This week, during a daily lunch-time prayer gathering, the Lord showed me something in Song of Songs that broke my heart.  We see in chapter 3 that the “watchmen” do not impede the betrothed’s search for her Groom, and she is able to quickly find her love (”Good Cops”).  However, in chapter 5, the watchmen strike and wound the bride, and forcefully take her veil from her (”Bad Cops”).  The Lord had me weep over the sad fact, that too often, the watchmen on the walls, those who consider themselves spiritual (which, in and of itself is not a bad thing - see Galations 6:1) - the intercessors and such, too often impede and wound the Bride.

The Lord has asked us to rally the watchmen in the Fort Smith river valley - to call and equip believers in the place of corporately gathered prayer.  One of the main reasons the Lord has asked us to do this is to undergird the believers and their ministries in this area.  We pray and ask the Lord to release more laborers.  We ask the Holy Spirit to empower those already laboring, and to reveal Jesus through the testimony of the Holy Spirit (both divinely and through believers) to this entire geographic region.

During this prayer time, the Lord said in an intense fashion, “It is my right alone to remove the veil from my betrothed.”  Through all of our teachings and compulsion, we can not open anyones eyes to see the value of communion with the Lord or the glory and beauty of our promised Groom, Jesus.  Let us not be found guilty of trying to remove the veil, or awaken love, before He so desires.  Certianly we speak of our love, our personal testimonies, and of our revelations found through diligently studying the scriptures, but we can not try to rank the importance of varying types of christian service/ministry or elements of worship.  The Lord is raising up a diverse, yet unified Bride.

NOTE: I’m speaking of the heavy-handedness that many who are spiritual impress upon the Body of believers - NOT on the pre-believers.  By all means, let us compell the pre-believers to come in. [Luke 14]

Please join us this Saturday at Crossroads Church in Alma, Arkansas for a time of intercessory worship.  There will be a training time at 3:30 for anyone interested in participating on one of our teams, or who would like to receive the training to help grow their own prayer/worship ministries.  The full meeting starts at 6pm and will end around 9pm.  It is a drop-in type meeting, so come for any or all that you can.

I certianly make no claim to greatness of musical skill, nor fall prey to false humily too often, but, although I realize my pitch isn’t too great a lot of the time, I thought I’d give you a taste of one of our recent gatherings via an audio clip.

I am so amazed by these singers and musicians.  For the musicians, this was the first or second time for most of us to play together, and the first time for all but one of these singers to ever sing in intercessory worship with me.  They are so amazing - first time or not.  This reinforces for me the value of using a “model” for our meetings and the way we conduct ourselves in these services.  Thank the Lord that what He had promised me about using a structure He has made true, “this is the stake & twine by which your vines can grow and flourish, not a rigid form that quenches and prevents.”

Let me point out a few elements you will notice in this clip…

The night had started out with some corporate worship songs (songs people were familiar with, or could quickly familiarize themselves with) so that we could all get our hearts and minds focused on the Lord which draws us (the believers gathered) into one accord, toward the Lord.  This clip starts as we’re coming out of the song, “Rend the Heavens”, and we began to sing spontaneously around some of the scripture from which the song is based - namely Isaiah 62 & 64 and a similar cry from Revelations 22:17.

The next thing that happens (around 2:45) is the intercessory, Matthew McSpadden, introduces a topic (”revival”) a target (”the river valley”) and a passage of scripture from which he will be praying (Acts 2:17-18).  He reads the scripture word-for-word, and then begins to pray using the language of that scripture for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the river valley.

Next, Matthew helps the singers by isolating a phrase from the scripture, “Pour out <Your> Spirit.” (verse 18)  Then, the singers echo that piece of scripture, and then begin to develop it - always trying to use scripture, word-for-word when possible, and as relevant and contextually accurate as possible.  I branch off the original passage, by calling from Joel 2, from which Peter was quoting in Acts 2, where it says to call an assembly, sound an alarm, gather yourselves together - and from Jesus’ similar direction to the apostles, that they should tarry in Jerusalem, and so they gathered together in one accord.  We establish a chorus using that Joel 2 verbage, where we all sing our prayer together and the room all comes into agreement (via song) with the scriptures being prayed.

After that, the prayer leader, moves into asking for some specific gifts of the Spirit (”gifts of healings” - 1 Corinthians 12) and prays that for his target (”the river valley).  Although he didn’t specify those scriptures, because this environment becomes a “singing seminary”, the singers know that what he is praying is directly from Acts 4:30, and so we base our songs off of the Acts 2, and now Acts 4 verses.  We again establish a chorus (using the exact Acts 4:30 verbage) and unite the room in the cry for the fulfillment of this same prayer that Peter prayed over the believers gathered with him.

Matthew then moves to Luke 11:13 and solidifies the fact that it is okay for us to echo Peter’s prayers - that it is okay for us to ask for what the Lord talks about in Joel and throughout scripture - that it is okay to ask of the Lord - that we can ask for the Holy Spirit to be poured out.  He prays around that scripture, and we sing it.

Yes, it’s simple; Yes, it’s repetative.  But, YES, it is Scripture; it is decent and in order; it is the heart of the Lord.  It is the same type of environment that King David knew would entice the Most High God to come and establish a dwelling place in his city, right next to his house.  We are contending for that type of dwelling place.  That the Most High would be enthroned on the praises of His people. (Yes, I know there are questions about the translation of that scripture, but, look at what David did and the Lord’s response to David’s Tabernacle and rallying of the singers, shouters, and recorders into this place of day-and-night worship - whether it’s an accurate translation of Psalm 22:3 or not, it is a contextual reality.)

So, that’s a taste of one of the things we’re doing in the Fort Smith river valley - Intercessory Worship - the mingling of prayer and worship.