Presence Pioneers: A Worship, Prayer and Revival Podcast

In this episode, Matthew talks with Jonathan Friz about The Global Family- a worldwide, 24-7 online prayer room.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

The Aquaduct Project • https://www.aqueductproject.org/

Global Family • https://globalfamily24-7prayer.org/

10 Days • https://www.10days.net/

Jonathan's first Podacst appearance • http://www.presencepioneers.org/episode16/

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

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

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

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

Episode 16 was the first time Jonathan was on the podcast with Matthew. They talked then about his ministry called 10 days, which was a plan to “shut cities down” to pray. His goal was 120 cities. They joke that 2020 technically shut down more than that! But there was a big mobilization using technology because of the pandemic, and by the time his 10 days event came about, they were able to include over 150 churches - surpassing their goal. Through 2020, people not only felt a stronger need for prayer, but also had less on their plate with things shut down, so they saw an increase in participation - Jonathan jokes again that “Covid was good for the prayer business”!

Jonathan was approached in 2019 by a friend with the idea of doing 24-7 prayer on Zoom, but he’s not really a technology guy. Then, in a meeting with another friend, Jason Hubbard, he felt confirmation that God was wanting to build something sustained online. They went for it in 2019, before Covid. The response was powerful! People felt a strong sense of unity with others all over the world in prayer. People were spontaneously healed, and people were saved every single day of the event.

They felt that the next one, in 2020, should be around Pentecost (which usually falls a few weeks after Easter). When Covid hit in March, Jonathan says his thought was “Wow, God, that was a good idea!” They were able to go ahead with it when everything else was shutting down. They saw a huge increase in participation! They did another 10 Days on Zoom in the Fall and had a similar response. There seemed to be a team forming around it naturally, and more and more people were wanting it to go beyond 10 Days. It really seemed like God was building something.

On January 1st, they launched Global Family online. They have 45 countries and over 20 languages participating, filling all 168 hours in a week. He and Jason have done prayer rooms in the past, so they were prepared for some “bumps”, but it’s actually been pretty smooth sailing. There obviously hasn’t been training for everyone involved, there are some language barriers, but Jonathan credits his team for keeping it going so well. They don’t use a format for people, so every hour is a bit different. They provide resources for those who want them, but some people like to roll with what they’re sensing that day, and it’s okay. They have an hour a week that they come together to pray, and another hour of teaching where many of those involved come together.

Matthew asks why, if 24-7 prayer is hard, is Jonathan doing it? First and foremost, Jonathan says Jesus is worthy. It’s the culture of Heaven. Plus, if we can have 7/11’s open 24 hours for convenience, he points out, surely Jesus deserves more.

So how can people participate? Jonathan says you can fill out some information on their website to join into any prayer meeting, any time. They have a schedule that includes what language it’s in. Jonathan and his team made a commitment to keep this going for the duration of 2021, but he gets the sense that this type of thing will carry on from now on. The technology is there for sure, and the desire is growing!

As far as 10 Days goes, they’re looking at a window of time in September of 2021. They are looking now for people to represent their city and bring together groups in their city for the event. So if you’re interested, definitely reach out and sign up! They have lots of different groups collaborating this time.

Jonathan and Matthew are also working together on a group for mentoring emerging house of prayer leaders online. These new leaders are hungry for wisdom and encouragement, and it gives Matthew and Jonathan hope for the future of the prayer movement. They joke that Jesus had a good ministry plan, choosing a small group of people to pour into deeply instead of focusing on crowds!

The overall takeaway from their talk is a respect for those who came before and a hope for those coming in now. The prayer movement is truly becoming a global family.

In this episode, Matthew sits down with his pastor, Aaron Kennedy, to discuss the friction between pastors and parachurch ministries.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Opendoor Church • https://opendoorchurch.com/

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.

