We can all too easily become enamored by forms and models.  It was the prophet Ezekiel that indicted the house of Israel, saying that their hearts weren’t in what they were singing.  ”Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.” Ezekiel 33:32.

It is the honor of those who are pursuing the place of prayer that they respect and reverence the duty God has entrusted to them.  Intercessors have the sacred honor in the Lord of standing between the living and the dead, of coming between God and another and making a case for them.  It is important to never overlook this as a light thing, or to forget the great need.

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety (reverence).

Hebrews 5:17

Jesus stood before the people of His day, and interceded for us all the while destroying the works of the devil.  His reverence, his piety, caught the attention of heaven.  The worst thing for an intercessor is not to take this walk of faith seriously, to not take into account every detail of his or her life.  By definition, he must be “spotless” in the blood, and in obedience to the Spirit, if he is to have a voice before the throne.  You do not have authority to bind what binds you!

But, rather, Jesus considered the joy set before Him of greater worth than avoiding the cross.  But, Jesus didn’t let anything of the enemy into Himself (John 14:30).  But, rather, He stood in purity, in intercession and supplication, until finally, upon Calvary, He knew knew that it was finished, and His work on Earth was complete.

The place of prayer is the sweetest place in Him, yet, with the weight of the burdens God grants us, it can be the absolute most crushing place.  What an honor to give one’s very life in the love of the Father within us.  And, though we may not all be called to this place, as men like Rees Howells were in the Second World War, it is the reverence that will commend us to the Father, and see that our intercession is heard.

Surely, history turns on the back of the intercessors, for better or for ill, and if God even hears the cries of the sinners and the unjust, how much more will He answer us to call out to Him day and night (Luke 18:6).

The Kingdom of God is at hand, and every time we stretch forth ourselves in faith on behalf of another, the world changes.  And every time we don’t, it doesn’t.  It isn’t ever about us, and, if isn’t ours to give, it isn’t.  If we are in the will of God, then to raise the dead or to take a nap, the pay is the same.  But, when the love of the Father arises within us, and faith comes alive in our hearts, mountains will move, and the Red Sea will split.

God has not changed, and if He listened to Elijah, He will hear us when we cry.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16 KJV (portion)

Oh the excitement of writing about prayer…I asked the Lord what shall I say? I could write about this and that and another.. and as my mind was filling with the joy of all the treasures of prayer, I heard the small voice say “fervent”.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  To be fervent means to show great warmth or intensity of spirit.  When we begin to converse with God the warmth of the spirit and the fire of the Lord begin to stir the passions of  His desires through us.

What a wonderful gift the Lord gives to us that we could share in the passions of His heart. That our yielding to the call of prayer could change the heart of one or change the destiny of a nation or simply draw us personally into the deep chambers of the Lord to experience the intimacy of the most High.

Peter in Jail

I am reminded of the story about Peter and the results of fervent prayer. Here is Peter asleep between two guards, two more at the door watching after he was beaten and bound with chains.  It says that long and fervent prayer was being made by the assembly unto God for him (Acts 12:5).  He had people that were burning up the incense on his behalf unto the Lord and look what happens!

He was visited by an angel of the Lord who then lights up the room, cuts all of his chains, tells him to hurry and get some shoes and his garment around him and to follow him. Obviously this is all taking place amidst guards who were oblivious yet next to him guarding the doors.  They were completely unaware of everything around him.

Prayers Availed Deliverance

Peter, in disbelief,  thought he was in a vision.  Soon he realized that he was following the messenger of the Lord who was leading him through two prison wards to an iron gate.  That gate opened on its own and let him through.  Peter was released on the street.  It then says Peter came to and was himself.

Peter was so filled with the glory of the Lord that he wasn’t even aware of the trouble. Peter came to the house of Mary and he found a large gathering of people who were praying for him. It says the people were thronged together.  The expression depicts specifically a large group of people pressed together, as to do work!  This was an example of  the prayers offered up.  It created spiritual pressure causing a reaction in the realm of the spirit that ended up in a miracle in the life of Peter.  The phenomenal part is that the people praying didn’t have a clue of the effectiveness of their prayers!  Not only did they not believe it was Peter, he had to knock for quite a while before anyone let him in.

