house-of-prayer

12 Prayers of Repentance for the House of Prayer

/ JSB / Leave a comment

#IHOPKC folk: At the end of the day, if we don’t see that the tribulation that has engulfed the House of Prayer is foremost about the Father judging His household, WHATEVER else we have to say, either as accusation, or in defense, is gonna be OFF POINT. Profoundly.

Generally speaking, us humans would rather do the easy work of “destroying”, than the hard work of “healing”. In a nut-shell, this is the kind of endemic, and warped way of the curse, that Jesus came to save us from.

What if, we paused our cursing and accusing, and defending, and instead, used our many words to cry out to the Father for His tangible power and presence to rest upon us, the House of Prayer and the praying church?

What if we poured out our broken passion and pain, and tears and angst, and our many sins together at His feet?? Are His arms short? Would He not purge us, forgive us, and heal us? Would He not gather us to Himself? Would He not fit us for His purposes in this hour? Perhaps with even increased fidelity to His heart as the contra-Christ spirit intensifies around us?

This is what I am endeavoring to do here. I’m sick from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I’m tired of throwing my stones. I’m bruised from my own punches and counter-punches.

Here are 12 PRAYERS of REPENTANCE that I’m using to enjoin the Lord and His healing mercy.

#01 • A PRAYER of THANKSGIVING and SURRENDER to GOD and HIS JUDGMENTS

“The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desire are they than gold; yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:9-10)

#02 • PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS FOR OUR REBELLION AND UNBELIEF

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness…’ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 3:7-8; Hebrews 10:29)

#03 • REPENTANCE AND PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THE CURSE OF THE SERPENT

“(When) they knew that they were naked; they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And the Lord said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”” (Genesis 3:7-13)

#04 • REPENTANCE FOR OUR HYPOCRISY RE: OUR FAITH IN GOD THROUGH CORPORATE PRAYER

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God… Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes… Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’“ (Joel 2:12-17)

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

#05 • PRAYER of REPENTANCE for OUR DEEP HYPOCRISY and PROFOUND REBELLION AGAINST the LORD and HIS WAY

“Our iniquities overwhelm us; only You can atone for our great rebellion.” (Psalm 65:3)

#06 • PRAYER of REPENTANCE for ASSUMING WE HAD THE HOLY ABILITY TO FIX THE LORD’S HOUSE

“So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came to the THRESHING FLOOR, UZZA put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against UZZA, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark… David was afraid of God that day, saying, ‘How can I bring the ark of God to me?'” (1 Chronicles 13:7-10,12)

#07 • PRAYER of REPENTANCE for GIVING OURSELVES to DEVOURING OUR SISTERS and BROTHERS

“If you go on attacking each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other!” (Galatians 5:15) [CEV]

#08 • PRAYER of REPENTANCE for DISMISSING and MARGINALIZING the CONCERN and PAIN of OUR SISTERS and BROTHERS

“As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.” (Psalm 35:13-14)

DAY #09 • PRAYER of SELF-EXAMINATION and REPENTANCE

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my fears; and see if there is any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

#10 • PRAYER of CORPORATE REFLECTION and REPENTANCE

“I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the #HouseOfPrayer Your servants, and confess the sins of #IHOPKC which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded.” (Nehemiah 1:5-7)

#11 PRAYER OF REPENTANCE for SHUNNING the WAY of the CROSS

“If you do not take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38)

#12 PRAYER of REPENTANCE for SELFISHLY SEEKING OUR OWN PROTECTION and SELF-JUSTIFICATION while in the MIDST of CRISIS

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

“In those days… everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6 and 21:25)

“There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God…” (Romans 3:11)

“He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

“He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)

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JSB • February, 2024

10 Pastoral Encouragements, and One Urgent Plea to House of Prayer Leadership

/ JSB / Leave a comment

No one’s asking me, but in light of the calls for the closure of #IHOPKC here’s one urgent plea, and 10 strong pastoral encouragements for the House of Prayer family as we respond to the fire-storm of revelations, and accusations being leveled against Mike and House of Prayer leadership:

1. Set-apart 3 – 6 (or more) months for this season of focused grieving, lamenting, confession and repentance.

2. Shut EVERYTHING on the base down and focus EVERYTHING on repentance before the Lord. (This is central to the radical, Joel Paradigm.)

3. Require all staff, leaders, group-leaders, pastors be present at these gatherings – multiple times each day. If they’re unwilling, kindly give them their exit papers.

4. Be as thorough as the blood of Jesus bids us to be. Let all of our “ways” get scrutinized and brought to the threshing-floor. Own it all. Without one plea; or an ounce of excuse. Stay in the number. Get entirely naked before God. Get to the roots of the mundane to the most wicked inclinations of our hearts.

5. Invite Houses of Prayer around the globe into this season; for their own well-being, for solidarity w IHOPKC, and ultimately for their own unique integrity before the Lord.

6. Establish and enforce an atmosphere of open prayer and grief that the “Tammy’s” and the “JaneDoes” tell us are “safe” and “real” before the Lord. Hire professional counselors to minister to those who “dare” come and need intimate, respectful, Christlike care.

7. Cultivate lament, tears and travail as values, and vital expressions of prayer in Houses of Prayer everywhere. Normalize these types of prayer as much as the Spirit does.

8. Let (John 12:24-25) be the driving vision of the whole of the base; no less than “changing the expression of Christianity in one generation” was in the past. Let the style; the ethos; the language; and the prophetic history die. Bury it. Erect “Achan memorial stones” (Joshua 7) over it. And then train every worship leader, singer, musician, intercessor, pastor and teacher in the theology of the cross, so that NOTHING is done apart from embracing the crucified, dead and buried life-style.

9. Hire a truly, independent, third-party investigation team. Let them do their work. Compare notes with their findings, and the prayer room’s repentance. Across the board. Post the findings to the IHOPKC web-site, as additional memorial stones.

10. Restart prayer and worship ONLY on God’s terms. Listen to the Lord for His design; His style; His formation; His unction; His vision. And gather objective prophetic, prayer leaders from the nations to speak into, help shape, ordain, and release the new expression of the tabernacle of David prayer according to their sense of the Lord’s timing.

None of this will be easy. But it IS what’s necessary. It’ll go against every natural inclination to “save self” that IHOPKC has been evidencing the last four months. For the sake of authentic healing. For the sake of the integrity of the prophetic histories of the beloved hundreds of individuals, and families who came to pray in this community at the behest of the Holy Spirit. Do. Luke. 9:24. Anyway.

Why is it imperative to have #IHOPKC #HouseOfPrayer leadership facilitating such radical, self-restrictive measures “today“? And why does the work of personal and corporate introspection, confession and repentance become exponentially more difficult the longer the time goes by without it?

We are not only personal beings, we are relational beings. We form norms, values, beliefs, language, histories and narratives between ourselves that shape how we view ourselves, our significant others, and our place in our world. Once a “narrative” is set, it is extremely difficult to unravel the thousands of threads of belief, value, normative behavior, histories and episodes that have formed that narrative.

This is the reason why millions could vaunt a Hitler in the 30s and 40s, and why billions looked on with horror at the warped beliefs, norms, values and episodes of the German people when they were finally exposed. Through their shared culture; conversations, relationships, propaganda etc. Germans were accumulating evidence for their narratives, and then reenforcing their values, norms, behavior with those pieces of evidence.

This was also the reason why the prophetic messages of Jeremiah were so adamantly opposed by the people of Judah. Their aggregated narratives had placed them in a paradigm of thinking and believing that WOULDN’T ALLOW FOR YHWHs WORDS to be embraced as TRUTH and REALITY.