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Aaron has been the pastor at Opendoor Church in Winterville, NC for 6 years now. His father started it 37 years ago, and "passed the baton" to Aaron and his wife Lauren. This is the church that Matthew attended as a child, where he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, and where he learned how to play guitar and start leading worship in the youth band. They're coming at this topic with roots that are connected, but from different sides of the coin now.

Matthew starts by asking Aaron how those in the prayer movement could better relate to their local pastors. Aaron's really candid here by saying that honestly, sometimes those prophetic/intercessor types can make pastors a bit nervous. Their church was birthed in the 90's, in the midst of all the incredible revivals happening, so everything was very spirit-filled. He vividly remembers services going on for 3 hours as a kid! But then, he says, in the 2000's, they and many other churches swung the other way. He believes that it's healthy now to have this tension, where those more interested in the prophetic side of things can join in with local churches and help push the pendulum back to the center.

He also points out that there's different giftings in the Body, and that the church needs them all - even with the tension they bring. He encourages you not to draw back from the local church when the tension arises, but to bring your gifts to the table.

Aaron says the conversations are important - but Matthew wants to know what NOT to do when approaching their pastor. Aaron says that pastors can sometimes feel like they need to be defensive, which can then come across as corrective - but that when Matthew came to him, he was open to input and that made all the difference. Humility on both sides is imperative! He says our preferences shouldn't be what guides us. A pastor's heart isn't just about the final result - they want to not lose sheep on the journey, and that it helps when those who have an end goal in mind can remember where the pastor's coming from.

Next, Matthew asks for Aaron's perspective on this season. Aaron says that 2020 was probably the healthiest and hardest year for them. They shut down in-person services for 12 weeks for Covid, and Aaron was coming off taking 6 weeks to grieve after losing his father unexpectedly. So he returned to an empty room and preached to a camera. That season, he says, shifted something in him. He fell in love with what he does and Who he does it for. It made it easier to settle in his heart that it was for Jesus, not people. At at the same time, this shift happened in the worship team.

So 2020 was a massive reset for the Church as a whole, and Aaron believes we'll look back on it as an important year for the Church. There's been some purifying and change in perspective that will be lasting. When the doors reopened, Aaron had the revelation that for the first time in his life, he'd be preaching to a room of people that really wanted to be there. There's also a group, Aaron says, that will never come back to church. He believes that there will be a shift in the Church's mode of operation from just gathering to really discipling.

Matthew brings up the importance of being in a local church, and specifically being in person together. Aaron says there's something supernatural about gathering all together, and that the parachurch groups are a part of that. He views the ones they support as an extension of Opendoor, not competition. Life, he says, isn't about what you're called to, but who you're called to. Sometimes people separate from the people to go after the thing, which isn't healthy. And he admits that not all pastors feel the way he does! But the unity is biblical and necessary. The gift that you have is meant to be used in the world and also in the Body.

It's part of being in a family - we can't pull away from those who are different. Matthew says that you can receive teaching and inspiration from leaders all over the world now, but being plugged into your local church brings health and stability. Nobody's perfect, but we're all necessary and loved by our Father.

In this episode, Matthew chats with Kurt Wilson, founder of Pray for the Lou. They discuss what prayerwalking really is and how it can change a city.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Pray for the Lou • https://www.prayforthelou.org/

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

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

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

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

Kurt is St. Louis born and raised, and has always had a heart for his city. He tried for a long time to get prayer meetings going, and jokes that he learned a lot more about what wouldn't work than what would work. After a solid year of trying with no success, God reminded him of Joshua and Caleb "walking the land", and he remembered praying walking on mission trips years before. He and two friends broke the city up into 79 neighborhoods and started prayerwalking in 5 a week.

But what really is prayerwalking? Kurt defines it simply as praying "on site, in sight". He says you pray differently when you're seeing the need with your own eyes. It's also made outreach more effective, because there is often a breakdown in communication between churches and local ministries with who's helping where, with what. Being on the ground in the neighborhoods means that they can actually see what's needed and address it, instead of guessing from inside their four walls.

