Tag Archives: Houses of Prayer

An Awakened Heart

11260948_967242630005511_931634998081476917_nFor those who have kept intimacy with God as their primary assignment, fruitfulness will flow. We bring God with us to a lost and dying world. He energizes us with His life as we go forth, and we realize that time spent with Jesus has empowered us. It is worth it to seek the Lord’s face. As we go forth from the prayer room, let’s pray this prayer found in Tom Tenney’s book called The God Chasers:

“Father, we confess that we want to see change in our lives and in our church so that we can bring about change in our city. Give us such a heart and passion after You that we may begin to see your glory flow out of us to convict and save the lost. Release your presence through us as You did through Charles Finney when he walked through factories and saw workers drop to their knees under Your glory and cried out for forgiveness although not one word had been spoken or preached. May the faintest shadow of Your presence in our lives heal the sick and restore the lame we meet in the streets. Let Your presence so saturate us that unsaved guests can’t step into our homes or be around us with unrepentant hearts. May Your glory bring conviction in their lives that lead to salvationnot because of the words we say but because of Your presence and power in our hearts.”

God is awakening our hearts in the prayer room. That’s why it’s good to have your prayer room outward-looking. Maps, globes, news about missionaries, and many other things can give it an outward focus.

We’ve had one-week Houses of Prayer where unsaved friends and family’s names were taped up on one wall and the local pastors names on another wall. We had evenings in our prayer room where we focused on praying for the sick. In all these demonstrations of loving prayer we are showing earth that our God reigns supreme. We are bringing the reality of heaven to earth.

“The wake up call is now being sounded for the greatest force for truth and righteousness that has yet been released on the earth. It is now time to show the earth that heaven exists. All that we know on earth is but a shadow of the reality that is in heaven. We are called to bring reality to earth so that men will seek God.” Rick Joyner

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

A Heart for the Lost

cropped-11295696_968829226513518_6763007680125419221_n1.jpgThere is power in prayer and the heart of God is released in the prayer room. I had just experienced a tremendous prayer meeting for Israel right in the middle of the day. I hated to leave—the presence of God was so strong. But I knew that I had to work and run some errands, and so I hesitantly left.

I felt excitement and joy as I walked out of that prayer room.

Immediately after leaving, I drove to the post office in my city. The post office is not my favorite place to go because it takes time, especially when I have many things to do. It was right before Christmas—the worst time to wait in line—and I had to mail a package. So I anticipated a boring, long, and tedious wait. Sure enough the parking lot was full.

But when I walked in, my heart suddenly had a new agenda. LOST people were all around me. And there I was standing in line with nothing to do (or did God have something eternal in mine?). I looked at those people in line. Perhaps in a small way God had called me to bring the reality of heaven on earth. I looked, I prayed, and I began to share with the woman in front of me. I discovered that the lady behind me was a Christian, and the lady in front of the one I was witnessing to was one as well.

It turned out to be a glorious experience where others heard about Jesus, and Christians were encouraged in their faith—including me. The very powerful presence of God had gone with me from the prayer room. And it had all started in a prayer meeting.

Let’s let our prayers lead to heartfelt action. Make sure your House of Prayer focuses at times on outreach and praying for the lost. One youth pastor in Spain was amazed at what happened to his young people in the prayer room:

“For years I’ve been trying to get my young people to have a heart for the lost and a desire to pray. Last night I found eight of them on their faces in the prayer room at two A.M. weeping for their non-Christian friends. What’s happening?” Peter Greig and David Blackwell

In God’s presence we change as God gives us His heart for the lost. As we leave the prayer room, the presence of God goes with us and flows through our lives to all those with whom we come into contact.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

How to Build Harmony in Houses of Prayer

11053165_964488170280957_3100103821663776017_nUnited Prayer Life Application

There is an incredible power in united intercession. God brings harmony through song and intercession in Houses of Prayer throughout the world, and there is great expression of creativity in the prayer room through united prayer. Take time to incorporate this into your own prayer life and House of Prayer by carefully doing the following:

  • Meditate on Psalm 133 – What blessings have you experienced in your life when you have been united with other Christians? In what way do you think there is power in united intercession?
  • Study Colossians 3:12-14 – Look carefully at the values that help facilitate unity in prayer: mature team ministry, inclusiveness, and centrality of the Word. Have you experienced these values in the prayer meetings in which you have been involved in the past? Explain. How can you improve?
  • Study Ephesians 5:19-20 – Have you ever experienced the combination of singing and praying the Word? In what way does this partner with God’s heart? Write down your answer. Explain antiphonal singing from what you have learned.
  • How is the united creativity of God expressed in the prayer room and around the world? – Write a prayer thanking God for what you have learned about united prayer, and ask Him to build united intercession in your city.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Our Prayer for Wisdom in Developing a House of Prayer

