FUNNY - House of Prayer
So I woke up this morning with the IHOP daily devotional on the television. I auto-tune it at night before we go to bed to come on at six. I’ve become very zealous about what filters into my subconscious, but I really have a hard time sleeping without background noise. Too much time spent in the city, I guess. So I turn the telly on low volume and select shows that aren’t going to invade my mind with terrible images. Then I wake up to the music on the daily devotional and start off my day praising God. This morning’s first song was, “All I want is You - All I crave is You.” (Misty Edwards) I seldom get to watch the whole thing because I’m helping Ken get ready for work, but it’s there in the background and is always good stuff.
Anyway, for some reason my first fully cognizant thought as I stumbled out here to make the coffee was, “I bet a lot of people wonder why the House of Prayer movement does what it does” (If you aren’t familiar with the House of Prayer movement, they’re folks who pray and praise God 24/7/365, in a highly organized fashion. They call their method “harp and bowl” after a verse in Revelation 5:8; it’s basically prayer and worship together, in responsive fashion. See ihop.org for more info)
Our church isn’t affiliated with IHOP in any way, but I’ve been extremely blessed by their ministry on GodTV and their website. A friend’s church is seeking to go to 24/7 prayer but I haven’t seen him for longer than ten seconds to inquire if it’s on the same format or what (Theirs is an AoG church - a bit different doctrine than the HOPs at one major juncture (eschatology))
So I was sitting here sipping my coffee and coming into wakefulness. My morning routine consists of getting Ken’s breakfast, packing lunch, laying out clothes for him, and then sitting here at the computer running through my email and feed reader for about 15 minutes until the coffee hits. 
Lo and behold, this morning there was a long post from Tim Brownlee of “Not So Daily Timmy” titled, “MY HOUSE” shall be called a house of prayer…. that addresses this very question from an insider’s perspective.
Here’s a great little excerpt:
Isaiah 56:7 clearly says that God’s house is to be a House of Prayer for all nations. If something is called by a particular name that should mean that’s what it is known as.
Now, there’s something to consider: Is YOUR church known as a house of prayer (or is it just called that?) I’m not arguing that everyone needs to shift to this 24/7 format - but perhaps we need a major shift of focus in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and why we’re doing it…
August 26th, 2008 at 6:33 am
I read Tim’s post. Thanks for pointing us over there.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Kathi,
thanks for your interesting post. I just wanted to say that a building or a church or a prayer room, isn’t what Jesus was refering to. That is an Old Testament paradigm. In the New Testament WE, his Body, are HIS HOUSE:
Heb. 3: 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
When Jesus quoted Isiah he was refering to the Temple that existed at that time, but he was also refering to the Temple that is his body.
Mat 21:13 And He said to them, It is written, “My house shall be called the house of prayer”;
In the above verse “shall be” is a future tense, not present… so it was pointing to the ekklesia.
We are to be individual houses of prayer being built into a spiritual temple where God dwells by his Spirit. That is why Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. That is why IHOP is not based on the NT model. In other words we don’t “go to God’s house” WE ARE GOD’S HOUSE!!
Blessings,
Joanne
August 26th, 2008 at 7:21 am
That is so the Lord… I have been wanting to write that blog for quite some time and the Lord kept telling me to wait… Wow… the Lord does have good timing… I am glad you enjoyed it… God bless you!
August 26th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Joanne, I agree that we’re to be individual houses of prayer, and certainly we’re to pray without ceasing.
As an interesting counterpoint to what the temple is/would be, why did Jesus chase the money changers out of the physical building?
Saying that IHOP is wrong because they gather at a building to pray corporately is rather disingenuous. What’s the difference between IHOP praying 24/7 and your church praying Wednesday nights at 7, or together on Sunday mornings? Really, there’s no difference at all in intent. (And do remember that the way this model works is for people to drop in and pray for an hour or two, then leave - so people are coming and going at all hours of the day and night. They’re living in in the church building all the time!
We’re to pray without ceasing. The IHOP folks do that very intentionally and systematically. What’s wrong with that?
I *won’t* say that 24/7/365 is or should be normative for the church as a whole, or that people who don’t do like that are in error. We all must pray, but to impose a legalistic “do it this way” on the Church would be wholly wrong.
I *will* say that it is one excellent way out of many to approach God, both individually and corporately.
I guess I get concerned when people say, “It’s wrong” or “it’s unnecessary so why bother” — because in a sense that’s them imposing legalistic restrictions on when and how others pray and seek God.
On the NT/OT thing - I see what IHOP is doing (as well as other groups, in other ways) as a holistic understanding of Scripture. God didn’t toss out the Old Testament under the new covenant.
Here’s the way I see it: Each of us is accountable to God for our own relationship with Him. Each of us should approach Him in whatever ** ways we best come to Him. For some, that might be quiet contemplation at a set hour of the day. Another may dance unto the Lord for an hour before saying a word. Is either right? Is either wrong? Of course not.
I figure if someone really, really, really wants to be in God’s presence ** it doesn’t matter so much how they get there.
** I put the caveat above - we do need to approach God in a biblical fashion, not, say, by casting a circle and invoking His presence or by worshiping a statue.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:22 am
and i posted a response to my blog if you want to look at it…
August 26th, 2008 at 10:27 am
While it is true that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and he dwells within our bodies, that’s not what Jesus was referring to… although it can have a secondary application to us..
He was referring to the gathering of believers… the corporate gathering of the ekklesia…. the body of believers… The prophecy made by James in Acts 15 tells us that there is going to be a place where believers will meet corporately… that was for then and it is for now…
Isaiah 56 speaks of a gathering to a house of prayer, and God makes it clear that his house shall be a House of Prayer for all nations… it’s not just him coming inside of people, that is the only way we will be able to sustain and persevere in the pursuit of night and day prayer…
so while it can apply to us as individuals, the primary application is a literal house where believers gather to worship the Lord corporately.
August 26th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I always makes me chuckle to see people debating about what verses mean… and how some can do defiantly state “That’s not what that means” or “This is what this means.”
Anyway, off topic, but… seeing “IHOP” everywhere is REALLY making me want some waffles or pancakes! Harvest grain and nut… delicious!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:37 am
That’s how I kept reading it too. We don’t have them in my area, but it took me three quarters of the post to realize that the International House of Pancakes was not sponsoring Christian music.
Hey, it could happen. Voortman Cookies sponsors a lot of Christian programming in Canada.