Joyful Reflection This Christmas

Christmas is a time of year when everyone’s story seems to get a little more real. The birth of Christ is true for Christians every day, but we take extra time at Christmas to focus on the mystery of the incarnation and its significance for us today. In doing so, we are blessed as we gain a fresh appreciation for God invading our time and space with His glorious Son, who came veiled as a helpless baby. 

The same is true with family and friends. We know they love us and are important to us all throughout the year, but the holidays are a special time to connect and celebrate with them. Instead of scrolling through pictures online or staring into a screen, this is the season when we get more intentional about sharing time with the people closest to us, making memories with those who matter most to us and give us the greatest joy. Christmas is surely a time of renewing and appreciating our relationships.

In our increasingly isolated world—whether due to technology, pandemics, or other things—connection is as important as ever. There’s something about stopping to say what we’re feeling or expressing appreciation for someone (or something) that’s impacted us that causes us to marvel again at what God has done. Christmas is a time to slow down, reflect, and give thanks.

At the International House of Prayer, we regularly receive testimonies from all over the world about how the Lord is touching people. These emails tell the stories of real people who are our brothers and sisters in their own pursuit of Jesus—people who are joining us because we’ve played some role in their lives. In looking over their stories, we’re struck by how the Lord has used our ministry and prayer room in Kansas City to touch the ends of the earth. It is not dissimilar to the apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:2–3).

And out of this sum of meaningful and encouraging testimonies, we would like to share a few with you! Here are a couple of them that stood out to us.

“While watching worship with the Word, I asked for prayer for Long Island, NY. Specifically, I asked for the Lord of the harvest to open the heavens and let His light shine on a land of shadows and darkness. Almost immediately, the worship and intercessors began praying for open heavens, first over Israel and the Jewish people, then over other localities. God heard and answered. I am in awe of His presence and the sensitivity of His prophets. Thank you, Jesus.” —From New York

“I am in continual awe of what God has done with a worldwide connection to the Global Prayer Room. I can feel His presence shared among us as though I were there. It is ever in my mind that some persecuted brother or sister is watching too, and this session may be their last fellowship with the Body before police pound on their door. May the Lord infuse our prayer and worship with His life to carry them through each day.” —A woman in Alabama

The next two are a great report of believers being encouraged by our 24/7 webstream of prayer with worship, which never stopped—even during the severest days of the COVID lockdowns.

“The International House of Prayer in the past few days has inspired me to seek the Father’s kingdom like never before. It’s a great blessing to get up from sleep any time of the day and night to pray and worship our Lord in spirit and truth. . . . Such a time as this is our opportunity as believers to be the light in this dark time in our world. Our families will be transformed.” —A man in Michigan

“So blessed to watch the worship, the band, and prayers pressing through in COVID at 23:44 GMT tonight. Let’s do it! Bless you guys for your faithfulness—with no congregation except the angels and God and online worshipers.” —Clive, London 

And last but not least, here’s a note from a Catholic priest in France. The way the Lord is using our offerings to Him in worship and prayer here in this little prayer room in Kansas City speaks of Holy Spirit’s ministry functioning across denominational lines.

“I have been praying for about one hour with Clay Edwards and the worship band online (via YouTube), and I just want to give thanks to God for the blessing He poured out in me during that hour. Nothing especially big actually happened, but I received a grace of communion with God, of surrender to His love, and He has spoken to me about His work in my life and about who He is. I am deeply thankful. I am sure that what I have received from God here will bear fruit for the parish as I will be preaching tomorrow at church. Thanks to everyone; be blessed.”
Whether we are touching believers across the nations or just across the street, our intention is to be a light, a family of burning and shining lamps blessing the Lord and proclaiming Jesus’ beauty and soon return.

How has God used the International House of Prayer in your life? Send us your story of how IHOPKC has blessed or encouraged you. We’d love to celebrate the goodness of the Lord with you. Have a joyful and blessed Christmas season, for Jesus, the Light of the World, has come! And He’s coming again!