Why The Unbiblical IHOP 24-7 Prayer Model Has to Go - By Anthony Wade

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Rev. Wade has now written in excess of 20 "devotionals" about the IHOP debacle. Astonishing. Today he writes almost 1700 words, but 1520 of them are employed to simply rehash his previous "devotionals" about IHOP. That leaves only 177 words spent actually discussing the subject.

So let's examine his "biblical" case that the 24-7 prayer is unbiblical. For clarity, we have eliminated everything else he writes about.

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Pray without ceasing - 1Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)

(... 236 words pass by) 

So let us see why it is time to recognize how this model is not only unbiblical but downright demonic.

(... 351 words pass by)

God did not ordain IHOPKC or the 24-7 prayer model. 

(... 696 words pass by)

It sounds pious to earnestly pray 24-7 but that is never asked from us in scripture. (Finally Rev. Wade will explain why the 24-7 prayer model is unbiblical. Or maybe not...)

God knows we have lives. We have responsibilities. We need to sleep. (Oh. He thinks that a 24-7 prayer model means a single person prays 24-7. Apparently he doesn't understand that this is a corporate activity, where various worship leaders and prayer leaders come and go throughout the 24 hours.

But beyond that, Rev. Wade's excuse is not a biblical reason, it is a reason based on practicality. It isn't practical to pray 24-7. We're busy. We have things to do. Responsibilities. And we need our 8 hours. In fact, God understands that maybe we're too busy to pray any amount of time. Right?)

The only scripture they can point to is the key verse from Thessalonians. (This is why we consider Rev. Wade to be an incompetent Bible teacher. Aside from his bloviating, when we finally get to the point where he's explaining the Bible he simply muffs it.

Various contemporary 24-7 prayer models are derived from what King David installed at the tabernacle:

1Ch. 16:37 So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required...

David appointed 288 singers and musicians to lead worship in the tabernacle. There were 24 groups all led by a family elder, with 12 members each:

1Ch. 25:6-7 All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.7 Along with their relatives — all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD — they numbered 288.

In fact, there were thousands who were dedicated to this ministry in the tabernacle:

1Ch. 23:5 Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”

Rev. Wade seems unaware of the entire concept.)

Pray without ceasing however does not mean set up a 24-7 prayer room where you can fake prophecy and mangle worship. It means developing a God mindset. (Rev. Wade has a penchant for creating false choices, as if one thing excludes another. A 24-7 prayer structure doesn't have anything to do with fake prophecy or mangled worship. Its opposite is not a "God mindset." There is nothing in Scripture about prayer being a "God mindset." In fact, there is nothing in Scripture that would indicate that prayer is not prayer.

The verse says, pray without ceasing. Apparently, that is not actually praying without ceasing, so we need Rev. Wade to tell us why we should not pray without ceasing.)

That there is nothing in our lives that we should not be willing to submit to God. A God consciousness thanks the Lord for even the most mundane occurrences in our daily lives... (This all is certainly true, by "pray without ceasing" has little to do with these statements.)

(... 177 words)

The 24-7 prayer model needs to be abandoned as an ungodly abuse of scripture and of people. (all 24-7 prayer models are abuse of Scripture and people? What?)

The bible says when we pray to not make it obvious. Not make a public showing of false piety. The 24-7 prayer room was the opposite. It was live-streamed! (What? Broadcasting the 24-7 prayer is false piety? Again, Rev. Wade is prone to make these kinds of sweeping generalizations. 

We would therefore assume that live-streamed church services are similarly false piety. Podcasts where any sort of prayer occurs is as well. Maybe even prayers written down in books. All because of one unquoted Bible verse: 

Mt. 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

The obvious question is, was Jesus saying that any and all prayers must be conducted in secret? Paul then must have been in violation of Jesus' command:

1Ti 2:8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling...

And Stephen must have been sinning when he publicly prayed while being stoned:

Ac. 7:59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

There are many examples of prayer that is not solitary [Ac. 1:14, Ac. 2:42, Ac. 4:24, Ac. 6:6, Ac. 8:15, Ac. 12:12]. 

Rev. Wade is simply wrong.)

(... 60 words)