
WASHINGTON DC PRAYER TRIP
August 29-September 1, 2007
Fifteen members of the Spirit Life Church prayer team called Special Forces had the privilege of going to our nation’s Capitol in Washington DC to pray recently. The team has made a trip to DC four years in a row and with each year, we gain knowledge about our government and the richness our nation’s history.
“It’s important,” said Pastor Gail, “to count it not only an honor and a privilege to pray for our nation, but also a responsibility.” She went on to say how valuable it’s been for the prayer team to experience first hand what the Word of God says about praying for those in authority, something she calls praying “on site with insight.”
This year, we started with an educational bus tour of Washington DC at night seeing such sights as the Jefferson Memorial, The White House, Iwo Jima monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. The next day, we received an informative guided tour of the Capitol by House of Representatives Cliff Stearns staff assistant, giving us an even greater appreciation of the inner workings of our legislative branch of government.
Throughout the trip we were able to pray in strategic places in DC. One place in particular was Sherman Park just a block from the White House where targeted prayer was made for our President. Another strategic prayer location this year was the Supreme Court Building.
This was the first time the prayer team visited the Supreme Court and actually sat in the chambers where cases are heard and decisions made that shape our everyday lives. It was evident that we were in a commanding place, the highest court in the land, where every moment is filled with responsibility and consequence. Later, as we stood outside under the massive marble columns, we gathered in prayer for our Justices asking for the wisdom of God to prevail over every decision. It was one of our most noteworthy moments.
When asked what effect the team’s prayers were having over the years, Pastor Gail recalled a previous trip when she felt an unction to pray at the White House for the President and in particular for Vice President Dick Cheney, that God would protect them both. That same day it was reported that the Vice President was in a near mid air collision and his plane had to perform evasive maneuvering to avoid a fatal crash.
Focused targeted prayer makes all the difference Pastor Gail said. It’s history in the making and we as a prayer team believe that we hold the faith to make a difference, as history is still being written.
Written by Spirit Life Ocala member, Kim King






The mentoring program is unique in that teams of volunteers conduct weekly classes in public schools around the county for the entire school year. The curriculum covers topics such as peer pressure, self esteem, attitude and identity. The results have been phenomenal, with statistics that show an 80% improvement in grades and discipline issues among participants.
The sanctuary at the Ocala location has recently received an “extreme makeover” – new platform, a fog machine, smart lights and still more to come. Don’t be fooled into thinking this change is purely external – the real transformation began several months ago.
One of our anthems became “Moving Forward” and a key Scripture was Joshua 3 :4, “You have not crossed this way before.” Other tools and resources such as Paul Scanlon’s book, “Crossing Over”, provided confirmation that we were headed in the right direction.

Pastor Tina also attended Impact Bible School, graduating in June of 1996. She lived in Orlando for two and a half years returning to join Spirit Life’s staff in 1998 as a receptionist, where she met Pastor Sergio. They were married one year later and now have three beautiful children – Sergio, Selena and Diego.
Dr. Richard recently returned from a weeklong trip to England and Scotland where he was invited to speak at several churches. Spirit Life member, Sam Rogers, who attends our Gainesville location, accompanied him on this trip.
Their second destination was Edinburgh, Scotland, where Dr. Richard had been invited by Drew Barton, another great friend of Spirit Life, to speak at a three-day conference about some of the transitions that Spirit Life has recently made. Dr. Richard first met Drew in Scotland in the mid 1990’s and invited him to attend Impact Bible School in Ocala. Drew graduated from Impact in 1995, interned at New Generation School for several months as the P.E. coach, then returned to Scotland where he met his wife, Naomi, and recently began pastoring a church in Edinburgh.
