Praying for the U.S.

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By Julia Duin

Washington, is a magnet for all sorts of young people, including a group of devoted Christians who spend their days and nights praying for the nation in a small room on Capitol Hill.

Their second-floor office off Pennsylvania Avenue is the energy center for Justice House of Prayer (JHOP), a four-year-old ministry strategically placed in an arrow-shaped room that points toward the Supreme Court two blocks away.

From there, they shoot off prayers for the justices, for President Bush and above all, to stop abortion, which the Supreme Court ruled legal on Jan. 22, 1973.

"We've been praying for liberal judges to be replaced by conservative judges," said Paul Amabile, head of the ministry. "When [Justice] Sandra Day O'Connor came off, we got [Justice Samuel A.] Alito. So we're only one judge away from ending Roe v. Wade," referring to the high court's decisive 1973 ruling.

JHOP attracts dozens of interns who get training at a Kansas City church, then live in Washington where, for $400 a month, they share housing and spend their days studying the Bible, praying for the country or demonstrating against abortion at the base of the court steps.

"We say, 'Come to D.C. and serve your nation in prayer,' " Mr. Amabile said.

The intercessors at JHOP also are praying for the upcoming presidential election. Mr. Amabile would not specify for whom.

"We're praying God will give us His No. 1 choice," he said.

JHOP has been a gathering spot this week for youth coming to pray at TheCall, a 12-hour prayer-and-fasting marathon Saturday on the Mall. Organizers guess 250,000 will attend. Several dozen youths were packed into JHOP headquarters Monday night worshipping and praying for the event.

Posted on the walls were photos of Mr. Bush, the Supreme Court justices, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and an Israeli flag.

"Any house of prayer that does not pray for Israel," a sign read, "is an anemic house of prayer."

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