TESTIMONIES FROM LAST 3 DAY VISIT TO DC

This is now the second visit that I have stretched to 3 days, and what a HUGE difference it makes. I have so many contacts now that 2 days doesn’t allow me the time to get to everyone. With a 3 day visit to DC, now I can get to everyone, and have time left over which means I don’t have to run around like a crazy-man. Instead, I can take my time with the people I engage.

MUCH BETTER!

• For those of you who contribute financially, thank you for that. I am very pedantic about making sure your money is stretched as far as I can. I never rent a car anymore, using the METRO Rail for my transportation. And now that I’m aware of the MARC Train into DC, I fly in and out of BWI for far less money. So again, thank you. I shared with someone today that we never beg anyone for money and have never paid a bill late. Furthermore, we have always had money when we needed it. My answer is always the same when people ask me how we survive, financially. I answer, “God puts it on the hearts of men to give, and they give.” So again, thank you.

Most of you know that I leave a prayer card with men and women there. I do this so they can see how I pray for them. One of the Congressmen saves them and pulls them out of his desk to reread them.

You can find all my recent prayer cards here. . . https://markmirza.com/printprayercards/

As you read the highlighted portion of this card, would you please PRAY BIG, with me. I want to encourage all of these men and women I meet with to participate in their own district at a National Day of Prayer (NDP) event this next year. The responce I am already getting has been very encouraging. Pray for me to not miss a single elected official who wants to participate in an NDP event.

Some Brief Thoughts from October 17-19, 2023:
Lately, heading to DC the evil one continues to throw into my brain. . .

• Mark, isn’t your season over?
• Are you really needed?
• Are you accomplishing anything?

I shared that with a friend who reminded me to keep doing what I know God has called me to do. “Afterall,” he said, “Isn’t the devil the one who first said, ‘Did God really say. . .'” Pray for me to remain diligent in Washington DC.

Let me share my 3 days with you:

I sensed a lot of tension, right from the beginning. Tension in offices because the House is embroiled in a leadership stand-off. And tension on the street because of the Israel-Hamas war.

EVERY DAY THE CLARITY NEEDED for my visit became more and more obvious.

Most of you know the story, when I’m walking onto the grounds of the US Capitol or into the House Office Buildings, something SCRAMBLES in my brain, and I don’t care about their politics.

I’m not there to fix the way anyone thinks. In fact, I’m not there to talk politics! I have one goal, ONE. And that is to demonstrate, to live out, the Christ that so many of them have no idea exists.

As I told someone today, “These men and women go to cocktail parties with colleagues just like them. If they talk about Christians at all, it’s from the only perspective they know. THEIRS! I get to demonstrate a Jesus who offers hope, and I demonstrate it as I pray for them.“

I’ve said this before, “I have got the BEST job in DC.

Here are a few of this week’s events:

1] A Congressman was walking towards me when I stepped up and introduced myself as someone here to just pray for him. He sighed deeply and said, “Oh please, do that right now for me.” So right there in the middle of the hallway, we both bowed our heads, closed our eyes and I prayed for him.

2] I contrast the example above with a Congresswoman who had no idea how to respond when I told her I prayed for her. She paused, clearly didn’t know what to say and then said, with all sincerity, “Oh, that’s cute. Thank you.” And please hear me, I’m not being critical of her. She just had no idea how to respond. We Christians HAVE NOT given her enough interraction with us to know how to respond. I say, “Shame on us!”

3] Exiting a hallway bathroom, heading to his office, a Chief of Staff (COS) I have known from other Congressmen was looking down, not at the floor, emotionally. I went up to him and asked what was going on. That started a 15 minute discussion . . . now listen, 15 minutes is A LONG TIME for these folks. But we spent 15 minutes together! Among other things, I reminded him he was there because as a Christian he can have a voice that his staff needs to hear.

4] In an elevator (which I RARELY take) a Congresswoman saw my lanyard and then introduced herself to me, VERY GRATEFUL for the ministry of prayer.

5] One gentleman was standing on the corner and on his phone while I was walking by. I heard him say, “We need the Lord to intervene.” I have no idea the context of his statement, but I interrupted him, gave him my card and told him I was proud of him for knowing he needed the Lord to intervene. You realize I interrupted him while he was on his call! I started to walk off and he introduced himself to me. He was a Congressman. Had I known that I wouldn’t have interrupted his call. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

6] Met a congressman who was very proud to tell me he starts every day in prayer.

