Her Heart Was Changed: An IHOPU Testimony

For Wendy B., studying at International House of Prayer University touched all aspects of her life. From her walk with God to her ministry, personal life, and future, she grew as a leader, gained greater confidence in her faith, and became significantly closer to the Man Christ Jesus.

“I started getting to know Jesus more in the One Thing Internship, and I needed more of the Word of God, so I decided to stay for the Forerunner School of Ministry,” says Wendy, a Cape Verdean native who recently graduated from IHOPU. Her experience is a portrait of what the school offers students who hunger for encountering Jesus through the Bible.

Instruction at IHOPU is integrated with time in IHOPKC’s Global Prayer Room, where the Word is sung and prayed night and day. This multi-faceted immersion in Scripture stands out among ministry schools.

“One of the main ways I’ve grown at IHOPU is in knowledge of the Word,” Wendy says. “Being able to sing the Word and study the Word in the classroom, I have so much of the Word in me, I don’t even know until I start a conversation or am writing a paper. Knowledge of the Word is so helpful—if I’m not having a good day, scriptures are coming to mind, and I use that to get out of the funk.”

Learning to Love
IHOPU also taught Wendy “how much God loves people,” she says, “which helps me be merciful with them because God is merciful. Being able to relate to them and show them love from Jesus prepares me for my future. I’ve gotten practice at IHOPU in relating to people.”

Loving people and loving God is what Wendy experienced. “I’ve grown to love Jesus so much at IHOPU because He’s been there for me, inside of the classroom and outside the classroom,” she says. “He’s the King of the universe; the Lamb that was slain; His blood was poured out for us; His arms are always open to us.”

Wendy also saw healing and miracles, which follow those who believe (Mark 16:17–18). “I’ve gotten to know Him as a healing God, seeing Him heal people and transform my friends right in front of my eyes.” God’s mercy has become more apparent to Wendy as she’s “grown to know Him as the merciful God who is with us in all of our seasons of life.”

A Caring Community
Fellowship is a strong aspect of IHOPU, as students are part of small groups called Friendship Groups that meet on a weekly basis. The couple that led Wendy’s group helped her prepare for her wedding, which took place before her senior year.

“They took time to mentor me and my then boyfriend (now husband),” she says. “They’re not just doing their jobs; they’re into your lives and want to see you succeed.”

“The leadership and staff are very like a family,” she adds of the entire school. “They are very concerned for you, love you, and are wanting to lead you and support you as much as they can. They are very personable. They let you see their lives and follow their example.”

The Centrality of Prayer
All in all, Wendy’s favorite thing at IHOPU was the prayer room, “being able to be in His presence.” Still, there can be a struggle.

“I didn’t want to go one day. I pressed in and went, and what they were singing was food for my soul,” she says. “His Spirit was so in there. They were singing prophetically, and I could feel the Lord speaking to me. It really equipped me and added to my relationship with the Lord. The prayer room has provided for me a safe environment to touch heaven and be touched by the Lord.”

When asked who would benefit from learning at IHOPU, her response was immediate. “I believe if you want to meet Jesus in the Scriptures, this is the right school for you,” she says. “You sing the Word, pray it, and say it, and it comes out of the page, and it gets into your heart in a new way, in a transformative way. The prayer room is the heart of IHOPU—without it, this might’ve been just a lot of head knowledge.”

Learning to Lead
Now that she is done with school, Wendy plans to be involved in small group ministry so she can disciple people and lead them in prayer. IHOPU has helped hone her leadership skills by putting her in situations where she had to lead. “IHOPU is a very safe place to practice as a leader,” she says. “It’s the real deal because you’re actually leading people [such as on spring ministry trips and through local missions and outreach]. The main thing I was taught was to serve people—to love and serve them the way Jesus has for us.”

How can training in prayer and the Word equip you for ministry?

IHOPU allows students to “learn about God in the Word and be part of an amazing community that loves and hungers for Jesus,” Wendy says. “If you hunger for God, His Word, and the kingdom to go forth, this is the place for you.” Learn more about IHOPU’s programs in ministry, music, and media and about spring semester (January–May) at ihopu.org.

Adam Wittenberg

position

A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at IHOPKC. He also serves in the NightWatch (overnight prayer hours) and is active in evangelism. He, and his wife Stephany, have a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.