What is IHOP?
What is IHOP?The International House of Prayer Missions Base in Kansas City (IHOP- KC), is a non-profit organization that has sustained a 24/7, night and day prayer meeting since September 19, 1999. There are twelve prayer meetings everyday, each two hours long. Each prayer meeting is staffed with musicians, singers, and intercessors. IHOP-KC is committed to prayer, worship, fasting, intimacy with God, the great commission, preparing the Church for the End-times, and doing acts of justice. They are committed to raising up messengers who will bring forth the message of Jesus to their generation in all nations.
Biblical Example: King David financially staffed 4,000 musicians and 288 singers to minister to God. The prayer room has been designed to reflect this, where there is ceaseless worship to the Lord and intercession for the world. Scripture reveals night and day prayer and worship to be essential; it is God’s primary way to establish justice in the earth, which is essentially to make the wrong things right (Luke 18:1-7).
What is an Intercessory Missionary?
An Intercessory Missionary is one who is dedicated to causing change in the lives of people in all nations through prayer, worship, fasting, and outreach. One biblical example is Anna found in Luke 2:36-38. Anna was the first evangelist in the New Testament, who prayed and fasted for over sixty years as she worked to prepare the earth for the first coming of Jesus.
The ministry at IHOP-KC is committed to equipping and sending out missionaries as dedicated intercessors and evangelists to work to see revival within the Church, and a harvest among those searching for God. IHOP-KC seeks to train believers to love Jesus and others wholeheartedly, from the place of night and day prayer to go forth and preach the Word of God, heal the sick, serve the poor, plant houses of prayer, and proclaim the return of Jesus across the earth. Like John the Baptist, intercessory missionaries are called a lifestyle of discipline and devotion and to be voices who cry, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
Fire In The Night: Jan-Jun 2009
I recently completed a 6-month internship called Fire In the Night. We were in the prayer room from midnight-6am and had 2-hour long classes most nights. We also had various service hours each week including: serving at an inter-city prayer meeting, sanctuary cleaning,
kitchen cleaning, ushering, and working with the Children’s ministry on weekend services. The internship consisted of two 3-month tracks. Track 1 focused on intimacy with God, and Track 2 focused more on the end-times and leadership. The internship was probably the wisest thing I have done for 6 months. Being put before the fire of God revealed great darkness and weakness in my heart; yet, at the same time, I have never been more confident in God’s love for me and how much He enjoys and delights in me. I met a real man named Jesus and I went deep into the Word, yet this is only the beginning of a life-long journey.
I have always been a night person, but in the last few years, God has stirred up passion in my heart for the night. Jesus is worthy to be praised even at 2am. When darkness is all around and many are giving themselves to immorality, I have great peace and joy knowing there is a community ranging from young adults to families with children that is praying and worshiping each night. Psalm 134 is one of the clearest mandates and palms directed towards those who “stand by night.” Though there is sacrifice physically, emotionally, and socially, being on a night schedule is more than worth it to behold and bless the Lord at night. This is why I choose to be part of the Nightwatch.
