The International House of Prayer (IHOP) is a charismatic evangelical Christian movement and missions organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. IHOP was founded in 1999 by Mike Bickle and twenty full-time “intercessory missionaries” who committed to pray daily for thirteen hours. Since then, it has grown substantially in size and influence, attracting thousands of young people to its headquarters and planting satellite houses of prayer in other cities around the world.
IHOP is best known for its 24/7 prayer room at its Kansas City headquarters, which has operated continuously since its founding. Teams of musicians play live worship music as people pray, sing, read Scripture, and meditate in the prayer room. IHOP also holds large conferences multiple times per year that draw tens of thousands of attendees. Its prayer room is even broadcast online, allowing people to participate remotely in its prayers.
Theologically, IHOP aligns with mainstream evangelical beliefs but places greater emphasis on contemporary prophetic revelation and miracles. It has a strong focus on end times prophecies and believes the church is called to impact the end times by engaging in “intercessory warfare prayer.” IHOP also stresses intimacy with God through practices like contemplative prayer and singing prophetic songs.
Controversially, IHOP has been accused of overly fixating on end times speculation, manipulating youth, promoting false teachings, and other problems. Defenders argue it is revitalizing prayer and youth passion for Jesus. Supporters and critics of IHOP both acknowledge its massive influence on modern charismatic evangelicalism.
History of IHOP
Mike Bickle had led a large church in Kansas City called Kansas City Fellowship since 1983. In 1994, he stepped down from the pastorate with a growing conviction that God wanted him to focus on prayer and worship. He pioneered a twenty-four-hour prayer room in his church and began holding massive prayer gatherings, laying the groundwork for IHOP.
In May of 1999, Bickle formally launched the International House of Prayer with twenty full-time staff members. They rented space at a local church and began leading worship and prayer continuously day and night. From the start, the prayer room has operated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, ever since.
In its early days, IHOP attracted scrutiny and criticism from other pastors in the city who were concerned about some of Bickle’s teachings and felt his prayer vigils were excessive. But the movement continued to expand rapidly. By 2003, hundreds of young adults were moving to Kansas City to participate at IHOP. Today, several thousand staff and students are now based out of the IHOPKC prayer room and training center in Kansas City.
IHOP also began planting Houses of Prayer in other cities, with the first one launched in Washington, D.C. in 2004. Today there are over eighty official IHOPs globally in places ranging from small towns to major cities like Berlin, Barcelona, and Jerusalem.
The IHOP Prayer Room
The centerpiece of IHOP is still its Kansas City prayer room located in the converted former estate of a country club. It runs twenty-four hours a day perpetually, with live worship teams leading music and singers, manifold prayer activities occurring simultaneously, and scriptures projected on video screens.
Teams of musicians and singers take turns in two-hour blocks playing instruments and singing worship songs to create an atmosphere of continual prayer. Some of the music is spontaneous, flowing with the Holy Spirit in prophecy and tongues. The worship sets consist of heartfelt popular worship songs as well as many lesser known ones, often written by IHOP musicians themselves.
People fill the room praying out loud together, singing along, kneeling at the altar, sitting silently, walking around deep in thought, or laying prostrate. The prayer room has a casual, come-and-go-as-you-please atmosphere. Laptops and handouts provide worship lyrics and prayer points. Creative art stations allow making banners, drawing prophetic art, and constructing prayer rooms. Themes direct prayer on certain topics or world issues.
Outside the prayer room, classes provide training for the spiritual disciplines and service. IHOPKC has many ministries housed under its umbrella, including media, publications, inner healing, biblical education, and work with the poor, children, and pro-life causes.
Beliefs and Teachings
Doctrinally, IHOP affirms evangelical orthodox Christian beliefs on the core matters of the faith, like the Bible, Trinity, salvation, and so forth. But beyond these central tenets, IHOP has some distinct teachings and areas of emphasis that give it a unique theological flavor.
The first is their strong belief in present-day prophetic revelation. IHOP believes God still speaks through prophets as He did in biblical times, giving fresh words to directly guide the church. Prophecy happens on a regular basis during IHOP’s prayer room sets and conferences.
