The Four Heart Standards

Intercession Holiness Offerings Prophecy

I.Introduction:

The Prayer Room Missions Base began in September of 2005 with a call to start a “daily prayer meeting … and to not stop until [Jesus] comes back.” This ministry is distinct from other ministries we are most familiar with primarily because of the aim of the ministry. We minister mostly to God through partnering with Him in prayer, and we minister a little to people by developing a community of people who would then join in ministering to God. Therefore, the house of prayer is necessarily distinct in the values we must uphold. The Prayer Room has looked to IHOP-KC as a model for how to carry out our mandate of daily prayer meetings until the return of Christ.

The International House of Prayer in Kansas City began praying 24 hours a day 7 days a week in September of 1999, but they actually began their ministry of prayer to the Lord in 1983. During this time, God used the house of prayer in Kansas City as a greenhouse of a prayer movement that would branch into a world-wide phenomenon in the coming decades. The foundation had to be laid to be able to support what would later become the most influential prayer ministry in 4,000 years. Mike Bickle, the director of IHOP-KC, would receive a team of intercessors and prophetic people to direct the ministry that would lead a prayer movement touching the ends of the earth (even to Pantego, Texas).

  1. Direction that gives Strength:

Remembering what God has done in the Bible, to our friends, and to us individually helps us to obey and to set our hope in Him. All of the information referred to as “prophetic” that doesn’t have a chapter and verse in the bible is subjective (is to be weighed and tested see 1 Co. 14). IHOP-KC has received an abundance of prophetic leading throughout the last few decades, but there are a handful of messages that not only give direction but also give strength. These words were delivered in a local context but were designed to be applicable to the prayer movement at large.

“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which…our fathers told us… telling to the generation to come...His wonderful works. He established a testimony in Jacob…He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come…may declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. (Ps. 78:2-7)”

  1. Parables that Bring Clarity:

Some of God’s ways are given to us as parables that unfold in a way that enables us, as the years go by, to see more and more significance in what He did in the past. Jesus spoke many things in parables to make truth more clear to those who were humble and hungry for more and to make truth more obscure for those who were proud and spiritually self-satisfied.

“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. …

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Mt. 13:10-17)”

  1. A Global Orchestration:

The Holy Spirit is orchestrating one great move of God in this generation. It is comprised of many smaller ministry movements that each have a specific ministry assignment. In other words, the end-time prayer movement is made up of many smaller prayer movements. The Prayer Room is one small movement in the midst of the global end-time move of God. The Father has a vast and glorious storyline for the whole Body of Christ in this generation. He has a specific assignment for each ministry. We all have a small yet significant part to play in His plans. God wants His people to honor and love the whole Church. There is a part of my inheritance in God that I can only receive as I receive from others in the larger Body of Christ. I have been deeply helped through the years by what God has done through other ministries.

“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer. (Mt. 21:13)”

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro… but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.. (Ep. 5:11-16)”

  1. Cairo and Kansas City:

IHOP–KC’s “prophetic history” represents a very small part of God’s story in this generation. In telling this prophetic history, our prayer is that The Prayer Room Missions Base would be strengthened in our resolve to obey our specific ministry assignment. We also share this story, hoping that part of our story will encourage others to believe God for His fullness in their ministry assignment. As each ministry does their small part, others see the big picture of God’s puzzle a little more clearly. Thereare two occasions that have given significant impact in the scope and the impact of their implication. These two messages came in two different decades in two different parts of the world but are related and the second is a continuation of the first.

  1. Cairo, Egypt 1982- While in his hotel room, Mike Bickle began a time of personal prayer but was encountered by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the phrase, “I will change the expression and understanding of Christianity in one generation.”
  2. Kansas City 1996- Bickle and the leadership team of the ministry receive correction and additional information to help them better boldly proclaim and embody the first message. The team was given the acronym “IHOP” to specify 4 of the most neglected values in the body of Christ that the house of prayer must be intentional about being core values.

II.Learning from IHOP-KC:

These two occasions of the prophetic guidance IHOP received give us great insight into how The Prayer Room Missions Base can walk out our mandate in way that has been tested over decades, yet tailored to our local context.

