IHOP Featured In Ministry Today Magazine

My House Shall Be Called...
Mike Bickle

Beyond programs and prayer meetings, the church today must embrace its role as an eternal house of intercession

The house of prayer in a city is not a church, not a prayer ministry and not the building in which they meet. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Mo., is only a “gas station”—we take a cup of gasoline and throw it on the prayer fires that burn in the real “house of prayer in Kansas City,” which is the entire body of Christ, made up of more than 1,000 congregations in our area.

The eternal destiny of all God’s people is to function as a house of prayer now and in the age to come. In one short statement, Jesus revealed this to us when He prophetically declared, “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matt. 21:13).

Isaiah also spoke this decree when he prophesied to Israel: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (see Is. 56:7). When God calls us by a specific name, it indicates our character and how we are to function in the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be a house of prayer? It means that God speaks to us and moves our heart; then we speak those very words back to Him, moving His heart. This results in God’s resources—His power, money, wisdom, creative ideas, unity and favor in ministry—being released into the earthly realm. The foundational principle of prayer is that God speaks and moves our heart, and then we speak and move His heart. This is how God’s family will operate forever.

The Mystery and Majesty of Intercession

As we consider our identity as God’s house of prayer, I am struck by the mystery and the majesty of intercession. The mystery of intercession is in its simplicity: We just tell God what He tells us to tell Him. It is so easy that everyone can do it. The majesty of intercession is that Jesus Himself intercedes. Jesus lives forever to make intercession for His people (see Heb. 7:25); He rules the nations through intercession now and will do the same in the age to come (see Ps. 2:8). Jesus is fully God, yet He intercedes. What humility!

In Genesis 1 the Father’s plan was to bring order to earth. The Spirit hovered over the earth, yet the chaos and darkness remained: “The earth was without form, and void ... and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God [Jesus] said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (vv. 2-3).

When Jesus declared the word, “Let there be light,” the Spirit released light. The Spirit would not release the light until Jesus declared it. The darkness remained until Jesus “interceded” and spoke God’s word over the darkness to release the Spirit’s creative power.

All three members of the Godhead work together in creation. The Father’s plan was to create the heavens and earth. Jesus spoke those plans into being. Jesus operated in the foundational principle of intercession by speaking God’s word back to Him. Then the Holy Spirit released the power (see Gen. 1:3, 9,11,14-15,24,30).
Jesus expressed Himself as an “intercessory oracle,” as Creator, by speaking God’s word back to God: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (see Ps. 33:6).

Just as Jesus created all that is by speaking the word to the Father, He now upholds—holds together—the created order by the word of His power (see Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). This is one form of intercession that Jesus will engage in forever.

Prayer Is Agreement

Agreement with God’s heart is foundational to prayer and spiritual warfare and is expressed in worship. For example, we may say to God, “You are worthy,” “You are good” or “Holy is the Lord.” In worship, we declare the truth of who God is and this leads to intimacy with Him. Intercession is agreement with what God promises to do. For example, we may say, “Lord, release Your power.” When we declare the truth of who God is in worship, our faith expands to agree with what He has promised to do—this is intercession. The Father has ordained that His “house” rule with Jesus through “intimacy-based intercession.” Intimacy speaks of how our heart connects with God. Intercession relates to releasing His resources.

So we see that God governs the universe in partnership with His people through intercession. He opens doors of blessing and closes doors of oppression in response to our prayers. The Lord gives His people a dynamic role in determining a measure of the quality of life that we experience as we respond to Him in prayer, obedience, faith and meekness. There are blessings that God chose to give, but only as His people rise up in the partnership of prayer. He requires that we ask because it causes us to interact with His heart (see James 4:2). This is an expression of His desire for intimate partnership with us.

God jealously protects His relationship with us by not releasing His resources until we speak to Him in prayer. He requires us to pray, for the very reason that He is jealous for relationship with us and is zealous to establish His goodness in our lives. God longs to release His grace and power, but actually waits until He hears the cry of His people in intercession (see Is. 30:18-19). God will not do our part, and we cannot do His part. If we don’t do our part, then God withholds some of the help and blessing He would have given us.

