As always, there are many changes going on at IHOP-Michiana. We are excited to to see so many teams up and functioning, and some great stuff is going on all the time. Hopefully, we will get the website updated soon and get a current schedule on there in the coming week, so check back soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Voice office at 574-970-9240 or email us at info@voiceministries.com.
Great news!
Tuesdays A new classical instrument Worship W/ the Word team is being developed on Tuesday night after the Meeting Place from 8:30-10:00pm led by Evie Exley. Following this team Christina Weldy will be developing a Concert Devotional from 11-12. These slots will be great for worshipping, doing your devotions with the Lord, and soaking in the presence of God.
Thursdays We now have teams from 6-midnight, two of which are intercessory and provide opportunities for anyone desiring to come and intercede and pray at the microphone. (Eric Ward, Eric Exley, Betsy Hulse, and Evie Exley, all leading teams, respectively.) Check out the schedule for more details.
Fridays Rachel Campbell and Still Standing have moved to Fridays from 7-9pm (beginning Oct. 9th)
The Tuesday and Thursday slots have already begun this week – come take part of our new evening worship and prayer in the Prayer Room. Bless you!
IHOP Leadership Team
You are about to see some major changes happening in our schedule over the next two weeks, whoohoo!
Two changes I would like to highlight that are happening as of this week are:
Extension of Hours: We have extended our hours, so we are now open every morning at 6am. Bob Deering and Tony DeHaven have really committed themselves to opening up our House of Prayer early enough so that our region can come worship, take part in intercession, and enjoy devotional times before their work day begins. We think this is also essential to starting our day in the House of Prayer focused on a Spirit-inspired theme every day.
Thursday night intercession team: Eric Ward is leading an intercessory team on Thursday night from 6-8pm. There are opportunities for rapid fire praying at the microphone, and all of our Watchmen are invited to this meeting in particular in lieu of their regular Thursday night intercession meeting.
IHOP Leadership Team
As of August 17th, a young adult internship for intercessors and worshippers aged 14-25 has been started in the House of Prayer, with a current enrollment of 13. In this stage, as we are developing the program, the Holy Spirit instructed us not to actively promote or advertise it, but let Him bring those who are supposed to participate to us by the leading of the Holy Spirit, as well as seek out those He specifically directs us to.
Each intern is required to attend two classes on Monday nights, serve on a team as an intercessor or worshipper, and spend three hours a week in the Prayer Room. There is no time frame for this program and the interns are allowed to leave at any time; however, they are required to meet all the requirements while they are part of the program and are accountable to communicate if they are struggling or unable to meet their commitment. A name for this internship is being decided on now and will be announced in future notices.
Please pray for these young adults as they begin to get a deeper revelation of the key figures they are in God’s plan as we transition into the next age… In their lifetimes they will see a tremendous turn of world events. This internship is essential to equipping them to know their identity, their role, and equip them to stand strong over the course of their life, as well as position them as worshippers and intercessors in our Prayer Room. Pray for their protection, pray against distraction, and pray for their hearts to burn like never before… They are the foundation of worshippers God will use in our House of Prayer…
If you or someone you know is seriously interested in this program, please contact a member of the Leadership Team and we will earnestly intercede about their involvement in the internship.
IHOP Leadership Team
As we approach our one year anniversary in the Grand Horizon Center, everyone here at Voice Ministries is pausing to celebrate and consider how much we have accomplished in the past year. I was pulling together statistics and information for this celebration and some thoughts came to me I want to share…
God places value differently than we do. The kingdom of heaven does not measure success the way the kingdoms of earth do. A couple could be married for 50 years, but if they didn’t have love, they didn’t have anything. Another couple could be married for 2 minutes, but if they had love, they had two moments of a substance God calls “the greatest thing of all.” It is this mysterious thing called “love” that He wants.
It is the same with our worship and our intercession. The greatest intercession of all is when our hearts, our emotions, our passion is mixed in the alchemy of it. We long, we fever, we search, we challenge, we debate our case – we don’t give God rest – we remind Him of his dream in this earth and want it as badly as He does. Our brokenhearted-ness over the state of the earth, how personal we take the suffering of the earth: this moves the heart of God. It is real, genuine, and from our core.
