Matthew Lilley's Blog, page 4

My Top 6 Downloaded Podcast Episodes

I started the Presence Pioneers podcast in early 2019 with the goal of equipping communities to host God’s presence through day & night worship & prayer. My target audience was the small group of leaders and communities that were already in my orbit through my leadership in larger movements such as Burn 24-7 and Awaken the Dawn. By the grace of God, the audience has grown beyond what I ever expected. We now release episodes every Thursday. If you’re not already, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you can receive this free resource.

It always surprises me which episodes click with people and get a lot of downloads. From my perspective, it is totally unpredictable! Here are the six episodes that have gotten the most total downloads since we launched the podcast.

6. Jonathan Tremaine Thomas on Proximate Intercession (Episode 78)

This was a replay of episode 21 that we originally recorded in February of 2020. Little did we know at that time, that the death of George Floyd during the COVID-19 pandemic would put a spotlight on racial justice. This gave JT’s ministry Civil Righteousness a massive opportunity to step into the national conversation and bring hope and healing. Listen to episode 78 here.

5. We Hear You – The Church’s Response to the Death of George Floyd (Episode 33)

Next on the list we have another episode that centers around the USA racial crisis of 2020 and the death of George Floyd. In episode 33 I interviewed Andrew Chalmers of Take the City, after he had gone to the site of George Floyd’s death to create a documentary. We discussed the good, bad and ugly of what he saw on the ground there. Andrew’s documentary was titled “We Hear You.” You can listen to the episode here.

4. Understanding Spontaneous and Prophetic Worship (Episode 85)

This is our most recent episode to gain a lot of traction. I recorded this episode because every time I teach or write or post on social media about this topic, there seems to be a lot of interest and hunger to learn more. In episode 85 I take time to teach from the Scriptures the basis and function of spontaneous and prophetic worship. Listen to the episode here.

3.  Four Models of 24-7 Prayer That Went Viral (Episode 62)

Over ten years ago I wrote a blog comparing the IHOP-KC, 24-7 Prayer and Burn 24-7 movements. Even today, that particular post continues to be viewed from Google searches. In episode 62, I do a similar comparison and contrast among four expressions of 24-7 prayer that have emerged in the nations and spread supernaturally. Listen to the episode here.

2. Christmas, Forerunners and Jesus’ Return (Episode 51)

Maybe we should do more Christmas episodes! In episode 51 I share about the prophetess Anna and the other biblical characters that are found in the biblical Christmas story. These characters are forerunners of the first coming of Christ, and God is positioning his Church to be forerunners of His second coming. Check out the episode here.

1. The 24-7 Worship Tent in Washington DC with Jason Hershey (Episode 57)

By far, the most downloaded episode ever is my interview with Jason Hershey from David’s Tent DC. They have sustained 24-7 worship in a tent on the National Mall in Washington DC for nearly six years. It is a miracle! In this episode, Jason shares some miraculous stories and some of the unique challenges in hosting a non-stop, day & night prayer tent. Listen to the episode here.

Well there you go! The top six downloaded podcast episodes. I do hope you will follow the Presence Pioneers podcast in you favorite podcast app, subscribe via email or subscribe on Youtube.

The Reward in the Secret Place of Prayer

In this short teaching, Matthew discusses our two options in prayer according to Matthew 6 – to please people, or to please God.

Something that stands out to Matthew as we look at Matthew 6 and what Jesus says about prayer, is the emphasis on a secret place. He believes that there is a real need (especially for worshipers ) to cultivate intimacy with God through this secret place.

In this passage, Jesus really gets into HOW we should pray. There is a temptation to get prideful and self-righteous if we devote ourselves to prayer – but the correct posture is always humility. The challenge is, simply, that it’s hard. We feel weak, or get bored, or get antsy – and that’s where our pride starts to die. That’s where Jesus can step in and satisfy. There’s a promise in Matthew 6 that you will receive your reward when you pray in the secret place, and Matthew believes that reward is the Father Himself.

We may go through seasons where we feel overlooked or abandoned, but when we are finding our joy in the secret place with Jesus, we know that God sees us. He never overlooks us. Think of David, totally alone on the hills in the obscurity of being just another shepherd boy – his own father didn’t think of him when Samuel came to anoint the new king! But God had not overlooked him. He was prepared in that season of solitude to step into His very public calling.

When we reach a place of intimacy with God from the secret place, it doesn’t matter if anyone ever sees us. We’re set free from all other ambition and worry, because we know we’re a son or daughter and our Father is pleased.