11705283_989926471070460_3465871511591201976_nDear Lord, we pray for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know You better. Open the eyes of our hearts and enlighten us to know the hope to which You have called us (Ephesians 1:17-19a). Help us to start a House of Prayer in our city, and increase prayer in our churches. Give us dynamic prayer lives. We ask for you to give us practical wisdom when we pray with others. Give us Your creativity and a faithful team. Raise up dedicated intercessors and worshippers, and help us to plan carefully. Show us how to train and motivate people to pray.

Help us to be considerate of others in the prayer room, and teach us to love the diversity of your Church. Help us to be open to all types of prayers. Teach us to enjoy times of silence and times of music, times of intercession and times of thanksgiving, times of meditation and times of reading and praying Your Word. “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5). “Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” (Psalm 43:3-4).  

Lord, encourage our hearts and unite us in love, so that we may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that we may know the mystery of You, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). Release the wisdom of Your Spirit in our lives and in our city. Teach us how to pray in the prayer room both corporately and individually. Reveal Your will for our lives and Your love for us. Let your light enter our hearts, let Your Word grip our minds (Psalm 119:18, 105, 130; Colossians 3:1-3), and help us to make quality decisions to walk in righteousness (Psalm 24:3-6, 119:11, 32). We give you all the glory and praise. We thank You for the wisdom You will give us as we begin. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Verses to Memorize

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power to us who believe” (Ephesians 1:17-19a).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

How to Practice Wisdom in the Prayer Room

11403171_990321821030925_1910952849621166331_nWisdom in Prayer Life Application

We’ve looked at how treasures of wisdom are released in Houses of Prayer. We’ve discovered how to develop a dynamic prayer life in the prayer room, and learned important guidelines in starting a House of Prayer. Carefully review about wisdom in the prayer room and answer the following:

  • What practical wisdom will you apply in the prayer room? – Write a paragraph that specifically relates to you and is something you can look back on as a reminder.
  • Spend time daily this week praying the following Scriptures over your city – Psalm 25:4-5; 43:3-4; Ephesians 3:8b-11; Colossians 1:9-10 and 2:2-3. Write down any insight and wisdom you have received from God through praying these verses for your city.
  • How do you plan to develop a dynamic prayer life in the prayer room? – What will be your personal action plan? Take some time and write down your action plan specifically. Look at the prayer wisdom given in this wisdom section, and adapt it to your action plan. For example, a personal Bible plan, praying the apostolic prayers, making a prayer list, praying for wisdom, social issues, etc.
  • Picture with the eyes of faith what God wants to do in your life, your ministry, and in your city – Write a prayer bringing this picture before God.
  • Study carefully the guidelines in starting a House of Prayer – Write down any ideas and concerns as you look at when and where you should have it, length of time, creative approaches, who should be involved, what you can handle, etc. Share and discuss this with other like-minded people.
  • Evaluate and assess your city and Christian community – Pray with other like-minded people regarding the following: a consistent start, a faithful team, dedicated intercessors and worshippers, careful planning and clear guidance, and the training and motivating of intercessors. What areas do you need to work on the most?

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

What to Prayerfully Consider

11130260_964162560313518_4399395163024787223_n-2“Church of Christ, awake, awake! Listen to the call, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Take no rest, and give God no rest… God’s spirit will reveal to us the power of a life of intercession as a divine reality, an essential, an indispensable element of the great redemption and therefore also of the true Christian life. May God help us to know and to fulfill our calling!” Andrew Murray

Day and night prayer is God’s desire, and He will enable us to do it. As you grow in establishing a House of Prayer, realize that many dedicated intercessors and worshippers are needed. You need churches that have a vision for prayer. The good news is that God is awakening His Church to pray. Prayerfully consider the following when starting a House of Prayer in your city, or increasing the prayer meetings and prayer focus in your church:

  • A small, consistent start – It is better to start small and be consistent than to try to plan a big 24/7 all year and then quit. More personnel are needed for a 365-day House of Prayer. It’s important not to despise small beginnings. Good things usually start small and appear humble. Remember Jesus was born in a manger. Speak blessing over your small prayer meetings. God will enlarge them when He wants to, and He can explode grace on your little prayer meetings in an incredible way. Stay steady and consistent.
  • A faithful team – Many different individuals with various gifts are needed in a House of Prayer. How large a team you need depends on the size and length of your House of Prayer. For longer ones you may need a general coordinator, a daily coordinator, an administrative team and office, a way to collect prayer material and make it available to intercessors, a team to clean and decorate the prayer room, someone to work out the prayer times, etc. You’d be surprised at all the little tasks that need to be done. Delegate the responsibilities carefully.
  • Dedicated intercessors and worshippers – Pray that God will raise up intercessors to pray as well as worship leaders, singers, and others. Those with a lifestyle of devotion will be the bedrock that will sustain the House of Prayer along the journey. You need to pray that God will lead you to these people. Build deep, not just wide.
  • Careful planning and clear guidance – You must think about the ongoing process of recruiting new intercessors and maintaining the House of Prayer. Ask God continually for guidance, and wait for His Spirit to lead. As the House of Prayer grows, you will need more individuals to help meet the growing practical and spiritual needs. Pray for gifted individuals, especially ones who are strong in administrative or organizing gifts.
  • Training and motivating intercessors – It is easy for intercessors to get discouraged over time so provide ongoing encouragement through seminars, training, and finding ways to minister to them. Teach people how to pray. Help them to focus on the needs of their church, community, or city rather than their own personal needs.

I’ve written several books designed for training in prayer with an application at the end of each chapter to be applied personally or in small groups. See the books dropdown button on this site for books you can study together. You will want to use these or other resources on prayer for training and motivation for your House of Prayer. Keep communicating and feeding people with prayer information.

God will give you His creative wisdom as you build the House of Prayer in your city. Perhaps your testimony will exceed your wildest expectations just as this one did:

“Our 24-7 week exceeded all expectations. More than 200 people used the prayer room, and more than 20 churches got involved. 24-7 has been one of the most productive (yes, prayer is productive!) weeks I have ever known. People were saved. The lukewarm were ignited. Unity made huge steps forward. Through 24-7, a radical vision was imparted way beyond anything our puny little talks could have accomplished. The week has also multiplied itself into three other locations.”
Peter Greig and David Blackwell

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Counting the Cost

11049476_964514350278339_5040186320063747893_nEstablishing a House of Prayer in every city worldwide is now becoming a real possibility. It’s beginning to happen in various parts of the world. This involves local churches, individuals, prayer groups, and youth groups that unite for day and night prayer on a citywide level. But we must realize that a longer prayer time—for example one month instead of one week—takes a lot more people and planning. It requires working with all your heart for the Lord and for His glory.

We must be willing to count the cost.

You may only need thirty people for a week-long House of Prayer, but you need many more for a month-long House of Prayer, or for a continuous 24/7 in your city. You also must have enough dedicated intercessors. For year long Houses of Prayer, you must plan well and provide adequate motivation and guidance.

Keep in mind that you must continually recruit new intercessors because people do drop out and move away. Try to keep the intercessors encouraged and provide training in prayer for all involved. The Intercessors Arise International Website and this Nations House of Prayer Equipping Center provides training that you can teach and print out for those in your House of Prayer. New material will be continually added to both of these websites for your use.

It’s easy to get under attack or discouraged when involved in 24/7 prayer, and that’s why we emphasized a lot about laying a solid foundation. It takes steadfast and persistent prayer. Start with what you can handle. Ask yourself or your team:

  • How strong is the prayer community in our area?
  • Are the people used to prayer, or is it new to them?
  • Are they mature Christians?

Don’t be overly ambitious if the individual community is not used to praying. Start smaller and work your way up over time. A week may be a good idea in starting. Ask God for the right pace for your community. If you are starting a long-term House of Prayer, start with only a few hours a week. Remember that God is delighted with any increase in prayer, big and small. A successful week of prayer builds momentum for more prayer and delights God’s heart.

Look at the individuals in your community. Some want to pray an hour a day while others will pray once or twice a week. Some people will come once in a while. Some churches will want to take one-hour slots (sets) while others will want two. Then you will find churches that won’t want to get involved at all, at least initially. Some Houses of Prayer will ask churches to pray one day a week or one day a month. It varies everywhere. Some will be more organized and disciplined than others. So if yours is different than in another city, that’s ok.

Rejoice in God’s plan for prayer in your city, and do it with all your heart and strength (Colossians 3:23).

In Gibraltar, the churches started with a one-week House of Prayer. Then they did it again successfully. They want a long-term House of Prayer and several are praying for it. This is exciting because the population of Christians in Gibraltar is very small. They chose a neutral location and picked a conference center called Europa Point, situated at the very uppermost tip of the rock of Gibraltar, overlooking Spain and Morocco. We were recently there praying with several of them at Europa Point. What a great place to pray.

By Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise International
IHOP-KC

Creative Approaches

11018190_990332584363182_4240848183604782477_n“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in every one, it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good”
(1 Cor. 12:4-7).

There are so many creative approaches to 24/7 prayer all around the world. The same Spirit works so many different and creative approaches to Houses of Prayer. Some examples of various places are homes, basements, shacks, chapels, church buildings, offices, shopping centers, prisons, and dedicated prayer rooms.

Ask God to show you not only the right place, but the right timing. Plan carefully. Ask yourself, “Is this the best time when people will be in town?” Look at the big picture in your city. Are you building up to something bigger evangelistically in your community or church?

We had a month-long House of Prayer in our city right before the 400th anniversary of our nation and before a big evangelistic Graham Celebration. We chose this time very carefully, and it fit perfectly into what was happening—not only in our city—but also in our nation.

Maybe you are thinking about a continuous 24/7 House of Prayer in your city and want to start by creating a short season of prayer and then doing longer ones later. Remember that the local church is the primary cornerstone of the House of Prayer. Some churches and cities like to look at the seasonal approach to prayer. It’s better to quit when you’re ahead than to drag it on too long. You want to leave people hungry and eager for the next time.

Not only are there a variety of places, there are also a lot of different approaches to 24/7 prayer. Some like to sign up for one-hour slots or sets and fill in 24 hours. Some like two-hour sets. Think about how long individuals should be in the prayer room at one time in your House of Prayer.

Here at the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC), the staff is encouraged to spend two hours at a time in the prayer room. The NightWatch spend every night in the prayer room from midnight to 6:00 A.M. and love it. Perhaps one to four hours at a time should be the limit in the prayer room, though as you can see with the NightWatch, this isn’t a fixed rule.

Some churches like to cover a week of 24/7 prayer, or one day a week for a few months that can later grow into more days a month systematically. Churches can then come together with other churches that are doing the same thing. They can each take one day a week for an entire year. This becomes a 24/7, 365-day prayer watch that goes all year.

Young people are starting Houses of Prayer on college and university campuses and even children are mobilizing into prayer watches. People all over the world are becoming willing candidates for full-time prayer for various periods of time. God is presently raising up intercessory missionaries who make prayer their full-time occupation.

Even the names vary for Houses of Prayer. They can be called prayer rooms, 24/7 watches, prayer chains, boiler rooms, prayer towers, power houses, and prayer mountains, to name a few. And the focuses might vary from praise and worship, intercession and warfare, praying the Word of God, silent meditation and soaking prayer, praying for the nations, the needs of the community, the national needs, the local church, or any combination of these.

There is extreme creativity and uniqueness to each House of Prayer. Let’s not institutionalize what God is doing according to what we think is the right and wrong way of doing it. His House of Prayer is extraordinary. He is doing something that is fresh and alive, full of variety and creativity.

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Practical Wisdom in the Prayer Room

10407494_964089923654115_5859114877055829784_n-2The wonderful thing about God’s presence in the prayer room is that He seems to ambush you, and you don’t want to leave. I have seen the prayer room change people in prayer dramatically over a short period of time. What happens is quite supernatural. God changes our hearts.

One key as we start praying in the prayer room is simplicity. The prayer room is for beginners as well as the experienced. Everyone can do it. Encourage people to try different ways of prayer—reading a Psalm, praying the Scriptures, writing a song or letter to God, standing, kneeling, lying down, reading a devotional on prayer, singing, praying out loud, silent prayer, soaking prayer, etc.

Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind:

  • Pray the promises of Scripture – Claim God’s promises in the Bible over your city, church, and family. God’s Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). When you pray God’s promises over your family, neighborhood, or nation, you are planting seeds of God’s Word that will eventually grow and produce a harvest.
  • Pray for revival in your church, city, and nation – It is wise to bathe your area in prayer for revival. This releases God’s Spirit in the city. Spiritual breakthroughs usually come after Houses of Prayer are established.
  • Pray for things that are familiar with others in your geographical area – Pray for the needs in your area that are common to those in the prayer meeting. People can best agree in prayer over common concerns in the city.
  • Don’t pray long prayers – Realize that three to five minute prayers are long enough. In a corporate prayer meeting, you want many to be involved. When one person dominates the prayer room, others who desire to pray can feel frustrated. Here at the International House of Prayer we often pray ten to fifteen second prayers called “rapid fire” prayers.
  • Don’t inform God or others of the details of specific circumstances – God knows the circumstances, and others do not need to be informed. Too much time is often taken in sharing a prayer request rather than praying it.
  • Don’t teach or preach to others in your prayers – Always remember that you are praying to God and not others. Concentrate on Him, and pray to Him directly.