7] Had a fun little stop with a woman at the front desk who was a Dodgers fan. We joked and laughed and I told her I was from Northern California and a Giants fan, she said she went to school in Northern California so she liked the S.F. Giants too. There was nothing holy about this brief stop, but it demonstrates something critical. These men and woman are regular people, and they need to be prayed for as such.

8] One of my longstanding Congressional friends was walking through the hallways when we bumped into one another, I was able to remind him he was there to give Godly wisdom where others cannot.

9] A chaplain who comes to DC often was on the phone with me when I asked him how I could pray for him. He said, “Grace. Pray for grace, Mark.” I prayed Romans 15:13 for him, which gave him great solace.

10] I stopped a number of Capitol Police officers and not a few janitors to let them know I’m prayig for them. They were very grateful. Very!

11] Dropping off my prayer card in one of the office, the guy I gave it to said, very excitedly, “Oh, the congressman really enjoyed the last one he got.” That was a month ago and he STILL REMEMBERED!

12] I spoke with another office staffer who shared that she has some marital problems at home. I confirmed that she is getting good council from female Bible Study Groups she’s in, but it demonstrates AGAIN, that these are regular people!

13] There is a Congressman who I see often, and he is so genuine, so likable, I smile when I know he is around. This week I exited an office and saw him from behind. I called out, “Hey, who am I walking behind?” He turned and smiled and allowed me to pray briefly for him as he hustled off to another meeting.

14] A friend of mine, who I’ve not prayed with often (only because he is so busy) just put his name in the hat for Speaker of the House. I emailed him the following, through his scheduler, who we’ll call “Sam” though that’s not her real name.

Sam,

This is Mark Mirza. I’m the one who pesters you every month about praying with the Congressman when I’m in town.

Would you please forward this to Congressman So-And-So? I know he’s got a lot going on, as do you, so I’ll keep this as short as I can:

Congressman, I’ve been praying about the Speaker situation and was very glad to see that you put your name in the hat.

I was up much of the night last night and this morning praying for you and was reminded of a free booklet that is available from my website. It is a modernized version of a 1656 sermon on how to vote.

1656 England was very divided, much like the USA is today. And in this wonderful little sermon, the pastor gives us a number of interesting perspectives on how to vote.

Let me just share with you the portion on whom to choose. They fit you to a T.
–Look for the fear of God in those you choose.
–Look for wisdom and proper gifts.
–Enquire whether they are Christians.
–Look for courage and resoluteness.
–Find purposeful focus on the nation’s public affairs.
–Choose those who have healing spirits.
–Look for a desire to serve.
–Find those faithful to ministers and to the ministry of the gospel.

Please know that I’m honored to pray for you, sir.
Mark
Thanks Sam. BTW, if you or Congressman So-And-So want this sermon you can download it free at MarkMirza.com/Politics.

15] Last month I engaged a Congressman who you would not think of when you think of prayer. As I stopped by his office and told the staff why I was there, they were genuinely grateful. I look forward to getting in front of him again soon. This is another example of me being allowed to demonstrate a Jesus I am sure they have no idea exists. Pray for open doors here. Just say Congressman “X” and God will know who you’re talking about. I tell people often that if Ephesians 6:12 is true, then your struggle is not with flesh and blood. If I gave you the name of this Congressman, you would challenge me, but isn’t that the point? What God’s word says is true, not what you see on the outside, or what you hear coming from his lips.

16] I saw another Congressman who I have missed EVERYTIME I’m in town. He was running to a meeting but he stopped long enough to seriously say, “Mark, I thank you for all your prayers.” Folks, readers, these men and women ARE REGULAR PEOPLE!!!! They need us to pray for them as such.

17] I like to use the Scheduler’s first names. I get to know them as best I can. Sometimes they see me coming and are eating lunch and the last thing they want to do is talk to me so they shut the door. In one of the offices, I saw “Sam,” not his real name, and when he saw me he put his sandwich down, came out and said, “Hello,” promising to give my prayer card to his principal. I love my job!

18] Not all stops are easy. One office I walked into EVERYONE THERE were L. A. Dodgers fans.

19] One of the last offices I went into the young man behind the desk had allowed me to pray for him last month, that God would give him peace about his next career step. He’s still there. He’s still seeking the the Lord.