The point? If the current leadership of #IHOPKC does not quickly, do an about-face, cease with its narrative of persecution, and cultivate an atmosphere where it trusts the independent, objective analysis of both God and other brothers and sisters, the dominant, self-saving narrative will become too engrained within the people; too engrained for them to want to do the thorough self-crucifying work of untangling the months and years of accumulated belief, values and episodes. This is the ONLY WAY any of us will come through the chaos of this tribulation into vibrant righteousness.

ASIDE: I generally believe, pray and hope for the continuance of the Spirit’s authentic worship and intercession through my #IHOPKC family. (Mike’s profound sins, do not have the ability to negate the millions of sincere expressions of love and adoration to Jesus, the brilliant, Kingdom-enhancing friendships, the testimonies, the gazillions acts of Kingdom witness, the healings, the souls saved, nor the many, many miracles manifest over the decades.)

HOWEVER, the base, (the WHOLE base) MUST let go of self, and undergo a long, radial, self-abasing, self-analyzing, self-crucifying fire of the Holy Spirit. Without this arduous, focused work being engaged, we should not entertain any hope of the Father’s anointing upon us. (I honestly can’t swallow that I am saying this.)

PRAY FOR the current leadership at #IHOPKC. Pray for #HouseOfPrayer leaders in the nations. Pray that we/they would abase our/themselves before the objective analysis of the Holy Spirit, and humble our/themselves before what He says is true and real, that we might appropriate the Father’s authentic healing and righteousness. He IS a complete, and mighty Redeemer.

This is where I’m aiming my little energy in this hour.

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JSB • February, 2024

Holy Hour

/ JSB / 3 Comments

“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet… I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling… And I will cast those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds… and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” Jesus

Beloved. It’s a holy, holy, holy moment that’s engulfed our House of Prayer.

The One from Whom galaxies and black-holes flee away is in our front-yard, judging, pulling down, exposing sin, uprooting leaders, and uncloaking the thoughts and intentions of hearts.

This is an hour of Achan (Joshua 7), and Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5). This is GOD IN OUR CAMP with His jealous fury over thousands of His beloved sons and daughters in Kansas City, and Houses of Prayer around the world, who have made a pledge to the Living God to keep His fire, on His altar.

Imagine how the Lord felt about Joshua and Moses as they served Him inside the tent of meeting. Now imagine what Joshua and Moses experienced as the God of Mount Sinai Himself burned and thundered before them, face to face. This is where the House of Prayer is:

“Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” (Exodus 33:7-11)

Can you envision it? – All the Israelites who got up one morning and approached the tabernacle, shaking as they put on their sandals, believing it was better for them to be incinerated in the pillar of fire than to spend the rest of their lives wondering what this God was like.

Now consider the millions around the earth, who, over the last several decades have responded to this same primary, priestly lifestyle of encounter with the living God of Job 37:

“At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place. Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, and He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:1-5)

But it’s not an organization, or social fad that’s led their hearts to the House of Prayer. It was never about coming to a ministry leader, or a geographical location, or having a career. It’s been about responding to the Eternal God of Hebrews 12, Who, in a generation filled with gimmicks and options and endless opportunities for self-exaltation, issued personal invitations into intimate, purifying fellowship with Himself through nothing less than the blood of His own Son.

“For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:18-29)

How does this God “rumble” as He sees this sea of seekers, and worshippers, and elderly, and families, and young ones coming close to His Presence? How does He feel about the viral-thousands of simple leaders who have said, “We need the tabernacle of His Presence back home – in Russia, Nazareth, Florida, England, the Solomon Islands, China and Brazil?”

Can you for a moment conceive of the tempest that would burn inside this God toward any person, or group of people who would use these ones for their own lust and pride of life!? (If this doesn’t make you tremble – pray for yourself…)

Can you hear His flaming roar against those who would cry that this tabernacle, where millions are making melody in their hearts toward Him, must come down!?