When Jesus talks about the vain repetition or empty phrases, He’s not saying to pray less. He’s pointing out that we don’t have to earn our way into God’s presence. He’s made the way for us, and we can simply come in. Trying to earn God’s favor through “praying harder” is pride. Jesus does teach us in other passages to press in and be persistent, but that’s about spending time with your Father, not getting to Him.

Jesus goes on to say that God knows what we need before we ask, and most people would go from there to say “well, then, we don’t need to pray” – but Jesus does the opposite. He goes on to say “therefore, pray like this” – and gives us The Lord’s Prayer. When we can come humbly to God like a loved child, we are set free from pride if people exalt us, and pain if they reject us. That’s the power of the secret place.

Links from This Episode

Episode 58

Key Scripture: Psalm 27:4, Matthew 6, Luke 11, Luke 18

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Five SPIRITUAL Benefits of Fasting Regularly

In today’s episode, Matthew goes over 5 benefits of fasting regularly. Fasting is catching on as a way of eating in our culture for health reasons, but Matthew has some spiritual benefits as well.

For the purposes of this talk, Matthew points out that fasting in the Bible typically means not eating food. There’s a place for giving up things like TV or social media, but that wasn’t the biblical context. Also, he submits that this is normal Christianity – not just for the extreme people. In Matthew 6, Jesus lumps fasting in with serving and praying, as a typical part of daily life.

So, on to the benefits:

1. Intimacy with God. Fasting is a way of drawing closer to God. It’s not just to get breakthrough or answers to prayer (although those are good things and often do happen), it’s primarily about gaining intimacy with God as our Father and Jesus as our bridegroom.

2. Hunger for God. Something that happens when you’re hungry physically on a fast is that out of that discomfort and dissatisfaction, God can bring comfort and satisfaction that causes us to want more of Him.

3. It Sustains and Prepares Us. Matthew references Anna in Luke 2 as a foreshadowing of the Church. Fasting doesn’t earn us the good things that come with it, but it does make space so that we can receive those good things that God’s been wanting to give us while our hands were full of less valuable things.

4. It Gives Us Faith. In Matthew 17, the disciples couldn’t get the demon to come out, but Jesus showed up and could do it. He rebuked them with the famous words, “some only come out by prayer and fasting”. What this suggests is that Jesus was living a lifestyle of prayer and regular fasting, since He was successful at removing the demon. It links the faith to preform miracles with that lifestyle of fasting.

5. It Helps Launch Us into Our Mission. In Acts 13, they were ministering to God with worship, praying and fasting – and that’s where Paul and Barnabas were sent out as the first missionaries. When we fast, God can speak into our hearts and also position our hearts for what He’s calling us to.

There are many more benefits, and also lots of practical wisdom Matthew could bring to the table for those interested in fasting as a lifestyle. Definitely reach out if this content was helpful to you and you’d like him to do more teaching on this subject!

Key Scripture: Matthew 6, Matthew 9, Luke 2, Matthew 17, Acts 13

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Sing a New Song

The book of Psalms is essentially the songbook of David’s Tabernacle. The book of I Chronicles gives us insight into the story and structure of the tabernacle of David, but the Psalms give us insight into the heart of the tabernacle of David. Some believe that many of the psalms from David and Asaph were written in David’s tent at Zion. Perhaps they were some of the spontaneous “new” songs that were written down by the scribes there. Throughout the Psalms you find God inviting His people to sing to Him a “new song” (Psalm 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1).

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3

Spontaneous Songs

Why does God make a point to encourage this kind of free-flow singing? There is something about a spontaneous song that invites us to connect our hearts and minds more deeply to what we are singing. It forces a worshiper beyond the regurgitation of words and melody and into singing from our own hearts to Him. 

While singing “psalms and hymns” in Church is not uncommon, in my experience, the phenomenon of singing “new songs” to God is rare in many Christian traditions. Yet it’s emphasized clearly in Scripture, and it seems to be connected uniquely to the manifestation of God’s presence and power in the midst of praise & worship.

Tehillah

One of my favorite Hebrew words for praise is “tehillah.” Many times when the Bible refers to a “new song”, it is accompanied by the word tehillah (see Ps. 40:3, Isaiah 42:10). Tehillah refers to songs flowing from your heart to the Lord. It implies a spontaneous song. I believe tehillah is equivalent to the “spiritual songs” of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.

In the Bible, tehillah is connected to the major passages in Psalms about experiencing God’s manifest presence. We “Enter His courts with praise [tehillah]” (Psalm 100:4). God is “enthroned in the praises [tehillah]” of His people (Psalm 22:3). Some of my most profound encounters with God’s power have been in the context of spontaneous, musical praise and worship.

