Tauranga House of Prayer
Archive for the ‘End-Times’ Category
Exploring the Biblical Foundation of the Call to Day and Night Prayer
by: Nick Badger
There has been a ground swell of night & day prayer all through out history – from the days of Moses to the birthing of the early church to the recent decades of our own generation. Night & day prayer has been an integral part in the release of God’s redemptive plan through out history. And as this same reality takes shape here in Tauranga, here’s 3 Biblical facets of our foundation at the Tauranga House of Prayer that sustain & undergird everything we do:
1) Jesus’ Worth & the Glory of God – Jesus is worthy & eternally deserving of praise and adoration day & night simply because He’s worth it, He’s glorious enough to sustain it & it’s right that we give it. Around the throne of God in heaven we find a song of worship declaring the everlasting worth & greatness of God & His Son that never ceases both “day (or) night.” (Rev 4:8,11; 5:9-10, 12, 13). And in light of Jesus’ prayer that it would be “on earth as in heaven’ (Mt 6:10), a place is being established here in Tauranga, “at the ends of the earth” where songs would rise day & night declaring “glory to the righteous one” (Is 24:15-16).
2) Revival & Awakening – Jesus has a desire to corporately & individually awaken His church & the cities of the earth to the revelation of His grace & glory (Acts 2:17-21; Is 4:2). Thus, after the Biblical mandate of Joel 2 (see also Acts 1 & 2), THOP is a context where the corporate church in our region can come together to contend in prayer, fasting & worship for a historic out pouring of the Holy Spirit that would awaken the church & bless our region. Jude 3 exhorts us to contend for the faith earnestly. We are a “house of prayer for all nations” that contends for this fullness (Is 56:7; Eph 3:16-21).
3) Messengers & Leaders – The House of Prayer is an environment where people can come to be trained in the word of God in a context of prayer, fasting & worship that equips them to be effective leaders & communicators of the gospel & what God is doing in this hour. As pressure & troubles begin to mount on the global stage, the LORD is giving the South Pacific a “green house” where effective leaders & messengers can be trained, equipped & released. Daniel spoke of those “who would know their God & who do great exploits.” (Dan 11:32) In this vein, just before the first coming of Jesus, the LORD raised up John the Baptist to prepare his generation for the Lord’s arrival in his small local context of Israel (Luke 1:16-17). In like kind, just before the 2nd coming the Lord will raise up multitudes of young & old like John, who will prepare the way of the LORD’s return across the entire globe (Is 40:1-5; 62:6-12; Mt 17:11-13). THOP is a beach head for this to happen & it’s our passion & vision to train, equip & send people into all that God has for them.
Prayer, Power and the Life of Daniel
by Stefan Miller
The power-bases of the nations are not located in capital cities or national parliaments. It rests in the hands of the praying church. This is one of the foundational reasons why God is establishing an unprecedented prayer movement in our generation. The life and message of Daniel is therefore radically relevant right now.
The book that bears his name paints a vivid picture of the interplay between prayer and the dispensing of God’s power to govern history and alter the destiny of nations. There are four things about Daniel that make his lifestyle vital for us to follow as we eagerly seek the in-breaking of justice, righteousness and salvation in the nations. They are (1) His grand vision of God, (2) his identity before the Lord, (3) his spiritual insight and (4) his heart posture. These four things formed a man whose prayers caused angels to move, demons to tremble, ungodly governments to topple and wicked legislation to bow down.
1. Daniel knew a great God. He had a glorious vision of the sovereign God who is not only involved in the course of world history but reigns over it; subduing nations and exalting others in their place (Dan. 2:21). Daniel knew many powerful rulers. But His God had authority to direct the very hearts of kings (Dan. 4 cf. Pro. 21:1), including presidents, prime ministers and legislators; and sustain them in their course or tear them down in a breath (Dan. 5:23). God’s irrepressible power to act was the rock solid reality that empowered Daniel in prayer. If we would pray great prayers that carry great weight and alter real circumstances – personal or national (e.g. the overturning of legislation permitting baby slaughter in the womb) – we must know and have confidence in a great God (Eph. 3:20).
2. Not only did he have deep understanding of the Lord, he also knew his own identity in the eyes of heaven. Daniel persisted in prayer because he was confident in love. His assurance that mountains would be moved when he spoke weak words (Dan. 9:23; 10:12) rested in his assurance that he was beloved and highly esteemed (Dan. 9:23; 10:11, 19). We will have the same courage and longevity in prayer only when we comprehend the immeasurable pleasure in God’s heart towards us (Eph. 3).
3. Also, Daniel possessed acute insight about the context he lived in. He knew the times and the seasons that had been decreed by heaven and he was able to pray with insight into God’s purposes (Dan. 9:2). Our context, at the end of the age, urgently demands insight for our generation. The Lord is calling His people to partner with Him in prayer; to agree with His ways and bring to pass His purposes on the earth (2 Pet. 3:12; Rev. 8:3). Like Daniel in his day, our prayers will alter circumstances to the degree that we possess the knowledge of God’s will from His word and are filled with His desires (Dan. 9:2, Jer. 25 cf. John 15:7, Ps. 37:4).
4. Lastly, Daniel lived with a life posture of sobriety and humility before the Lord. Daniel’s dependence and sobriety – fasting, mourning, and steadily seeking the Lord (Dan. 1:8, 6:10, 10:2-3 etc.) – was his lifestyle for 70 plus years. He was persistent. He had a history in prayer. I wonder if many in our day have swallowed a sub-biblical (mis)perception of God’s sovereignty that has led to less constancy and urgency in prayer instead of more. This was not so with Daniel (Dan. 6:10; 9:2-3). And it must not be so with our generation. To those given wholly to God He has delegated true power and authority to affect the course of history under His sovereign leadership (James 5:16-18). Praying for Daniel’s in our time who will give God no rest until righteousness prevails, injustice is abolished, and the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.