Beloved. This is where we are: in the middle of this tempest – as God cleans His house, and fiercely defends what His Holy Spirit has established on the earth. He is dashing brothers against brothers, and sisters against sisters, as He “ruins our pride” (Jeremiah 13:9) and cultivates tempered, agape love in His family. He is standing in the center of His lampstands, purging hearts, relationships, conversations and jot and tittles with His Eyes of fire.

…(SELAH)…

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.” “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.” (Job 40:6-14)

While being confronted by the God of Job 40

…who would dare to remain hidden in the shadows, resisting the calls of brothers, family members, and the Father Himself, shrouding themselves with fig-leaves and pretensions?

…who would continue to stammer that they can redress their own soul and chronic sin issues?

…who would not lament the countless lives, families, and noble ones whose destinies are considered as pawns in a living self-saving chess-match?

…who would not see the prophetic significance of this moment, and believe it’s prudent to give themselves to organizational status-quo and damage control?

…who would continue to throw stone after stone against sons and daughters of the Father, and then claim “moral high ground”?

…who would incessantly stand in angry protest, condemning others within the tabernacle of the Lord?

…who would gleefully hope to see the Lord decapitate someone – or a dozen “someones”?? (C’mon now, let’s be honest…)

…who cannot wail with utter terror, under the weight of this sovereign hour of sudden destruction; trembling over the swiftness of His judgments?

…who doesn’t weep and weep and weep, hearing beloved priest after intercessor after musician bare their anguished, naked souls in the public square?

The Lord is in His house confronting OUR sin, and OUR ways, and so many of us are “slow-to-believe” this reality, treating it all like some video game.

The Lord, our Lord, will be exalted in His glory. But, by necessity, His exaltation will bring down everything else about us that we have exalted in our own selves.

“Now I will rise,” says the Lord; Now I will be exalted. Now I will lift Myself up. You shall conceive chaff. You shall bring forth stubble. Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might.” (Isaiah 33:10-13)

The Lord is bringing us into the strong bonds of His eternal covenant for this hour. But it requires that every part of who we are, pass under His rod.

“I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 20:37-38)

There’s a great promise of new wine and abundant harvest. But it won’t come without His household going through the wine-press and the threshing-floor.

The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:24)

Father. We humble ourselves before You. We need Your vision for this hour!!

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JSB • December 19, 2023

FINAL NOTE:
I’ve been a pastor for 35 years, and have been connected to Mike, and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City since 2001. From 2001 to 2010 I personally took hundreds of individuals to IHOPKC, and their various conferences. In 2011 my wife, two daughters and I moved to Kansas City where I served as a senior pastor with Forerunner Christian Fellowship, and helped develop pastoral ministry and small groups within the community. In 2018 we moved back to Arizona, where my wife and I actually live in All Nations House of Prayer Southwest and maintain prayer with worship five hours per day, and six days per week.

I am overall appalled at the level of deceit, moral perversion and abuse that’s being “named among us”. When the “allegations” themselves came out, it should have led all of us to fall on our faces in the fear of the Lord. It grieves me to no end that the extreme holiness of what’s been/being desecrated simply doesn’t seem to be a thought among so many in our family. Leaders, prophetic leaders, in all sectors of the House of Prayer, and the Body of Christ, seem to have so little awareness of the significance of what the Lord has shaken over the last several months.

Beloved. The ONLY WAY our family will encounter “justice” and “wholeness”; the ONLY WAY we’ll remain faithful to the Lord through this “Holy Hour”, is by coming to Him in our own sackcloth and ashes, face-down on His threshing-floor. This is the only way that’s worthy of who we’ve been called to be, and Whom we stand before, in our calling.

But the window of opportunity is quickly closing. Thousands will trudge along, bruised and bruising others, without having availed themselves of the holy fire available for purging, healing and preparation for the future that awaits the Bride at the end of this age. Without collectively entering into this moment, we will remain self-made, impure, diseased, ill-equipped and disconnected from Him and His end-time purposes.