Casting Vision for the House of Prayer
Session 3: The End Time Prayer Movement
I. Intro:
A. End Time Prayer Passages:
When studying the subject of prayer in the Bible you will often find yourself in the middle of an End Times passage. Subsequently, if you go to study the End Times you will find a tremendous amount of attention given to the subject of prayer in those passages. This is for good reason; God has been preparing a global symphony where the Church across the Earth will enter into a unified posture of prayer before the second coming.
B. The Praying Church:
I believe that the scriptures make it clear that the last generation will operate in the spirit of prayer in order to survive, to accomplish God’s mandate and to see the works of darkness driven back. It is described as a unique time in history where the Church will draw near to God and He will draw near in return. We commonly refer to this Biblical realty as the End Time Prayer Movement.
C. Fulfillment of the Promises:
It is in the context of the last generation that so many of the promises of scripture are fulfilled and in the midst of all that divine activity is greatest hour for the need and place of prayer amongst the saints.
II. Our Nation is in Crisis:
Now let’s be honest, it doesn’t take much discernment to identify that according to the scriptures our nation is in crisis. Sexual immorality is running rampant both in and out of the Church; the pornography industry is exploding, sex trafficking continues to increase, homosexuality is gaining ground in a growing liberal political agenda and we’ve aborted away ¼ of our population. This is a nation ripe for judgment.
A. One Prescription:
The scriptures speak of such times as these and they leave us with only one prescription, to gather together in corporate prayer and seek for God’s mercy.
“Gather together (to pray)…before the appointed time arrives and that day (judgment for sin) sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger (Zph. 2:1-3).”
“The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?…“return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing…declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people…the elders…the children, those nursing at the breast... the bridegroom…and the bride…the priests…Let them say (pray), “Spare your people, O LORD (Jo. 2:11-17).”
“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD (Ez. 22:30-31).”
B. The Perhaps of God:
1. A mystery:
There is a mysterious aspect of God’s nature that matters greatly to the subject at hand, though I don’t know the theological term for it I have heard it called “the mysterious perhaps of God.” The idea is that while God does say that He responds to prayer and fasting there is a wide margin where perhaps He will not.
“Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing (Jo. 2:14).”
“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land…perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger (Zph. 2:3).”
“It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today (2Sa 16:12).”
“He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live (1Sa. 12:22).”
2. An invitation:
This is actually pretty disturbing. This means that there are variables at work in every circumstance, variables that to a great extent are left in the hands of men to decided. “Perhaps” is in fact an invitation not a threat, it is God making known His desire to move on our behalf but His requirement that we respond appropriately to the crisis with little prayer yielding little results.
C. Three Important Questions to Ask:
It is interesting that while the scriptures give us a prescription they do not define the precise details of the equation, but merely open ended principles. We are told the critical elements that must be employed but we are not given the measurements of how to ensure that we may minimize or completely overt a disaster. There are three very important questions that only God knows the answer to.
1. How many people are required?
2. At what level of heart connect?
3. For how long of a time frame?
III. Jesus Prophesied that His House would Become a House of Prayer:
Long after the Prophet Isaiah spoke it Jesus reiterates for us what the had earlier been identified as being on the heart of the Lord. He states that the House of God would one day be called the House of 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 (Is. 56:7).”
“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer (Mt. 21:13 NKJV)”
A. What is a House of Prayer:
1. More than a little:
Anybody can have a prayer meeting from time to time but that doesn’t make them a House of Prayer, nor does it mean their efforts are invaluable. But a House of Prayer is one that is defined by prayer; it is the primary thing that occurs there, it happens regularly or constantly, but not once or twice a week. Prayer is still valuable no matter how infrequently it occurs, even if only happens on Easter, but we mustn’t confuse what the term House of Prayer means.
2. Identifying a house:
To be a House of Fill-in-the-Blank means that what ever is in that blank (whether Prayer, Pancakes, Wax, Horrors) is the defining characteristic of that organization or group; and to be truthful it must be what predominately occurs there.
3. Lifestyle vs event:
We are talking about the difference between hosting an event and establishing a culture of prayer. It is very easy to gather people together to an event; in our culture it’s not even so difficult to gather people together for a weekly service. But prayer has to become a lifestyle in order to maintain a House of Prayer.
4. Unrelenting determination:
Any person who feels called to it can start a daily prayer meeting (even M-F), and especially if there is team of people who are rallied together. It takes serious determination to fight through the smallness but it isn’t out of the range of anyone to start and hold down prayer meetings on a regular basis. This is the very heartbeat required for a House of Prayer to exist. Liking prayer isn’t enough, it takes leadership setting their face like flint to ensure that prayer continues to happen.
IV. David’s Tabernacle is Being Restored in the Last Days:
During David’s time as king he established continual prayer and worship under a tent that he set up on Mount Zion (1Ch. 16:1-4, 37, 23:5). This was the life work of King David and though history saw this worship ministry come and go on various occasions we are told that the world will see its renewal in the End Times.
A. David’s Worship Ministry:
It’s unbelievable how much information there is on David’s Worship Order. The Old Testament is full of information on this subject, perhaps a surprising amount of information to us in the Western Church. Our concepts about worship and even church structure have not all necessarily been Bible based and so this idea seems very odd to our modern trained minds. Historically however Jewish tradition has seen resurgence after resurgence of this expression of David’s continual corporate worship and prayer.
1. Dedicated chapters:
Entire chapters are dedicated to the Tabernacle of David outlaying the priestly dimension (1Ch. 13, 15-16, 23, 25; 2Ch. 29; Ne. 12; He. 7-10), the building process (1Ch. 13, 29, 2Ch. 5-7; see also Zch. 4; Hg. 1-2), the motive behind it (Ps. 27, 45, 69, 84, 132, 133, 134; Re. 4-5), and other related themes (Is. 4, 22; Ps. 148-150; 1Co. 12-14).
2. Supportive texts:
Additional texts describe even more information about this worship order in smaller passages and important single verses (1Ch. 6:31- 49, 9:22-34, 16:4-6, 36-43, 26:12-19; 2Ch. 20:21-22; Ps. 22:3, 50:2-3; Zph. 3:17; Jn. 4:24, 17:21-26; He. 2:12).
B. Leaders After David:
The Tabernacle was later replaced by the Temple but the order that was set in place in the tent was to endure forever regardless of what structure it took place in. After David the order of worship was later embraced and reinstituted (or maintained; as in the case of Solomon and Asa) by subsequent leaders in the history of Israel and Judah. Each time this order of worship was reintroduced, spiritual breakthrough, deliverance and military victory followed. The specific dimensions of the priestly ministry that were set into place by King David were reestablished. This led to distinct periods of revival in Israel that looked very different from the majority of her history where the Tabernacle of David was not in operation.
1. David:
In approximately 1050 B.C. (1Ch. 15-16) David pioneered the work with divine insight as to how things ought to look and function. He had a heavenly order in mind and took great pains to see it put into place with extravagance.
2. Solomon:
In approximately 1010 B.C. (2Ch. 5-7, 8:14-15) Solomon instructed that worship in the Temple should be in accordance with the Davidic Order and thus transferred the worship order into the new Temple.
3. Abijah:
From 913-910 B.C. (2Ch. 13:10-15, 14:1-3) Abijah ruled as king of Judah and it was said that the priests were in place observing the requirements of the Lord (2Ch. 13:11 reference 2Ch. 29:25-26).
4. Asa:
In 910 B.C. (2Ch. 14:6; 15:19) Asa became king (son of Abijah) and continued on the practices of his father and so enjoyed peace. He subsequently instituted many other righteous reforms (2Ch. 15:1-19).
5. Jehoshaphat:
In 896 B.C. (2Ch. 20:20-22 & 28) Jehoshaphat defeats Moab and Ammon by setting singers up in accordance with Davidic Order: singers at the front of the army singing the Great Hallel. Jehoshaphat then reinstituted Davidic Worship in the Temple.
6. Joash:
In approximately 835 B.C. (2Ch. 23-24) Joash again resurrected the order of worship according to the commands of his father David.
7. Hezekiah:
In 726 B.C. (2Ch. 29-30) Hezekiah cleansed, re-consecrated and reinstituted the Davidic Order of worship in the Temple.
8. Josiah:
In 622 B.C. (2Ki. 22-23, 2Ch. 35) Josiah reinstituted Davidic worship.
9. Ezra:
In 536 B.C. (Er. 3:10-13) Ezra the priest came from Babylon to put into place the Davidic Worship in the community of the returning exiles.
10. Nehemiah:
In 446 B.C. (Ne. 12: 28-47) Nehemiah returned from Babylon and reinstituted Davidic Worship.
C. Promised Restoration:
1. The fallen tabernacle rebuilt in the Last Days:
In a like manner to how we read above with Jesus re-prophesying the house of prayer, in Acts we see James reiterating what the Prophet Amos had promised would unfold in the Last Days.
“On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the Lord who does this thing (Am. 9:11-12 NKJV).”
“And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things (Ac. 15:15-17 NKJV).”
2. Defining restore:
To restore means “to bring back a previous right, practice, custom or tradition, to return something to a former condition.” When we are talking about God restoring the fallen Tabernacle of David it is important that we understand this referring to far more than the rise of a little prayer ministry.
3. Dynamics reinstated:
There are going to be many actual dynamics reinstated that David used such as it’s extravagance, that it will be perpetual, it will have full time musicians and singers and gatekeepers, that it will use specific aspects of the model David used, and perhaps many others that we can not yet see (we will go into detail in the next session about worship in the tabernacle).
4. As it was:
It’s not enough that it would be night and day, and not enough that it would happen for a season, the prophecy is that it would be built as it used to be.