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.

Here are some clips from the worship team I’m on in the new Justice Prayer Room (part of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City).  This team was put together in about two weeks by the leadership of the internship that Robin & I are a part of this summer, out of only interns.  They were able to form two teams to help get this new prayer room started.

I’m experimenting with a way to embed audio clips into posts.  You have to have flash installed to use this one - but let me know if you have any difficulties, please. 

This first clip is from an intercession set.  The focus of intercession sets are just that - interceding.  The musicians and singers help facilitate the prayers of the believers who gathered during this time by taking what they pray and responding to it and developing it using primarily the prayers of the Apostles found in the New Testament (but not limited to it).  This clip fades in right after someone informed our prayer leader that the 4-month old twins of a family from IHOP who are in Cairo, Egypt preparing for a conference, had gotten very sick and were taken to a hospital in Cairo.  You will hear the interaction of the pray-ers and the musicians as we join together to ask the Lord to intercede for the health of the babies and the salvation of Egyptians.

The next clip is from a “Worship with the Word” set.  During this day, we were focusing on the theme of “The Dark Night of the Soul” - those times when we feel like the Lord has ran off and left us.  We pick it up here around Song of Solomon 5:2, where for the second time, the Groom had come to the Shulamite bride, but she hesitates to answer him.  The first time (Song 2:10-17) it was out of fear and rebellion of not wanting to leave her comfort zone. That time, when she finally got around to running after him, she found him quickly and with little difficulty.  He was quick to forgive her of her rebellion, and she learns her lesson well.

This particular time it wasn’t from rebellion at all - it was just silly physical sluggishness, and she does rise fairly quickly to open her door for him - but, this time, he desires to cultivate longing in her.  It’s not because of anything wrong she has done; She rises and pursues him (her “Yes”).  But, he is not easily found.

The recordings aren’t meant to be cd-quality or anything, they’re really just for the worship team to evaluate - but, I thought I’d put a few little clips up so you can get a feel of part of what goes on in a 24/7 prayer room.  Because the focus on the word, and making all of your lyrics conform fairly strictly to actual written scripture, it’s really a great “singing seminary”, and the knowledge of the Word on the missions base here is unbelievable.  I know I’ve been humbled by my own shortcomings.

I welcome your thoughts.