Going back to that year of what seemed like failure after failure, Matthew asks Kurt what he thinks God was doing in his heart. Kurt believes God was stretching and testing his perseverance. He had to look at whether he felt the same passion to show up and pray on week 52 that he felt in week 1. And he's now hearing testimonies from those "awkward" Facebook live prayer meetings of people who have been impacted that he had no idea were watching!

It's also built trust with local pastors. They can look at Kurt and see that he's as invested in the city as they are. Pastors are always inundated with people wanting to start things or asking for money or volunteers for their own thing, and Kurt went in to serve instead. He saw this during his time in Mozambique, where they would go into a village and honor the chief, and it would open doors to share the gospel where it had been slammed shut before. So he joined in with what other churches and ministries were doing, honoring their vision, and it opened doors for him to build relationship with these leaders.

The first Pray for the Lou event was actually on March 14, 2020 - the day before their city shut down for Covid-19! They had between 700 and 800 people from many local churches out prayerwalking in all 79 neighborhoods, and then came together on a football field that lays on what used to be the racial dividing line in the city. This year, they went from 1 day to 8! They had prayer meetings every night hosted by different churches, and Kurt was blown away by the engagement of the pastors. He didn't have to facilitate much, because they have the vision and have relationship with each other and can come together. They went out every day together to put feet on the ground in these neighborhoods and pray for their city.

Next, Matthew asks Kurt what the struggles have been during this process - and Kurt jokes that it's all been a struggle! He initially didn't want to start a new thing because he knew how hard it would be. He often looked at what was in front of him and just wondered if it was possible and also if it even mattered. He credits his ability to hang in there to his friends - friends who were willing to tell him to hang in there, and point out to him that the "win" isn't succeeding, it's his obedience.

Kurt's encouraged by the Pray for the Lou event this year, and is looking forward to what God will do over the next year. If you want to keep up with what they're doing there or get inspired for your city, you can go to the Pray for the Lou link above. And if God's stirring your heart for your city, Kurt says don't overthink it - just go where He says to and pray what He says to.

Have you ever felt weird or misunderstood for having a heart for worshipping God? Or have you seen someone worship extravagantly and not "gotten it"? In this quick teaching, Matthew gives some encouragement and biblical foundation.

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

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

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

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

One of the first bible characters that comes to mind when you think of extravagant worship is King David. He spent years worshipping and desiring God's presence before He ever became king, so when he was finally made king, he made it a pillar of his nation as well. He went to get the Ark of the Covenant, which was God's presence, and bring it back. The Levites carried the Ark up to Jerusalem in a huge worship parade, and they stopped every six steps to offer a sacrifice - they did this for ten miles!

David took off his kingly robe and put on a priestly robe, mixed in with the crowd, and worshipped "wildly" - singing, dancing, playing music, even spinning. His pushback came from his wife, Michal, who the bible says "despised him in her heart". This isn't uncommon - as Matthew puts it, extravagant worship stirs things up.

Maybe you've been the extravagant worshipper, and maybe you've been the one judging it from the other side. When David gets home, his wife tries to shame him for his behavior, and his response is this : " I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." And Michal, because of her bitterness about David's worship, is barren for the rest of her life. God affirms clearly who was in the right.

Another example would be Mary and Martha. Mary sits at Jesus' feet, and Martha is working to prepare the food and house for everyone who is there. When Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her, He instead says that only one thing is needed, and Mary chose that thing.

In Matthew 26, we have the story of the woman who breaks the perfume over Jesus' feet, and His own disciples are angry about the "waste" of her extravagance - and once again, Jesus comes to the defense of the worshipper. He says that she has "done a beautiful thing" for Him.

Maybe you're a David or a Mary. Maybe you just have a stirring in your heart and are unsure. The hope of this episode would be that you'd hear the affirmation of God on that stirring. Maybe you've tried, and have felt the pushback - either in your own mind or from other people. But when the world looks and says, "why this waste?", we know Jesus says that only one thing is needed, and you've chosen that thing. Jesus comes to the defense of the extravagant worshipper. He's on your side.

