Look at more ways that Houses of Prayer will benefit the Church. Take time to think about these benefits. Evaluate your own church as well as the corporate Church in your city in light of these benefits. Where does your church need to improve? Begin to pray these qualities into the Church in your city or nation.
- Houses of Prayer will help the Church to passionately pursue God – David is our Biblical example of a man after God’s own heart. He burned with God’s desires. He was moved with what moved the heart of God. He was a man of prayer and worship who passionately pursued God. Just as David hungered after God, the Church will grow in its passionate pursuit of Him as members of the body of Christ get involved in Houses of Prayer. There will be a rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David (Matthew 29:18-20; Acts 1:8; 15:15-17; Ephesians 4:11-16; Revelation 19:7-10).
- Houses of Prayer will help the Church to pray God’s purposes and plans over a city – In the prayer room God will show His Church how He feels about a city. It is there in His presence where He will reveal His plans, purposes, and heart for the city.“David studied the emotions of God’s heart. He was a man going after what was burning in God’s heart. He wanted to know what God was feeling and what He was thinking. He wanted to know, not just what God did, but why He did it. He wanted to be intimately acquainted with the passion and affection of God.” Mike Bickle
- Houses of Prayer will help change and mature the Church in the city – When you and I know the emotions and feelings in God’s heart through prayer and intimacy, we can better obey Him. We can walk obediently in His Word and live radically for Him because His love sustains us. We then are able to obey God long-term because we are linked to His power rather than our own weakness.“When you know what God’s heart looks like, then you know what you look like to God. This is what motivates us to change our lifestyles. You’ll never get anybody to change their actions long term until they change the way they view themselves before God.” Mike Bickle
- Houses of Prayer will help the Church to know the love of God and who she really is in Christ – We know in a deeper dimension His great love for us even when we make mistakes. Most of us have little grasp of the overwhelming love of God for us personally and the deep pleasure He has in our fellowship with Him. When we spend time in an atmosphere of prayer and worship, we begin to feel loved by God and we begin to feel that we are lovers of God. We begin to feel that God enjoys us even when we make mistakes. We begin to move into a higher realm of God’s love.
- Houses of Prayer will help bring the Church into lavish devotion and concentration on God – A place of continual worship and prayer will cause members of the Church to live undistracted lives, with a greater ability to live focused on God and hearing his heartbeat. It is the Church, as she is increasingly in love with God and His cause, who will make the difference in the world. We are the ones who will see and be part of this wonderful end-time harvest.
- Houses of Prayer will bring in the Kingdom of God and touch the lost in a city – Reaching a city for God is going to take dedicated prayer warriors in order to dismantle the ruling powers of darkness in a city. Houses of Prayer will help the Church focus on bringing in the harvest. So many of the lost people in a city are searching for love to fill the empty void in their soul. Houses of Prayer will help the Church focus on bringing in the harvest with God’s love.
- Houses of Prayer will help to unite the Church, breaking down the barriers that divide – People of various denominations and backgrounds, who are praying and worshipping together, bring a unity in the Spirit that breaks down the age-old barriers that have divided us for so long. It is the united Church that will be empowered to reach a dying world. The world will know we are Christians because of our unity and love.
- Houses of Prayer will help the Church stand as watchmen for the Church worldwide – Churches will take responsibility to stand in prayer for cities and nations. They will pray not only for their own needs, but also for the needs of their community. God will expand His Church to become a House of Prayer with perpetual prayer and perpetual encounters with God
(2 Chronicles 7:14-15; Luke 18:1-8; Acts 2; 4:4, 6; 9:31; 12:24; 19:20; John 5:39; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 1-3, 4-5).
Understanding these benefits should give us a desire to see the Church throughout the world arise. It’s time for the Bride of Christ to arise in beauty, knowing who she is and why she is here. Let’s realize that the House of Prayer is our eternal identity (Isaiah 56:7). We are God’s House. We are His family. Our identity is being in His house with His family. What a joyful realization and comforting truth this is to so many who feel completely alone and homeless deep in their heart. And being in God’s family, He graciously rises to show us compassion and blesses us through our prayers (Isaiah 30:18-19).
It’s so exciting to realize that we are in an intimate partnership with Jesus’ heavenly intercession when we pray. We grow in intimacy-based intercession in the House of Prayer. We are created to interact deeply with God’s heart.
When we do, God’s resources are released into the earthly realm—His favor, wisdom, finances, and righteousness as we pray. His resources are not released until we pray and move His heart (James 4:2). Just to realize that Jesus will return to earth in answer to the global prayer movement is amazing (Isaiah 42:10-13).
Do you realize that, like Daniel, you can actually move angels and demons by your prayers to God? (Daniel 10:12).
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC