My Trip to Atlanta
Hey Family,
I wanted to give a brief update on our trip to Atlanta for our week-long training with Gate City Church and House of Prayer. Thank you so much to those who helped to support, pray, and give finances to make this trip possible. I am truly grateful and I pray that you will receive a greater blessing than what you gave. I traveled with one of our Staff and another House of Prayer Director from Dominican Republic. It was a great time of fellowship, encouragement, fresh vision for me personally and for the House of Prayer family here in Miami. God also used the time to reemphasize some key prophetic words that He has entrusted to us from the past years. There were a few take-away points that I would like to share with you.
Take-Away #1
One of the recurring themes and quotes we heard while in Atlanta was, "The future of the prayer movement is in the local church." There was this growing recognition that the separation of the House of Prayer and the local church has never been in the heart of the Lord. Scripture has always seemed to make the two as one as reflected in Isaiah 56:7 as the Father's House and Matthew 16:18 as Christ's Church. We were able to to see and hear the process of their recent transition and reformation for IHOP-Atlanta and a local church merging together. They are now learning to serve the Lord and His people and purposes in their region as the family of God from the environment of 24/7 worship and prayer since 2006. They now serve under the banner of Gate City Church. This is a beautiful family who is seeking to honor God and their family and neighbors with a spirit of humility and grace, for which I now feel welcomed into their family from Miami.
I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isaiah 56:7
Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),* and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell* will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18
Take-Away #2
We were able to see the Community and Pastoral Team seeking to walk within the context of sensitivity to the reformation of God in His Church and also maintain excellent systems that help to reinforce healthy boundary lines to keep them moving forward. We were able to sit in on some of their administrative meetings and watch and hear how they set goals that flow from their clear vision and mission. There seems to be a healthy accountability for each Team Member in the community. They desire to continue to grow in the Holy Spirit and adjust systems that will facilitate spiritual formation for Christ's Church. My personal hope is to continue learning from their Team as we continue to seek ways to grow our friendship connections.
Take-Away #3
We are now forming some great friends from the House of Prayer in Atalanta. It is my desire to begin introducing some of these great friends with our family here in Miami, FL. We will be asking the Lord for His leadership and timing for hosting some of these great friends in the House of Prayer here in Miami. We believe that the Lord is sending us help to strengthen the work us as we cry out together as one voice and one heart:
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. 7 Lift up your heads, o you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24:6-7
Take-Away #4
We are excited to participate in Gate City Church's Leadership Summit that is being scheduled in February 2022 from Lawrenceville, GA. There goal and desire is to serve as a network and meeting place for other house of prayer and praying church communities from around the country. We recognize that the Lord is actively orchestrating a global reformation of His Church and at the heart of it is God's family learning to worship Him in first place and in the highest place.
May the Lord bless and strengthen us in the days ahead in anticipation of His soon return.
Here's a short video of pictures from the trip
David Futrell
IHOP-Miami
Prayer Missionary