Why Night and Day? — Part One August 26, 2008
Posted by Josiah in Prayer Room, The Night Watch.Tags: Acts, Amos, Chronicles, David, Day, God, House, Isaiah, James, Jesus, Levite, Moses, Night, Nightwatch, Prayer, Prayer Room, Prince of Egypt, Psalms, Tabernacle
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Over the next two weeks the Nightwatchers at RHOP have been given an opportunity to write a paper on the reasons why we pray both night and day. I’ve decided to make the subject into a series of posts, and then I’ll put it all together into a paper when I’m done. That way you — my loyal readers (assuming you exist) — can be the first ones anywhere to read it. Who knows? It may be part of my About Me page later, or maybe a new page all together…
David (you know – shepherd, giant killer, king, psalmist, man after God’s heart, the great(x26) grand-daddy of Jesus – that one) was the first one to establish night and day prayer the way that we think of it today in the prayer movement. His tabernacle (that’s a fancy word for “dwelling place”) for the Lord is described in 1 Chronicles 15-17. During David’s reign over Israel the Levites ministered to the Lord “continually” (1 Ch 16:37), and David says in Psalm 27:4 that he wished he could stay in the house of the Lord all the time himself.
Amos 9:11-13 tells us that before the judgment of the Lord, the Tabernacle of David (a house of the Lord with 24/7 worship and prayer) will be rebuilt. In Acts 15:13-18 James (the disciple of Jesus) quotes Amos, and then goes on making it clear that worshiping in this way is meant for everyone.
When Moses (burning bush, parting of the Red Sea, Prince of Egypt – that guy) built the tabernacle in the wilderness God said to him, “I will consecrate the tabernacle and the alter [...] I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.” (Ex 29:44-45). God desires to “dwell among us,” and establishing his tabernacle – or house of prayer – is one of the ways He chooses to do that.
When king David set up the tabernacle he assigned Levites to minister unto the Lord 24/7. That created a situation where Psalm 22:3 can occur all the time. “Yet You are holy, O you who inhabit the praises of your people.”
Not only that, but by praying “continually” we are also fulfilling Isaiah 56:7 where God says His house will be called a “house of prayer.”
-J
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