In this episode Matthew chats with Cheryl Allen, founder of Pasadena House of Prayer. They discuss what it looks like to find God's blueprint for you, even if it looks different from what other people are doing.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

PIHOP • https://www.pihop.com/

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

RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

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

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

Cheryl's journey started at The Call DC in 2000, where Lou Engle reached out to mentor her. Soon after, she went with her mom to a conference to celebrate the one year anniversary of IHOP, and was blown away by what she experienced there. She still didn't believe she was going to be the one to start a house of prayer, but after Lou moved to DC and she was unsure of her next step in Pasadena. She felt God tell her He would give her dreams to be the blueprint for her next step - and He did. One of her main takeaways from them was the value of intimacy.

As she set out to start this house of prayer that she never intended to, she felt impressed to write down Isaiah 56:7. When she did, she realized the numbers when in order (5, 6, 7) and felt God tell her that there is an order to things, and a house of prayer in Pasadena will look different than a house of prayer in Kansas City or anywhere else. She liked the singing part the most out of that passage, so she was discouraged by the order of the verses. But God said if she went in order, He'd build it. So they started by opening up to pray for people instead of focusing on training worship leaders, and God delivered on His promise. They're now going from 8am to midnight every day, and have over 500 people a week coming in for prayer and healing.

What's it like to do this as a single woman? At first, she tried everything she could to give it away. She wasn't sure what it looked like to lead something like this. The first year, she wanted to give up and move to Kansas City. But God clarified for her over and over that she wasn't just called to a house of prayer in general, she was called specifically to Pasadena. And because she leaned into her city and drew from locals instead of bringing in prayer experts from other houses of prayer, she has pioneered that model and can help train people all over the world how to do that where they are.

She's even gotten support from local churches, which she attributes to them being closed on Sundays and encouraging people in the prayer room to find a local church. They've built a strong partnership with churches in the area, instead of being in constant tension and competition. It's given them the ability to reach and serve the entire region!

With all this outreach and healing, how does she keep worship and prayer central? She says there's certainly a pull. They do try to reinforce that the prayer room is the main focus - ministry to God is the center, and then all the other parts flow out of it.

Looking back on the last 20myears of the prayer movement, Matthew asks what Cheryl thinks God is doing and saying for the future. Cheryl says the house of prayer movement has certainly been tested, but that it's been good to help those who are really in it to send down deep roots. She believes there is a lot of favor coming on the movement, and that from the current reduction is humbling us to prepare us for glory. It's all on the Holy Spirit - we can't make it happen! So if you're jumping into it now, she says you're jumping in at a beautiful time.

In this episode, Matthew gives a short but packed out teaching on ways to ruin your prayer meeting - and how to fix it! If you've ever sat through a bad prayer meeting, or tried to engage in prayer unsuccessfully, or want to host a prayer meeting that everyone enjoys, give yourself 20 minutes to listen to this one.

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

RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

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

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

Most people who think of the phrase "prayer meeting" envision something awkward, or boring. Matthew's definitely experienced some like that as well! But no matter what the size of your meeting, he's got some tips on how to ruin it - and how to enjoy it.

1 - Don't start on time.

It's hard enough to get people to a prayer meeting, but if you start late each time, people will show up late, and it'll lose value.

2 - Skip the prayer part of the meeting.

In some instances, it simply gets cancelled. It's lower priority than other church functions, so it gets pushed back fairly often. Or, it turns into "fellowship" time instead and no praying (or very little praying) actually happens.

3 - Have no plan and no leader (or, just "show up and see what happens")

If you think about all the other activities that take place at church, lots of planning takes place and someone is in charge to make sure it's working. Think though what you'll be praying for. Think through who will be directing the prayer times, how long people should be praying, and whether it's more intercessory or worshipful. Having a plan beforehand can really give people a direction.