When they were told of who was at the door they thought it was Peter’s angel.  Wow.

Do we really know what our fiery prayers do? Our prayers break chains and allow people to translate through danger by petitioning the angels in heaven.  They lift up the oppressed up into joy and deliver them into safety!

What if we knew and were confident that our prayers were effective?  In Faith, knowing we are in agreement with the Father, pressed into such a fiery realm of prayer, mountains are literally moved by the communion of prayer in faith, agreeing  with what we see the Father doing.  Every time we touch and agree.

The Joy of the Lord

How often do we have the joy of the Lord consume us in that place of deep prayer. Do we pray with joy and fire in our spirits?  Are we energized with His Spirit, even if we don’t see results?

When Peter knocked on the door he was overlooked because the damsel named Rhoda who knew the voice of Peter was so filled with the joy of the Lord because of answered prayer.  She had to go tell everyone what happened before she even opened the door!

When we stay in that place of perfect peace and joy as we pray and commune with the Lord, knowing the whole time His outcome was perfect, we would continuously go deeper and deeper into the realms of Jesus heart. We would see a continuous increase in the passions that burden our Lord and be invited to participate more deeply into his purposes.  We could be drawn even more deeply and longer into those secret places, we would feel the increase of  intensity of the Lords presence in our spirits.

The overflow of that overflow alone would make one want to be like the prophetess Anna, who after her husbands death, was estimated to have spent 80 years in constant fasting and prayer in the temple. Think of what you may see in the temple with the Lord constant for 80 yrs! She was put in the book because of her devotion to Him in prayer.  I want to be continually being filled with the firery passions of the Lord all the days of my life!

Deeper in Prayer

How do we begin to draw deeper into prayer?  The Word says the prayers of a righteous man availeth much.  How do we prepare our hearts for such a call to prayer.  Righteousness meaning morally right or justifiable, acting in a morally and upright way. Do our actions really produce a deeper walk with the Lord?

Walking in virtue produce a transparency that creates a place of deeper union. We are called to be holy for He is holy. When we are transformed into the image of  the Almighty, the union we experience leaves the old man dead.  This means no more desires for a sinful nature. We are then aware of the pains of  conviction when we sin and are filled with the recognition and awareness of the freedom that comes by the blood through willful repentance and gratitude of a Savior who died so I may live and live free.

When we become honest and sincere with our heart, willing to release the sin in our lives, it looses the darkness in our hearts.  It allows the fresh rush of  His blood to cleanse and fill us to overflowing, and also bring healing and restoration us to Him.  It allows for that sweet voice of the Master to be heard again.

It allows us to jump into rivers of refreshing and experience the joys of a Father, not because we have to because we are dirty, but because we get to and we desire to know our Jesus more and more.  In a pure and translucent union, knowing that no darkness can be in the light, we are one.

When we spend time with Him we begin to look like Him, act like Him, smell like Him.  My desire is to be so like Him, that it is He who people see in me.

And it isn’t as if any of this being done primarily by my own efforts, of course, but simply a natural change caused by a union that is supernatural.  It was Jesus’ hearts cry to His Father that we may know the Father the way He does.  When Jesus prayed in the garden, the intensity of His spirit caused His natural body to bleed through His pores. His body already preparing for the blood shed for our sins as He felt the weight of the world then.  Yet, Jesus even then was communing with His Father in such a way that  consumed Him with the passions of His Father.  And it was the Father that released everything Jesus needed in that moment of a crushing burden, so that our Lord could release Himself into His Father, in complete oneness.

The King of Glory

Who is this amazing King of Glory?  Our prayers ignite a flame that only increases our desire to know Him more.  The breath of His presence that consumes us by His Spirit takes us on a road that draws us into complete oneness with the Father and His purposes.

May  the warmth of His Spirit and the intensity of the weight of His purpose capture you and rapture you into a ever increasing desire to be close to Him.  I pray that you would be so naturally bound to a supernatural Heavenly Father that the prayer realms in the Spirit would be your natural way of life.  I release the message of Ephesians 1:3-23 over your life and pray that you are over-joyed with a fresh filling of the spirit of fiery fervent prayers that warm and intensify your spirit, and that draw you deeper into the purposes of your Heavenly Father.