Justice

Jesus is the ultimate social reformer. He establishes justice to reform society. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:7, NASB). Jesus is the only social reformer in history who linked cultural transformation to night-and-day prayer.

Justice is exemplified by soul-winning, healing, revival, unity and the transformation of society. More than preventing wicked people from oppressing others, it includes empowering God’s people. Jesus knew that prayer would deal with the spiritual issues related to injustice and that prayer could change the spiritual atmosphere of a city or region.

Jesus continues in verse eight (ESV): “He will give justice to them speedily.” The only way justice can be fully manifested is if we deal with the demonic powers in the supernatural realm, moving angels and demons by our words (see Dan. 10:12-13). That is what Jesus’ question means in verse seven. The missions movement will not progress without night-and-day prayer.

Intercession and God’s Plan

Prayer has always been at the center of God’s purpose. Chapters four and five of the book of Revelation describe the worship order around God’s throne, where the four living creatures agree with Him in 24/7 worship and intercession (see Rev. 4:8).

Consider these examples:

• Human history began in a prayer meeting in the Garden of Eden, as Adam walked with God each day in the cool of the morning (see Gen. 3:8).
• Israel as a nation began at a prayer meeting at Mount Sinai right after they crossed the Red Sea, when God called them to be a kingdom of priests (see Ex. 19:6–20).
• The first mandate God gave Israel was to build a worship sanctuary, a house of prayer, in the wilderness (see Ex. 25).
• God’s purpose for His people to be a house of prayer is evident during the reigns of David and his son Solomon—Israel’s greatest hour in history. King David established night-and-day worship (see 1 Chr. 15-16), and financed more than 4,000 full-time paid musicians and singers (see 1 Chr. 23:5; 25:7). David commanded the kings and leaders in the generations after him to establish and maintain worship in the way that God had revealed to him (see 2 Chr. 29:25; 35:4,15; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:45).
• Zerubbabel established full-time singers and musicians as commanded by David (see Ezra 3:10-11; Neh. 12:47).
• Ezra and Nehemiah did the same (see Neh. 12:24, 45). Each time this order of worship was reintroduced in Israel, spiritual breakthrough, deliverance and military victory followed.
• Jesus Himself began His public ministry in a prayer meeting in the wilderness (see Matt. 4) and ended it in a prayer meeting in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26).
• The church began in a prayer meeting (Acts 1-2).
• Natural history as we know it will end in the context of a global prayer movement. The conflict at the end of the age will be between two houses of prayer, two global worship movements. The Holy Spirit is raising up the most powerful worship movement in history (see Rev. 22:17; 5:8; 8:4; Luke 18:7-8; Is. 62:6-7; 24:14-16; 25:9; 26:8-9; 30:18-19; 42:10-13). It will totally defeat the Antichrist’s end-time, worldwide, false worship movement (see Rev. 13:8).
• Before Jesus returns, the Spirit-anointed church across the nations, established in her bridal identity and functioning in intercession and worship, will cry out with the Spirit, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:17).

Jesus, Our Bridegroom God

Likewise, Jesus is longing for His bride. God’s ultimate purpose for His creation is to provide a family for Himself and a bride for His Son, a bride who will reign forever with Him as His eternal companion.

John heard the glorious announcement in heaven to rejoice because the marriage of the Lamb had come and because Jesus’ wife had made herself ready (see Rev. 19:7-9). Yes, natural history will end with a great wedding celebration. One of the guiding principles of the Father’s activity throughout all of history has been to prepare a bride for His worthy Son, to train a bride to rule the earth as Jesus’ eternal companion (see Rev. 3:21; 5:10).

As women are called to be sons of God, so men are called to be the bride of Christ. Both describe a position of great privilege before God for the redeemed. These privileges do not point to something that is intrinsically male or female; they transcend gender (see Gal. 3:28). As sons of God, we are in a position to experience God’s throne as heirs of His power. As the bride of Christ, we are in a position to experience God’s heart, His deep desire for us.

Men often struggle with the idea of being the bride of Christ because they wrongly conclude that it is a call to become less masculine. Experiencing the truth of the bride of Christ does not undermine a man’s masculinity, but rather strengthens it. God created us to be wholehearted lovers of God forever.

Some of the greatest men of God functioned in the spiritual reality that comes to fullness in being the bride of Christ. King David was Israel’s greatest warrior king, yet he was a worshipper, ravished by God’s desire for him and fascinated by His beauty (see Ps. 27:4).

John prophesied of a time when the Spirit and the bride would say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (see Rev. 22:17,20). His prophecy describes the church, in unity with the Spirit, saying and doing what the Spirit is saying and doing. For the first time in history, the Spirit will emphasize the church’s spiritual identity as Jesus’ bride in every nation.

Notice that John does not say that the Spirit and the family will say, “Come!” nor the Spirit and the army, nor the kingdom, nor the body, nor the priesthood. It is the Spirit and the bride, in full unity, crying out for Jesus to return. We will rejoice forever in our spiritual identity as the body of Christ and the family of God.

Jesus is not coming back to a prayerless church but to a people enjoying mature bridal partnership with Him in intercession for the harvest. The church will not fail in the task of preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth; God’s people will complete the Great Commission, reaching all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 24:14). When Jesus returns, He is coming to take His bride to Himself, a bride who will be on fire with passion for Him (see Rev. 22:17).
The church will see Jesus as her Bridegroom God. He is our Savior, but He is more than a savior. He is our Healer, but more than a healer. He is the Captain of the armies of heaven, but He is more than that. He is a bridegroom filled with desire for His people and He is longing for partnership with them.

Simply put, the revelation of Jesus as the Bridegroom is the revelation of Jesus’ burning desire for His people. As the bride of Christ, we are to walk in revelation of Jesus’ emotions for us, to understand and rejoice in His commitment to share His heart with us, and to respond with wholehearted love and obedience to His will as we enter into partnership with Him. (We refuse all sensual overtones to the bride of Christ message).

God reveals Himself in intimate relationship with His people throughout the Bible.

Hosea prophesied that God’s people would one day call the Messiah their “Husband,” no longer their “Taskmaster” (see Hos. 2:16).

Isaiah described God rejoicing over His people as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride (see Is. 62:4–5).

Jesus introduced Himself at the beginning of His ministry as a bridegroom (see Matt. 9:15). As a King, He reveals His great power; but as a bridegroom, He shows us His burning desire for His people.

John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as the bridegroom (see John 3:29).

Jesus ended His public ministry, declaring that the kingdom of God is like the Father arranging a wedding for His Son (see Matt. 22:2).

Even the New Jerusalem itself is called “the bride” (see Rev. 21:9-10), named for the very people for whom it is prepared and who will rule the earth from that great city (see Rev. 19:7; 21:2; 22:17). It is where the redeemed will experience a face-to-face, intimate relationship with Jesus as their Bridegroom God (see Rev. 22:4).

On that great day when we shall see Him face to face, the Lamb will take His bride to His Father’s home to be with Him forever. In this time of betrothal preceding the wedding of bride and Bridegroom, God intends that we should experience intimacy with His heart through prayer. As we grow in our knowledge and experience of the Father’s tender mercy and Jesus’ fiery desire for us, our prayer life is energized and transformed.

Burnout is a great problem today. Many fiery intercessors from the 1980s and 90s have lost the freshness of the oil of intercession. God wants to restore the “oil of intimacy” and yearns for us to know and experience Jesus as God the Bridegroom.

This is foundational for the church in her quest to fully function in her spiritual identity as a house of prayer (see Is. 56:7). And so, the Lord is restoring those who are burned out—He is energizing His beloved church with intimacy with Jesus, the Bridegroom God. Let us all hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, as we learn to cry, with a bride’s heart, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
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Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City (IHOP-KC), an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship and committed to evangelism, outreach to the poor and training missionaries. Mike is also the founder of International House of Prayer University and has authored 10 books.
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ACTIVE PRAYER

Now in its 12th year, IHOP-KC has expanded its vision to include 24/7 works of justice with the 24/7 prayers for justice already in place. Here are a few of the ministries and initiatives that now make up this growing missions hub:

Exodus Cry (prayer and fasting against human trafficking)

Luke18 Project (equips college students to establish “prayer furnaces” on all 2,600 college campuses in America)

Hannah’s Dream/Zoe Foundation (promotes and provides adoption services)

Hope City (inner-city prayer meetings, outreaches, community kitchen, etc.)

