Accelerate: House of Prayer
Introduction
A strong spiritual shift has taken place over our nation in the last 24 hours. The battle front has suddenly surged, seemingly in Satan’s direction. The Prime Minister’s 4 square metre per person law for indoor meetings has knocked many local churches for six. Having been told by our archbishop that all Anglican churches must immediately cease Sunday services, lots of small congregations are facing a time of unprecedented insecurity. Traditional churches (e.g. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran) have met without interruption for many centuries through famine, plague, revolution, war or whatever. Such churches have never shut their doors on a Sunday. They have done this believing that the assembly of the people of God is the fulfilment of the Old Testament sanctuary (1 Cor 3:16-17; Eph 2:21 etc.). And frightened people always need sanctuary. If the visible sanctuary across our cities has been moved out of sight, what is the Lord’s purpose in all this? An online presence is good, and our local church will be doing this for our sermons too, but it’s not equivalent to physically meeting together (Heb 10:24-25). After all, the Greek word normally translated as church i.e. ekklesia, is the equivalent to the physical assembling together of God’s people (Hebrew qahal) under the old covenant (Ex 12:6; 16:3 etc.). Whatever the devil is doing, what are the plans of the Lord? I was praying about these things early this morning and believe the Spirit spoke clearly. God’s wisdom is never in short supply, as long as we humbly ask for it through the lens of the cross (1 Cor 1:24; James 1:5).
A House of Prayer
The Lord is putting his Church on a war footing and commanding us through prayer and praise to defy devil (1 Pet 5:8-9). Long ago God spoke of the physical temple, our forerunner, as his “house of prayer” (1 Ki 8:29, 38; Isa 56:7). When however, the Lord came to his temple in person (Mal 3:1) he declared with astonishment about Israel, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matt 21:13). Whilst we might be so blatantly tied to commercialism as the old people of God, few are those churches truly free from the power of money, or, the ease of life that prosperity brings. The Lord is humbling us by the crisis engulfing our nation and world, so that we might be driven to prayer. I see his purpose is to build his Church, locally, city wide, nationally, into a house of sustained unceasing 24/7 prayer (1 Thess 5:17). The COVID19 pandemic represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for such a prayer revolution.
Unchained
The devil has been unchained and is releasing unprecedented panic amongst the populace through the fear of death (Heb 2:14; Rev 20:7ff.). He is blatantly making war on the saints (Rev 13:7). On the face of it he seems to have achieved a major victory because his great goal is to cripple the testimony to Jesus of our churches. I anticipate that many churches with older congregations, who usually give by hand into the offering bowl, will collapse financially. Such pruning is not outside of the purposes of the Lord for the benefit of the whole vine (John 15). When the battle becomes most intense the first weapon the Spirit releases is prophecy. Meaning prophetic pronouncement in the wider sense (Rev 19:10).
Prophetic Praying and Revival
As the people of God are moved in the context of spiritual warfare to, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph 6:18), prophetic prayer will pour forth across Australia. Such prayer brings us into the throne room of God, pa lace of incredible stillness and rest (Ps 46:10), safety, security and authority. The quality of these prophetic prayers assures they will be heard by the Lord and answered because they are in accord with his good will (1 John 5:14-15). But answered in what way? I believe that prophetic praying, along with prophetic praising (Eph 5:18-19; Rev 5:8), will precede prophetic preaching, teaching and witnessing. At a certain point sovereignly set by the Lord revival will break forth. I believe this, not because I think there is some sort of formula for a spiritual awakening, but because such an order is first found in the life of Jesus. the prophetic praying in the difficult doing of the will of God by Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-36) was followed by his prophetic preaching through the Spirit via Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2). The apostle became a “mouth-piece of God” (1 Pet 4:10 cf. Jer 1:9; 5:14) so that thousands were swept into the kingdom.
Conclusion
Jesus told a parable about the time between his first and final Coming; “to the effect that his disciples ought always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1-8). I believe that Satan has gone too far this time gone too far this time. Instead of letting the Western Church stay asleep he has sought to force us into lifeboats of self-preservation. Thankfully, the Lord always has a remnant who fear his name (Mal 3:16). This remnant will give the devil no ground (Eph 6:13), this band will fall to prayer, and together they will be the house of prayer the Father, Son and Spirit has been looking for in our nation. PTL, Hallelujah. Are you a part of “his chosen ones, who cry to him day and night?” and are heard and answered “speedily” (Luke 18:7-8). Please ask that the Spirit of the Lord to accelerate your, all our, praying.
If you would like me to join with you in a session of prophetic praying, in person or by any other means, please just let me know.