Realize that God uses all kinds of prayers. Variety is the key. Let people pray the way they want. There will be times of silence and times of music, times of intercession and times of thanksgiving, times of meditation and times of reading and praying the Scriptures. Some people are loud and some are quiet. Some kneel and some pace the floor. Some like to be alone in the prayer room and some like to pray in groups. The diversity of prayers and people is amazing. It’s different from hour to hour, and that’s what makes it so fresh and alive.

“Knowing God and having Him reside within you is a treasure of infinite value. Jesus likened this value to that of a perfect pearl. The collector would readily sell everything he had in order to possess this one matchless pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). Your relationship with God places an immeasurable value on your life. The treasure of God’s wisdom and knowledge are available to you through Christ (Colossians 2:2-3). His love now fills you. His incomprehensible peace surrounds your heart and mind (Philippians 4:7).” Henry and Richard Blackaby

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Prepare by Praying for God’s Future Church

11402980_990322897697484_1091674748470268243_n“Prayer must become the main focus of the church. We will not be able to continue to expect the grace of God without prayer. We will come to know that the Lord answers prayer, and we will also come to know the consequences of not praying. Prayer is soon going to become our greatest devotion because the true believers, the bondservants are going to know that He answers prayer.” Rick Joyner

How can we begin to prepare the Church for the future? How can we encourage this visitation of God upon His Bride?

Day and night prayer will be a major part. It will become our greatest devotion. As many become aware of this great challenge of establishing day and night worship and intercession, here are a few things to realize as we pray for the preparation of the Church in the future:

  • There are many who are interested in seeing a House of Prayer established – If God has given you a heart for prayer, don’t think that you are alone. This model is catching fire and is on the heart of God and many of His people throughout the earth. Pray that the Church worldwide catches fire for prayer and that Houses of Prayer will be started in every city in every nation. Pray for God to raise up forerunners who begin to pray for Houses of Prayer. Pray for the starting of one in your city and the strengthening of prayer in your church.
  • God is already establishing this for the end-time harvest – There are several ways that God has already been laying a movement of prayer on the hearts of His people. Much of the work has already been done in the unseen, hidden prayer dimension. Pray for the strengthening of the foundation of prayer in all churches, and praise God for what has already been accomplished in prayer.
  • God will put the pieces together – As the body of Christ rises up to this challenge, let’s realize that only God can do it. We only have to be obedient step-by-step, listening carefully for His strategy and direction. Pray that God’s people are obedient to do their part in establishing 24/7 prayer in their city. Pray that the Church listens to His strategy in every detail.
  • This will include the whole body of Christ – No church will own a citywide House of Prayer, but it will be the unity of the body in all its glorious diversity. We have tried to do it alone long enough. Unity needs to be our constant prayer as these prayer houses develop. People have different ideas and plans, but God’s purposes must prevail. Pray for the unity of the body of Christ worldwide and in the Houses of Prayer as they develop.
  • God wants to dwell in cities and regions of the earth – He wants the atmosphere so filled with united prayer and worship that it will then lead to a great harvest of souls. Pray for God to invade the cities and towns in your nation. Pray specifically for cities by name.
  • God alone must get all the glory for what He establishes – We are preparing the way for the King. We want to pray in His Kingdom reign. It’s not about us—it’s all about Him. Pray that the Church in every nation gives God the glory for what He establishes, and welcomes His Kingdom reign in their city and nation.
  • Much fervent prayer is needed – Prayer is needed before Houses of Prayer arise and fully bloom into what God wants them to be. The enemy hates it and will try to stop it all along the way. Pray that the Church worldwide rises up in fervent, persistent, and unceasing prayer.

God’s praying Church will be so appealing. The attractiveness of its beauty, the smell of its fragrance, and the power in its prayers to heal the sick and set people free will be too good to pass up. Millions will want to come into the Kingdom when the Church becomes beautiful with the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. It will happen. Watch and see.

God is giving grace right now for prayer, and His future Church will be a grace-empowered praying Church. It will be a sincere Church that voluntarily loves Him by choice without condition or reserve. It will be an informed Church, filled with individuals who pursue the knowledge of God and are hungry to know Him. It will be a fulfilled Church, satisfying to the hungry and powerfully changing the world through its prayers.

“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). 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 God 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.” Gary Wiens

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC