What is a House of Prayer?
At His House, the house of prayer ministry is an integrated ministry that places relationship with God through prayer as a high priority. All ministries in the church will seek to establish prayer as a means for encountering and enjoying the Lord.
The house of prayer is also a developing ministry that seeks to draw people from throughout the community into the regular practice of “gazing on the beauty of the Lord” and interceding for the needs of this area.
In addition, we are connected to the Nashville House of Prayer.
Where is the concept of the house of prayer found?
The phrase “house of prayer” is drawn from Isaiah 56:7, where it is used twice:
Even those [foreigners] I will bring to My holy mountain,And make them joyful in My house of prayer...For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.(Isaiah 56:7, NAS)
The heart of the house of prayer is perhaps best captured by David’s heart cry in Psalm 27:
One thing I ask of the LORD,this is what I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the LORDall the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the LORDand to seek him in his temple.Psalm 27:4
His House of prayer desires to "practice for" the future worship scene described in the book of Revelation. “… the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song…” (Revelation 5:8-9, NIV)
Why is the concept of “beauty” important?
The emotion probably most commonly associated with prayer is shame. Most people feel ashamed at the quality and quantity of their prayers. Shame is the wrong motivation for people to pray more, and a house of prayer built on this foundation will result in quick burnout.
Fascination with the beauty of God draws a believer again and again into the place of seeking the pleasure of gazing on that beauty.
Confidence in his or her own beauty as the Bride of Christ sustains a believer through the inevitable times of weakness and failure in prayer.
As surprising as it sounds, pleasure and joy are indispensable to prayer: “I … will give them joy in my house of prayer.” Isaiah 56:7
How does music and singing fit into a house of prayer?
Music awakens the heart to beauty, and as such is indispensable in the house of prayer. “I saw [the redeemed] standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb …” (Revelation 15:2-3)
The distinction between singing praise and praying is not emphasized in the house of prayer, and in the church worldwide “songs that are prayers” are emerging and merging with “prayers that are sung”. Art also has an important role to play in expressing the beauty of God and the beauty of the church.
What is the difference between “corporate” and “contemplative” sessions?
Every session in the house of prayer will be either “corporate” or “contemplative”. One way to think of this is that the corporate sessions are work and the contemplative sessions are rest, and the schedule for the house of prayer will attempt to find a good rhythm of the two.
Are there historical examples of houses of prayer?
Yes! The reformed Moravian community, founded by Count Zinzendorf in Germany in 1727, is well known for two things: a prayer meeting that lasted 100 years, and the creation of the modern missions movement through the sending of missionaries into nations all around the earth.
Another example is a community dedicated to reconciliation and prayer which is currently located in Taizé, France and was founded by some Swiss Reformed Protestants in 1940. Every year, millions of youth from all over Europe and the world, who are seeking God, visit Taizé to participate in the prayer and observe the rule of silence and contemplation.
In the US, the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City began praying 18 hours a day in May 1999, and has been 24x7x365 since September 1999.
Does this area need a house of prayer?
Yes! An emerging community needs the blessing of God and a solid foundation. Government leaders, institutions of learning, medical facilities and neighborhoods benefit when the church obeys the command to be a house of prayer.
Values of the House of Prayer
(1) Day and Night Worship - Our God is worthy of our continual worship and adoration. Our example is recorded in Revelation 4:, which speaks of the highest beings in heaven. The passage declares, “they rest not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ ” (King James Version 2000) As the mightiest beings in heaven never stop worshiping God yet see new and fresh dimensions of His glory with every breath, so should we walk in new revelations of His majesty and glory as we gaze upon Him day and night.
(2) Singing and Praying the Scripture – The Bible is the unchangeable, unshakable, true Word of God. No matter what a person’s doctrine or church background, the scripture brings all to the feet of Jesus. Declaring the truth of the Word of God releases His life into the atmosphere and proclaims the Kingdom of God to be established on the earth as it is in heaven. David sang many of his prayers that were recorded in the Psalms. Psalms 72:20 says, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The word “prayers” in this scripture comes from the Hebrew word “tephilah” which means singing prayers or hymns. We believe that as we sing the scripture, it goes deep into our spirits and the truth releases change in our hearts and in the atmosphere around us.
(3) Church Unity – In Psalms 133, God commands His blessing and life to those who dwell together in unity. His House of Prayer welcomes people from different denominations and backgrounds to come together as one voice to lift up the name of Jesus. Our desire is that Romans 15:6 becomes a reality in the church today. This verse states, “That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our desire is to lift up the name of Jesus over the city, nation and nations of the earth.
(4) Harp and Bowl/Prophetic Worship and Intercession- In Revelation 5:8, we see the 24 elders and the living creatures before the throne with harps (representing singing and musical worship) and golden bowls of incense (representing the prayers of the saints). Thus the term Harp and Bowl. We blend our worship and prayers together, which adds a unique new dimension to a traditional prayer meeting. We desire to see prophetic worship and intercession arise, as God brings new revelation of Jesus. As John declares in Revelation 19:10, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. As we gaze on His beauty, He reveals Jesus to us, which in turn gives us prophetic revelation to sing and pray.
(5) Unity of Generations – Psalms 145:4 states, “One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Each generation is valuable and necessary in the Kingdom of God. We desire to provide an environment in which generations can impart truth and life to those who follow them. We also believe that the emerging generation will have a song and prayer that will light a fire in those who are their elders. Malachi speaks of the hearts of the fathers turning to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Now is the time for us to see this prophecy fulfilled. As the generations come together and worship as one, God knits hearts to unite His body and fulfill His purposes on the earth.
(6) Healing – The presence of God is where people are changed. In Exodus 34, Moses’ face radiated after being in the presence of the Lord. We are building an altar where His presence is continually welcome. We believe, even as Moses’ face manifested the glory of God, physical manifestations of healing and release will come to the bride simply by being in His presence and meeting with Him. His desire is that our hearts are His. (See Jeremiah 29:11-13) As we spend time with Him, we are changed and view life from His perspective rather than ours. This brings a deep trust in our hearts and allows faith and inner healing to deepen its work. In addition, His House of Prayer hosts times for prayer teams to agree for the manifestation of healing for those with illnesses or emotional wounds. Anyone is welcome to attend.
(7) Artistic Expresion- There are many expressions of worship in the Psalms. God has given each person a unique way to declare His praises. We encourage genuine expressions of God-centered worship to be incorporated into the ministry. Some examples are singing, dancing, painting, sculpting, reading the Word, or praying over a particular city. "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!" (Ps. 150:6a) Special thanks to the Austin House of Prayer for their insight!
