One day in January of 1999 after a church service, a man came up to Mike Bickle with the Bible verse Haggai 1:2, “Thus speaks the Lord of Hosts, saying: ‘This people say, The time has not come, the time that the House of the Lord should be built.’” In other words, according to the man’s prophetic word, now was the time that the House of Prayer should be built. Mike said, “Thanks,” but ignored his advice and didn’t really feel good about it. He also got a prophetic word from David Saunders, who oversaw Shiloh ministries at that time, who encouraged him to start IHOP. But up until this time, one of the key reasons Mike did not want to start a House of Prayer was that he already had a full-time job as the senior pastor over MCF. This role consumed his time and resources.

The Lord encouraged Mike through Bob Hartley while they were together at Noel Alexander’s church one day in January. Mike, Noel, and their wives were there. Kevin Mangold was there too and he clearly remembered this meeting and how Mike was moved to the point of tears. Bob encouraged Mike to build the House of Prayer through the overflow of his recent chamber door experience, in which the Lord powerfully visited Bob a month prior. He encouraged Mike and Noel about bringing people into the place of God’s manifest presence. Overall, the group seemed/ appeared really touched by what Bob had shared that day, and they wept over it.1

About a week later, Mike invited Bob Hartley to go with him to Colorado Springs, Colorado for a prophetic conference. Bob Fraser, who was a friend of Rustin Carlson, wanted to go and just hang out. This conference was hosted in the church that Ted Haggard had planted. It was more or less a prophetic think tank gathering of fifty prominent ministers, and what they were saying.2

While they (Mike Bickle, Bob Hartley, and Rustin Carlson) where in room with other prophetic leaders of the conference having coffee, a respected prophetically gifted man came into the room: Kingsly Fletcher. He walked in, came over to Mike and pointed at him, giving Mike a rather funny look, but smiling at him….as if Mike had just put his hand in the cookie jar and had gotten caught. Kingsly, started to prophesy to Mike, and he spoke first to Mike from Haggai, “Do not say in your heart that it is not time to build the house of the Lord.” This was the third time in a week or so that Mike had someone speak to him this verse.

Kingsly Fletcher then went in depth for over thirty minutes that the Lord had spoken to him very clearly, and that it was time for Mike to start the House of Prayer. He said, “I see four hundred prophetic singers and musicians coming from all around the world.” Then he asked Mike a question. “Do you know anything about prophecy, music, and prayer? I see praise coming out of your ministry night and day.” He then asked Mike, “Do you know what I am talking about?” Mike enthusiastically said, “Keep talking!” Mike was feeling the presence and holy awe of the Lord rest on him as the man continued to prophecy over him, but Mike did not say anything concerning what the Lord was doing to him inside to confirm that what Mr. Fletcher was speaking was from the Lord. This seemed to last for around forty-five minutes, and some of the things Mr. Fletcher shared with Mike included the Lord chastising Mike. Mr.Fletcher felt strongly that the Lord had told Mike that he had other opportunities before to start the House of Prayer, but that Mike was disobedient and had failed to act, but now was the time for Mike to act!3

At first, it was a like a wrestling match for God and Mike, but God was obviously going to win and motivate and compel Mike to obey. So, Mike, knowing how much work this would be, said to the Lord, “OK, I will do this, but You have got to do these three things for me before I will agree to do this. First, I need a building, and I am not going to ask anybody for this. Second, I need to find a new senior pastor for MCF, and the whole leadership team needs to agree to him being the replacement. Then finally I need You to tell Noel Alexander that I need to do this.” Almost immediately, Bob Hartley offered Mike part of the land and facility that he was planning to build on. It could be used as a place for Mike to gather people together to pray to get the initial prayer ministry off the ground. So, this was the first answered prayer for Mike. He soon got encouragement he needed from Noel and then a senior pastor, Floyd McClung was found to take over MCF.4

You my go to amazon.com and purchase my book for all the Chapters: "The Life and Legacy of Pat Bickle and a History of the Kansas City Prophets"