Last week, allegations of sexual and spiritual misconduct spanning several decades surfaced against Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) and International House of Prayer University (IHOPU). According to a statement released to the IHOP community, three former leaders who investigated the claims and discussed them with the IHOP executive leadership said the misconduct involved multiple women, spanned several decades, and violated his marriage covenant. They also accused him of being unwilling to address the allegations with them and of using intimidating tactics to manipulate his victims. Bickle has since stepped away from any leadership and speaking engagements while an independent third party investigates the claims. Meanwhile, two of the women allegedly on the list of victims have released statements categorically denying they were ever victimized. IHOP worship leader Misty Edwards posted on her Facebook page that she has never been abused spiritually or sexually by Bickle. The other alleged victim, April Rose, stated in a strongly worded Facebook post that Bickle has never treated her with anything but complete purity and that the people who brought the allegations had added her name to the victims’ list against her wishes.

Questions have been raised about whether these allegations are legitimate or merely some underhanded tactic to remove Bickle from leadership. The current leadership’s call for an independent party to investigate, however, offers the best chance of answering that question and of bringing the truth to light. IHOP appears to be approaching the issue with loving sensitivity to the victims, the hope of restoration for Bickle, and a resolve to keep praying and worshipping in unity.

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Rather than yield to the temptation to become fascinated by accounts of moral failure (someone has called it “failure porn”), we should ask: What is really going on here? Any way you slice it, a powerful prayer ministry is under attack. IHOP was founded in 1999 and has conducted 24/7 worship-based intercessory prayer according to the harp-and-bowl format ever since. It has also spawned hundreds of Houses of Prayer worldwide, making it one of the most significant international prayer ministries of our day. IHOP is a front-runner in keeping the Church faithful to what Jesus said it should be: “a house of prayer for all nations” (see Mark 11:17). You can view a classic message with that title, delivered by Jim Cymbala, senior pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle, in New York City, here.

There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that Satan fears and hates prayer and will attack it in any way possible, by any means possible. He can attack leaders by isolating, tempting, and dragging them into compromising situations. He can divide a ministry by sowing lies and false accusations and stirring people up to engage in power plays. He can draw followers and participants away by discrediting a ministry. He can discourage people from praying when they see troublesome things happen in a respected ministry. And he is already busy discrediting and even outlawing public intercession.

Intercessors and the ministries that network and resource them must be especially vigilant. 1 Peter 5:8 is very relevant here: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He will watch and study and take every aspect of a ministry under the loupe to see what he can exploit for an attack — and not just ministries, but individual intercessors as well. Let down your guard, and he will swoop in to exploit some little sin or weakness to keep you from praying!

This brings us to the crux of what we’re talking about: We must provide ongoing prayer covering for prayer ministries around the nation — for their leadership, their members, their vision, and their provision. Pray especially for the leaders, because if Satan can bring them down, the entire ministry is likely to come down with them.

We must not pray from a place of fear, of course, but rather from a place of vigilance. We must also be faithful to pray without ceasing for the prayer ministries we are involved in. The devil never sleeps, and neither should we!

For us, our most apparent assignment is to faithfully pray for the leadership and ministry of Intercessors for America. This includes:

• President and CEO Dave Kubal and his wife, Kris
• IFA’s ministry leadership team
• IFA’s ministry staff
• IFA’s state prayer leaders
• The Board of Directors
• The entire community of IFA intercessors as a whole

Consider putting these individuals on a weekly prayer list and praying for such things as their personal walk with Christ, the integrity and purity of their hearts, financial provision for the ministry, protection against attacks on them and their families, and attacks on the integrity of IFA’s ministry as a whole. Of course, as always, do ask the Lord to show you what He would have you pray.

This could also be a prayer pattern for other ministries you are connected with. Don’t overwhelm yourself, however — ask the Lord who and what He assigns to you for prayer cover.

The main point is that without a phalanx of protective prayer, IFA and other prayer ministries are vulnerable to attack. We are an army of thousands of intercessors, and we must band together to protect our generals and their command staff!

Almighty God, we stand together in prayer for the powerful prayer ministries we have put into place. Protect the ministry of IHOP amid these public allegations, bring the truth to light, and heal those who have been hurt. We pray for Your protection over Intercessors for America and its board, executive leadership, ministry staff, state prayer leaders, and intercessors. Grant them vigilance and integrity in their walk, and protect them against discredit, lies, and other attacks. Raise up an army of intercessors committed to praying for them without ceasing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Encourage your fellow intercessors with a prayer of your own, below.

Remco Brommet is a pastor, spiritual-growth teacher, and prayer leader with over 40 years of experience in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the U.S. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and pastored his first church in Amsterdam. He moved to the U.S. in 1986. He and his wife, Jennifer, live north of Atlanta. When not writing books, he blogs at www.deeperlifeblog.com and assists his wife as a content developer and prayer coordinator for True Identity Ministries. Jennifer and Remco are passionate about bringing people into a deeper relationship with Christ.