The Spirit of the Tabernacle of David

11742733_990271787702595_3668284289852266212_n“King David was a part time king and full time worshipper” Dick Eastman

The house of prayer is patterned after the “spirit of the Tabernacle of David.” It is an intentional, deliberate emphasis on extravagant worship and prayer. It was ordained by prophetic revelation to David through the prophets and paid for by kingdom revenue. It reveals that 24/7 prayer and worship was not a nice pastime but a serious project akin to an engineering marvel in the physical realm. Facilities, instruments, rehearsals, poetry and provision were all in place and choreographed for a masterful performance for an audience of One. It highlighted the extreme value the king and people put on their relationship with the Lord.

  • Ordained by prophetic revelation – Day and night worship and prayer was the Lord’s idea and command! David commanded God’s people to honor the heavenly order of worship that he received by revelation because it was God’s command (2 Chr. 29:25; 35:4, 15; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:45). He [Hezekiah] stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets (2 Chronicles 29:25).
  • Paid for by the kingdom revenue
    -Around 1,000 BC, David established 4,000 full-time paid musicians and singers and 4,000 gatekeepers.Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges, and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. 1 Chronicles 23:4-5
    -Israel was commanded to support the singers/musicians in the temple as a full-time occupation (1 Chr. 9:33; 16:37; 23:5; 25:7; 2 Chr. 31:4; 2 Chr. 8:12-14; 31:4-6, 16; 2 Chr. 34:9, 12; Neh. 10:37-39; 11:22-23; 12:44-47; 13:5-12).
  • It was 24/7 – These musicians and singers sang day and night in the temple. Much of the music was composed and written by David, Asaph, later Solomon. The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks. (1 Chr. 9:33). By the employment of singers, musicians and intercessors, day and night, it is a real, physical declaration of the value we place on the person of Christ. Contrary to the idea that we worship for forty five minutes a week each Sunday, it reflects the heavenly worship where there is a ceaseless declaration of His worth. Something that the saints will be employed doing for all eternity.  David’s Tabernacle was a reflection of the heavenly Tabernacle: They never rest day or night, saying:

    “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!” Revelation 4:8

The Roots of the 24/7 Prayer Movement

11264013_963028303760277_6266662734616935759_n“The very zealous Moravians had found a worthy leader in Zinzendorf. He was a man of serious devotion, fervent prayer, and was known for his commitment to radical holiness. In modern terminology, we would say that he had a tremendous hunger for God.” Pitts Evans

The concept of 24/7 prayer may be new to many of you. Others of you may have been aware of the prayer movement for quite some time. Wherever you are in your awareness, none of us has come to the full understanding of what God is beginning to create all throughout the nations.

It’s exciting! It’s radical! It’s exhilarating and at the same time, it calls for a deeper level of commitment than any of us have ever known before.

The New Testament Apostolic Prayers of Paul

11701226_990322364364204_1884118167031320414_nPrayer for revelation of Jesus’ beauty that we might walk in our calling and destiny by God’s power.

“… the Father of glory, may give to you the SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the HOPE OF HIS CALLING, what are the riches of the GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, and what is the exceeding GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US” (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Prayer for the release of supernatural strength in the heart so we experience God’s emotions and love.

“… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN, that CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—TO KNOW the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be FILLED with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Prayer for God’s love to abound in our heart resulting in discernment and righteousness.

“And this I pray, that YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may APPROVE THE THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Prayer to know God’s will, to be fruitful in ministry and strengthened by intimacy with God.

“We… do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, fully pleasing Him, BEING FRUITFUL in every good work and increasing in the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD; STRENGTHENED WITH ALL MIGHT, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:9-12).

Prayer for unity in the Church across a city or region.

“Now may the God of patience and comfort GRANT YOU TO BE LIKE-MINDED toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, THAT YOU MAY WITH ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus” (Romans 15:5-7).

Prayer to be filled with supernatural joy, peace, and hope.

“Now may the God of hope FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING, THAT YOU MAY ABOUND IN HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Prayer for Israel to be saved through Jesus.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ISRAEL is that they MAY BE SAVED” (Romans 10:1).

Prayer for the release of apostolic ministry and to abound in love and holiness.