A Global Worship Movement

Isaiah prophesies of a global “tehillah” worship movement that will flood the earth with new songs prior to the return of Jesus. As the nations have a revelation of Christ, they will respond with songs of thanksgiving. In every geographic place, spiritual songs of praise and adoration will be ringing out to the Lord. I note where “tehilah” is featured in the passage from Isaiah 42 below.

I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise [tehillah] to carved idols…. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise [tehillah] from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages… let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise [tehillah] in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:8-12

If the release of “tehillah” is related to the manifestations of God’s presence and power, then what will happen when the earth is covered with new songs? What kind of revival can we expect to come on the heels of a global worship and prayer movement?

Worship and Missions

Tehillah is connected in Scripture to God’s salvation of the nations. The first instance of tehillah is the spontaneous song after God takes the Israelites through the Red Sea and delivers them from the Egyptians (Exodus 15:11). There’s a connection between worship and missions. The very first song that was sung when David set up his tabernacle speaks about the nations offering “tehillah” to the Lord. Praise & worship are a natural overflow of hearts and lives who have been rescued from sin and death by God’s salvation. 

“Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise [tehillah].” I Chronicles 16:35

God’s purposes for worship are far greater than for having good Church services. There’s something bigger going on. There are deep connections biblically between the release of prophetic worship in the nations and God’s purposes in fulfilling the Great Commission. So let us sing to the Lord a new song!

The Atmosphere of God’s Favor

When we launched the Boiler Room in Greenville, NC back in 2009, we were seeking God’s heart for our city and region. Over the years, we began to discover some of the prophetic promises that God had spoken over the place where we lived. One of these words given by Derek Prince provoked us deeply. In 1975, while visiting eastern NC he prophesied: 

“I have found favor with you here in Eastern North Carolina. I will personally come to visit you. There will be a revival greater than the great Wales phenomenon. There will be kings and leaders from north, south, east, and west that will come and study the Eastern North Carolina phenomenon.”

If you know anything about the revival that took place in Wales in the early 1900s, then you understand how profound of a prophetic promise this is for our region. It was reported that 100,000 people came to the Lord in the first year. Many believe it was the Wales revival that sparked the Azusa St revival in the United States around the same time.

The Context of the Prophecy

As I began to research this prophetic word, I discovered some of the context in which it was given. There was a church in Jacksonville, North Carolina that was being influenced by the Latter Rain revival in the 60s and 70s. One of the resources that had deeply influenced their congregation was the book The Power of His Presence by Graham Truscott. This is actually the first modern book written on the topic of David’s tabernacle. This church began to incorporate Davidic worship into their meetings, and God was moving powerfully. Apparently they begin to incorporate musical instruments, prophecy and creativity into their praise and worship, just as David did in his tabernacle. Additionally, they were beginning to experience fellowship and unity with other churches in the area. 

In 1975, this group of churches decided to invite Derek Prince in for a series of special meetings. Believers from multiple churches crammed into the sanctuary for the first meeting, which was marked by the presence of God, especially during the music and worship. It was said that “most people cared very little about the apparent lack of space. Only one thing mattered: God was in the house!” Remember that this is the congregation that was beginning to incorporate Davidic worship — musical instruments and prophetic songs were beginning to be released. Creativity and intercession was beginning to flow.

Another facet of these meetings was the coming together of worshipers from various races and church backgrounds. One attendee said “we each began to understand that, although our skin pigments and denominations were different, we were indeed one body.”

It was in this context that Derek Prince released his prophetic word:

“I have found favor with you here in Eastern North Carolina…..”

It Wasn’t About Our Region

For many years I believed that there was something special about our region. We had found God’s favor. Surely we would experience revival before anywhere in the world, or at least our nation. I thought the prophetic word was about our region, but I was missing the point. One day as I was praying for God to fulfil this prophetic promise (which I have done thousands of times), the Holy Spirit began to broaden my understanding of what He was speaking through Derek Prince.

I realized that the body of Christ was coming together in unity around God’s presence when this word was released, and it was the context of united, Davidic worship in which God was speaking about His favor! Although God has a unique destiny for every part of the world, this prophetic word was not that our geography in eastern North Carolina was special. It was God’s stamp of approval upon His people coming together on earth as in heaven. At that time, the Church in our region was worshiping like David’s tabernacle and doing it in unity with believers of different races and denominations. This is in the environment in which God releases his favor! I realized that this prophetic word speaks not just to our region, but to the broader body of Christ. If you want God’s favor in your region — if you want revival — start doing on earth what they are doing in heaven. The prophetic promise isn’t just because of a certain geographic location, it’s because of a certain activity to which God responds. 

God likes it when we come together in unity. He likes Davidic worship. That’s why it’s that way in heaven. That’s why there’s harps and bowls of incense. That’s why there’s every tribe, tongue and nation together. I believe God is saying that if we want historic revival, we need to come together with Christians who are different from us and engage in prophetic, musical, presence-centered worship and intercession. There’s a heavenly pattern. There’s a biblical order that attracts God’s favor. David discovered it well before his time, which is why his life, nation and lineage experienced unprecedented favor and blessing.

One Thing Is Needed

Note: I will be releasing a book this spring on the topic of David’s Tabernacle! I am currently building a launch team to help me. This team will receive a free advance copy of the book. You can learn more here.

David was the only person in the Bible called a man after God’s own heart (I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Without the heart and zeal of David for God’s presence, there would have been no tabernacle of David. His uniquely intimate and personal relationship with the Lord set the stage for the nation of Israel to be brought into that same nearness to God’s glory and presence at his tent on Mt Zion. A glance at the Psalms illuminates the obsession with the presence of God at David’s tabernacle.

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:1-2

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.  For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:1-2, 10

The One Thing Needed

The pursuit of God’s presence was the driving force of David’s life. He articulated this deep longing by saying that there was “one thing” that he desired.

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4

Obviously David wanted more than one thing and gave his attention to more than one thing. He was also a king and military leader with many natural responsibilities. David had many things to do. Yet in his perspective there was one overarching desire in his heart that eclipsed all other dreams and desires. He longed for communion with God. David’s cry for one thing was about the prioritization of His relationship with God above everything else in his life.

David knew that if he got this one thing right, it would bring blessing and fruitfulness to everything he puts his hands to. Likewise, if he got this one thing wrong, it would ripple negatively into every other area of his life, work and ministry. He understood that all prosperity, joy and victory was an overflow from God’s presence with him. This heart posture would set the tone for all of David’s reign as king and lead to the establishment of David’s tabernacle.

The other notable time we see the exact phrase “one thing” in Scriptures is the story of Mary of Bethany in the New Testament. Here we find another extravagant worshiper! 

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

In the midst of all that was going on, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to hear His voice and experience His presence. Jesus commended the way she prioritized her relationship with Him over doing things for Him. I think it is likely that Jesus is using the phrase “one thing” to hint back to Psalm 27:4 and David’s extravagant expressions of worship. 

The Desire of God

What was the source of David’s zeal and passion for God’s presence? It was not his personality or a special talent. It was not his brute determination and strength. David’s zeal was actually the zeal of Jesus.

This connection becomes clear when you look at Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17. This is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible, and it gives us some amazing insight into the heart of God. Let’s zero in on verse 24.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24

Jesus’ prayer to the Father here is a fervent cry to have His people near Him in intimate relationship. You can feel the deep love of Jesus for us. He desires to bring us into that eternal flame of love that flows between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit within the Godhead. Jesus was yearning to have His people close to Him to experience the fullness of His passionate love.

David tapped into this desire of Jesus and reciprocated that desire to God. The parallels between John 17:24 and Psalm 27:4 are uncanny.

David prayed “One thing I have desired of the Lord,” and Jesus prayed “Father I desire.”

David prayed “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord,” and Jesus prayed “that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am.”

David prayed “To behold the beauty of the Lord,” and Jesus prayed “that they may behold My glory which You have given Me.”

David’s cry for the Lord is actually His agreement and alignment with Jesus’ cry for us! We love God because He first loved us (I John 4:19). Our desire is based on His desire. Our love is based on His love. When we recognize His pursuit of us, we will gladly enter into an intimate relationship with Him. This is the one thing that is needed.

Nothing Stop’s God Presence

NEW VIDEO: NOTHING STOP’S GOD’S PRESENCE

For over 15 years, Presence Pioneers has witnessed the power of day & night worship & prayer. We know that when God is enthroned on the praises of His people, He moves in power to bring transformation. In communities hosting worship & prayer across America, we have seen lives and cities impacted forever by the power of God’s presence.

Virtual Prayer, Outdoor Worship & Deeper Unity in 2020

In 2020, COVID-19 shut down the world, but it did not stop His presence. During the lockdowns, we took our prayer & worship online – into Zoom meetings and onto social media. During one week alone, we reached over 800,000 people on Facebook with a global virtual Burn leading up to Easter Sunday.

As protesters and rioters flooded the streets, we mobilized worshipers to take God’s presence into the chaos. On street corners, at parks, on beaches, under tents and in fields, a sound of bold, public worship and Gospel proclamation roared across our nation all summer.

And in the midst of this movement, God is building His family. Like-minded leaders of ministries and churches are connecting together to build friendships, share resources and to work together to disciple America in hosting the presence of God.