  1. “The expression and the understanding”:

The first of the prophetic words to is the most intense in scope and in its impact. The “expression of Christianity” refers to how the church understands and perceives herself. The “understanding of Christianity” is how the rest of the worlds understands and perceives the body of Christ.

Bickle would later receive more clarity on what this would look like.

  1. Changing the understanding: speaks of the way unbelievers will perceive the Church. Today, many see the Church as boring, irrelevant, and non-threatening (Acts 5:11-13). “No disease known to man will stand before this people.”
  2. Changing the expression: is the way the church expresses its life together as a prophetic people of prayer who walk out Sermon on the Mount lifestyles with a forerunner spirit. “This movementwill have an intercessory ministry like Harry Truman. I will establish 24-hour prayer in the spirit of the tabernacle of David.”
  1. I.H.O.P.:

After about 13 years Bickle received a corrective word because their leadership team had failed to persevere in contending for and imparting the four heart standards. This new word was not a redirection but a more specific application that was already imbedded in the Cairo 1982 word. They were given an acronym to highlight the heart standards that were not given the attention that was necessary for them to accomplish their calling. Intercession, holiness, offerings to the poor, and prophecy were the four values that were to be given special attention and to develop the DNA of the prayer movement.

  1. The Lord said to Bickle, “I am inviting you to be a part of a work that will touch the ends of the earth. You have only said yes, but have not yet done it. Many have said yes, but did not do it (persevere for decades).” The Lord said, “Beware lest your brethren steal these from your heart.”

III.Intercession:

The calling, training, and commissioning of a people to steward night and day prayer and worship is unique and precious to the Lord. It is not higher than another calling or ministry assignment, but it is distinct. This is the ministry to the Lord that He insisted on from the days of Moses.

“And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.” (Ex. 36:1-5).”

  1. It Takes a Village:

The church is supposed to have a relationship with Jesus and every relationship requires communication i.e. prayer. Every believer is supposed to have a prayer-life. However, there is a calling and grace available to those who God has called to minister to Himself in prayers, worship, thanksgiving, etc.

“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?(Lk. 8:7-8)”

  1. Take Your Place on the Wall:

The time is now. If you are here or reading these notes you are likely one of these people. The Lord gives wisdom, understanding, gifting, and zeal for His house and expects those that He calls to respond.

“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Lk. 2:36-38).”

IV.Holiness:

The lifestyle described in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) is basically a call to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, and to ensure that our attitudes are less and less prideful. The call to live holy as He is holy and to be like Him in humility is required if we are to minister to Him in intercession.

  1. Intercessors Must Insist on Holiness:

The instances of the manifest presence of God and any measure of misalignment with who He is always ends up bad. If we are to take up the calling of night and day prayer, we must check our hearts and minds against willful disobedience and pride. (1 Sam 2, Acts 5)

  1. David is Our Example:

The examples of judgement produce a healthy fear of the Lord, which is the point, and really healthy. David, who was the poster boy of quick repentance after messing up, lead the most dynamic prayer ministry in the history of humanity. Forgiveness is thrust upon us and mercy covers when we maintain a broken and a contrite spirit about our sin.

“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness…

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You…

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise. (Ps. 51:5-17).”

V.Offerings to the Poor:

Extravagant giving by living simply to be able to give more to then harvest affect our money. It is powerful when a man or woman of God sees dollars as souls for the kingdom. We can trade the concept of a spirit of poverty and instead practice being faithful with little and much while praying the Lord would increase our resources to be more generous. Spiritual violence moves the kingdom forward and so do dollars.

  1. Faithful with little:

The Lord is very pragmatic when it comes to resources and who can be trusted. He allows a person to start out with a little to steward after and then after a while if they are faithful they are entrusted with more. We don’t have to follow after the model America has given us to just upgrade all of our stuff when we get some more money. We can actually talk to God about a standard of living that allows us to be generous with our money and bless others and fund kingdom objectives.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

(Lk. 16:10).”