Forerunner Evangelism (reaches the lost through daily outreaches and larger annual outreaches)

Crisis Response International (mobilizes volunteer response to disasters)

Orphan Justice Center (cares for orphans and refugee minors)

Children’s Equipping Center (trains children, parents and leaders through camps, clinics and family prayer meetings)

African-American Forerunner Alliance (prayer and networking for leaders within the black community)

Women’s Life Center (provides homes and restoration programs for abuse victims, prostitutes, young unwed mothers, etc.)

Onething (equips young adults through conferences)

Joseph Company (trains marketplace leaders)

Israel Mandate (teaches and mobilizes intercessors worldwide for Israel)

Bound4Life KC (mobilizes prayer concerning the end of abortion)

To Blog or Not To Blog

The answer is....BLOG, of course. With Facebook and other social networking the intrigue of blogging seems to have lost it's fire. Fellow Bloggers, let's carry on. My desire is to blog, it's my lack of time that keeps me on Facebook and off my blog. It's Spring Break this week and I have time so here we go.

UPDATE

I have been really busy since January with my Yearbook Class at The Daniel Academy. It's been a bit of a challenge teaching in an atmosphere where there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It's a good thing, just not what we are used to. It started in November with the IHOPU Awakening. The first week of the outpouring students would be breaking into prayer during class, lunch, it was sweet. We had great discussions about what was happening and we would end class times with extended times of student lead prayer. Then about a month ago things ramped up a bit. The morning assemblies at school turned into all day prayer meetings. On the day this started I walked into school at noon to bring Josiah to Bible class. The minute I walked through the front door of the school I felt it. The air was thick and filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The students were worshiping, praying, crying, you name it, they were doing it. I applaud the school leaders for handling this with such wisdom and respect. They didn't stifle it or shy away from it, they lead the students in this move of God with the fear of the Lord. We experienced different waves of the Spirit through the years but this is intense. All kinds of questions arise in this environment. It messes up your schedule. It changes how you do life. We've actually have to tell our kids we are not going to the service tonight so we can sleep. I guess it's up to every family as to how they handle their time. For us it's been a balance of keeping up with school work and choosing which nights we will go to awakening services. We are so thankful for the webstream so we can at least watch on the nights we aren't there.

Getting back to teaching. The final deadline for the completion of the yearbook was last Friday. It was an extremely stressful month. Even in an outpouring life goes on, tasks have to be completed. Laundry needs to be done, meals need to be prepared, houses need to be cleaned. I think He's teaching us how to live naturally in the super natural. It's a good thing.

Nielsen Nuggets Christmas Newsletter

December has always been a busy month for us with 4 birthdays to celebrate, plus all the added benefits of the holiday season. If Christmas parties, concerts, end of the year projects, school finals, shopping, baking and decorating weren't enough, we're also experiencing a really sweet outpouring of the Holy Spirit at The International House of Prayer. CBN did a story on it, Zach can be seen towards the end. I can't believe I'm actually telling my kids, "No, you can not go to the service every night."

You will be receiving a photo Christmas card from us with a magnetic strip on the back so you can hang it on your refrigerator as a reminder to pray for us. If you do not get one but wish to be on our mailing list, please email us.

Yearly Wrap Up

John is currently using his radio experience by working on the ihopworship.fm project for IHOP. This will be an internet radio station due to launch the 1st of the year focusing on music from IHOP. It's a great idea and long overdue. He is also building a Simply Music business. This is a new method of teaching piano that is growing in popularity with homeschoolers. He hopes to have 30+ students very soon. John and the kids also lead worship once a month in the Children's Equipping Center at IHOP. Starting in January he will also teach a keyboard theory class to 1st year students at The Forerunner Music Academy.
On occasion I'm able to step out of my office, the laundry room, to teach a couple of classes at The Daniel Academy. TDA is a parent partnership where the kids go to school 3 days a week and get their homework for the other days. It's somewhere between homeschooling and private school. The Personal Finance class is my favorite, we use the Dave Ramsey course for high school students. I am truly a Dave Ramsey nerd. The other one is the Yearbook class. Last year we put together a really nice looking yearbook, this year is going to be even better. I think if I had to make a career change right now it would be in computer graphics or design of some sort. Zach is still attending Forerunner Music Academy. He's had the opportunity to play with several different worship teams at IHOP. He's also in a band that has written a song for a documentary on human trafficking being put together by a well-known person. (More on that in the future. It's still in the works.) Rachel is graduating from The Daniel Academy this year. She will start a nearby Junior College next year and is looking to get into their fashion design program. After a couple of years her dream is to go to New York's FIT or a fashion school in Chicago. It's easy to see her talent in her drawings. She's also a gifted writer with quite an imagination. She likes to strike a pose often.

Sarah is enjoying high school in The Daniel Academy. She sang a beautiful solo in the Christmas concert. (She won't let me post the video) Sarah has also continued dancing at Dramatic Truth along with her sister's Rachel, Hannah, and Chloe. Someday she wants to dance in the company and to teach dance. She's off to a great start. She's also pretty handy with the camera.

Hannah simply amazed us all with her recent solo in the Christmas concert. Not only was it extremely high but it was in Latin. Hannah is in 7th grade at TDA. She would rather dance, sing, and act her way through school than pick up a book. Definitely a Davidic anointing on this one. She's also a big help in the kitchen always whipping up a new recipe. In this case, it's cow cookies.Josiah is in the 6th grade at TDA. He continues to WOW us with his growing knowledge and brains. Next year he wants to be homeschooled so he can study the things he wants to and do a more difficult math. He already has his plan for the future to be in the army and then an author who writes war stories. Sounds like a plan.

Chloe is a 3rd grader attending TDA. She's interested in dancing, singing, and crafts. She has recently started sewing up anything that is in need of repair.....stuffed animals, socks, just about anything.

Sophie has learned how to read. It's a big deal because she has known all the phonics and special sounds for almost 2 years but hasn't shown any interest in actually reading. Last fall before school started she announced to us that she didn't want to read, she didn't see the point in it. After all, there are 6 older siblings to do it for her. They convinced her life is way more fun when you can read for yourself. A short time later it all clicked and now she reads nonstop for hours at a time. And then there's Charlotte, the newest addition to our family. After much training on how to trust people she is becoming a happy, well adjusted dog. We got her from a local pet shelter when she was 9 months old so we don't know much about her puppy life. We think she's a Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. She's super smart and very aware of her surroundings. There's not a squirrel in the yard she's not aware of. She's proved to be a wonderful deterrent to rabbits trying to sneak into our garden and a good watchdog as she barks at anybody who would dare to come near our home. Doesn't she look ferocious?

IHOPU Student Awakening in Kansas City

(click to watch Live)
On November 11, during a 9:00am class of first-year students, led by Allen Hood and Wes Hall at International House of Prayer University (IHOPU), the Spirit moved in their midst with physical healings, deliverance, and a spirit of joy. That class, on November 11, continued for more than 15 hours. The word spread quickly, and nearly 2,000 people spontaneously gathered in the auditorium from all over the Kansas City area, as deliverance and physical healings increased. The meeting continued well past midnight. Recognizing that the Spirit was moving, the leadership of IHOPU canceled all classes for the next few days so that we could gather to receive all that the Spirit wanted to do. We recognize that the Holy Spirit is awakening our students and many others. In each of these meetings, many people are being set free from addictions, shame, depression, demonic activity, and every sort of emotional pain. We are also witnessing an increase of physical healings, as God is touching and restoring bodies inside the building, as well as healing people watching via the webstream. Moreover, we greatly rejoice as we are seeing lost souls being added to the kingdom of God during these meetings. We are receiving many testimonies and reports that this move of the Spirit is spreading to other churches and prayer rooms that are joining with us each night via the webstream. It all began on November 4, on the last day of the monthly Global Bridegroom Fast at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOP–KC). A move of the Holy Spirit began to stir during the student chapel at IHOPU, as students testified about receiving deliverance from self-hatred, shame, and depression. Students began to experience supernatural joy at the revelation of God's love for them. A powerful spirit of joy rested on many the next day at the IHOPU student-led 6:00am prayer meeting, and the Spirit continued to move throughout the week in our classes and during the faculty meetings. What started during our IHOPU student chapel on November 4 is continuing today. Visitors are coming in from many places, with some driving over 1,000 miles overnight to participate in these meetings. Consequently, on November 12, we moved the Prayer Room to our Forerunner School of Ministry sanctuary from 6:00pm to midnight each night, to accommodate more people. We will continue these nightly meetings as the Holy Spirit leads us. We earnestly pray that this awakening will continue, as our nation is in desperate need of another great awakening in this hour. Throughout history, college and university campuses in our nation have been an epicenter and a catalyst for spiritual awakening. Since the 1700s, our nation has witnessed multiple moves of the Holy Spirit that have touched and awakened students on college campuses, including Princeton University, Yale University, Asbury College, Wheaton College, and more than a dozen other college campuses. These spiritual awakenings often progressed beyond the campuses and resulted in a great number of souls being added to the kingdom of God. History also attests to a strong correlation between spiritual awakening and missionary movements. We pray that this spiritual awakening that is touching IHOPU and the rest of our IHOP–KC Missions Base will break out all over our nation in different cities.
TestimoniesWe have been receiving many testimonies by email about how the IHOPU Student Awakening has been touching other college campuses, churches, and houses of prayer. If you have testimonies that you would like to share with us about how this move of the Spirit has touched you, click here.Read below how the IHOPU Student Awakening has touched students at Wheaton College and Asbury CollegeHoly Spirit move at Wheaton College:In the dorm tonight at Wheaton College, we were watching the webstream the heat of the love of God filled the room. Prayer like never before releasing His Spirit of intercession upon us. His kindness led to repentance to experience breakthrough that has never occurred before! First time ever being thrown by the Holy Spirit!Holy Spirit move at Asbury College:A group of us at Asbury met to watch the live webstream. Over 30 students were present. God poured out His Spirit in such amazing ways. The Spirit filled people on campus used to be quiet, almost embarrassed. God has removed that spirit of meekness and replaced it with one of power. We’ve broken out of the Asbury House of Prayer. Tonight there’s singing and rejoicing in the streets. One person was healed of life-long blood clots, another of knee pain and another of a stomach virus. There’s so much more. I can’t even begin to describe it all in words.


International House of Prayer, 3535 E. Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, MO 64137

I Am Thankful For....

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time to take a moment and think about all the things we're grateful for. Several years ago John did a study with the kids on family nights about the 7 ways to worship God. (No, it's not just an old Carmen song.) Here are just 2 of those Hebrew words and their meanings.


YADAH - - Hebrew Verb
MEANING: To throw; to give thanks, laud or praise; to confess something about God; to confess one's own sin.


TOWDAH - - Hebrew Noun
MEANING: Confession, praise, thanksgiving; giving of praise to God; thanksgiving in songs of worship; thanks choir or procession; thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving; confession


Take a moment and think about the things you are thankful for. Big things and little things. I am thankful for.....

• modern day plumbing.
• cars that work.
• friends who stick with you, no matter what.
• coffee
• a God who's love for me is so strong that I can not escape it or hide from it.

Now it's your turn. What are you thankful for?

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

This is a FREE conference and we have plenty of room at the Nielsen Inn. This isn't just for teens and young adults, families attend of all ages. Make your reservations soon!

New Season

It's the beginning of a new season in the Nielsen household. With every season brings a huge shift in the daily schedule. I'll save you the boring details of showing you our hairy schedule. Needless to say I've had to make some major shifts so the day's activities can run smoothly. I'm quitting my pt job at Dream Dinners. When the school emails and asks why your kids aren't doing their homework, it's time to make a change. I'm also considering relinquishing being on IHOP staff. My schedule revolves around everybody else in my house and I'm having so much trouble keeping prayer room hours and feeling guilty about it. I'd rather go when I can and not have the pressure of having to be in there looming over me. It's a delicate balance being a mother and wanting to serve. I'd love to be in the prayer room for many hours a day, but it's just not my season.

John has a few new things happening. He is teaching piano pt at the Forerunner music Academy. He's also training to be an Instructor for Simply Music. It's a way of teaching piano in a completely different way. Students learn to play music before they learn the notes. It's becoming very popular. The plan is to rent studio space and be able to teach group lessons. He also is in the midst of a new project at IHOP that has to do with his 19 years experience in radio. Yeah!

