Why Corporate Prayer?

Fasted Lifestyle Lesson #6
The Corporate Prayer Reality


"Why do I need to come to the House of Prayer? Can't I just pray at home?"

You have all heard someone say that I'm sure, as I have. We all understand there are seasons of hiding in the secret place, but mostly believers need to be together in Radical Prayer Community. Last week as I was praying in the prayer room for our House of Prayer Community, I was refreshed with the following corporate revelation.

When I look back at my Christian life highlights, some of the most significant encounters with God happened when I was praying with other believers.

When I was 19 years old, I was at youth worship team rehearsal, and we all held hands and prayed, just like we did every week. That week however, the Spirit of God showed up, and there was much groaning, weeping, singing, and praying into the late hours of the night. I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues for the first time. It was life changing, I've never been the same since.

When I was 20 years old, I was attending Bethany College, and there was a little prayer room under the sanctuary I frequented. One night I was burning to pray and went down there, and another girl showed up and joined me. I was having a good time with Jesus, but when she came in and joined me, whoa, the Spirit got thick in that room. We were walking, jumping, singing, shouting, praying in tongues, you name it. The really neat thing is I didn't really know her that well before that night, but after spending hours in prayer together, it was like we were spiritually connected. Every time I saw her after that around campus or wherever, I hugged on her like she was my best friend, I felt so incredibly close to her.

"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour." Acts 3:1

When I was 21 years old, I began attending Harvest House Church, wow, had to breath in for a second. During the first year and two that Johnny and I were attending we had these special mid-week Thursday night meetings. They were the kind of meetings the 'hungry' came to. The Spirit of God moved so strongly in those meetings, I looked forward to them all week long

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31

At the House of Prayer, we talk a lot about the "Secret Place" and that is vital in our walk with God to be developing our "Secret Place" life, but if we are crying out for a Regional Revival or Move of God in our city, we need to gather together and pray corporately.

Someone visited IHOP-Kansas City one time, a well-known church leader, and said to Mike Bickle, "Wow! You guys are really going for it here! I mean you are RADICAL! You've got this huge staff all praying, fasting, in the Word..." I think he caught himself at that point. When Mike tells that story, he chuckles and reflects how we have lost sight of the most important "program", meeting together in fasting and prayer!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, The Camaraderie Creed, we need to see one another in prayer. Praying together in the same room! This is the very foundation of our commitment to Christ and a Christ-like lifestyle.

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20

-gina