On May 7th, 1999, I gathered together a few singers, musicians and worship leaders to launch a prayer meeting in an old trailer. We affectionately referred to it as the “Bethlehem Stable” because we knew that God uses humble beginnings to birth things dear to His heart. By September 19th, 1999, the Lord had brought enough worship leaders, musicians and singers here to Kansas City for us to cover 84 two-hour prayer meetings a week.
We were quite a sight…weak, a bit off key, yet beautiful to God. I remember nights where the “Night Watch” was held together by just 2-3 singers who went for 3-4 hours at a time. There were about 10 full-time staff with IHOP on the first day and about 50 by the end of that year. They were involved in everything from singing to cleaning the bathrooms. It was glorious and grueling, but the fire on the prayer altar has never gone out.
Today, we have 400-500 staff members at IHOP…singers, intercessors, worship leaders, and operations staff. We have another 400-500 interns and Bible school students. Our Night Watch averages over 100 people who pray and worship through the night. The Bible school is growing with young adults who are passionate for Jesus. Our Forerunner Music Academy is being launched in August with 100 students who will join the worship teams as musicians and singers. We are blessed by healings in the Healing Prayer Rooms. We see children being trained in prayer and the Word day by day.
In the moments we have left, run hard, give yourself with abandon, and live every moment in the gaze of your King – the One who loves you, and gave Himself for you. I love running with you.
Until He Comes,
Mike Bickle, IHOP-KC Director
On September 19th, 1999, a prayer meeting began which continues today. From dawn to dusk and through the watches of the night, prayer and worship have continued twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for seven years.
The Prayer Room is the heartbeat of all that goes on at the IHOP Missions Base. Scripture teaches that night and day prayer is crucial if a city is to witness the fullness of revival (Luke 18:1-7). We are offering Jesus unremitting adoration and contending for the manifestation of justice in every realm of life.
Mary of Bethany extravagantly worshipped Jesus by pouring her alabaster flask of costly perfume onto His body (See John 12:1-8). For this the disciples criticized her. Jesus commended her. It is our desire to worship Jesus in this way, pouring out our lives before Him. We long for IHOP to be a place of encounter – a place for personal transformation, fresh revelation and training in the Word, a place where hearts are set free and bodies are healed, a place where believers are unified and fresh direction is received, and a place where we can gather to intercede for the in-breaking of revival.
Doe v. Bolton Denied Without Comment
The Supreme Court denied hearing of the Doe v. Bolton abortion case this past Tuesday. Like Roe v. Wade last year, they denied hearing the case with no comment. This is disappointing news, but the Lord has reminded me the past few days of the picture of Jesus found in Isaiah 42:4, “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth”. I am resolved like never before to see this thing overturned in our nation.
In the natural, our focus now shifts to the South Dakota Abortion Ban, which if passed would create a court case that would eventually make it to the Supreme Court and would be much harder for the Supreme Court to deny hearing. The voters of South Dakota will decide by popular vote whether to ban abortion in their state on November 7th Election Day.
CNN Article about Doe v. Bolton
Contending in Prayer for the Doe v. Bolton Abortion Case
From Thursday night, October 5th, until the breaking of the dawn Friday morning, the IHOP Night Watch stood on our “LIFE Lines” in the prayer room crying out for the ending of abortion in America and for the Supreme Court to accept the Doe v. Bolton abortion case. Many of the intercessors were on the floor weeping before the Lord asking Him to have mercy on our nation. Friday, October 6th at 10 am the Supreme Court justices met in a conference to decide whether they would accept this case. Unfortunetly, they did not accept the case, but I am more encouraged than ever to keep fighting this battle for LIFE.
I was pleased at the response of the staff of the International House of Prayer to the call to pray for this case. Monday thru Wednesday our staff fasted for three days on our monthly Global Bridegroom Fast. During this time we focused much of our all-staff fasting meetings on the case. We also called three days of 24/7 standing on what we call our “LIFE Lines”. These are lines in the front of the prayer room where people can stand in prayer much like the intercessors who have been standing in silence in front of the Supreme Court for two years. Over fifty hours were covered with people standing in prayer on these lines for the court case and for two couples in our midst who are in need of healing for their babies.
Our attention now turns to the Supreme Court case of Partial Birth abortion coming to their docket November 9th and South Dakota as they vote whether abortion will be legal in their state. Please join us in prayer at this critical hour.
Ministry Trip to the Zadok House of Prayer, Charlotte, NC, October 9th-17th
On Monday, October 9th I will be flying to the Zadok House of Prayer in Charlotte, North Carolina. They started this past January with a desire to establish yet another house of prayer in this nation bringing a 24/7 cry of worship and prayer before the throne of God. With only a few hours to go to make their schedule 24/7 they are close to fulfilling this goal. They have a particular emphasis on praying for the government and the ending of abortion.
I am going to keep my schedule and serve during the Night Watch. I will be leading worship, singing, praying, and serving the Night Watch in any way I can. I am also looking forward to getting to visit with many of my friends who have now moved to this house of prayer. Lou Engle and Bound4LIFE have moved their headquarters to Charlotte as well. So, I expect I will spend some time with them praying for the ending of abortion.
“Haunted House” Outreach
We have kicked off our annual Halloween outreach. Like last year, we have put together a reality-based “haunted house” in the Kansas City haunted house district. However, this “haunted house” is different then the other haunted houses, it shows the reality of the top 5 teen killers: drunk driving, drug overdose, abortion, gang violence, and teen suicide. At the very end of the walk-through they are taken on a train-ride through hell where they ominously hear real people above and beside them crying out for help in cages scattered throughout the small room. At the end they see the only hope of avoiding this eternal nightmare: Jesus hanging on the cross bearing the wrath of God for them if they will only turn to Him. At the end, counselors are available to talk to them afterwards and many will undoubtedly, like last year, make decisions for Christ.
I will be a part of this outreach again this year as a counselor, working behind the scenes, and possibly acting as well. Please pray that people will come to know Jesus as I talk with those who come and serve in other ways at this outreach. I will have a full report of the outreach including how many people make decisions for Christ in November’s Ministry News Online Edition.