Zach is a 2nd year student at FMA. He plays on Marcus Meier's team in the prayer room several times a week. Check out the schedule and watch him live on the webstream. They will be leading worship this Sunday at FCF.

Rachel is starting her senior year at The Daniel Academy. She will graduate this year and then go to a community college next year. She is interested in fashion design. She's also got a gift in the area of writing. She has a job working for our neighbor who runs a travel company from her home. She enjoys it.

All the kids are attending The Daniel Academy this year. Parents are required to volunteer or help in some way. I am teaching 2 classes in the High School; Personal Finance and Yearbook.

All the girls, except for Sophie, are dancing again. They have all moved up into more challenging levels this year. That means they are required to take more classes and dance more hours a week. They are serious about it. Sophie decided it was enough to go to school. She's in 1st grade.

That's it for now. Pray for us as we navigate through this new season.

On the Road Again

We're packing up and heading to Rochester, MN then to Door County, WI. Door County is where Zach was born over 18 years ago. We will be ministering in both these cities as a family. Pray for a smooth ride, our house/dog sitter as she cares for our fearful, anxious dog, unity in the family as we minister together.

Summer Camps Have Started

Summer brings a whole new world to IHOP. The place is overtaken by young people of all ages from now until August. There are 2 Signs & Wonders Camps for 6-12 yr olds. We just dropped off 2 of our girls. The following week the teens pour in for Awakening Teen Camp. In between ATC are 2 Fascinate Conferences.


These camps and conferences are live changing. It's not too late to sign up.

Will You Consider Partnering With Us

We love being at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. It's been an adventure for our entire family, an adventure of faith, hope, and much more.

This video explains IHOP and the vision for prayer. Never before has there been a need for worldwide revival like now. Our hearts are not only to pray but to see young men and women raised up in the knowledge of God's Word and being equipped in it. That includes our own 7 kids.

Things we love about IHOP-

• Prayer set to music. The prayer room has 12 - 2 hour prayer meetings every day. That's right, it never stops. The worship goes on 24/7 at IHOP and it has since 1999.
• We also enjoy the relationship IHOP has with so many other ministries including YWAM. Many ministries have linked arms with IHOP for prayer and training.
• Our children are developing a tender heart for other Nations.
• They are also developing their musical and artistic skills, not for entertainment reasons, but for reasons bigger than we are know.

We have designated times when we serve in the prayer room but at home the webstream is running much of the time and no one ever complains. That's a testimony in itself. We feel privileged and honored to be a part of this ministry for such a time as this.

We are responsible for raising our own funds as Intercessory Missionaries at IHOP-KC. Not only do we have a large monthly budget to fulfill the needs of a large family. We have some auto and housing repairs that are requiring attention.

• Our upstairs main bathroom has mold in the walls and grows an occasional mushroom. Not a pretty sight. When we first moved in we replaced this same spot of sheet rock and trim. A year later it has returned. There must be a deeper problem which means it needs to be gutted and redone....estimated cost of over $3,000.
  
• The garage doors are both broken and need to be replaced, tracks and all....estimated cost of $1,200.
  
• Our '97 Taurus has a cracked head gasket....estimated repairs are way more than the car is worth. Replacement vehicle.....between $10,000-$15,000.



• Due to years of settling there is a negative grade in the backyard causing a cracked wall in the basement. We aren't sure of everything that would need to be done to correct this but for sure the rotted deck would need to come off, some earth moved to make a positive grade, then a new deck built. We 're not sure how bad the wall is in the basement, an expert will need to look at it.

If you would be interested in helping us with any of these special needs or partnering with us on a regular basis we would love to hear from you. Please contact us by email for more details or just use the Paypal button on our blog.

Next Weekend is the Big Event

I will be sure to have pictures and video of this event. All 5 of our girls dance in this production for Dramatic Truth. I am so excited to see this on stage. The production is in 2 parts. Part 1 is the life of Christ, that's the part our kids are in. It's done to contemporary Christan music, much of it is from IHOP. The choreography is very well done. Part 2, Sleeping Beauty (The Bride of Christ) is done by the Dramatic Truth Dance Company. I can't wait to see this. More to come.......