4 - Just pray what comes to mind (have no focus)

People have a hard time engaging when the prayers are all over the place and random. Coming into agreement is what gives prayer power, and we shut that off when we bounce all around. Having a focus we can all agree on together brings unity and power to the prayer meeting.

5 - Be loud and dominate the meeting

There is definitely biblical merit for loud, passionate prayers, but in a group setting it can occasionally be distracting or make someone else feel like their prayers are less important. Praying too long can also shut it down quickly; more than a few minutes and people are checking out and looking at the door.

6 - Leave your Bible at home

Praying the Bible is a powerful way to host a prayer meeting. It's very easy to get in your feelings and pray something unbiblical, which obviously God will not answer! It also brings unity to pray the Bible, as even with different churches and denominations we can generally agree in the Bible being truth.

7 - Don't sing or worship

When you look at the throne room in Heaven in Revelation 4 and 5, you see the bowl full of incense, which is the prayers of the saints, AND you see the harp worshiping. Starting with music can be an excellent way to get everyone engaged and focused. It doesn't have to be a full band doing the IHOP model (although that's great) - even in your personal prayer time or with a small group you can simply play some worship music on your phone while you pray.

8 (bonus tip!) - Don't teach or train anyone about prayer

If you look at the example of Jesus and His disciples, they didn't ask to be taught how to do miracles or walk on water - they asked Him to teach them how to pray. And yet, most Christians don't have a clear understanding of what prayer can look like or how it should sound. This goes back to being intentional - just a few minutes of biblical and practical training at the beginning can make all the difference.

So, next time you're hosting or just going to a prayer meeting, try applying some of these ideas. Share them with someone who wants to host prayer. It could be the catalyst to build a community of believers around your that really LOVE their prayer meetings!

In this episode, Matthew chats with Torrey Harper, director of The Global Prayer Room in New York City. They talk about what it means to have God's heart for your city.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Global Prayer Room • http://www.globalprayernyc.org/

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

RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

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

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

Torrey's journey into the prayer movement started 5 years ago, with a prophetic word that he'd lead a prayer room. He realized very quickly that other people were actually praying day and night, and discovered helpful teachings from leaders like Mike Bickle, as well as the story of the Moravians, that gave him hope and fuel to get started. He jokes that he said yes before he realized the cost of Manhattan real estate! They started small, once a week in a dance studio, and now it's been 5 years of prayer and worship in the heart of Manhattan.

New York is definitely known for being individualistic, and being in a hurry. Torrey has felt God's heart for his city is specific - to cultivate family, and to learn to rest in Him. This was especially challenging in the midst of 2020, with the pandemic and the racial tensions that were building, but they pressed into Jesus and were able to even have an internship for 4 weeks that impacted the hearts of everyone involved!

That's at the heart of Torrey's message - every city has a specific destiny, and God has a specific dream for every place, so just listen first to God's dream for your city. Lean into His heart for where you're living right now. Also, his advice to those starting out is to NOT try to figure out how to make it happen yourself. He says to leave the promise in His Presence, and wait on God's timing.

Matthew asks if there are any scriptures that have been impactful for Torrey on this journey, since sometimes that's all there is to hang on to! Psalm 27:4, he says, has been his pillar, but his favorite is Psalm 132 - that's the cry of his heart, to build a home for the Lord. It's even affected some of the language they use in their prayer meetings, to be sure their hearts are tuned in the right way.

What is God doing now? Torrey feels that 2021 will be a year of revelation. There's a lot of noise happening, but he believes that there are some who will have their eyes opened and see what's really going on. There's also an invitation, he feels, to stop being distracted and walk with God again. He believes God is drawing us back to intimacy, back to the Table with Him. Everything else is being shaken, but we can focus our eyes on Jesus and stay secure.

In this episode, Matthew gives a short teaching on Isaiah 62, and what the Bible promises about the prayer, worship, and missions that will explode before Jesus returns.