The greatest worship is often the worship mixed with our pain, our humblest offering of question, searching, promises, vows, fears, our pressing through until we have completely said “yes” in surrender because we caught sight of His glory during our weakness. Our choice to love Him, to believe in His love, to be crucified with Him, to not quit no matter the difficulty because we see He is worth it, He is beautiful, He is God… This is the worshipper whose worship He delights in and will kiss with His presence, visit with His power, and open the heavens above as they sing their heart-truth.
As we sow to the heavens with this, He will sow to the earth. How could he resist us? He would rather have 2 minutes of this kind of humble passion and sweet faithfulness than 50 years of non-stop worship/prayer.
The truth is, we could have 24/7 coverage, but if our worship is not given with love from a burning heart, then to God’s nostrils it was just empty works and a foul stench. Oh, to hear the sound of the burning heart raised in song and prayer, praying His dreams, singing our love – that is the sound God loves and that’s what He has been listening for from us in the past year.
Sometimes we have to ask ourselves soul-searching questions. In the past year, have I complained because I felt our IHOP wasn’t being successful? Did I complain after a handful of people have put out a tremendous amount of work to produce growth? Was I ever offended because it was not being built or handled the way I thought it should be or with me in mind? At the same time, have I driven for some way to validate our House of Prayer? Have my efforts ever been about proving that our House of Prayer really is doing something, we really are growing, and the train really is moving?
…While God humbly sits waiting… His eyes searching… His heart so faithful, so eager, so beautiful… He never gives up hope. Never gives up hope that we will just begin to give Him love. He longs for one moment of connection with us in our worship and prayer. Our prayer room should be filled with the chemistry of the most powerful relationship there is – between God and man. Lightning happens, electricity sizzles when the heart of man has connected with the heart of God… that’s what He’s waiting for…
Yes, let’s take a moment to truly celebrate how far we’ve come, that we are making progress, let’s honor those who have been faithful, but let’s also remember to move forward into the new year valuing what’s most important – one genuine moment connected to the heart of God. That is how we truly mark our progress and measure our success.
Woohoo! Just wanted to take a moment here and highlight three new teams that are now going strong.
Mondays 12-2pm Intercessory team. This young adult team is led by Evie Exley and focuses on praying for the nations and different causes (such as the youth of the nation, abortion, establishing Houses of Prayer around the world). There are frequent opportunities for those in the room to pray at the microphone and add their agreement.
Wednesdays 12-2pm Devotional worship team. This heartfelt team is led by Michael Johnson and is a great opportunity to engage your heart as you visit the Prayer Room.
Fridays 9-11am Prophetic Intercessory worship team. This fiery team, led by our leader Bob Deering, is an opportunity to war in the Spirit and add your faith to the prophetic decrees from prophetic and proven leadership voices in Voice Ministries. There are frequent opportunities for those in the room to pray at the microphone and add their agreement.
Please note that the Sunday team will be cancelled June 14th and will resume the following Sunday, June 21st.
Thanks!
~IHOP Leadership Team
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Check out this teaching by Evie Exley: Isaiah 42 – The Vision for a Worldwide, Endtime Worship Movement given at the Frontline School of Ministry on May 17, 2009.
From May 15th- June 15th, all devotional worshippers will be conducting an experiment based on Isaiah 42. As you visit the Prayer Room, you will hear us singing this prophetic song over the next thirty days. We want to see what God does in our Prayer Room and in our lives as worshippers as we fulfill this prophecy deliberately and intentionally. Please see here for more information.
The Isaiah 42 Revelation
Hundreds of years ago, the prophet Isaiah prophesied in chapter 42 about a time when a new song would begin to arise from all parts of the globe; a love song from the Bride of Jesus so beautiful and provoking that Jesus will stand to His feet, His heart stirred, and let out a mighty roar. He will return to the earth and begin a campaign that removes everything that hinders love. This prophecy was given hundreds of years ago, but this desire burns in our hearts so strongly in the House of Prayer, that we believe it is our mission to be part of its fulfillment.
