What is an intercessory missionary?
An intercessory missionary is someone who has committed their life – or a season of their life – to a lifestyle of fasting and prayer in a 24/7 setting, petitioning the Lord to do as He promised He would in His Holy Word. Another common term would be “watchmen”, as Isaiah 62:6-7 says
“ I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”(NKJ)
Most of us are familiar with traditional missionaries, who serve the Lord by going out into different parts of the world and sharing the Gospel and doing deeds of mercy, but as the earth is beginning to shift towards an end-times revival, the Lord is also placing a call to night and day prayer on the hearts of more and more of His people. An example of this type of anointing is described in Luke 2:36-38, and is referred to as the “Anna Anointing.”
“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.”(NKJ)
How does an intercessory missionary financially support themselves?
Just as traditional missionaries depend on the financial support they receive from charities, churches, individuals and their families, an intercessory missionary must also have a network of willing, generous, and committed support that flows firstly from the hand of God, then through the Body of Christ (fellow believers and the church), and then to the missionary in order that they might have sustenance to complete their calling. Intercessory missionaries are focused on devoting their time and energy to the task set before them, and many commit to living simply, only taking what is needed and nothing more, just as I am committed to doing. As I will be pouring 50-60 hours of prayer and service each week to the local churches in and around the House of Prayer in Kansas City (and around the nation), very little – if any – time will be left for modern entertainment (such as television, movie theaters, fine dining, etc.), not unlike missionaries who travel to rural and remote places on the earth. If there is truly an anointing and a call on a person’s life for a specific task, then the burden which grips that person’s heart to see the Lord’s desires come to completion far outweighs what others may consider to be a great sacrifice. I consider it to be a joy to have resources, though limited as they may be, just to be able to satisfy the burden on my heart that is to enter into night and day prayer to reach the nations of the earth in the coming end-times harvest.
What are the details of what you will be doing?
In January 2009, I plan to be a part of an IHOP internship program known as OneThing; a six-month program for single young adults between the ages of 18-25. It is a program designed to train and mobilize young adults towards finding their place in the Body of Christ, and is meant to be a season of consecration unto the Lord. This means that I will not be permitted to hold an outside job during the time of the internship, take personal vacations, or date during the internship. These are typical guidelines for any internship of this nature, and are not secluded just to IHOP-KC internships.
I will commit to spending at the very least, 24 hours in the prayer room in intercession over the course of one week, as well as 24 hours of service to the House of Prayer, which may include tasks such as cleaning and maintenance, children’s ministry, assisting visitors during weekend conferences, etc.
As a part of the internship, I will be earning 15 credit hours (total of one semester) towards IHOP’s Forerunner School of Ministry (FSM), which seeks to bring theological education and corporate prayer together, all within a sacrificial lifestyle.
After I complete the six-month internship I hope to continue living in Kansas City, continuing to earn credits to receive a three-year diploma by studying theology in the Worship and Prayer program. I believe this particular program will help to equip me to gain confidence in the area of my abilities that I believe God wants to manifest His glory through. As a full-time student at FSM, I will also continue to devote a minimum of 24 hours in intercessory prayer each week as well as the weekly minimum 24 hours of service in and around the House of Prayer. Overall, I will have the same schedule as I had while on the internship, but will no longer be dependent on the internship to provide food, housing, utilities, and classes in one lump sum. I also hope to be able to afford my own cell phone plan, as I do not want to continue to burden my family’s plan with a number that is 783.56 miles away from the local service provider. After the internship is complete, I may also need to provide my own health insurance. I will need a dependable network of support from those whom God appoints to sustain me as I continue to live a life of service in the House of Prayer. I have spent long hours over the course of several days in prayer and consideration for each dollar amount I have included in my budget, striving to find the lowest possible figures I can survive on, in an effort to avoid becoming a burden on those who honor the Lord by blessing me with finance to complete my mission. It is so very important to me that I keep these people close to my heart, not only in prayer but also in friendship. I hope to be a blessing to each one of my supporters as I keep them informed of all that the Lord is doing in me and through me as I continue to serve Him in the House of Prayer.
I have included my budget and a detailed list of the expenses I will need as I serve in Kansas City. Please feel free to analyze it and ask me any questions you have concerning the budget or anything else you may have inquiry about. If you would like more information on the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, please visit www.ihop.org.
