worship on Thursdays from 9:00 p.m. to Midnight at First Christian Worship Center. As 2007 begins we will utilize various church sites spending a number of weeks at each location for the night watch. (See our website for the Thursday night locations.) The Thursday night watches include:
* Worship through music and the arts
* Learning/exercising watching in prayer
* Prophetic Intercession
* Equipping and Training in the night watches/ prayer
* Partnering with other Houses of Prayer in the Bay Area

We invite you to prayerfully consider participating weekly or regularly in these night watches. Ask the Lord to re-order your schedule, priorities and energies so you can become a part of the House of Prayer.

We know Christians across the Napa Valley are gathering in groups at various times during the week to worship, pray and wait on God. We believe God will begin to network these groups in the coming year toward becoming a House of Prayer for Napa Valley-preparing a place for God's Shekinah glory to dwell.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bobbi Hicks