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

RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

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

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

In verse 6 of Isaiah 62, the term "watchmen on the walls" is used - who are these watchmen? In a practical sense, watchmen were the ones posted on the walls of the city, keeping guard all the time. Isaiah uses this image to compare to intercessors - those who "keep guard" day and night. When Jesus was in the garden, He asks His friends to "watch and pray" (Mark 14:38). In Ephesians 6, when talking about prayer, the term "watchful to the end" is used. Peter uses it also, saying to be "watchful in prayer" - basically, Jesus' return should keep us on alert.

So there's a sense of not just praying, but being alert, listening, and discerning. The watchmen stay focused and pay attention to what's going on.

Right now, there is an unprecedented prayer movement exploding in the earth. This is what Isaiah was prophesying! This is what has to happen before Jesus returns. The watchmen will be on the wall and waiting.

God is the one who sets these watchmen on the wall, according to this verse in Isaiah. And since it's meant to be 24/7, that means you can't be a watchman all by yourself! So God is setting people into communities and families who will watch together.

How does He bring us into this? Matthew looks at verse 5 here. Right before the idea of watchmen is introduced, the idea of God as our bridegroom is introduced. He's drawing us into intimacy first, out of His unbelievable love for us. And when we draw close to Him, we can't ignore what's in His heart, what His plans are for the earth. These watchmen are those who have partnered with Jesus in this way.

So these intercessors are not angry, but full of joy. They are set in families who are running after Jesus just because He's good and they love Him. And the invitation is open to all of us! It will look different for different people, but God is drawing us all. Then, you can look at passages like Isaiah 62 and see yourself in this prophecy coming alive!

In this episode, Matthew chats with R.A. Martinez, a return guest to the podcast, about the Great Commission. A recent stat shows that 81% of church-going Christians in America could not define what "The Great Commission" is - Matthew and R.A. discuss why this is and what can be done.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

MAPS Global • https://www.mapsglobal.org/

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

RESOURCES FROM MATTHEW • http://presencepioneer.com

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

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

Matthew starts by asking RA to go into what their communities at MAPS Global are like, since they didn't get into in the last episode. RA says that they are presence centered communities, focusing on worship and prayer together, but that in the place of encountering Jesus, they are seeing more and more people sent out for missions.

This is based in Matthew 9, where Jesus commands them to pray earnestly for laborers, and that He'll send them out. Something grips us when we spend time in prayer! RA says specifically, there are 3 things that will grab hold of us:

1- The Worth of Jesus

2- His Compassion

3- The Anointing to be sent out

This should be pretty encouraging, due to the global prayer movement happening right now, but Matthew asks - what about those praying communities that aren't sending out missionaries? RA says some of it is the language used(it can tend to be a little monastic), but the real issue is that we haven't let God define the output of the prayer movement. Some people will stay and pray, but they should be in families that are sending some out.

To get to that place, you really have to understand the Great Commission. RA believes that it's been "diluted" some in the last 20 years to include just living your life as a Christian. That really takes priority away from those who haven't heard the gospel! The language used in the Great Commission is "ethnos", which means tribes and families - it has nothing to do with having political influence.

Nationalism is a huge hurdle for the Great Commission. Politics have become a major distraction, even in church, when 81% of Christians surveyed couldn't tell you what the Great Commission is! If we're focused on the prosperity of our own nation, we simply don't care about other nations hearing the gospel.

They tie it in here to the Church in Jerusalem. 500 believers go from seeing Jesus' ascension to pray and wait in Jerusalem, and by the time Pentecost happens, their numbers have dwindled to 120. After Pentecost, revival breaks out, but no one leaves for 10 years. Eventually, issues creep in like racism - seen in the story of the widows not being taken care of equally. After that, persecution begins and the Church is scattered to the nations. RA believes the nationalism/racism issue in the early church is what kept them from sharing the gospel to other nations. That's the problem with the melding of "God and country" - it makes enemies of our nation an enemy of the Church in our minds.

