In the late 1990’s as a result of my involvement with Todd Beery I was connected with Mike Bickle and his ministry in Kansas City. I was with Todd in Kansas City the night Mike Bickle and Noel Alexander inaugurated the International House of Prayer (IHOP). The concept was Prayer and Worship 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
It began by attending conferences he was either at or conducting. A new level of intimacy began to emerge in revelation. He called it the Bridal Paradigm. He contended that we all are the Bride of Christ individually and corporately and that this truth has the ability to affect our behavior out of our passion towards Jesus. He insisted that this revelation will change our life forever if we grasp it.
It took time. I didn’t get it right away. Gene being a Bride were not synonyms immediately. I grew into it. Mike was right. It did change me.
Worship became less and less about singing good songs and more and more about one on one communication with my Bridegroom King Jesus. I started to see him as the ulitimate lover of my soul. Personally involved in all I do and think. Immediate. Intimate.
As this began to mature in me, a truth that had eluded me earlier blossomed. Prayer and Worship are one. Two sides of one coin. But ONE coin. You can’t pray without worship, you can’t worship without prayer. Old precious hymns I would read with tears seeing the depth of prayer in them. On the other hand some old hymns were just that. Old. No depth.
New intimate songs of passion began to take on meaning for me. Some new worship songs were just as empty and meaningless as some old hymns. This was hard to explain except by the Holy Spirit. It was impossible to understand unless you were already in this place.
I stayed involved with Todd as the Bolingbrook IHOP was opened. I still do. I go as often as my schedule allows. Why? Stay tuned. You’ll find out.
Once I was at a loss of words to explain to a dear Pastor Friends of mine, Dan Rothwell, who with Curt Frankhauser were in Chicago for a conference. He asked me a question, “what benefit is there to the kingdom is people just get together and worship and pray”? “How does that accomplish the great commission?” I couldn’t answer it then. I can now. The revelation of what this is all about has become absolutely clear. You can’t “DO” the great commission effectively without it.
Read on, and see why.
1 comment:
When recently reading, Growing In The Prophetic, I was amazed and greatly encouraged to read how, even before IHOP was established, Bickle's previous church would meet hours a day to devote every venture to prayer. God truly moves when His people seek Him.
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