The Best Is Yet to Come

We believe the best is yet to come. Presence Pioneers is committed to our mission to connect, equip & plant worship & prayer communities that host God’s presence. Our vision is to see revival that touches the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Through the Awaken the Dawn Leadership network, we are helping connect & equip hundreds of like-minded leaders across America. Zoom calls, leadership summits and discipleship will be happening from state to state and region to region. These leaders are impacting their cities across America. 

Our podcast, teachings and resources are providing revelation, inspiration and language for worshipers, intercessors and leaders around the world. We are planning books, courses and curriculum to equip the body of Christ in the revelation of David’s tabernacle and day & night prayer.

We are so excited about what God is going to do in the coming years, and we want to invite you to partner with us to see cities and nations transformed by the power of God’s presence.

We are working to raise $25,000 for Presence Pioneers by the end of the year to help us build day & night worship & prayer to see revival that touches the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please give a tax-deductible give before 2021 to partner with us!

Click Here to Give to the Presence Pioneers #FundPrayer Campaign

Join The Procession

The 2017 ProcessionA Procession of Singers and Musicians

In October of 2017, God initiated a procession of tens of thousands of worshipers who converged on the National Mall in Washington DC for the first nationwide Awaken the Dawn gathering. Fifty eight tents were set up across the park and filled with 24/7 worship for three days, led by over 1000 worship teams from across the nation. Every state had their own tent led by their own musicians and singers.

This unprecedented tent event in DC “accidentally” happened during the time of the “Feast of Tabernacles,” which is a biblical feast where the Jewish people would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, their nation’s capital, to set up tents and worship for a week. The Feast of Tabernacles or “Sukkot” became a joyful celebration of the fall harvest for God’s people, and it is a prophetic picture of the return of Christ.

The original vision for the 2017 Awaken the Dawn gathering was born out of the relationship between Jason Hershey of David’s Tent DC and David Bradshaw from the house of prayer in Fredericksburg, VA. The entire journey was supernatural and marked by God’s voice, dreams, visions and prophetic confirmations. You can hear more about the Awaken the Dawn story here and here. David’s Tent DC is a worship tent that has been stationed on the National Mall for over five years. Like David’s Tabernacle in ancient Jerusalem, they maintain a 24/7 schedule of worship & prayer in the capital of America!

One of the ways God used that 2017 Awaken the Dawn gathering was to connect thousands of people in new relationships and deeper unity. It uniquely attracted believers with a “heart of David” – those with a shared value for prioritizing and hosting God’s presence through prophetic worship & intercessory prayer. The relationships formed through this original 2017 gathering launched an ongoing Awaken the Dawn movement, led by David Bradshaw, with ongoing events, initiatives and a nationwide leadership network.

A Procession of Deborah’s and Esther’s

At the same time this nationwide Awaken the Dawn movement was emerging in 2017 God was urging Lou Engle to gather the “Esthers” (Christian women) on the National Mall in Washington DC. This prayer rally for women became “Rise Up”, which happened the day right after Awaken the Dawn 2017.

The Bible passage that God gave Lou Engle for that time was from Psalm 68:

They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

Psalm 68:24-25

The idea was that God’s presence was moving across America as a procession, and the worshipers were “carrying the ark” with their songs of praise. ATD represented the singers and musicians from this passage and Rise Up represented the “maidens” that followed after them. The rallying cry leading up to the National Mall in 2017 was “Join The Procession!”. 

Understanding Psalm 68

Here’s what Lou Engle has to say about Psalm 68:

As we delved into this comprehensive Psalm of David, we were struck by the overall context of God being on the move to establish justice and conquer His enemies. Commentators agree that Psalm 68 is likely connected with David bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. This event was a major turning point for the newly reunified nation of Israel who had gone over 20 years since the glory of the Lord departed from Shiloh. David begins this Psalm with the very words that Moses declared in the wilderness as God went out before His people and the Ark of His Strength: “Let God arise; Let His enemies be scattered!” The psalmist goes on to describe the Lord as riding in a storm and recounts His victories in the days of Deborah. We were particularly impacted by how the Psalm highlights the role of women in this glorious procession, as well as the goal of God to care for them and the children in their distress. 

Author Joel Richardson has an entire chapter of fantastic commentary dedicated to Psalm 68 in his new book called Sinai to Zion. He echoes Lou’s comments above and also mentions that it is likely that Psalm 68 was proclaimed every year during the Feast of Tabernacles as Israel made an annual “procession” to Jerusalem.