 Ephesians 1:3-23

Blessed is the God and Father of our Jesus Christ, who did bless us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, according as He did choose us in him before the foundation of the world, for our being holy and unblemished before Him, in love, having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He did make us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the remission of the trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, in which He did abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure, that He purposed in Himself, in regard to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth — in him; in whom also we did obtain an inheritance, being foreordained according to the purpose of Him who the all things is working according to the counsel of His will, for our being to the praise of His glory, even those who did first hope in the Christ, in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth — the good news of your salvation — in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.

[15] Because of this I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love to all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the recognition of him,the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, for your knowing what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us who are believing, according to the working of the power of His might, which He wrought in the Christ, having raised him out of the dead, and did set him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and authority, and might, and lordship, and every name named, not only in this age, but also in the coming one; and all things He did put under his feet, and did give him — head over all things to the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of Him who is filling the all in all.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Matthew 21:22

Sometimes, all we can do is ask.  Sometimes, all we can do is keep on asking.  Sometimes.

Asking can seem like such a small thing.  Yet, it is what He asked us to do.  There is something about a submissive spirit, and trusting and yielding spirit, that is required to ask someone in authority over you for something you need.  They could tell you no.  They could condemn or ridicule you for your lack of ability in yourself.  They could ignore you like you just don’t matter.  They wound you in so many ways, because the place of asking is the place of opening up your vulnerability.

Yet, sometimes, as we approach His throne, He is the only thing on our mind.  As the anointing comes, and as the glory enters, sometimes, with David, we can only say..

 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD

And to meditate in His temple.

Psalm 27:4

Sometimes, after all else settles down, and the comfort, security, and peace comes, we realize that the only thing we really needed personally was simply a greater revelation of Him!  He is our portion, and our supply.

I find it sad that there are so many denominations and sects out there that have an effectively dead understanding of prayer.  They understand God to be so sovereign, so mighty, and so “other”, that He already knows what He is going to do.  Yet, Jesus told us to ask.  In fact, He told us to ask ALOT! (Luke 11:8).

Like when Abraham pleaded for the deliverance of Sodom based on the number of righteous souls within it.  Like Moses and Aaron, as they interceeded for the nation of Israel when God said he would wipe them all out.  Like Jesus when He went up on the mountain alone.

The simple thing is the profound thing, the power is in the asking.  Our requests change things, and our continual asking moves God’s heart to move, and to move on our behalf where He would not have otherwise.

 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

James 4:2

We are required to come with a right heart, but if we do not ask, we may not always have.

And, if we do not see the results we wish to see at first, we must never lose heart.

Many today, as is evident by commentary after commentary, writing after writing, dismiss the simple call of Jesus to ask and receive, simply because, in their own minds, they have not seen it work.  They may see some answers to prayer, or they may see a certain percentage, but, because, in their minds, they do not see things like mountains being moved at the command of a voice, they wish to allegorize passages such as Mark 11:23, the mountain yielding to a word.

Yet, as always, Jesus, The Truth, said it.  It does not matter how many times you fail, it is His word against yours–It is impossible for God to lie.  Though we cannot perceive it, if we do not see what we want, we must assume there is simply a lack of faith or the presence of doubt.  Even if imperceptible to us, it is God that is perfect, and it is us that is fallible.

Jesus simply said to ask.  He showed His disciples the path of faith, and said, pray this way.  Until we die, until we see perfectly, until we part from this Earth and shed this earthly tabernacle, let us stand by our confession, that He is faithful, and He is true.  Let us stand claiming His word as true, and every man a liar.

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord, and stand believing.  As for me and my house, I know that my God saves.  As for me and my house, I will stand my watch, I will wait and pray, I will stand asking.

For, I know my God is faithful, and I know He is able.  He is not slack concerning His promises.

