PRAYER
“These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” — Isaiah 56:7
VISION:
God has called Antioch Houston to be a house of prayer. A house is a place for family, community, relational living. A house also has many rooms, each for different purposes while all serving the ones who live there. Prayer at its core is communion with God. It’s talking with God, hearing from God and just being with God. So to say our church is a house of prayer is to be a church family, who meets with God, sees God and seeks God. (Psalm 27:4; Isaiah 56:6-8; Ephesians 2:21-22)
We want to build deeper foundations in our Antioch Houston house of prayer, especially in encounter prayer*. This year we hope to offer more prayer room opportunities, to raise up more prayer room leaders and to see more spontaneous prayer and worship gatherings emerge throughout our church body. We expect a greater anointing for freedom, healing and joy to be poured in and through our church as we gather to enjoy and seek Jesus together more.
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Top Five Prayer:
The entryway is the first room you go through to enter a house.
Two or three times per year our elder team, staff, prayer and prophetic teams seek God on what He is doing in and around us.
Consensus impressions that form in these times of prayer are collected into what we call our Top Five.
Our Top Five is a list of the most important prayer points for us in this season. Top Five cards are available at the members table in the lobby on Sundays and are usually renewed in August and January each year. We encourage members to include these prayer points in their personal, family, and lifegroup prayers.
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Sunday Service Ministry:
The living room is usually the largest room in the house that can seat the most people.
Every Sunday morning our church congregation gathers to meet with God in a service for worship, teaching and prayer.
Devoted intercessors gather an hour before the service to cover our morning together.
Regularly we will devote 5-10 minutes in the middle of a service to pray for a need in the church or in the world.
Furthermore, each service ends with a ministry response time in which people can receive prayer for specific needs.
If you’d like to participate in our pre-service prayer time contact Kathy Ericksen at gkericksen@hotmail.com.
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Lifegroups:
A family room is a smaller, more intimate gathering place.
Each week our church body gathers in house churches that we call Lifegroups.
Lifegroup community is a place where personal prayer requests are regularly shared. Serious prayer needs that surface in lifegroup are relayed to lifegroup section leaders, staff pastors and Elders upon request.
If you need help finding a lifegroup please visit the guest table on Sunday morning or visit our website at Antiochouston.com/lifegroups.
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Private Prayer:
Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).
What an amazing invitation!
A house of prayer is a collection of people, who are first of all committed to pray personally (1 Peter 2:4-5).
We encourage every church member to spend time alone with God in prayer and abide in Him daily.
We encourage prayer apps like the Prayer Notebook and Prayer Minder as tools to help you organize your prayer life.
You can also download our Alone with God packet, along with other resources, for guidance in your private prayer life on our website at
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Encounter prayer:
A dining room is a place of feasting and connection.
Encounter prayer consists of regular prayer room gatherings and one-time prayer and worship events focused on just being with Jesus.
At these gatherings we want to be people who minister to the heart of Jesus and let intercession and ministry flow out of revelation of who He is and what He is saying.
Currently we have a consistent prayer room gathering on Thursdays from 6-8 at the church office. Our goal this year is to launch 2-3 more.
Contact Meagan Hicks at meagan.hicks124@gmail.com for more information.
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Prayer and Fasting Initiatives:
A mud room is used by the family as they prepare to leave the house.
A few times each year our entire church is invited to fast and gather to pray as we launch into a new season.
These prayer gatherings include praying through a new Top Five, a nations prayer time, breakthrough prayer cards gathered on the Sunday before and consecrating our hearts to God for a new season.
Our next prayer and fasting week will be February 3-5, 2025. Prayer times will be posted as a part of our 40 Days of Praise and Prayer initiative. Details can be found on our Upcoming Events Page.
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Prayer Watches:
A media room is where friends gather to participate in a special event together.
Prayer watches are groups focused on one particular need and dedicated to pray for a short period of time.
In the past we have formed prayer watch groups for teenagers, election season, serious medical breakthroughs, international conflicts, etc.
Most of our prayer watches use virtual communication methods (i.e. GroupMe, WhatsApp) though occasionally they will meet in person. Text threads include prayers, scriptures and prophetic words facilitated by a designated prayer watch leader. Most prayer watches emerge spontaneously but, if you would like to see a prayer watch begin for a specific issue or need contact Fred Nelson at fred@antiochhouston.com.
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Listening Prayer Ministry:
The attic is a place where things that have been stored away are discovered.
Our Listening Prayer Ministry is a ministry model where one person guides another in dialogue with God obstacles that are hindering peace and intimacy with Him.
A sign-up form to participate in LPM is available on our website at
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Prophetic Prayer Ministry:
A mail room is a place where people receive messages from others.
Our Antioch Houston prophetic team consists of people who have demonstrated faithfulness in other areas of our church life and have been recommended by a lifegroup leader, staff pastor or elder for leadership as someone who consistently hears accurately from God.
A group of 2 or 3 prophetic prayer team members can be available to listen to God with you for general encouragement or for guidance and direction regarding a specific topic.
Please contact Lincoln Hilton at lincoln@antiochhouston.com to get time with a prophetic team.
Prophetic team rooms are also available at our World Mandate conferences each year.
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Elder Healing Prayer Ministry:
A medical room is a place of physical healing.
Our Elder team and pastors are available to pray for people with physical injuries or illness according to James 5:14-16.
Typically, these prayer sessions happen after Sunday service and last around 30 minutes.
Please contact Fred Nelson at
fred@antiochhouston.com, if you would like a pastoral team to pray with you.
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Prayer Table:
A tool shed is where equipment that serves the house is kept.
The Prayer Table is a small group of devoted and gifted intercessors, who are called to equip and lead our church in prayer. The Prayer Table consists of people who have demonstrated faithfulness in other areas of prayer in our church life and have been recommended by a lifegroup leader, staff pastor or elder for leadership.