Did you catch the connections? The Holy Spirit gave Lou Engle Psalm 68 as a prophetic word leading up to the 2017 ATD event. Psalm 68 was originally penned as they carried the Ark to Jerusalum to set up David’s tabernacle, which was the primary theme of Awaken the Dawn. Plus the 2017 event accidentally got scheduled during the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the time of year that Israel would read Psalm 68! Are you seeing how God set this all up?

As we discuss Psalm 68, it’s important to note that the ultimate fulfillment of that prophetic psalm is Jesus’ second coming, when he returns to the earth and literally makes a procession to Zion to set up His kingdom forever!

A New Procession

I am sharing all of this because I am beginning to see the original themes of 2017 come to the surface again as we near the end of 2020. One simple example is Joel Richardson’s new book, which I just referenced, that was released this year.

A Deborah on the Supreme Court

In September, we saw God raise up a “Deborah” in the United States in the form of Amy Coney Barrett’s new role in the Supreme Court. God has put a Spirit-filled woman in this role as a national judge right now as a sign of His desire to bring justice to our land and to specifically raise up Spirit-filled women for His purposes in America.

Psalm 68 references the song of Deborah (who was a judge) multiple times. It seemed interesting that justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away on the night of Feast of Trumpets, and then Donald Trump announced Amy Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court on the Day of Atonement. I shared earlier this year how God is highlighting and speaking through the three fall feast days on the Hebrew calendar, which include the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Sharing about the Fall Feast DaysPsalm 68 in Kansas City

Then a few months ago I found myself in Kansas City with a few dozen leaders during the Feast of Tabernacles. We gathered in a tent at the end of Sukkot for a few days of worship, prayer and fellowship. While we were there, we were praying about some of the prophetic history of the International House of Prayer there. One of the prophetic promises for their ministry is that there would be a literal procession of worship & healing from the IHOP-KC property (which previously belonged to US president Harry S Truman) to Truman Sports Complex (where the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals play). Some of us decided to drive that route and pray while we were there. Later that night, we were able to hear from Mike Bickle, the founder of IHOP-KC. David Bradshaw brought up Psalm 68 and how the verses about the “procession” were foundational to Awaken the Dawn, and how interestingly IHOP-KC also had a prophetic promise about a “procession” in Kansas City.

Mike Bickle seemed stirred by David’s reference to Psalm 68, and then he shared that he was actually teaching on Psalm 68 that upcoming week. He had even been preparing his notes earlier that day! Mike informed us that he had been teaching weekly on the 150 chapters in the Bible that talk about the end times for over a year and half. He had been saving Psalm 68 until he got towards the end of the 150, because it’s noted by scholars as being a very challenging psalm to interpret. And his teaching on Psalm 68 just “happened” to land on the same week that leaders from ATD were in Kansas City! Wow! Everyone who was there realized God was emphasizing Psalm 68 to us again in a special way.

In Kansas City, Sukkot 2020More Confirmation on Psalm 68

When I got home from Kansas City, I saw that a friend of mine shared a video of Lou Engle on social media. I clicked on the message and Lou immediately started talking about Psalm 68! He said he had been thinking about that chapter all day. Then I noticed the time stamp on the video. Lou was giving this message on the exact same night that we were also in Kansas City with Mike Bickle talking about Psalm 68! This could not be a coincidence.

Lou Engle’s message where he mentions Psalm 68

A few days later I was talking to a friend who is a part of a group of Christian women entrepreneurs. Their group had a Zoom call the night before we talked, and the guest on their call had talked about the women in Psalm 68 on their call! This was not only another profound confirmation, but it again highlighted the importance of what God is doing through women in the Church right now. The Lord had my attention.

The Procession of the Ark

For me, the story of God’s procession is a full circle moment. When I first launched into ministry, we started a youth worship night called “6:22”, which took its name from 2 Samuel 6:22 where David says “I’ll become even more undignified than this.” The song “Undignified” was popular at the time, and so we wanted to experience “undignified worship” like David. We cranked up the music, danced, sang, shouted and wildly pursued God’s presence the best we could. Even at 18 years old, I knew God had called me like David to carry the “ark” of God’s presence into my city. It was this “procession” story in 2 Samuel 6 that led me to discover the story of David’s tabernacle, which has become one of my primary focuses in Bible study and teaching. And now the theme of a procession of God’s presence is resurfacing in my ministry as I have joined staffed with Awaken the Dawn.

Ever since learning of the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Israel to set up the tabernacle, one of the random ideas I have had in my heart was to see a real-life worship parade. Ever since my early 20s, I’ve envisioned cities shutting down large roads so that bands of musicians, dancers and worshipers could march through the streets celebrating Jesus. Maybe this will happen one day! But I’m now realizing that the dream is not just an event, but a Spirit-given longing for that ultimate procession when Jesus returns to the earth at the end of the age.