When Jesus had said to His disciples, concerning Lazarus, that the sickness would not end in death, what was the very thing that confronted them all?  An apparent broken word when Lazarus died.  Jesus was still an Old Testament prophet, mind you.  A false prophetic statement would mean death for Him under the law, and would have meant that all the disciples had wasted their lives, if you followed the strict Mosaic law.  This may help explain the retort, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Yet, Jesus’ words proved perfect.  The end of that sickness, was not death.  It did travel through death, and Lazarus’ life, like all mortal men, did end in death, but that sickness, though it passed through, came out the other side, and resulted in resurrection!  Jesus’ words are perfect, every time, no matter what circumstances look like in the mean time.

So, let us take Jesus at His word.

All things, whatsoever you ask, believing, ye shall receive.

His words.

So, let’s keep asking.

The only thing really on the outlook is trying to make a place for user-submitted events, just have to find a working plugin that I don’t have to devote alot of time to.

Also, if anyone would like to help out with the HoP discovery (aka, googling state-by-state), send a note and I’ll see what is available.

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…

There is a desire to excel and to “win” in the heart of a man. Basic competition isn’t the problem, so long as the heart is right. The formula for perfection is simple.

Mark 11:20-24
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

You see, Jesus had just cursed a fig tree and seen it wither from the roots–talk about power and authority!  In another similar encounter, the disciples asked Jesus for MORE faith (Luke 17:5-6), and Jesus said it wasn’t the AMOUNT of faith that mattered, it was its PURITY.

If you believe, and do not doubt, you shall have whatever you ask for.

You see, when it comes to prayer houses, our primary goal is not a time-slot, it is a cleft-spot (Exodus 33:22).  If we don’t find that place, or worse yet, if we forget about that place (Psalm 91:1), we are simply singing pretty love songs.

To be the best, Jesus said, was not a matter of massive faith, only pure faith.

You see, when you have the smallest, mustard-seed sized faith, without any doubt at all, it is enough.

Jesus, when asked to increase their faith, told them to get rid of their doubt instead.

You have it, it’s enough, just keep going, and don’t look back.  Ever!

When the prayer movements makes the shift from singing about how much they want God, to how good He is; from our need, lack, and want, to His all sufficiency, is when we will begin to see an explosion of faith throughout the Earth.  When we begin to speak more those things that are not as though they are, and prophecy our His supply instead of the lack we feel, and don’t turn around, we will see the Kingdom advance.

You don’t have to be the biggest house of prayer to be the greatest, you simply have to be the purest.  Just be faithful in the little, don’t compromise even on the small stuff, and give your all, every day, all day.  You’ll never be disappointed!

In Jesus’ Name…

I still have to do a more in-depth investigation of the HoP listings to make sure they are all up-to-date. I have added several and deleted a few. We are not very particular, so long as there is some contact information, and websites listed are still valid. We are also moving to more listings with images.

Currently, although there are many more HoPs not yet discovered, we only have three US states with no locatable (so far) HoPs. They are:

North Dakota
Rhode Island
New Hampshire

If you know of any HoPs that are not listed on this site, please submit them (here). Also, if you are the owner or administrator of a HoP, and would like the ability to edit/delete your entry, contact me, and I can provide you with a password that will allow you to change your listing any time you want, as often as you want.

Provisionally, as well, we currently have a simple Google map available of the current HoPs (here). It is NEARLY automatic, but I still have to re-submit the URL to Google each time the list changes. It’s a nice addition, however.

If anyone would like to contribute to this effort, especially regarding HoP discovery and data-entry, feel free to contact me here (such as, leave a comment or email me on the Contact Page).

The site is now being run under a new host, and we have already had a few updates to the interface, and the original database is back online.

All previously submitted HOPs are listed, but we have not had a chance to update the listings. Some of the submissions were corrections and whatnot, and these have not been rectified with our database.

If you see errors or know of a correction, you can contact me (see the About page for my email address). I will be re-writing the HoP submission process (way too much spam), as well as possibly creating a way for an admin contact to UPDATE a HoP listing via a password. I would really like to offload most of the maintenance of the site to the people who care the most: the HoPs themselves and those using this site for connecting to HoPs in your area.