In an underground chamber in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, a small group meets to discuss the latest crisis. Huge maps line the walls, lights blinking to identify the greatest trouble spots. The assembled, who must possess special credentials to enter the room, then kneel to pray.

This is the plan for the "war room" in the World Prayer Center, under construction in Colorado Springs. Planners of the prayer center, scheduled to open next March, are hoping to create a "spiritual norad," a prayerful parallel to the air force's nearby air defense command.

"This is not a come-and-have-fun prayer room," says Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the driving force behind the $7 million World Prayer Center. "It's a legitimate response to some very violent acts in Islamic areas."

In addition to the war room, the facility will have a 700-seat auditorium for group prayer and seminars, and several hotel-style rooms for overnight stays. It also will house the offices of Global Harvest Ministries, the Sentinel Group, and Haggard's Christian Information Network.

Haggard says the center will gather data on the advancement of world evangelism, as well as network churches, ministries, and missions groups through electronic mail and the World Wide Web.

"This will be the strategic nerve center for global evangelistic prayer," he says.