Perhaps God is calling you to “carry the ark” of His presence into your city by gathering believers in davidic worship & prayer. Perhaps God would have you jump in with the Awaken the Dawn movement. Or maybe He wants to put in your heart a greater understanding and longing for the return of Jesus. I want to invite you… join the procession!

Justice Is Coming

The current justice movement is focused primarily on confronting things that are wrong. But I think the purest justice is focused on making things right.  Of course to make things right we have to confront things that are wrong. But to what end? Without a clear vision, we perish. A fight against evil without a fight for righteousness leads to an endless loop of deconstruction. Cries for justice that are purely critical are toxic and dangerous. Sometimes it feels like we are sawing off the branch while we stand on it.

A Vision For Justice

What does a successful justice movement look like? The Bible actually gives us that vision.

The biblical vision is a kingdom where a perfectly just, loving and merciful King rules those who voluntarily love and obey Him with joy forever. It’s a place where His people live together in perfect unity and peace. No evil. No pain. No sorrow. This is the kingdom of God – the rule and reign of the perfect King. Heaven on earth.

That is a vision of justice that stirs my heart.

This vision is ultimately an eschatoloical (end-times) vision that will be fulfilled when Jesus, the King, returns to the earth to fully manifest and establish His kingdom.

The Roots of Injustice

But what about right now? Glad you asked.

Jesus already came once. He was in heaven, but he humbled Himself to become a baby, who was born supernaturally to a virgin named Mary. He lived a perfect life. He was 100% God and 100% man. This was all a wild miracle! 

Jesus came to earth because he had to deal with sin. Sin is the root of all injustice and pain and brokenness and police brutality and racism and sexual immorality and greed and all evil in the earth. God knew that sin wasn’t just a systemic issue (the outside world is broken), but it was also an issue of the heart (you and I are broken inside). 

Jesus dealt with sin by taking the punishment of sin upon himself and dying on a Roman cross for us. This was Jesus paying the price of death for our sin. He resurrected three days later and then ascended back to heaven in his body, with many eye witnesses, to prove that He really was God! Crazy.

So now those who put their faith in Christ are able to receive the forgiveness of the sins in their heart and can enter into God’s kingdom now! This doesn’t mean that we leave the earth, but it means that become citizens of heaven who are functioning as ambassadors from God’s heavenly kingdom to the earth.

God’s kingdom now means that we can be restored into a proper relationship with God. We can know His perfect, amazing, unconditional love right now. The truth is, the best thing about the kingdom of God is the KING. The reason the kingdom is so good and satisfying and joyful and just and holy is because that’s what God is like. Knowing God now is like a foretaste of what’s to come when Jesus returns to the earth again and fully establishes His presence and kingdom on the globe.

What does this mean for the justice movement?

Two Weapons Against Injustice

This means that Christians, as ambassadors of God’s kingdom, can begin to manifest glimpses of that ultimate vision of perfect justice by making wrong things right. It also means we have good news to share. Even in the midst of a broken world, anyone can be reconciled to God through Jesus and have a promised inheritance in the kingdom of God. Even if you die before Jesus returns, you will be resurrected, just like Jesus was, so you can live in God’s kingdom forever in a new, perfect body. Wow! Put your faith in God, and you have a free passport to ultimate, eternal justice!

If you or someone you know is suffering, you now have two weapons of justice at your disposal.

First of all, you can show care and compassion right now. You can fight for freedom and work to abolish circumstances that lead to injustice, pain and oppression. We should seek to make the world better, but we also must understand that utopia is not possible until Jesus comes back to earth. So we do our best to see a manifestation of God’s kingdom in the places where we have influence and opportunity. This is not only a loving thing to do, but it points everyone towards the future kingdom of God.

Secondly, Christians have the Gospel (good news) of the kingdom to share. Even if it is hard or impossible to confront the systems of injustice or brokenness that are causing pain or oppression, there is still hope for ultimate justice for those who put their faith in Jesus. Even if circumstances don’t get better, our hearts can get better. We can have hope and peace inside. Why? Because Jesus is coming again, and He will make all the wrong things right. He will establish His kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. This has been the testimony of the hundreds of thousands of martyrs throughout Christian history who have endured suffering unto death while looking to the future hope of a kingdom that can not be shaken.

Justice is coming!

Reflections on the #LetUsWorship Controversy: What is God Doing in America?

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the #LetUsWorship gatherings that Sean Feucht has been hosting. Even Rolling Stone recently ran an article on one of these events!

