Mike Bickle of IHOP-KC instructs followers on contemplative prayer

[billiefan2000]

Mike Bickle of IHOP-KC instructs followers on contemplative prayer

Mike Bickle of IHOP-KC instructs followers on contemplative prayer, by John Lanagan at Christian Research Net


In Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit: 5 Practical Phrases, International House of Prayer leader Mike Bickle gives instructions on how to experience contemplative prayer–which he calls “communing prayer.”

Like all Christian contemplatives, Bickle works hard at presenting this as biblically acceptable. He states there is “…a lot of counterfeit mysticism…” Before teaching his Christianese mantra method, he again emphasizes he is not talking about Eastern or Oprah religion.

According to Bickle, “I use sentences, better yet phrases. Eventually on these five phrases I’m gonna give you in a minute, I reduce those to one word…” (42:13 of video, give or take)

There is much throughout this entire video to cause concern. (click_HERE_for_video)

I am sorry to say contemplative prayer seems foundational to IHOP, which means much deception has occurred, and will continue to occur. As covered elsewhere, Mike Bickle wants Fire Within, a book promoting the teachings of Catholic contemplatives Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, to be the “manual for IHOP-KC.” (click_HERE_for_article)

Mike Bickle “claims that God is restoring contemplative prayer to the church. He goes on to claim that contemplative prayer is a God-ordained means of entering into the fullness of God, and that the brightest lights in church history have been Roman Catholic mystics who lived during the dark ages. He went on to say the western church had much to learn from these mystics,” writes Jocelyn Andersen. [1] I am quoting Andersen because the contemplative teaching where Bickle says these things seems to have been removed from the web.

Long time IHOP teacher and Missions base senior leadership member Dana Candler is the author of Deep Unto Deep. A reviewer writes, “[Deep Unto Deep: The Journey of His Embrace] is inspired by the journal of Dana Candler who spends most of her time in contemplative prayer in KC, Mo. at the Int. House of Prayer.” [2]

In Communion With God: Deep Unto Deep, Candler states, “Contemplative prayer is the way into the Ocean of Divine Love. It is the way that this fire of intimacy ignites within our being. In this love communion, the tremendous experience of God in the inner man takes place. Until this inward fire is ignited, stewarded, and released within us, we will walk as dead men. For we are only alive in the realm of love.” (Italics Candler’s) [3]

Contemplative prayer, Candler writes, “is the great missing element of the prayer ministry in the Church today: touching the very core of what the New Covenant is about. This very reality brings the highest transformation in this age.” [4]

…and them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Mal-cham. (Zephaniah 1:5)

What Candler has unknowingly asserted is that the gospel is not enough–we are “dead men” until we experience the “transformation” through contemplative prayer. She, of course, would not see it this way at all. To the contemplatives, this deceptive meditative state is what Jesus intended for us all along.

Since Candler is not only a teacher, but influential in missions, are some IHOP missionaries teaching contemplative practices?

If we are to believe Fire Within, the contemplative book Mike Bickle wants as “the manual for IHOP-KC,” we need the contemplative teachings of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross to understand some biblical passages. Author Thomas Dubay quotes 1 Corinthians 2:9: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Then, incredibly, Dubay writes, “Once again, without the teachings of saints like Teresa and John we would be at a loss to suggest what Paul actually had in mind. This, no doubt, is why the mere biblical technician can say so little about ideas like this one. It is only in the perspective of what the mystics say of the culmination of contemplation on earth that we come to see in concrete terms what the apostle had in mind.” [5] (Italics mine)

The mere biblical technician…?

Fire Within, incidentally, was one of the prizes offered in an IHOP related contest several years ago. [6]

Unfortunately, when it comes to contemplative prayer, it is people who are the prizes, and darkness is the winner.


Mike Bickle of IHOP-KC instructs followers on contemplative prayer, by John Lanagan at Christian Research Net

[josephearl]

I think you are misconstruing something Dana has said.

In Communion With God: Deep Unto Deep, Candler states, “Contemplative prayer is the way into the Ocean of Divine Love. It is the way that this fire of intimacy ignites within our being. In this love communion, the tremendous experience of God in the inner man takes place. Until this inward fire is ignited, stewarded, and released within us, we will walk as dead men. For we are only alive in the realm of love.” (Italics Candler’s) [3]

She is speaking metaphorically when she says 'dead men'. I believe that her intent is to help us differentiate between a Christian walk that has no or minimal intimacy/fellowship with the Godhead as opposed to one that is vibrant alive and active. Jesus himself used the terminology warning some that they had a name as alive but were dead as you well know. Needless to say one should not expect her theology to be perfect, few teachers are and being watchful as we read or listen is wisdom, however in this case I am of the mind you are in error. These types of errors seem to be perpetrated by Christans who are bound by the false teachings of those who deny the activity and gifts of Holy Spirit in the church today although I occasionally run into some who are bound by religous dogmatic teachings they have not been sprung free from even though they themselves are spirit-filled tongue talkers.
The word of God is to be meditated on and a study of the original Hebraic thought in the relevant passages will yield some ideas that should assuage ones fear inregard to 'contemplative prayer' as it is practiced at the IHOP-KC.
love ya, josephearl

[billiefan2000]

as one person said best


All this mysticism and paganism is creeping into the visible church.

It could be a tool used by God to bring about the great delusion; people follow men and their false teachings, they are gullible because their Bibles lay dormant on the tables and shelves in their house. They want an experiential, emotional filled religion; they reject truth because they are void of the Spirit. May God be merciful…




2 Timothy 4:3-4 and 1 John 4:1 and 1 Timothy 4:1 is happening before our eyes.


those in the signs/wonders movement like the IHOP folks ought to read those verses and make sure they arent fulfilling them