  1. David funded the House of Prayer:

King David had the wealth of Israel at his disposal and used it to not only build the temple with extravagant materials, but he also employed hundreds of singers, musicians, worship leaders, and administrators.David grew up poor and not longing for riches, so when the money was available to him he used it to achieve his real longing: more of God. (1Ch. 9:22-23, 33, 13:8, 15:2, 16:4-6, 37-42, 22:5, 22:14, 23:5, 24-32, 25:1-7, 26:12, 29:3; 2Ch. 5:11-13, 9:11, 11:18, 23:18, 24:14c, 29:11, 25-30, 35b, 30:21, 31:2-6 / all of chapter 31, 34:8-13, 35:15; Ps. 27:4, 36:8-9, 61:4, 63:2, 5, 65:4, 69:30-31, 76:2, 132:1-6; Is. 38:20, 56:7, 62: 6-7; Er. 3:10; Ne. 12:24, 36, 45-46).

“The priests…responsible for ministering in the house of God...stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night(1Ch. 9:13, 33).”

VI.Prophecy:

Prophecy gives fuel to the intercessors and protection to the house. This is confidence in God’s intervention (provision, protection, direction) and standing boldly in faith for what the Spirit is saying affects our security and identity. Prophecy is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is developed in 1 Corinthians 14 as the most desirable and most beneficial to the church.

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification (1 Co. 14:1-5).”

  1. The White Horse:
    One of the most influential prophetic men for IHOP-KC was Bob Jones. He was given a word about helping the prayer movement persist in prayer and worship.
  2. Isaw a white horse in the middle of a river bed that had 4 inches of water in it, with rabid dogs on the sides. I stood behind the white horse and myassignment from the Lord was to help the white horse (leaders of the youth movement) stay in the “middle of the stream” as they were preparing for the coming flood of the Spirit. It will come after the leaders mature so as to not neglect the four heart standards given in Cairo.
  3. The dogs in this parable spoke of church leaders who could not see the value of these four heart standards or the need for a focused prayer ministry. They upheld the traditional lifestyle of the western Church that sees the four heart standards as being extreme and unnecessary.
  4. One day, God will release the Spirit on multitudes as rays are seen coming out of their hands. He showed me that the people sitting in the audience will see light from them. Some will get new kidneys; the lame, the deaf, and the blind will be restored resulting in great power evangelism.
  5. The Lord said, “I am setting you behind them to watch their backs so that the mad dogs do not bite them.” Mad dogs speak of religious people with human wisdom that is contrary to God’s word. The Lord said, “They will want this young man to join them. If he refuses, then they will bite him. I want you to keep that white horse in the middle of the stream where the mad dogs cannot bite him. I will do the rest.”.
  6. A rabid dog is one that is mad. Its throat is swollen up so it cannot get into the water because it cannot drink. They stand on the side of the water and accuse those who are in it. They cannot bite him if he stays in the stream, because they can't go into the water.
  7. If a mad dog bites you, it imparts madness to you. Religion is madness. They are to stay in the middle of the stream. I was told to lead the white horse into the middle of a dry stream. It was a stream that centuries ago had had water in it. But now it was dry.
  8. The Lord told me that as long as this white horse doesn't get to the side, the dogs can't bite and infect him with fear of man and intimidation. He then said, “Stand beside him because the dogs will overpower him by their persuasion.”
  9. The Lord said, “I will release the spirit of prophecy to keep this white horse in the middle of the stream. Walk alongside him and gently hold the reins to keep him in the middle of the stream, because one day the rains will surely come.” The Lord put a reign in my hands and said, “When he goes to one side or the other, pull on that reign.” I was told to watch his back. God gave me whatever revelation was needed to keep them in the middle of the stream—to get them back in faith. That was my job: to just keep them in the stream with expectancy and to keep them looking to Jesus for answers and crying out to Him.
  10. I saw many leaders coming like barking dogs trying to scare the white horse out of the middle of the dry stream. They would say, “You are doing it wrong, come and join me.”
  1. Direction and Vision

One of the many benefits the house of prayer receives from the prophets is strength to hold on to the promises in the word and given subjectively. The prophets get to enjoy meaningful relationships and pastoring while they fulfill their calling.