If I Could Do It Over Again...

I would choose a new picture. Our family is featured in the Children's Equipping Center's Spring Newsletter. I emailed them a picture awhile ago but I guess I didn't look at it very closely. The Newsletter came out today and while in church the older kids started laughing when they saw our picture. Look at what Josiah is doing. I almost wet my pants when I saw it.

Getting Back 2, Losing 1 More

Rachel and Sarah are on their way back from New Orleans. They will get home around 5 or 6 in the morning tomorrow. We've missed them but it sounds like they're having a glorious time. Except for the 20+ hours spent on the bus there and back.

Zach left this morning to Evansville, IN with Derek Loux. They needed an electric guitar player, so off he went. That's all we know.

Quick Update

Our current life in bullet points:

• Rachel and Sarah are raising funds to go on a missions trip during springbreak to New Orleans with Crisis Response International.
• We are no longer in the media department at IHOP. We are waiting on the Lord for our next assignment. Waiting is not as easy as it sounds.
• We are spending more hours in the Global Prayer Room praying for world revival and for the return of Jesus to the earth.
• Zach is leading 2 sets a week in the Justice Prayer Room and will soon be playing on a couple of sets a week in the Global Prayer Room.
• John and I are doing pre-marital counseling with a young couple getting married soon.
• I got a very part time job. Besides providing a little extra income it's good mental therapy.
• John and the kids are leading worship for the Children's Equipping Center once a month.
• John is helping the kids at The Daniel Academy to build worship teams.
• I'm also teaching a Yearbook class at The Daniel Academy.
• The girls are gearing up for another ballet in May. I will be working on costumes to help pay the way for our girls to dance.

That's a very abbreviated version of our life.

Leading On

This morning our family lead worship in the Children's Equipping Center at the early service. This will be a part of our regular routine in this next season. Focusing more on prayer and worship and making it a family thing. For those that knew us before we came to IHOP, praise and worship was a huge part of our lives. Since we've been here we haven't done much of it....how does that happen....anyways, it's back in our view now.

The kids know how to move at 8:30 am. (BTW, my camera is back. Not sure of the quality of the pictures yet. I need to play with it some more.)

Big Announcement

Everything shifts on a regular basis here at IHOP-KC. And so are we. After months of consideration we are shifting out of the Broadcast Manager position. Our hearts are longing for the prayer room and sadly when working on operations staff at IHOP it is really hard to get into the prayer room. We want to spend the next season anchored to the wall as a family. This is a really important time for prayer in our country and world. It is a step of faith but it's why we came here. It will also be a financial shift for us but we believe this is an act of obedience and we will be blessed for it. The transition will take effect in mid January as the new track of Media Apprentices starts. John will be delegating his duties between 6 or seven people. He's done a great job with this program but it's just time to move on.

Sundays Are Not A Day Of Rest Around These Parts

Besides our Children Around the World special dinners on Sundays for our family, we host more than 1 small group. Every other week we host a group of guys from The Call Institute. On the other weeks we are trying to host different groups of the Media Apprenticeship. There are 12 media teams that film The Prayer Room 24/7. They are divided into four 6 hour sections of the day. We are hosting each section at a time. It just worked out yesterday that we hosted 2 groups, one at 4pm and the other at 8pm. (afternoon section, our kids say "You Rock", we had a real party going on in the basement) Our kids love this because there's always food in the kitchen. They would love it everyday if I would just lay out an assortment of yummy looking niblets and they could graze to their delight. Not gonna happen.

So here's how the day turned out.

Kelly IS a pool shark.

John wins!!!!Sorry Wes, maybe next time you should flash your badge after you do the splits or something.

Micah amazed us with his ping pong finesse.

In case you're wondering- Spain was our country this week. We had Paella, fried plantains, and flan for dessert. It was a scrumptious meal.

Homeschool Tools

I've finally figured out the secret to a calm, peaceful day of homeschooling. In my imagination homeschooling is a delightful time filled with eager to learn kids with happy smiles and kind words spoken to each other. Any homeschooling mom knows the reality of the situation. This year has been the best year we've ever had. The secret.......I have the prayer room on the entire time. They tend to be quieter, more focused, and even sing along at times. It works for me.