As I close out this post let me remind you of something I said to a number of Congressmen this week. I told them about a short clip I heard from Dr. Stanley where he said, “Accept everything as if it is from God. Because He could have stopped it.”

It’s a powerful thought, and because God is sovereign, you can trust Him, even when you do not like what He has allowed into your life, your government, or the governents of other nations.

Love you guys. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support.

Mark

Blessings,

MARK S MIRZA
Founder/Author
C: (404) 606-2322
W: MarkMirza.com

TESTIMONIES FROM LAST 2 DAYS IN DC

Sorry, I forgot to post this last month.

I have shared with a number of you that my days in DC are going to stretch to three. There are just so many that I now have contact with, I need to make the stretch.

• For those of you who contribute financially, thank you for that. I am very pedantic about making sure your money is stretched as far as I can. I never rent a car anymore, using the METRO Rail for my transportation. And now that I’m aware of the MARC Train into DC, I fly in and out of BWI for far less money. So again, thank you.

Most of you know that I leave a prayer card with men and women there. I do this so they can see how I pray for them. One of the Congressmen saves them and pulls them out of his desk to reread them.
You can find all my recent prayer cards here. . . https://markmirza.com/printprayercards/

Some Brief Thoughts from July 18-19, 2023:
Leaving Washington DC this visit I texted the following to a friend. . .
Another good visit to DC. Thank you for praying so deliberately with me about this part of my ministry. I still find it amazingly draining.
–Before I went back to DC on April, he and I prayed about my ministry there. Was it over? Was I to return? What was the Lord’s will for this part of my ministry.

EVERY SINGLE visit I am reminded of ONE THING:

The overwhelmingly large majority of the people that I get to talk to, elected officials, their staff, service workers, even visitors to Capitol Hill are genuinely grateful this ministry exists.

The day before I went to DC, the verse to meditate on in my daily devo was James 3:18 (HCSB).
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
This verse codified my various thoughts on DC and the role I play, being there. . .

• I’m not there to fix the way anyone thinks.
• My struggle is not with flesh and blood
• The evil one’s ability to deceive is GREAT.

I believe the way in which I can “cultivate peace” is by sharing hope with these men and women. I suspect many of them know deep down in their heart, that there is nothing they can do which will give LASTING HOPE to the people they are there to serve.

Pray for additional open doors for me.

Let me tell you of some of my DC meetings.
These are not in any particular order. . .

1] Briefly, VERY BRIEFLY, stopped a few Congressmen/women in the hallways, these are the 3 responses I received:

• Sincerely grateful I pray for them.
• Stated gratitude but it felt to me like the “politically expedient” thing to say.
• Shunned my words and refused my prayer card.
  –If You equate party affiliation to my comments, YOU’D BE WRONG.

2] I met a woman who works with the computer & cell phone services in DC. I commented on the cross she had around her neck and was able to give her my brochure and prayer card. The next day I saw her again. It was good to encourage one another, just by a simple passing of each other in the hallway of a House Office Building. Imagine the encouraging you could do in your City Hall or County Courthouse.

3] Again this visit someone saw my National Day of Prayer lanyard and used it as a means of reaching out to me.

4] I met a staffer in the hallway who had a cast on his foot. After we talked for a couple minutes I told him I’ll pray for his foot, and as he was walking away he hesitantly said, “I’ll pray for you too.” Something told me that was the first time in a long time he has said those words. Pray for him. You don’t need to know his name, God does.

5] Speaking of casts, when I went into the Congressman’s office with the woman who last month was in a boot cast, it was no longer on her foot. I asked her about her vacation and her eyes lit up! She said, “The boot came off before our vacation and it didn’t hurt at all.”

6] I walk in the stairswells of all 3 House Office Buildings, and WITHOUT A DOUBT, the Rayburn House Office Building has the BEST air conditioned stairwells. A number of times I would just go into one such stairwell, just to cool off. Walking in to one such stairwell I saw a young man who turned out to be a former staffer and now represents Texas farmers in DC during the week. On the weekends he is the worship leader at his church. Pray for him and his wife as they want to start a family.

7] The Cannon House Office Building may not have the very well air-conditioned stairwells, but I did find a sofa out in the hallway where I could rest my bones. I was purposely early, so I could cool down after walking from one HOB to another and then walk up 6 flights of stairs. At least, I thought I was up there to rest. When I sat down I met a woman who goes to DC periodically to tell the US officials about persecution in China. We had a great time together, as I was cooling off before my next appointment.

8] At one of my congressional appointments I met a pastor and wife who used to hold weekly Bible Studies on The Hill, before Covid. Now they connect with world leaders, praying with them and sharing Christ with them. Pray for him and his wife.

9] In this same office (see #8 above), the Congressman said to me, “Mark, we need your prayers. We are just holding on by a thread.”
–How are you prompted to pray, when you hear that kind of a comment? BEFORE YOU ANSWER… Let me remind you, 1] Your struggle is not with flesh and blood; 2] Your job is not to fix the way people think; 3] The evil one’s ability to deceive is great. Again I ask you, how should you pray? ANSWER: My prayer for YOU, the one praying for these foks is that YOU would simply trust what the Lord has placed on your heart and then JUST DO IT! PRAY!

10] Many of you know I’m a San Francisco Giants fan, so this signage on this LA Congressman’s office was hard to handle.

11] A good friend of mine works in the “Real-Estate Department” in the Cannon House Office Building. He and I met to break bread together my first day in DC. I have another friend who works in a government agency. He spends his weekdays in DC and his weekends in Atlanta where he is a leader in his church. He and I plan to connect during my next visit. Pray for these two Christian men. They are trying to make a difference where God has planted them.

12] I had the opportunity to sit down with a Congressman I hadn’t seen, eyeball to eyeball for 2 years. And yet, every week, myself and two pastors from his home town pray for him. It was good to catch up. He was the inspiration to my novel, Divided Together (www.MarkMirza.com/Store).

13] I met with a couple freshman Congressman. I got the sense they were both very thirsty for a word form a Christian man who could come alongside them as the Aaron and Hur in their lives. Pray that these two doors remain open.

14] When I travel I always take a few books to give away. I am always amazed at how the Lord allows me to have “one more book” in my backpack to give away. Pray these men and women are blessed by these gifts I give them.

15] I love the relationships I develop with Schedulers, but it requires constant; correction, CONSTANT maintenance because so many of them move from one office to another. Pray for 2 things, 1] That I would be tenacious about keeping my records up to date, and 2] That I would have favor with these schedulers. I never reach out to the Congressman/woman asking for an appointment, even when I have their cell phone. I always go through the scheduler.

16] The relationships I have allow me to engage Congressional leaders out on the street periodically. God is so good. That happened a couple times this trip. I didn’t have a scheduled appointment, but by God’s providence we connected.

17] Two years ago I met with a Congressman who brought his entire staff together. In that setting he asked me to pray for a particular staffer’s wife who had cancer. Due to Covid and then my own cancer, I haden’t seen this staffer again until this visit. His wife is now cancer free.

As you think about these testimonies I have shared, please do not try to put Names or Political Parties together with my words. Just be encouraged. All you ever hear about DC is negative, ugly, mean, etc. But there’s a lot of good stuff happening there too. Including Bible Studies and times of Worship in the Capitol.

When I tell people I go to DC and pray with our elected officials, I usually hear, “They need it.” When I tell Congressmen & women I’m there to pray for them, they too say the same thing, “We sure need it.” And they are ALWAYS grateful, too.

But let me tell you something a Congressman shared with me a number of years ago. He said, “Mark only Jesus can make a difference in DC.”

Pray for me that I can share “HOPE” with men and women when I visit DC.

I am scheduled to return September 19-21.

Thank you for your prayers and your financial support.

Blessings,

MARK S MIRZA
Founder/Author
C: (404) 606-2322
W: MarkMirza.com

TESTIMONIES FROM LAST 2 DAYS IN DC

As I share these testimonies please do not try to put names together with my words. Just be encouraged. All you ever hear about DC is negative, ugly, mean, etc. But there’s a lot of good stuff happening there too.

In addition to the prayer card here, I shared the truth of Psalm 93 over the last two days. And this is how I shared it. . . “Congressman, be encouraged that because the Bible is reliable, you can rest (vs. 5), regardless of the roaring going on around you (vs. 3-4), since God Reigns (vs. 1-2).”

You can find all my recent prayer cards here. . .  https://markmirza.com/printprayercards/

Some Brief Testimonies:

1] There is such an appreciation by those I stop and pray with, elected officials, staffers, even janitors. It is a confirmation to me, that I am called to do this.