“We rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and PERFECT WHAT IS LACKING in your faith. Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you INCREASE AND ABOUND IN LOVE to one another and to all… so that He may ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS BLAMELESS IN HOLINESS before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13).

Prayer for the release of the Holy Spirit’s power unto mature holiness.

“Now may the GOD OF PEACE HIMSELF SANCTIFY YOU COMPLETELY; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Prayer to be equipped and prepared to receive the fullness of God’s destiny for the Church.

“Therefore we also pray always for you THAT OUR GOD WOULD COUNT YOU WORTHY OF THIS CALLING, AND FULFILL ALL THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS GOODNESS AND THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER, that the name of our Lord Jesus CHRIST MAY BE GLORIFIED IN YOU, and YOU IN HIM, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

Prayer for the Word to increase by the release of God’s power to win unbelievers to Jesus.

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD MAY RUN SWIFTLY AND BE GLORIFIED, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. NOW MAY THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEARTS INTO THE LOVE OF GOD AND INTO THE PATIENCE OF CHRIST” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5).

Prayer that God would open a door of evangelism through releasing His power on the Word.

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; mean-while praying also for us, THAT GOD WOULD OPEN TO US A DOOR FOR THE WORD, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:2-4).

Prayer to be enriched with the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit leading unto righteousness.

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, THAT YOU WERE ENRICHED IN EVERYTHING by Him in all utterance and all KNOWLEDGE, even as the testimony of Christ was CONFIRMED in you, so THAT YOU COME SHORT IN NO GIFT, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also CONFIRM you to the end, THAT YOU MAY BE BLAMELESS in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4-8).

(All verses are in the NKJV.)

Praying the Apostolic Prayers of Paul

10984139_990271251035982_2689243787587295832_n“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

There is a tremendous anointing when we pray and sing God’s Word. The Word of God is alive and active. It is sharp and it penetrates into our thoughts and hearts. We need God’s Word to be written on our hearts and flowing through our prayers.

The prayers of the Apostle Paul are some of the richest prayers in the Bible. They are always positive and directed toward God. He thoroughly understood the law, grace, the church, and holy living. Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) we pray the apostolic prayers everyday and throughout each day.

In the apostolic prayers, Paul focuses on gifts, fruits, and wisdom. He prays for the release of the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit so that revival breaks out. He prays for the fruits of Godly character in the lives of those in the Church. He prays for wisdom in the Church in order that believers are able to search out the mysteries and knowledge of God, so that we may know Him better. He prays these prayers for the glory of God so that His Kingdom may come and His will be done in our churches, cities, and nations around the world.

We need divine encounters with God. We need our eyes enlightened. In his prayers, Paul reveals to us the power of intercession and the high focus we should have in prayer for the spirit of revelation. He prayed that the Church would come to a more full experience of the knowledge of God in active intimacy (Ephesians 1:17-19), as they walked out these spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Paul wanted the Church to encounter God deeply. Notice what happens when we pray these apostolic prayers regularly:

  • Our hearts are supernaturally influenced by God – This helps us have a sustained lifestyle of pursuing God’s glory. We need the Spirit to do this, to enable our human capacity to receive more of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). We need to have our hearts fully alive.
  • We receive divine revelation to enlighten the eyes of our understanding – We begin to see God unveiled experientially in our understanding (John 17:3; Ephesians 1:18).
  • We receive confidence and hope in our individual calling from God – These divine assignments encompass all of time and eternity. We cannot walk firmly in our assignment in this age unless we are anchored in eternity (Ephesians 1:17-18; 2:10; Colossians 1:9-10).
  • We receive understanding of our spiritual identity – We discover the glory and wealth of being God’s inheritance. We understand that we are the focus of God’s affection (John 15:9; 17:23).
  • We are empowered to live our life in God (Ephesians 1:17-19) – He gives us His resurrection strength (Ephesians 1:20-21). We have the authority of Jesus as we resist sin and satanic opposition. All God’s power works through and for the good of His Church because all things are subject to Christ (Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 1:16; Philippians 2:6-11).

