House of Prayer Christian Church
On Fire Missions is continuing to report on the mission-minded House of Prayer Christian Church. This church group, which is sometimes referred to by its acronym HOPCC has churches throughout America. The church group is a model of ethnic diversity and welcomes people into its congregations from all the Earth corners. On Fire Missions’ objective is to report churches and missionary movements that will rekindle people’s zeal for missions again. Please take time to read this article and the many other articles and picture galleries that feature House of Prayer Christian Church!
The History of House of Prayer Christian Church
The history of House of Prayer Christian Church, like all churches, can be traced back to the Great Commission of Christ as found in Mark 16:15, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (NIV) And then, as time rolled on in church history, the era of John Wesley began in the 1700s. It was during this time in church history that the American colonies experienced the First Great Awakening. Moreover, Methodist circuit rider preachers, such as Francis Asbury, traversed the frontier preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A different type of church was produced during this time in church history. A church that was extremely passionate about reaching lost souls and equally as passionate in seeking holiness in the believer’s life. The years passed by until 1906 came, and the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, CA, and spread like wildfire. During the Azusa Street movement, prayer was revived, a zeal for missions was rekindled, and racism melted away under the fervent heat of the Love of God. The Azusa Street mission influenced many church groups throughout the world. It is from this sequence of events that through the decades following, there was a group of Christians in 2004 that banded together to pray, live right, follow the Bible, and to be a spark that will get a fire going again. In 2004, House of Prayer Christian Church was started.
The Mission
House of Prayer Christian Church started in 2004 as a prayer revival. The one thing that the disciples of our Lord asked to be taught was, “how to pray?” The Bible says in Luke 11:1, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ” (NIV) Upon this emphasis on prayer, House of Prayer Christian Churches are open for prayer at noon and night. This is one feature that On Fire Missions is delighted about, that in these churches, there are still noon-time prayer meetings in which anyone can come into the chapel and spend time in prayer! The mission of the church is not to build up but to go out! This is synonymous with the early Christians in the Book of Acts and the early Methodist circuit rider preachers during the Great Awakenings of America. Shortly after the onset of this church, the congregation dispatched a missionary to America to travel throughout America to intercede and encourage others to go back to the old-time way of prayer. In the present, it is not just one married couple that is traveling as a missionary to America. It has now grown into large teams of prayer warriors who will spend time in an American city to intercede. The teams will rent out a conference room in a hotel and hold prayer meetings. They will go on the streets and encourage people to go back to prayer. The impact has been tremendous, and the results are recorded in heaven of all the lives that have been touched by this revival!
National Conferences
House of Prayer Christian Church has national conferences throughout the year. The conferences are a blessed time of worship, fellowship, and encouragement. The Bible says in II Tim 4:2, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (NIV) And in Acts 2:42. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (NIV) These scriptures teach us that every believer needs fellowship with other believers and good preaching and teaching from the Word of God. Moreover, another feature that has grabbed the On Fire board of directors’ attention is how open and transparent the church’s conferences are. The conferences are open to the public, and all are invited to the conference’s prayer meetings and services. The church
members are encouraged to invite their families to see what type of church their family member is involved in. This is a unique aspect that shows that they are not exclusive but very inclusive and welcoming to anyone that comes to the conferences. Many family members come back the next year to the next national conference. The conferences are host to inspired preaching, spiritual worship and singing, and encouraging testimonies that rekindle a zeal for missions.
In conclusion, it is no wonder how the House of Prayer Christian Church is rekindling a zeal for missions and is a major feature of the On Fire Missions missionary site. From the church’s beginning in 2004, missionaries have gone out like other prayer warriors of old, to blaze a trail of prayer that is reviving souls in America again. Moreover, the House of Prayer national conferences affect a wider circle than just the church’s membership but reach out to family members and the public as well. Thus, showing unparalleled inclusiveness and openness is hard to find today in national church conferences.