Then you throw in the "prosperity gospel" that's so pervasive in America, and the idea of leaving your comfort zone to live sacrificially and endure suffering for missions seems ludicrous. But if you read the Bible, Jesus guarantees suffering for following Him!

But RA believes the turmoil of persecution is what caused the first Church to be sent out, and that we're in the beginning stages of some turmoil in America that will end in some "scattering". God wants us to be part of His plan for the earth, and sometimes we won't listen until there's turmoil. RA takes it as encouragement, not something to be scared of.

So our job, then, is to pay attention. Look outside ourselves, ask God to give us His heart for the nations, and then to serve the Great Commission in whatever way He tells us to.

All across the earth God is raising up day and night worship and prayer! There are an estimated 20,000 groups praying 24-7 right now. The last 20 years has seen an unprecedented explosion of prayer and davidic worship in the body of Christ around the world.

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.

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The global, Spirit-led prayer movement has taken many forms and expressions, but there are a few models of day & night prayer that have spread at an unusually “viral” pace. The only explanation is that God is breathing on some of these models of prayer to help bring the Church into its function as a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7).

There may be many more models of 24-7 prayer, but Matthew Lilley shares about four that he has noticed that seem to have virality.

1) The Harp & Bowl Model

The harp & bowl was developed by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City to sustain their 24-7 prayer and live worship since 1999. This model utilizes live worship music for 2-hour “sets” that serve as either devotional or intercessory prayer meetings. The term harp & bowl describes the combination of prayer and music that reflects the harps and bowls in God’s throne room (see Revelation 5:8). Many communities and prayer ministries around the world have adapted a version of “harp & bowl” in their worship & prayer meetings. It seems that most or all of the communities that have been able to sustain 24-7-365 prayer with live worship have been inspired by IHOP-KC. You can learn more about this model in Mike Bickle’s Harp & Bowl Handbook.

Get the Harp & Bowl Handbook here: https://amzn.to/3smmJbO

2) The Burn Model

Communities around the world have gathered for “Burns” of 12 to 24 to 100+ hours of non-stop worship and prayer. This model focuses on gathering local worship teams to take 1-2 slots of worship. Rather than using a unified worship model (like harp & bowl), burn events allow local worship teams to bring their unique expression and style of worship & prayer for their time slots. Many of the leaders hosting “burn” events have coalesced around the Burn 24-7 movement that was founded by Sean Feucht. However, like the “house of prayer” model developed by IHOP-KC, you will find many people hosting “burns” who are not associated with the Burn 24-7 movement at all. In podcast episode 32 we discussed hosting a virtual 168-hour Burn during the initial COVID-19 lockdown.

3) The 24-7 Prayer Model

The 24-7 prayer movement in the UK started accidentally with a week of 24-7 prayer in England. Their model of prayer is focused on individuals taking hours of prayer in a 24-7 prayer room rather than corporate prayer times. Usually churches or communities will set up a temporary 24-7 prayer for a week or more. These prayer rooms are creative, multi-sensory and full of interactive “prayer stations” to guide people through their time with the Lord. You can learn more about this model in the 24-7 Prayer Manual from Pete Greig. You can also check out podcast episodes 24 and 25 with Lisa Koons, the USA Director of the 24-7 Prayer movement.

Get the 24-7 Prayer Manual here: https://amzn.to/3nD68wU

4) The One Church, One Day Model

In the podcast I refer to this as the “America Prays” model. One of the more recent models of 24-7 prayer that has emerged focuses on empowering local churches to adopt one day of 24-hour prayer each month. When enough churches in a city commit to a day of prayer, they can collectively cover a citywide 24-7-365 prayer calendar. One of the benefits of this model is that local churches can host their 24 hours in whatever format that suits their congregation. This empowers local churches to host day & night prayer, but it also unites them to a citywide vision. We talked more about this model and its impact in Austin, Texas on podcast episode 53 with Trey Kent.