Praying these apostolic prayers of Paul’s are powerful. Paul had a brilliant mind but was deceived and, out of his extreme zeal, had been persecuting the Church. But suddenly, He had a supernatural encounter with God that changed everything. His prayers are anointed with the power of God. His prayers are model prayers. Pray them on a regular basis. Have several copies in your prayer room. We have them when you come in the door at IHOP in Kansas City.

We must seek to ask for revelation and obey God as we fill our hearts with His Word. The apostolic prayers will undoubtedly bring you up to a new level in prayer and intercession. They will help you see how God views the Church and each one of us. Begin by praying them in your own personal life, and then integrate them in your own prayer meetings.

Choose two of the apostolic prayers of Paul, and pray them out loud each day this week. As we seek the face of God by praying the Apostolic Prayers, our hearts will burn and our light will shine.

“Seeking the face of God, and then gazing at it, has to begin sometime and someplace. It begins by bringing our whole person before the consuming fire who is God, reciting His words—the Bible—out loud to Him and then letting the Holy Spirit reveal Christ to us. This is why we pray the Bible. May it be that as you engage in this practice that your prayer times will have the same result as the disciples’—whose hearts burnt within as God talked with them along their journey of life. Yes, may your heart burn and your light shine.” Wesley and Stacey Campbell

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

A House of Prayer for all Nations

10408578_990317387698035_3758716211840138922_n“Prayer is the key to reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus. The greatest forces of power in the universe are mobilized, and history is made when we pray. God is looking for men who will stand in the gap on behalf of the land.” (Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:16, 63:5)

It says in Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” In traveling to many nations, it is evident that there is a rising interest in prayer and worship around the world. God is certainly raising up a worldwide prayer movement which will change the atmosphere of every nation. May we have faith together in the establishment of day and night prayer around the world.

“Isaiah the prophet had a lot to say about this global prayer movement. He described a time when God’s people worldwide will experience unusual grace and authority in prayer. He summarized this by declaring, God will name His Church a ‘house of prayer’. This prophetic naming is in itself a promise of functioning in grace empowered prayer. Imagine naming the Church a ‘praying church’. All over the earth, it will become common to hear of intercessory worship ministries that continue non-stop, 24 hours a day. God has established in the genetic code a passion to reach ‘all nations’. It will result in bringing the outcasts of the earth to Jesus (Isaiah 56:8). These 24-hour-a-day prayer ministries are vital to reaching the cities in the 10/40 window.” Mike Bickle

We need to see the big picture for our city, for our nation and for the world. It appears to me that God is uniting a powerful prayer movement worldwide, and in a supernatural way, He is uniting all of us. As we move from place to place and from one country to another, I sense a connection that is powerful. What God is doing in your area is connected and important to other areas. We desperately need each other. The present task now for each one of us is to connect in unity and prayer in our city. Let us ask for God’s powerful anointing in the foundation laying of each one of these 24/7’s and that they would be built by the spirit of God and function in grace and joy empowered prayer and worship.

A Worldwide Prayer Movement is Emerging

Prayer warriors, you are involved in the greatest ministry on earth. The prayer movement around the world is exploding. Let us pray regarding the following shifts in the prayer movement. Pray that the prayer movement in your city becomes contagious!

  • From private kingdoms to God’s kingdom – The time of private agendas and programs is over. More and more intercessors and prayer leaders are realizing that united prayer is the key to spiritual breakthrough.
  • From prayer lists to spirit-inspired warfare prayers – The Holy Spirit is fresh and creative and He helps us to pray to-the-point under his direction.
  • From individual intercessors to praying churches – God is mobilizing whole churches to pray for their city, town or region. Praying churches have great authority at a city level. When churches pray with other churches there is even greater authority!
  • From old faithfuls to young radicals – God needs both, but he is now raising up young prayer soldiers with the mentality of Joshua, Gideon and David, who will change the spiritual landscape of the world.
  • From programs to living altars – The Holy Spirit is leading Christians into a lifestyle of prayer, a divine partnership of Jesus with his Church, so that the things that have been prepared in heaven will become reality down here.
  • From miscellaneous hits to a prayer saturation strategy – An increasing number of cities and nations are discovering the power of long-term strategy.

