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 God’s 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.”

The prayer room 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.” Quotes by Peter Greig and David Blackwell

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

Meet weekly for persistent prayer. If you can’t meet weekly, meet as regularly as you can. It could be in a church, home, or in a designated place in your city. Decide on the amount of time you will pray and be consistent.

Give sufficient time for worship and thanksgiving because this will bring you into the presence of God. Thank God for what He is going to do, and then thoroughly pray for a House of Prayer in your city and for increased prayer in your church. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your prayers. Have someone write down what has been emphasized in your prayers, specific burdens, and Scriptures prayed. You will be amazed at the insight the Lord has given you in prayer.

Building Foundations Life Application

Whether you are a forerunner leading the way, a support person, or just beginning to learn about Houses of Prayer, this assignment will help you to start moving into the prayer arena in your community. As you think about a House of Prayer in your city, begin by doing the following:

• Develop your personal prayer life by learning to pray the Bible regularly – Practice praying Scriptures in your own prayer times with the Lord. Begin incorporating Paul’s apostolic prayers into your prayer times.
• Pray that a House of Prayer would start in your city and that pray increases in your church – Pray persistently for God to raise up those who will begin to pray for 24/7 prayer.
• Make a list of like-minded people in your church and city who have a heart for prayer – Begin to pray through your list, asking God to give them the same vision.
• Partner with others with the same vision for Houses of Prayer – Get together to strategically talk about how to start a House of Prayer in your city. Try to include individuals from different churches, or you may want to start by seeing more prayer in your own church. Partner with those in your church who have a vision for prayer, and talk about how to see it grow.
• Discuss the “How to Lay a Strong Foundation” keys – Talk over these points together as a group, asking God for His wisdom as you lay the foundations. Brainstorm together as a group, adding other like-minded people in your church and city to your list of contacts. End with praying “A Prayer for Foundational Strength.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC 

Keep in mind that 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. Use the teachings on this website and on the Intercessors Arise website or books to teach others about prayer and Houses of Prayer. The Intercessors Arise books all have applications at the end of each chapter to study personally or in group settings.
• 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.
• 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 101^st 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.” Joe Martin

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

The group of men and women Count Zinzendorf led in this hundred-year prayer meeting were called the Moravians. The Moravians followed his example in living a holy and loving life.

“In every detail of their lives—in business, pleasure, in Christian service, in civil duties—they took the Sermon on the Mount as a lamp to their feet.'”

Their powerful motto was:

“In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love.” Pitts Evans

Their testimony has spread all around the world but it began during one Communion service. This is what happened:

“The Holy Spirit fell on the group as on the day of Pentecost. Hearts were radically changed, and prayers were answered beyond expectations. Many more villagers began to set aside time for earnest prayer. Soon, prayer was going on 24 hours a day. Even the children organized prayer circles. This wave of prayer did not cease for a hundred years. So transformed was the village that John Wesley, visiting in 1738, called it the happiest place on earth!” Pitts Evans

The focus of the Moravians at the Herrnhut prayer meeting soon became world missions. Shortly after this hundred-year prayer meeting started, Count Zinzendorf felt strongly that they were to spread the Gospel of Jesus to the unreached people around the world. The focus of fervent prayer became world missions. This became known as the Moravian mission movement. They all felt the call of the Great Commission. Within twenty years, the Moravians sent out more missionaries than all Protestants in the previous two hundred years.

“Moravians quickly spread out all over the known world, propelled by that incredible prayer meeting, preaching the gospel of the community… When a clergyman named John Wesley encountered the joyful witness of Moravian missionaries on a transatlantic ship in a storm, he headed off to Herrnhut straightaway for discipleship from Zinzendorf.” Peter Greig and David Blackwell

Martin Luther had tried to turn his training institutions toward world missions, but it wasn’t until he got involved in Zinzendorf’s 24/7 prayer meetings that the greatest missionary movement came forth from his generation. Three thousand missionaries went to the ends of the earth during the next two hundred years.

The continuous prayer meeting that God is presently initiating around the world will have the same focus. This is the season of harvest in every nation of the world. As we pray we will receive the heart of God for the nations. We will receive the burden of the Great Commission and the anointing to reach our neighbors. We will no longer be able to contain or restrain the empowering and convicting force of the Holy Spirit. This is where we are now headed.

In the prayer movement, we are beginning to move into more prayer for the nations and for the lost. In a recent early Sunday prayer meeting at our church almost every prayer was concentrating on the lost. As we were praying Scripture, there was a harmonious direction in prayer towards the harvest and towards lost souls. God is directing our intercession. His heart is towards the lost and the nations. This prayer meeting was very powerful, and I believe it is because God is saying something.

He seems to be showing us that it is time for all of us to open our eyes and look onto the fields for they are ripe for harvest (John 4:35). He is beginning to focus us onto the lost just as he did with the Moravian prayer movement.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC