Presence Pioneers: A Worship, Prayer and Revival Podcast

Friends of the Presence Pioneers Podcast,

I started this podcast over three years ago with a desire to teach, encourage and equip my friends who were in presence-centered prayer communities around the world. Today we released episode 100, and I am blown away by how God has used the podcast to impact people’s lives. We have averaged 400-500 downloads per episode from dozens of nations around the world.

Despite the success of the podcast, we have decided that episode 100 will be the final episode of the Presence Pioneers podcast for the foreseeable future. After prayer and fasting, my wife and I believe God is leading us to focus our ministry efforts in a few specific places in this season. Our attention will primarily be given to serving in my role with the Awaken the Dawn movement and in helping build a prayer room at our local church here in eastern North Carolina.

Please tune in to the 100th episode on your podcast app or on Youtube for more details. On episode 100 I talk with David Bradshaw, the founder of Awaken the Dawn, and we shared about a brand new podcast we are launching together! The Jesus Movement podcast, presented by ATD, will continue with the long-form conversations and interviews that I have been hosting on the Presence Pioneers podcast. We have already posted interviews with MIsty Edwards (from IHOP-KC) and Michael Miller (from Upperroom Dallas). You can follow the The Jesus Movement podcast at http://jesusmovement.awakenthedawn.com or through the ATD Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ATDMedia.

Thank you to all who have listened, watched, subscribed, prayed and shared the Presence Pioneers podcast episodes. It’s been a joy to serve you in this way, and I believe the best is yet to come!

Matthew Lilley

Presence Pioneers Podcast host

/////

ORDER MATTHEW’S BOOK, DAVID’S TABERNACLE • http://davidstabernacle.com

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneer/

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneer/

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

ORDER MATTHEW’S BOOK, DAVID’S TABERNACLE • http://davidstabernacle.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

Intercession flows from intimacy. As we lean into God, as we listen to Him, we will inevitably learn what is on His heart. There are all kinds of things we will notice and feel stirred to pray for as we do this, but Matthew believes there are specific prayer "assignments" for each of us. If we can discern what that is, we can actually experience the joy and encouragement that comes from seeing our prayers answered.

The first example of this in the Bible that Matthew discusses here is Jesus. He was fully God, but also fully man. Jesus relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out His purpose on the earth. He understood that accomplishing things on earth required partnering with God. A great example would be John 17, where Jesus invites His disciples to be with Him while He prays. So what did Jesus talk to God about?

He prayed about Himself, and He prayed for His disciples - a pretty standard prayer, right? But then, He began praying for the future Church (us!), that He wouldn't ever get to preach to as a man on the Earth. Matthew believes this was an intercessory assignment from God. There are people that we won't ever get to speak to or see, but perhaps we've been invited to affect their lives in prayer, like Jesus.

Then, we'll look at Paul. In Romans 10:1, we see his main place in prayer - to see the Jewish people be saved. In his everyday life, his ministry, he is obviously called to the Gentiles, but he still carried this burden to pray for his people.

Lou Engle has said "Pay close attention to your tears, because your tears point you to your destiny." As we draw close to God and begin to let Him steer our prayers, something will grip your heart in a way that doesn't even make sense to you - that is likely the intercessory assignment in your life. It can be a justice issue, an unsaved friend or even celebrity, an entire people group, or something else. But getting close to God in prayer is the only way to find that.

If God has given you a burden to pray, it's because He wants to answer that prayer. His desire and ability to do that will create deep joy in our lives, and ripple out to change the world.

In this episode, Matthew discusses what 24-7 prayer has looked like through the ages.

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

ORDER MATTHEW’S BOOK, DAVID’S TABERNACLE • http://davidstabernacle.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Of course, we have to start with David's Tabernacle. For 33 years of David's reign, he kept day and night worship and prayer going at the temple, and it would seem that Solomon continued that in part. After the destruction of the temple, though, you see what are essentially "revivals" breaking out within the Jewish people where some form of that worship of David's tabernacle is restored for a time.

Another instance is the first Church, waiting for the Holy Spirit in the upper room. Even after the Holy Spirit fell on them, they continued gathering at least daily to pray together. The culture they established was definitely "ongoing" worship and prayer, although it was unlikely 24-7.

Then, you have the development of monasteries and of monks, or those like the "Desert Fathers", where you see this new dedication of radically laying down your life to pursue prayer and worship. It often started as an individual who just desperately wanted more of God, not what the "mainstream" church at the time was offering, and grew into these groups. It was these types of groups that established 24-7 prayer and singing for a time. Amazingly, they often sang the psalms, which were the songs written in David's tabernacle!

From there, you get to the Moravians. In the 1700's, in Herenhut, Germany, a commune put together by Ludwig van Zinzendorf was experiencing some infighting. Zinzendorf prayed for peace, and one night while they took communion, the Holy Spirit broke in. They began 24-7 prayer and worship based on Moses, saying the fire on the altar must not go out. They took one hour shifts and carried it on for 100 years! They sent out many missionaries, and most believe that this is the roots of the modern missions movement.

So what's happening now is unprecedented in scale, but not in activity. God has had little pockets of people praying day and night all throughout history, and it often births missions. We're moving now into His grand vision, a more global movement of day and night worship and prayer that everyone is invited to!

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Matthew's Book • https://presencepioneer.com/davidstabernacle/

Episode 4 • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-global-prayer-movement-this-has-never-happened/id1450541029?i=1000430629937

Episode 62 • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/four-models-of-24-7-prayer-that-went-viral-episode-62/id1450541029?i=1000509670674

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

ORDER MATTHEW’S BOOK, DAVID’S TABERNACLE • http://davidstabernacle.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

None of the verses we discuss today will be really new to anyone following this podcast, but in this talk Matthew wants to tie them together to show "the plan" God has that we are a part of. There's a bigger storyline going on here!

Promise 1 - God's house will be a house of prayer.

Isaiah 56:7 is where God says His house will be a house of prayer to all the nations, and this is the verse Jesus quotes in Matthew 21:13. Matthew compares this house of prayer to IHOP, the International House of Pancakes. If you go to IHOP, you can get pancakes. They sell other things, but pancakes are their specialty. Similarly, God's house should have prayer as its specialty!

Promise 2 - Worship and prayer will be everywhere.

Malachi 1:11 and Isaiah 42 both describe worship and prayer "in every place" or "to the ends of the Earth". (Incense represents prayer in the Bible in many places.) It's unclear what the boundary lines are exactly of "every place", but it indicates that basically no matter where you go, prayer and worship are going up.

Promise 3 - This worship and prayer will be day and night.

Isaiah 62:6-7 and Luke 18 both point towards the unceasing prayer and worship. Before Jesus returns, there will be worship and prayer happening not only in every place, but all the time.

Could what we're seeing now in the prayer movement be connected to these verses? God is inviting us all to be part of His promises to the Earth. We essentially have a "blank check" to worship and pray together whenever, wherever - so if this has been stirring in your heart, here's your sign - just start!

In this quick teaching, Matthew goes through what it means to communicate with God, and also 4 ways to know you're hearing Him.

//

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

MORE RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

When you pray, one of the first things to understand is that it's not just one way. Part of communicating with anyone, including God, is listening. That can be hard to discern sometimes in prayer, so Matthew lays out 4 ways that God can speak to us to help you listen for Him.

1 - Through the Bible.

Every word in the Bible is truth, so God will never speak anything to you that contradicts it. Therefore, a solid understanding of His Word helps you to recognize His voice. Often, He will speak while we are reading the Bible, either by highlighting a verse to us or giving us a new revelation about something we've read before.

2 - Through an Impression.

Some people do have encounters where they hear the audible voice of God, but more often it's the Holy Spirit inside of us that "has a thought". Especially if you're in His presence - praying, worshipping, at church, etc - if a sudden thought or feeling comes to you, that doesn't contradict scripture, that's probably God! This one is easy to miss.

3 - Through Wise Counsel.

Sometimes, God will use people close to us - a pastor, a mentor, a parent, a spouse, a friend - to speak to us. Acts 15 is a great example of God getting His point across through people communicating - and the final consensus was simply "it seems good to us in the Holy Spirit". We don't always get a billboard in black and white - sometimes it's simply hearing from someone we trust to be wise and feeling peace about it in our own spirit.

4 - Through Dreams and Visions.

God consistently spoke throughout the Bible in this way. For some people, this is a very dramatic encounter - an "out of body experience". More often, it's a dream that stands out to you, or an image that comes to mind while you're praying. As always, you must hold anything like this up to scripture and be sure it's in line, but if it is, pray about what you saw - God is probably trying to get your attention!

The main point here is that God came to us to create a relationship. In order for us to really be a part of that relationship, we need to know His voice - because He's already speaking.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Original Blog Post • https://presencepioneer.com/from-glory-to-glory/

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

MORE RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Worship is the natural inclination of human beings. Whether we see it or not, we are worshipping something. We don't always realize this, because we've redefined it so narrowly that now it only refers to the part of church when the music plays.

This would more aptly be described as "praise", which David referred to often, and said that's the place God inhabits. But worship goes farther.

The New Testament promises that we will be changed by encountering God, transformed from glory to glory to be like Jesus.

Sometimes, when we're in God's presence, we see instant transformation, such as healings or deliverance. But what about the moments when there is no instant breakthrough?

Often, God changes things more slowly, through the formation that happens inside of us over time spent with Him. This is what makes us more like Christ.

This is where the charismatic church could learn something from our liturgical brothers and sisters. They have learned the value of the ritual and repetition, the ongoing encounter whether you feel it or not. Andrew Wilson calls for a blending of the biblical liturgy and the biblical outpouring of the Holy Spirirt - which he calls "Eucharismatic".

Rick Joyner describes it like this - he only remembers a few great meals in his life, but they all served to keep him alive. He says reading the Bible is the same way - it's feeding our spirit and keeping it alive even when it's not particularly memorable.

There tends to be a focus in the charismatic movement on the exciting, instant transformation. But Matthew has found he can spot a person in that setting who comes from a house of prayer. They have learned to value the long game. Mike Bickle says we should measure the impact of our intercession in decades!

God's presence truly changes everything - whether instantly or over time. In 1 Corinthians we're told that we see only dimly for now - which is why the changes we need are often slow. But it also promises that when Jesus returns, we will see Him fully, and the ultimate instant breakthrough happens - we go from glory to Glory.

The Bible is a unique collection of 66 books with at least 40 different human authors that were written over the course of 1500 years. This diverse set of writings is compiled for a reason. There must be a primary theme and cohesive narrative throughout the Christian Scriptures. Yet how do we define the center of biblical teaching? 

In this episode Matthew shares from his latest blog article titled "God’s Relational Presence: The Megatheme of Scripture" which you can read here: https://presencepioneer.com/gods-relational-presence/

The Presence Pioneers podcast exists to help YOU and your community experience and host the presence of God through day & night worship & prayer – because we believe God’s presence changes everything. Hosted by Matthew Lilley, episodes feature short Bible teachings and interviews with key leaders in the prayer & worship movement.

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

MORE RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

Matthew Lilley shares a special update on why we will be pausing new podcast episode releases until December. Until we return, you can check out our 90+ episode archive.

In this episode, Matthew chats with Don Rayno, director of Raleigh-Area Concerts of Prayer. They've been bringing hundreds of people together for years to pray, and Matthew refers to him as a "hidden gem" of the prayer movement.

Don started out as a nuclear chemist, for about 20 years. The term "concerts of prayer" actually comes from Jonathan Edwards in the 1700's, when he and another pastor wanted to bring people together for prayer across denominational lines. Don and a friend from work started the Raleigh Concerts of Prayer group, with about 30 people in 1984! Don laughs that they went through "prayer movement growth" from 30 to 3. He was encouraged by a Jonathan Edwards book that said to keep praying regularly for 7 years and then see if God wants you to keep going, so he determined in his heart to power through.

After a couple years, they reached out to local pastors and got 12-15 to join in, and by the time they did another big rally, there were 35 pastors and 1,000 people in attendance! However, one of his mentors told him after the event he needed to do more to get the pastors unified and praying. He put together a one day camp for local pastors to come together, share struggles, and encourage each other. That has continued every year except 2020!

At this point Matthew points out Don's faithfulness in the small things. As Matthew puts it, before you bring an entire city together to pray, you might have to bring together just a handful of people for a long time!

In 1996, Don's friends in Concerts of Prayer asked him about doing this full time and quitting his job. He and his wife talked about it and weren't sure. They were doing more and more prayer events, like traveling around in a bus with local pastors and a police officer to stop and pray over places that needed it the most. Then, Don got his answer - he came home smiling one evening and informed his wife he'd been laid off! This allowed them to really jump in with both feet.

Since then, the focus has been not just building prayer meetings but building prayer in the local churches. They have their big rallies in the fall, but it's never promoted on social media - every church has a coordinator and brings people from their church. This has also led to a great mix of different types of people and churches, across racial and socio-economic lines. They now have about 120 churches involved just in the Raleigh area!

What about the challenges? Don says keeping the differences lower on the agenda than just being "saturated with Jesus" is the way to get around that. He also says that he saw some people early on get discouraged and leave the prayer movement, and then miss out on the growth and excitement.

In the last 5-8 years, Don's biggest encouragement is seeing guys in their 20's and 30's, like him with he started, picking up the baton and leaning into prayer and unity. He says it won't look exactly like it has looked for the last 30 years, but that's okay. To those young people, he says : find a mentor, and prepare to be tested. You'll have to transition through the stages of your life while keeping your commitment to this ministry. God will use all the enthusiasm, but He will also build patience in you.

To end, Don says he always thought revival was coming in his generation, but now gets the sense that they were building to prepare for this upcoming generation, so that revival could finally come. He believes there is a lot to look forward to!

//

The Presence Pioneers podcast exists to help YOU and your community experience and host the presence of God through day & night worship & prayer – because we believe God’s presence changes everything. Hosted by Matthew Lilley, episodes feature short Bible teachings and interviews with key leaders in the prayer & worship movement.

SUBSCRIBE • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

In today's episode, Matthew has a conversation with Dr. Jason Hubbard, director of the International Prayer Connect.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

International Prayer Connect • https://www.ipcprayer.org/ipc-home

The Presence Pioneers podcast exists to help YOU and your community experience and host the presence of God through day & night worship & prayer – because we believe God’s presence changes everything. Hosted by Matthew Lilley, episodes feature short Bible teachings and interviews with key leaders in the prayer & worship movement.

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL • http://eepurl.com/gfw9vH

MORE RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

INSTAGRAM • http://instagram.com/presencepioneers/

FACEBOOK • http://facebook.com/presencepioneers/

When Jason began his career as a pastor, he says they had good teaching, but no prayer or discipleship. The Lord confronted him in prayer one day and asked, "Do you think you can do this better than Me?" This led their leadership into establishing a prayer room at their church in 2007, and they saw growth by 1000 people in a year under "this canopy of prayer", as he put it. They began drawing other churches in, and by 2009 there were 30 churches involved!

Now from his international position, with 25 leaders in 17 nations around the world, Matthew asks Jason - what do you see happening with prayer around the world? To start with, the nation they had teach others about prayer at their meeting was Indonesia! They have 100 prayer towers (equivalent of IHOP-KC) going 24-7, including a strong children's prayer network. In 2017, the network saw a shift more towards praying for the unreached and the gospel movement. During Covid, Jason said there's been more connection built between both prayer leaders and gospel-sharing leaders than ever before. He believes this is an historic moment for the world.

Moving to the story of the Moravians, Matthew asks Jason to go into the story and why it impacted him so much. To start with, Jason says Zinzendorf was a young leader. Even at university, he started prayer societies. Then at a museum, he saw a painting of Jesus on the cross and had an encounter that ended with him on his knees. This idea of Jesus as the Lamb was woven through much of his writing and the Moravians' beliefs.

Fast forward to 200-300 people fleeing persecution and landing in Herenhut, nearby where Zinzendorf was from. In the early 1700's, there was a lot of fighting and false teaching pervasive in culture and the church. Zinzendorf goes to these families and pleads with them to forgive those who persecuted them. This led to a "summer of revival", and on August 13th they had an outpouring of the Holy Spirit often called the Moravian Pentecost. But what Jason points out is that the night before this outpouring, it was the children of the village crying out and travailing all night. He believes this children's prayer movement is what brought down the revival.

So on August 13th, they are headed to church for a communion service - still so divided that they walk on different sides of the road from each other. Zinzendorf preaches again on the Cross and forgiveness, then does Communion. And, as Jason puts it, it started with repentance. That church is now called the Church of Reconciliation. A few weeks later, Zinzendorf preached on Revelation, and the idea that Heaven looks like 24-7 prayer, so he though it should be happening on earth too. He had people sign up for one hour to sing and then pray to cover every hour of every day.

This led to a huge missionary outpouring as well. As best as they can figure it, about 5,000 missionary settlements came out of this little village. They also started the idea of being missional in the marketplace.

Jason believes this is what we're seeing today on a global scale. The prayer movement is exploding, but he believes that God is preparing the ground for the remaining harvest of souls through that. He also sees the Moravians reflected in the outpouring of spontaneous songs in the place of encounter now.

As a closing thought, Jason reflects on pastor Andrew Brunson, who was imprisoned in Turkey a few years ago. He says that after 11 months, when he was sentenced to 3 life sentences and there was no hope, he began to sing a song every day in solitary confinement. The title of the song is "You're worthy of my all", and Jason believes it's a message we need to cling to.