“Isaiah also prophesied of a totally new paradigm of prayer characterized by ‘joy’. The Lord promised, ‘I will make you joyful in My house of prayer (Isa. 56:7). The Church will be surprised by joy. In other words, God will fill the Church with enjoyable prayer that is ‘refreshing and invigorating’. Imagine the implications of a paradigm of ‘enjoyable prayer’. The climate within the body of Christ would be different because of deep parternership in prayer with the Eternal Intercessor who is our Bridegroom God. If God is not enjoyable, it will not happen 24 hours a day. Historically, prayer has been hard and thus greatly neglected but new days of refreshing prayer are breaking forth even now.” Mike Bickle

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC)

A Call for Steadfast and Persistent Prayer

11118493_968330533230054_6006565640006291955_n“Persistent prayer is a mighty move of the soul toward God. It is a stirring of the deepest forces of the soul toward the throne of heavenly grace. It is the ability to hold on, press on, and wait. Restless desire, restful patience, and strength to hold on are all embraced in it. It is not an incident or a performance, but a passion of soul. It is not something half-needed, but a sheer necessity. The wrestling quality in persistent prayer does not spring from physical violence or fleshly energy. It is not an impulse of energy or a mere earnestness of the soul. It is an inward force or ability planted and aroused by the Holy Spirit. Virtually, it is the intercession of the Spirit of God in us. It is ‘the effectual fervent prayer that avails much’ (James 5:16). The divine Spirit supplies every part of us with the energy of His own striving. This is the essence of the persistence that urges our praying at the mercy seat to continue until the fire falls and the blessing descends.” E. M. Bounds

Are you convinced that 24/7 prayer is needed in your city? Do you see how it will change our cities as we unite in prayer?

We want God to stimulate us all to a higher level of steadfast, persistent intercession in order to see day and night prayer established. God will do it in His perfect timing, but we must be steadfast. He is working in our hearts, but it takes great prayer to see Houses of Prayer started and continue consistently day after day. It will take the unity of the Church to see this happen. Everyone is needed and vital. God is right now calling for the whole body of Christ to increase in steadfast prayer. He always lives to make intercession for us, and we are called to be like Him (Hebrews 7:25).

Intercession is growing all throughout the world, and people of all denominations are beginning to unite for the purpose of prayer. It definitely is time to drop our differences, rejoice in our diversity, and come together for the great purpose of seeing the Kingdom of God dwell in the nations. Although the enemy will oppose continuously, it is as we unite that we shall see the victory. The heart of God is for unity (John 17:20-23). When we are united, we can support and build one another up as each one of us does our part in serving God (Eph. 4:3, 11-16). Through day and night prayer and worship the presence of God can reign in a city, multitudes can be saved, and ministries and churches can prosper.

Justice is released in the city through 24/7 prayer. The International House of Prayer here in Kansas City began praying for several years regarding the problem of human trafficking around the world. Shortly after they started corporately praying for human trafficking, the police uncovered a huge trafficking ring from clues that just kept “popping up”. This was a big answer to prayer as a result of united prayer.

Night and day prayer changes the spiritual atmosphere of a city dramatically.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

Displaying Strength and Taking Action

11391378_968328796563561_8830578958915931122_n“If we are fully given to knowing Christ intimately, not only will we enjoy His presence, but also we will gain spiritual strength for whatever the future holds! The key, therefore, to living victoriously in the last days is not knowing timetables, but knowing God. Daniel foretold that, in the midst of worldwide distress, those who ‘know their God will display strength and take action’ (Daniel 11:32). From a position of knowing the heart and nature of God, in the midst of great difficulties we will “display strength and take action.”  Francis Frangipane

The King James Version of this verse says that God’s people will do great exploits. The definition of exploits in the Dictionary is “a heroic act, a deed of renown, a great or noble achievement.” This is what we must pray for in the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ will take action, do noble achievements and heroic acts for God that shall be known worldwide! But it starts in the prayer room. The governmental center of the world is in the prayer room. God’s power is released through corporate intercession. What a weapon for the Church! There are three realities mentioned here for the Church:

  • Know God – We will know God in spiritual intimacy.
  • Be strong – We will be strong in spirit to stand victoriously against evil.
  • Do exploits – We will do great exploits and experience the power of God.

