Hey, it could happen. Voortman Cookies sponsors a lot of Christian programming in Canada.

Anyway, off topic, but… seeing “IHOP” everywhere is REALLY making me want some waffles or pancakes! Harvest grain and nut… delicious!

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.

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.

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