2] The staffer who called me last month, needing to pray with someone. And then this month she shared with me her commitment and desire to please God. It was so encouraging to hear.

3] Two Congressmen’s hearts were very heavy for their pastor’s families due to a tragic death for one and a tragic physical mishap for the other. Being there for them is the essence of bearing one another’s burdens.

4] Two other Congressmen had staffers take me to them as they were in committee meetings. When we go there, they left the meeting so they could spend a couple minutes with me. One, all he had was 2 minutes, the other stayed in the hallway of the cloak room for 20 minutes or so talking. He is the one who told me about a prayer meeting they have on Monday nights, when they arrive into town. There they pray for their upcoming week. To the other Congressman I shared Psalm 93, as above. His entire countenance changed, he hugged me and said both he and his wife needed to hear this.

5] There is a janitor whom I prayed with 2 years ago. I have been looking for her and finally saw her again. When I walked up to her and said her name she looked REAL SUSPICIOUSLY at me, until she realized I was that guy from 2 years ago who prayed for her. We had a GREAT reconnection.

6] There was a staffer in the hallway who saw my NDP lanyard. I could tell he wanted to say something, so he said, almost apologetically, “I’m a believer too.” He gave me his testimony and added honestly that he was feeling low. We talked for a good 15 minutes, which is a lot of time in DC, then I prayed Romans 15:13, lifting him to the God of hope who gives peace and joy. He stood taller and said it was from God, that we met.

7] Then there was the woman I met in the hallway because she asked me for directions. Tanya sighed, but was grateful when I explained she was in the wrong building altogether. Then I explained to her what I do in DC and she said, “Well are you going to pray for me too?” It was cute, and I did.

8] Standing atop the steps at the US Capitol I was making notes from my previous appt when a Congressman came up the stairs and I introduced myself. We talked for a long enough time for him to tell me he needed prayer for his two kids, one is living a Godly life looking for a Godly husband and the other is struggling to live out his Christian walk. He was so grateful he gave me his cell phone number to stay in touch with him. Of course, I always reach out to the scheduleres for appointments.

9] Another Congressman, after getting comfortable with me asked me to pray for his two girls, one is living a Godly life, the other is not. This stop reminded me of the Congressman some time ago who asked me to pray for his children who had all called him together and said, “Dad, you’re too controversial, you can’t put our photos on your Christmas card this year.” Two were still in college and one had just graduated.

10] Many staffers were so glad for the “direction” of this ministry, namely, praying WITHOUT an agenda.

11] Another staffer is in a boot cast and praying it comes off before she and her family go on vacation in September. Imagine the weight of all the things she and other staffers are dealing with Ths prayer request should be a reminder to us that they are regular people with regular issues which need prayer. God knows her name, pray she has complete healing and a GREAT vacation, in September.

12] Then there was the staff, about 4 of them in the foyer of the office who stood spellbound (for some reason) by the idea that I’d pray for them too, so I did, in the foyer of the office of a US Representative. I have got such a cool job!

13] There are a lot of elected officials who ask prayer for spouses and extended family. Another reminder that they are regular people, with regular needs.

14] I was surprised by the staffer who, when I asked how I could pray for her, told me she is going to law school in the fall. Then she asked how she could pray for me. That doesn’t happen too often! I was so blessed to have that question asked of me.

15] Privately you can ask me about the influential staffer who knows God has called him to DC to have an influence in his “challenging” office. It will surprise you that Godly men and women are everywhere.

16] There were and are, of course, a few offices I went into where there was, “no love for the pray-er.” But those offices were far and few in between.

17] Finally, I can’t tell you how many Bibles I saw on Congressmen’s desks and staffers desks, or the number of weekly Bible studies and prayer groups that I was told meet every week.

On TV and in social media, you will only see the ugliness in DC, but there is good stuff happening there too!

What does the Lord have in store for the United States, and for Washington DC in particular? I don’t know. I’ve not seen the Lord’s playbook, so I’m not convinced things will get better in the USA, but I have no doubt, God’s reliability (vs. 5) means we can rest, no matter the raging and roaring (vs. 3-4) we see all around politics, because, the truth is, God reigns (vs. 1-2), not the men and women in DC, and not the devil, God reigns (Psalm 93).

Thank you for your prayers and your financial support.

Blessings,

MARK S MIRZA
Founder/Author
C: (404) 606-2322
W: MarkMirza.com