prayerstrategists.net · Prayer Presence Discovery Bible Story Set

Prayer Presence

Prayer Presence Discovery Bible Story Set

Prayer Presence:

Team Evaluation, Discovery Bible Story Set, & Resources

Introduction to FPS’s Prayer Strategies Discovery Bible Studies Set:

Prayer—or engagement with God—is integral to every aspect of the lives of the team members and the corporate team, as well as to the strategy and approach they use. Within this docu-ment, you will find the following: a definition and explanation to the Prayer strategy, a set of questions to help you diagnosis the status of your team’s use of this strategy, a Discovery Bible Story Set to help you understand Scripture’s view on this strategy, and links for further re-sources related to this Prayer strategy. We recommend completing the team’s diagnostic first then adapt the Discovery Story Set to meet your team’s needs. Feel free to use the typical DBS questions, however, in addition we’ve tried to suggest you ask these much deeper questions to elicit specifics regarding this strategy. The Fellowship of Prayer Strategists have a set of nine-teen di ff erent prayer strategies. These are not intended to be the complete picture of this strat-egy but a glimpse at the use for this strategy. You can find more strategies at www.prayer–strategists.net. We hope these tools will prove helpful in considering ways you and your team can increase your capacity for extraordinary prayer for the sake of the King and His Kingdom.

Prayer as Presence

Definition: Establishing permanent lighthouses of continuous prayer and worship act as a beachhead for the Kingdom of God. Explanation: From the time of God’s instructions to Moses to build the Tabernacle as a place of sacrifice, prayer and worship to David’s Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple, there have been examples of specific places given to 24/7 on-going worship and prayer. King David appointed 288 prophetic singers and 4,000 musicians to minister before the Lord, “to make petition, to give thanks and to praise the Lord” day and night (1 Chronicles 15-17). Although the Taberna-cle was replaced by the Temple, the Davidic order of worship was embraced and reinstituted by seven subsequent leaders in the history of Israel and Judah. Each time this order of worship was reintroduced, spiritual breakthrough, deliverance and military victory followed. Solomon (2 Chronicles 8:14-15) Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:20-22;28) Joash (2 Chronicles 23-24) Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29; 30:21) Josiah (2 Chronicles 35) Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 3:10, Ne-hemiah 12:28-47).

The early monastic tradition, lasting over a thousand years, was the cradle in which laus perennis, or perpetual prayer, was birthed in the church age. Beginning in the 4 th and 5 th cen-turies, monks and nuns were an accepted part of society. Alexander Akimites and the Sleep-less ones in Turkey formed six choirs, which rotated to create uninterrupted prayer 24 hours a day for over 1,000 years. Agaunum, Comgall and Bangor, and Cluny each employed perpetual prayer in their monasteries lasting for centuries and impacting nations across Europe.

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Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians championed night and day prayer among Protestants in 1722 forming the community of Herrnhut, “The Watch of the Lord.” Men and women were committed to bands or choruses to encourage one another in the life of God. Twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted to pray “hourly intercessions.” The members committed to the endeavor soon increased to around seventy from the community. From the prayer room at Herrnhut came a missionary zeal which has hardly been surpassed in church history. As a result, many of the community went out into the world to preach the gospel, some even sell-ing themselves into slavery in order to fulfill the great commission. Current expressions include, but are not limited to, Prayer Mountain in Seoul, South Korea of night and day prayer at Pastor David Yonggi Cho’s Yoido Full Gospel Church, 24-7 Prayer (www. 24-7prayer.com) International House of Prayer in Kansas City (www.IHOP-KC.org) the Burn 24-7. In 1984 there were fewer than twenty-five 24-7 houses of prayer. Estimates are now well over 10,000. Prayer initiatives are springing up all over the globe at a staggering rate. Such momentum in prayer must be attributed to the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, not to hu-man ingenuity.

Diagnostic Questions for You & Your Team: 1. Do you connect with or facilitate a community of worship and prayer among your focal group? 2. How is God directing your efforts to see transformation effected by inviting His abiding presence? 3. What are regular practices of worship and prayer you can begin now? How will you contin-ue to build upon these to grow in intimacy with and minister to the Lord?