In looking at our personal foundation, one of the most important truths that we must individually know is that God loves us deeply. We must know our identity in Christ. We are lovers of God and are deeply loved by Him. This will keep us strong and stable during difficult times. This will give us the confidence we need to do great things for God.

When we are called to lead or support the prayer movement, we must have the foundational knowledge that we are greatly loved by God. Although many believers do not have this knowledge in their heart because of past wounding, spending time in the presence of God in a House of Prayer can make it “real” personally. When we are alone in an atmosphere of praise, worship, and prayer, then we can hear from God more clearly.

Daniel needed to know God’s love personally. He sought the Lord in a 21-day fast (Daniel 10:2-3), got a vision from God (Daniel 10:5-6), lost strength because of the vision (Daniel 10:8-10), and then received a word from the angel Gabriel. He was told that he was greatly beloved and highly esteemed by God three times (Daniel 9:23; 10:11, 19).

Wouldn’t that dramatically affect your life if an angel told you that?

And yet, God wants to affirm each one of us in the prayer room corporately and in our own prayer closets in our home as well. Many times I have gone into the prayer room struggling with a personal issue and have come out with the assurance of God’s love and concern for me.

It is there, in that secret place dedicated to prayer, that we can hear the affirmation from our Father. And when we find it hard to receive His love, others in the body of Christ can help. We must know that God loves us because it will be our strength in hard times. Because Daniel knew in his heart that he was loved and highly esteemed by God, he was able to rise up in strength and do mighty things for Him. He stood up renewed in his spirit (Daniel 10:11).

We all feel the need to be loved and have a bigger purpose outside of ourselves. A visitation from heaven calling you beloved of God would change your life. It would give you an inner strength that would affect everything you do for God. You would become bold and fearless in knowing that God was on your side and highly esteemed you. You would have an inner peace that no storm could destroy.

Daniel had that kind of foundational strength.

It is time for us to align ourselves with God’s heart for us personally and corporately. As the Church of Jesus Christ, let’s build our foundational strength and receive the revelation that we are the “beloved” of God in our personal lives, our churches, and our city. When we truly have this revelation, we will praise Him from the depths of satisfied souls. We will want to be worshippers of God.

God desires that prayer and praise permeate every nation. We must align ourselves with heaven in order to see the powers of darkness broken over our cities and see revival break out. If all the Christians in a city knew their personal identity in Christ, they would be a powerful force in that area against the powers of darkness.

Through developing intimacy in the House of Prayer, we shall do mighty exploits for God’s Kingdom. Jesus is our model who continues to govern through prayer and reaches the nations through intercession (Hebrew 7:25). Let’s strengthen our foundation and align our lives with Him. In the prayer room we build intimacy through worship, reading and praying His Word, quietly listening, and many other ways.

“It is possible for Christ’s church to be so properly aligned with heaven that the Holy Spirit actually displaces the power of darkness over our cities. To the degree that the church is so joined to God, the Lord’s presence guards the city: crime and immorality proportionally decline; revival breaks out.” Francis Frangipane

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

A Prayer for Foundational Strength

11377338_964515613611546_2962338252793623659_nLord, give us a heart for a House of Prayer in our city. Like Zinzendorf, make us into men and women who are fervent in prayer and are committed to radical holiness. Teach us to walk in unity, and help us to do everything in love. As we pray for a House of Prayer, give us expectant hearts. Help the churches in our city grow in prayer and commitment. Make the Church of [Name your city] a praying Church. We long to do great exploits for Your glory. Help us to align ourselves with Your heart. Let prayer and praise permeate our city.

As we begin to lay the foundations for a House of Prayer here, make us steadfast and persistent in prayer. Help us to build a foundation that is deep and strong. Keep us from growing weary in well doing. Help us to have realistic expectations and understand that it takes time and patience. Help us to be faithful. Teach us to pray your Word individually and corporately. Give our city a unified vision for day and night prayer, and teach us to seek You in prayer together. Help our churches to grow in prayer, intercession, and worship.

We thank You for being our faithful intercessor who will help us. You will give us guidance all along the way. Thank You that Your peace rules in our hearts. We thank You for the House of Prayer that You will establish in our city. You will give us the burning, driving vision to go deep with the foundation. You will enable us to pursue the deeper lifestyle of abandonment to You and Your vision for our city. We give You all the praise and glory for all that You will do. “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near” (Psalm 75:1a). In Jesus’ name, amen.

Verses to Memorize

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

How to Lay a Strong Foundation for a House of Prayer

Persistent prayer will pay off as you lay the foundations of a House of Prayer in your city. You will move forward by God’s grace because it’s His ability, not yours. Notice these important keys to laying a strong foundation.

  • You must be willing to dig deep – Remember we must dig a big hole first in order to build the foundation. This is not a superficial undertaking. You must believe in the power of prayer and be strong in prayer yourself. Develop a strong personal relationship with God. Strengthen your personal devotional life and love for God.
  • Partner with others – Look for others who have the same vision in your city, and partner with other prayer ministries in your area. God will give you a core group of dedicated and like-minded people.
  • Cast the vision for day and night prayer – Do this week after week. People need encouragement.
  • Realize that there is an incubation stage – In this stage many in the area either have or are getting the vision, and there are many prayer meetings in the city in various churches. This stage may last for some time.
  • Develop your personal prayer life through learning to pray the Scriptures – Practice praying Scriptures in your own devotional time with the Lord. I write about this in chapter four.
  • Develop some corporate prayer meetings in local churches –Unity is essential and adds power to the prayer meeting. Also try combining worship and prayer together throughout some of the prayer meeting. This is called “harp and bowl”.
  • Have realistic expectations – Start small with a few prayer meetings in your church or in your city. Realize the value of a slow beginning. Strategize carefully and incorporate existing prayer activities. Understand the pressure people face in your society. Don’t be critical, but make it easy for others to join in prayer at their own pace.
  • Understand the establishing stage – This relates to the Church in the city or region and is not just one church. There is a need for a unified vision with unified values. Pursue the value of unity in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:3, 13; Colossians 3:14).
  • Realize that faithfulness and a marathon pace are essential – God is not looking for quick starts but for steady faithfulness over time. Keep it simple. Basically you are praying and calling people to pray. God’s strategies are not complex, but they do require faithfulness (Galatians 5:22; Psalm 18:25; Romans 12:12).
  • Know that Jesus is in charge – The House of Prayer will prevail because Jesus is the leader and the eternal intercessor for He rules as King in his high priestly ministry of intercession (Hebrews 7:25; Isaiah 53:12).
  • Go forward in faith and with God’s peace ruling your heart – Know that day and night prayer is God’s desire. He will bless and sustain it. To be a House of Prayer is not a challenge but a Biblical command (Matthew 21:13).

A stonecutter may hammer away at a rock for a hundred times without seeing even a crack showing. Yet it may be the 101st blow that splits the rock apart. It is not the one blow that will lay a strong foundation, but it is the consistent hammering in prayer with a steadfast vision that will do it. God will give you and others that burning, driving vision to go deep with the foundations. He will enable you to pursue the deeper life and the lifestyle of abandonment to Him and His vision for your city.

Laying the foundation will take a long time. Keep the peace of God ruling in your heart. Day and night prayer is God’s desire, and He will bless and sustain it with His power. Trust Him to build a strong foundation. Establishing day and night prayer is the most exalted occupation to those nearest His throne in heaven (Revelation 4:8). Set your heart to persist regardless of difficulties. God desires to find a resting place. Let’s advance with faith and a determination to work. Let’s keep the vigorous, steady glow of prayer burning.

“Praying that influences God is said to be the outpouring of the fervent, effectual righteous man. It is prayer on fire. It does not have a feeble, flickering flame or a momentary flash, but shines with a vigorous, steady glow.”

By Debbie Przybylski

Places of Encounter with God

“Prayer rooms are places of direct encounter with God. So much of our faith, if we are not very careful, can be second-hand experience. We listen to talks that tell us what to think. We read books that inspire us with other peoples’ experiences of God. But alone with God in a prayer room, it’s time to get the Bible open for your self, going straight to the source. It’s time to dialogue directly with God face to face without a middleman. In such a context, God often is able to speak to us and touch us in a way that no ministry session could ever achieve.”

Isn’t a face-to-face encounter with God something you long for and desire? When I was in Germany, I was involved in teaching a course for God’s people who were working in different countries around the world. The course was called “Face to Face.” The goal of the course was to help bring individuals into a face-to-face relationship with God and also with one another.

