Beyond a doubt, God is raising up a prayer movement across the Earth.  From Europe, to America, to Australia, to China, prayer houses are springing up world wide, and 24/7 incense is being offered upon the altars of the hearts of thousands of passionate worshipers.  Forms can vary from region to region, from house to house, but one thing is constant, that the Lord Jesus is lifted up, worshiped, and adored.

Devotion, Adoration, Intimacy, Contemplation, and “The Secret Place” are becoming more common terms throughout the body of Christ.  Seemingly without any direct motivating factor, songs of intimacy, of passion, and love are spreading throughout the Earth.

Of course, it is not by accident.  Although the eyes of flesh cannot  see it, the very fact that there has been prayer, praise, and worship 24 hours a day, seasoned with fasting and sacrifice, 365 days a year now for over 12 years now in Kansas City is for sure one of the driving forces.  The invisible, yet very real movement of the Spirit, energized by night-and-day prayer of those at IHOP-KC, as well as those throughout the world, are changing the face of the church as we speak.

We do not need to see it, but like a strong wind on a clear day, we can tell the weather is changing, we can see it in the trees and watch the leaves move in the wind.

All because of prayer.  For sure, the Lord is doing something in the Earth.

When we come to our own prayer houses, what are we looking for?  Do we look primarily for time slots to be filled?  Do we look for the right number of apostolic intercession session balanced with devotional sessions?  Do we look for the dynamic of the anointing as we cycle from worship to praying on the mic?

When all is done, at the end of the day, what is it that we believe makes God happy with our service?

Mike Bickle’s story of praying the scripture Psalm 27:4 is of note.  The day the Lord gave that scripture to him, he had told people only to pray revival prayers out loud.  When this devotional scripture from the Old Testament came, he didn’t even want to pray it out, because it didn’t fit his paradigm.  Yet, when he was called later that night by a prophet, and told that it was of the Lord, he was shown what would become one of the central verses of the prayer movement.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this one thing I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze upon His beauty, and inquire of Him in His temple.

Psalm 27:4

What God gave Mike didn’t fit his pre-conceived notion of what “revival prayer” should be, yet, at the end of the day, if we ever lose our first love, even our great increase in labor becomes fruitless.

The arm of the Lord is not too short to save today.  As the Lord told His servant Ruth Ward Heflin while she was still alive in Jerusalem, “If you sow to the heavens, I will sow to the Earth.”  Her and her group on Mount Zion years ago in Jersualem lifted a praise service to the Lord, and exatled Him.  He was enthroned on their spontaneous praises, and they learned the new song.  And, elsewhere in the city, as they were sowing heavenward, God poured out His Holy Spirit in a fresh wave of revival on Baptists in the city, sowing to the Earth.

You see, God’s ways are simply that much higher than ours.  Even His foolishness is even greater than our best wisdom.  In this effort to pour ourselves out as drink offerings before the Lord, if we ever take what is set before us lightly, we have failed to appreciate the great call He has laid upon us.  Yet, in the same measure, whenever we begin to take ourselves too seriously, we have already lost.

The prayer movement is the worship movement, and the worship movement is the prayer movement.  They are interchangeable.  Yet, it is those who humble themselves like little children that are the greatest in the Kingdom.  May we never forget that death and life are in the power of the tongue, may we continue to prophesy, decree, and declare according to the measure of our faith, but let us never forget, that if all we can do is sit at His feet, pour forth our hearts, our worship, and our adoration as perfume upon His feet, it was enough then, and it is enough now.

May we always remember His words concerning Mary’s decision to sit in Luke 10:42:   It will not be taken away from her.

In Jesus’ name…