Discovery Bible Story Set:

1. “Heaven’s Worship and Prayer Model” – Revelation 5:6-12 A. Pray as a group before beginning that God would speak to us and open our hearts to hear Him. B. Read the entire passage aloud at least 2 times or listen to an audio version twice through. If your group uses storying, present the scripture in this way. Then, have the group practice re-telling the story together. C. Discussion questions: • Who is at the center of the throne and sitting on the throne? Who is the object of wor-ship? • How is the Lamb described? Why might this be important? • How did the living creatures and elders respond? How many elders are there? • What do the harp and bowls of incense represent? • Describe the new song sung by the living creatures and elders. What do we learn about what Jesus accomplished? What roles do those purchased by Jesus have? • How did all the angelic beings respond? • How did every other creature respond? • What do we learn about worship in heaven from these verses? How might it inform our worship on earth? D. Take a few minutes to quietly listen to God. What is He instructing you to do from what you’re hearing? Share with each other what you’re sensing. Are some of His instruc-tions quite di ff erent than you might have imagined? How?

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E. Who is God asking you to share this story with? When will you do it? Share with the group. F. What key principles about prayer can you draw from this passage?

2. Moses Tabernacle Worship – Leviticus 6:8-13 A. Pray before beginning that God would speak to us and open our hearts to hear Him. B. Read the entire passage completely through. C. Discussion questions: • What do you learn about people from this story? What do you learn about God? • What do you learn about God’s requirement of the daily burnt offering? • Whose responsibility is it to perform this duty? • What might the fire represent? • What might this act of worship represent? • When may the fire go out? D. Take a few minutes to quietly listen to God. What is He instructing you to do from what you’re hearing? Share with each other what you’re sensing. Are some of His instruc-tions quite di ff erent than you might have imagined? How? E. Who is God asking you to share this story with? When will you do it? Share with the group. F. What key principles about prayer can you draw from this passage?

3. David’s Tabernacle – 1 Chronicles 16:1-40 (1 Chronicles 25 gives further description of the musicians and singers ministering before the ark no longer behind the veil in the tabernacle. 24 groups of 12 = 288) Pray A. before beginning that God would speak to us and open our hearts to hear Him. B. Read the entire passage completely through. C. Discussion questions: • Where is the ‘ark of God’ placed? • What were the roles and activities of the Levites in ministry? • What were David’s instructions in how to praise the Lord? (vs. 7-36) • What aspects of worship and prayer are displayed? • What portions are most regular in your times of worship and prayer? (Individual and team?) • What aspects might you incorporate in your worship and prayer? (individual and team?) • In verses 39-40, where are Zadok and his fellow priests? • What is their function? • What are the differences of activities and ministry in the ‘tent’ and the ‘tabernacle’ in verses 1 and 39-40? D. Take a few minutes to quietly listen to God. What is He instructing you to do from what you’re hearing? Share with each other what you’re sensing. E. Who is God asking you to share this story with? When will you do it? Share with the group. F. What key principles about prayer can you draw from this passage?

4. Restore David’s Fallen Tent – Acts 15:16-18 A. Pray before beginning that God would speak to us and open our hearts to hear Him.

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B. Read the entire passage completely through. C. Discussion questions: • Where is the ‘ark of God’ placed? • What were the roles and activities of the Levites in ministry? • What were David’s instructions in how to praise the Lord? (vs. 7-36) • What aspects of worship and prayer are displayed? • What portions are most regular in your times of worship and prayer? (Individual and team?) • What aspects might you incorporate in your worship and prayer? (individual and team?) • In verses 39-40, where are Zadok and his fellow priests? • What is their function? • What are the differences of activities and ministry in the ‘tent’ and the ‘tabernacle’ in verses 1 and 39-40? D. Take a few minutes to quietly listen to God. What is He instructing you to do from what you’re hearing? Share with each other what you’re sensing. E. Who is God asking you to share this story with? When will you do it? Share with the group. F. What key principles about prayer can you draw from this passage?

Further Resources on Prayer as Strategy: • Red Moon Rising, Pete Greig & Dave Roberts – Relevant Books – 2003 • Enthroned: Bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth Through Unceasing Worship & Prayer, David Fritch – David Fritch – 2017 • Passion for Jesus: Cultivating Extravagant Love for God, Mike Bickle – Charisma House – 1993, 2007 • Prayer Room Description – Rebecca Chengdu 1-25-12 • Teach Us to Pray

Further resources and connection with other prayer strategists are available through the Fel-lowship of Prayer Strategists and their website www.prayerstrategists.net.

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