If you’re out of the loop, Sean has now hosted over 40 public “worship protests” with hundreds or thousands of people in outdoor venues across America this year. These are drawing lots of passionate worshipers. People are getting saved, baptized and healed at each event. Yet many people (Christian and secular) are pushing back against the political undertones of the movement, as well as the lack of social distancing or masks at the gatherings.

What exactly is going on, and how should we respond? Let’s first zoom out and put the #LetUsWorship gatherings in context. It seems to me that in this unprecedented season multiple things are happening all at once. I’ll mention two that seem relevant for the body Christ on this topic.

God is inviting the Church to a place of deep humility, repentance and (re)evaluation of what we are doing and why. Idolatry is being exposed. Our dependence upon human methods instead of His presence and Spirit is being exposed. We need to get into the secret place and consider our ways. God is inviting the Church to boldly step into public expressions of worship, prayer and evangelism where God’s joyful presence collides with the pain and brokenness of our cities. 

I am convinced that these are both being emphasized simultaneously by the Holy Spirit. I shared recently about how God is inviting us into “the Dance & the Dirge” – because God’s kingdom is both now and not yet. I’d urge you to check out the Presence Pioneers podcast episode #26 or a video I did with Jonathan Friz on my Youtube channel for more on this.

Public Worship in America

Let’s talk more about the expressions of public worship. This emphasis from the Lord has been building in recent years with movements like The Sound (from Chris Burns), David’s Tent DC, Awaken the Dawn (ATD), and others. This year, when George Floyd was killed, everyone who was stuck in their homes suddenly hit the streets with protests, counter-protests and riots. Something shifted. I remember at that time when Jonathan Tremaine Thomas urged leaders from Burn 24-7 and ATD to step into the fray, into public places, to lift up prophetic worship in the streets and town squares of cities across America. 

Now what’s happening? Lots of outdoor worship! ATD just finished Tent America 2020, a 100-day procession of public worship, prayer & evangelism in tents. JT’s movement Civil Righteousness has been hosting outdoor “hope rallies”. David’s Tent DC continues on the national mall with 24/7 worship, where people are wandering off the streets into God’s presence every day. Chris Burns has been hosting worship in a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans where God is moving powerfully. 10 Days of Prayer hosted 150+ locations of prayer around the world this fall, including many in outdoor public venues. Etc. etc. etc.

I see these #LetUsWorship gatherings from Sean as one of the many expressions of public worship, prayer & Gospel proclamation happening right now. The Spirit of God is legitimately breathing powerfully on these bold, public expressions of worship, prayer and evangelism!

(Note: I’m NOT saying that all these ministries and movements are partnered together or doing the exact same thing. They are all unique, autonomous ministries, but they are all tapping into something that God is emphasizing right now related to public worship, prayer & evangelism.)

Thoughts on #LetUsWorship

I do think the #LetUsWorship gatherings are receiving unique pushback for a few reasons such as: 

Sean ran for US Congress which increased his public profile massively [I know the backstory to this, by the way, and God was 100% leading them to do it]These rallies are much larger than some of the other events & movements that I mentioned There’s an intertwining of worship with the political emphasis of Sean’s Hold the Line movement during this extremely energized and polarized election yearThe lack of masks & social distancing in the year of COVID-19

I do think there is hypocrisy from many of those who are criticizing Sean’s events but not criticizing other mass gatherings that have been happening across America in recent months. He is an easy target, for the reasons I mentioned above. 

I also think there is a genuine and valid concern from certain people that some of the Church’s public expressions of worship are not reflecting the “dirge” that God is also emphasizing right now – the need for humility, repentance and freedom from political idolatry.

This is all happening at the same time, by the way. God is emphasizing multiple things, and we don’t have to choose sides between the “dance” and the “dirge”.  We actually need both!

How To Respond & Engage

What’s the way forward? I believe it’s the presence, person and message of Jesus.

God is insisting that Jesus receive the glory from His people (Isaiah 42:8). Part of how that glory will come to Jesus is through the body of Christ coming together in greater unity in Christ (John 17:21) – especially in a season where we are divisively rallying around our political preferences. I believe this is a year of God shaking everything that can be shaken (Hebrews 12:27-28) and exposing things that need to be exposed so that God’s unshakeable kingdom can be manifested. That shaking and exposing will continue. Expect more disruption. This is what gets us to 2020 vision, by the way – the shaking clears through the clutter and helps us see what is real and important. 

I say let’s live in that intercessory tension of the dance and the dirge. May we boldly celebrate and demonstrate the kingdom now with public worship and Gospel proclamation while humbly longing for the kingdom to come by repenting of our sins, reconciling with our enemies, fasting and praying day & night. Let’s stand in unity with Jesus and our Christian brothers in the gap between heaven and the earth to see reconciliation and healing in our land.