IHOP also heavily promotes intimacy with God through practices like contemplative prayer and singing prophetic songs. The concept of the “bridal paradigm” encourages deeper passion for Jesus as a lover and bridegroom. Sensual language is sometimes used metaphorically in their worship songs to express this spousal intimacy.
IHOP places a very heavy emphasis on the end times. Their prayer room aims to release God’s end times purposes right now through powerful intercession. IHOP believes the end times church can be victorious through non-stop prayer that defeats demonic powers and ushers in revival.
Controversially, IHOP has been accused of overly fixating on speculative end times prophecies. Their commitment to prayer has also been critiqued as going too far into excesses.
On social issues, IHOP stakes out conservative ground typical of evangelicals. They are opposed to abortion, gay marriage, and left-wing ideologies. At the same time, IHOP distances itself from politics to keep focused on revival, prayer, and saving souls.
Controversies
IHOP has generated no shortage of controversies since its inception. The intense mysticism and sensuality of their intimate worship style has been called emotionally manipulative and overly erotic by some critics. They argue it could improperly arouse young people still developing self-control and wisdom.
Serious concerns have also been raised about IHOP’s prophetic ministry. Their belief in present-day authoritative prophets is controversial outside of charismatic circles. Critics feel the prophecies are often vague or inaccurate when compared with biblical standards of prophecy.
Doctrinally, IHOP has been accused of overemphasizing minor disputed matters like spiritual warfare while neglecting weightier things like discipleship. The endless hyped-up prayer meetings are superficially exhausting in the view of some.
Sociologically, the IHOP movement has also received criticism for isolating and manipulating youth. Impressionable young adults who sever ties and move to Kansas City to join the movement are sometimes seen as brainwashed by cult-like indoctrination.
Defenders of IHOP point to the pure motives, sound orthodoxy, and spiritual vitality behind the ministry. They see IHOP as authentically responding to the Spirit’s leading and successfully catalyzing youth zeal for Jesus. The debates surrounding IHOP will doubtless continue into the future.
Influence and Significance
Only twenty years old, IHOP has exploded from a tiny seed planted by Mike Bickle into a massive and influential force in the charismatic evangelical world. Its passionate worship music in particular has shaped the sound of the modern worship movement.
Contemporary Christian music heavyweights like Misty Edwards, Matt Gilman, and Michael Ketterer have come out of IHOP’s music ministry. Their songs are sung widely today in churches across the world. IHOP’s musicians have recorded many popular albums that rank among the top-selling Christian artists.
IHOP’s prayer and spiritual warfare emphasis has also been widely copied. Houses of prayer modeled after IHOP can now be found in many major cities as the concept has rapidly multiplied. Even many churches that don’t fully endorse IHOP have adopted 24/7 prayer rooms and spiritual warfare prayers patterned after them.
Many key evangelical leaders and authors speakers today like Lou Engle, Heidi Baker, and Bill Johnson have close ties to IHOP as spiritual fathers and brothers. IHOP formally joined the Pentecostal denomination Assemblies of God in 2014, linking them to mainstream evangelicalism.
Critics see IHOP’s growing clout as concerning. They worry the exotic worship and shaky doctrines popularized by IHOP are being uncritically absorbed by the wider church. But there is no denying IHOP has become a chief shaper of global charismatic evangelicalism today.
Practical Tips for Interacting with IHOP
Here are some practical tips for interacting with IHOP members or participating at IHOP events based on understanding their background:
- Be open-minded about charismatic practices you may not fully understand, like speaking in tongues, ecstatic singing, and prophecy.
- Ask IHOP members questions to understand their views rather than attacking or debating.
- Focus on Jesus and the gospel as the central issue rather than disputable doctrines.
- Consider that younger IHOP members may still be developing discernment about some IHOP teachings.
- Affirm IHOP’s zeal for deeper relationship with Jesus even if certain methods seem unconventional.
- Point IHOP members back to faithful Bible study rather than complete reliance on modern prophecy.
In interacting with IHOP, it is important have gracious dialog rooted in the biblical truth both sides share in common. Some extremes may need to be challenged, but their sincere devotion to Jesus must also be acknowledged.