The prayer room is the place of face-to-face encounter with God. I can’t think of a better description of the 24/7 prayer movement. The prayer room is the place to access the heavenly realm and hear from God. In the prayer room God purifies our life. As you and I spend time in prayer, we carry the very presence of God out with us into the world. Our faces can shine with the presence of God.

Moses is a good example of a Biblical character that sought the face of God. We read about his encounter with God in Exodus 33:11a: The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. When he came down from the presence of God, His face actually shone with the glory of God.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD” (Exodus 34:29).

There is an increasing hunger for the presence of God, not only individually but also corporately among His people worldwide. People from all denominations, cultures, and ages are beginning to seek after God’s face. Kim Catherine Marie Kollins has established a 24/7 prayer ministry among the world’s 100 million renewed Catholics called Burning Bush International. She says:

“Everywhere I turn I seem to hear this same call to prayer being proclaimed—prayer for cities, prayer for nations. Everywhere I look I see writings calling the people of God to intense worship and adoration and intercession. Many new prayer initiatives are being called forth—houses of prayer are springing up, prayer mountains and prayer vigils are being held in response to this prompting of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time, and the trumpet is being sounded to the whole people of God. We are being called to awaken from slumber and be empowered anew by the Holy Spirit. We must become once again passionate adorers of the Lord and powerful instruments of intercession for the Church and the world.”

God Radically Changes Us in the Prayer Room

When we stand in the presence of God, He does a radical work within our hearts. He removes the sin in our lives as we sit in His presence. When diagnosed with cancer, I learned about the power of radiation and chemotherapy because these are the primary ways the medical world treats cancer. Thankfully I didn’t have to have either one. Sin is like cancer. God’s presence is like radiation therapy on the cancer of sin in our lives. The more we are in His presence, the more powerful the radiation of His life and love. We change in His presence because we are exposing ourselves to the eternal forces of His radiating glory. We begin to die to the sin tendencies in our lives, and we begin to live more fully for Him.

Time in God’s presence is powerful.

“You most likely won’t realize it at first. A person who is exposed to the radiation of the sun’s rays often does not realize that he is sunburned until later. When you spend time in God’s presence, you may feel you are not accomplishing anything. The enemy may say something like this to you, “You’re just wasting your time. God won’t listen to you.”

But if you continue spending extravagant amounts of time in His presence, you will begin to see His life manifested through yours. It takes time, but everything within you begins to change—your desires, thoughts, actions, interests, and passions.

There is no quicker way to change as in the glory and radiation of His presence. I have seen people change right before my eyes as I watch them over time through exposure to God’s presence. We read in
1 Chronicles 16:11 and Psalm 105:4: Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Dr. Timothy John shares a personal testimony about how important 24/7 prayer has been in a small, inner-city church:

“Launching and sustaining a 24-7 prayer room in one of our inner city church properties has probably been the most important thing we have done to date. From inner city youth to suburban “boomers,” each person has profoundly experienced the manifest presence and love of God in their selected hour of prayer in our holy space. Some of our members have actually encountered the Holy Spirit in the parking lot or even on their way to the prayer room. Needless to say, this has resulted in a wonderful spiritual renewal in our midst. Eternity and the heavenly realm are no longer concepts but reality.”

It is the place to leave the problems of earth behind and listen to the still small voice of God in such a way that inner transformation occurs. It happens individually and corporately. I have seen it in myself and in others. You can’t stand in the presence of God without being changed. Most of us are busy people. You can’t spend time in the prayer room without having it change your prayer life. Prayer becomes a delightful reality.

“One of the great things about a well-led season of 24-7 prayer is that it helps busy people like you and me to live up to our aspirations in prayer. It can even enable non-church-goers to prioritize prayer in their daily lives… 24-7 prayer is able to turn the idea of daily prayer from a guilty “should” into an exciting “could.” Suddenly, a regular hour or more of solitude for personal prayer and Scriptural meditation becomes a delightful reality for people who normally don’t find such things easy—people in ordinary places who desperately need an extraordinary outpouring of prayer and a deeper discovery of the glory of God.”