The House of Prayer: Our Eternal Identity

I. the identity of God’s people the house of prayer

³ Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, "The LORD has utterly separated me from His people"; nor let the eunuch say, "Here I am, a dry tree." 4 For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I will give in My House and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 "Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD…7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer...For My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations." (Isa. 56:3-8)

A. The highest identity of the redeemed throughout all eternity is to walk as a House of Prayer or in “intimacy based intercession” as sons of God and as the Bride of Christ ruling with Jesus.

¹⁰ Have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev. 5:10)

B. We were created to interact deeply with God’s heart. God speaks and moves our heart. Then we speak and move His heart. The result is that God’s resources are released into the earthly realm. God’s resources include His wisdom, unity, money, favor in ministry, zeal for righteousness, etc.

C. The House of Prayer of Kansas City is the Church of Kansas City (consisting of over 1,000 congregations). IHOP-KC is not the House of Prayer of KC. It functions with others as a “gas station that squirts gasoline” on the fire of the prayer furnace of the Church of Kansas City.

D. The Church in the nations does not yet see her primary identity as being an eternal House of Prayer. As the Lord wrestled with Jacob and then changed his name (Gen 32), so He is wrestling with the Body of Christ to change our name (identity) and the way we see ourselves before Him.

E. God will not release His resources until we speak and move His heart. If we do not pray then His resources will be withheld. He releases His resources in context to “intimacy based intercession”

² You do not have because you do not ask. (Jas 4:2)

F. Jesus will not come back until the Church knows who she is and functions in light of it.

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" (Rev. 22:17)

G. Jesus comes back at the Second Coming in answer to global concerts of prayer.

¹⁰ Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them! 11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice…12 and declare His praise in the coastlands. 13 The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man (Second Coming of Jesus); He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. (Is 42:10-13)

II. Words that determine the course of history

A. Jesus will rule through intercession through the Millennial Kingdom and beyond.

²⁵ Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb. 7:25)

⁷ The LORD has said to Me, “You are My Son…8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel." (Ps. 2:7-9)

B. Jesus will request prayer for His reign that God would strengthen those under Him.

¹⁵ And He (Jesus in the Millennial Kingdom) shall live; and the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; payer also will be made for Him continually, and daily He shall be praised. (Ps. 72:15)

C. God’s original dominion mandate to Adam gives us insight into our eternal destiny.

²⁶ God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over…all the earth…27 So God created man in His own image…28 Then God blessed them, and God said, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over… every living thing that moves on the earth." (Gen 1:26-28)

⁶ What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? 7 You have…crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. (Heb. 2:6-8)

²¹ For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. (1 Cor. 3:21-22)

D. We move angels and demons by the words we speak to God.

¹² Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself …your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (Dan. 10:12)

E. Human history began in a praying meeting in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8).

F. Israel as a nation began at a prayer meeting after they were delivered from Egypt (Ex. 19:6-20). The primary occupation of Israel was to build a Prayer Tent in the wilderness (Ex. 25).

G. Jesus began His public ministry in a prayer meeting in the wilderness (Mt. 4) and ended it in a prayer meeting in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26). The church in the Book of Acts began in a prayer meeting (Acts 1-2). Natural history ends in a global prayer movement (Rev. 22:17). Intimacy with God is essential in reaching the nations since all people are attracted by intimacy which gives us significance (a major “felt need” by all humans).