A Fresh Call to Day and Night Worship and Prayer
There is a Holy Spirit orchestrated global prayer movement. No demon can stop it. No scandal can thwart it. No politician can derail it.
If you called 911 with an emergency at 3 AM someone would answer and dispatch help to you immediately. If you wanted a fresh meal in the middle of the night, you could go by Waffle House, IHOP or Denny’s. If you needed gas at 4 AM, you could probably find a station nearby that is open 24/7. All of these products and services are available day and night. Why? Because it’s worth it.
The owner of Denny’s can make enough money with hungry late night patrons to justify paying his workers to work third shift. It’s worth it. Our society believes it’s important to have emergency services available to our citizens around the clock, so we put it in our government’s budget and tax people to pay for it. It’s worth it. The gas corporations know that enough people need fuel at all hours of the night that it’s worth paying to keep the stations open constantly.
If these products and services are deemed worthy to be available 24/7, how much more is Jesus worthy of 24/7 worship and prayer?
The Ultimate Reason for 24/7 Worship and Prayer
The angels in the heavenly throne room need no convincing of the value of their day and night worship and prayer. They have been singing praises to the Lord incessantly for thousands of years.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 4:8
Any question as to the validity or usefulness of their extravagant response to God’s beauty would be seen as foolish in that environment. Can you imagine interrogating the four living creatures about why they keep singing the same song over and over? They would simply point you to the One on the throne. They would let you see what they see. Because when we see Him, all of our questions are answered. All of our calculations are over. All of the scales are tipped. When we see Him, we understand. He’s worthy. It’s worth it.
God is worthy because He created all things.
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11
Jesus is worthy because He is the Lamb that was slain.
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9
He is worthy of it all!
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Revelation 5:12
It is time for a fresh revelation of the worth of Jesus to receive day and night worship and prayer on the earth as it is in heaven. In our cities as it is in heaven. In our hearts as it is in heaven. In our churches as it is in heaven. In our nations as it is in heaven.
Why? Because it’s worth it. Because He’s worthy.
An End-Times Day and Night Prayer Movement
The Scriptures declare that the pattern of day and night worship in heaven will be established on earth by God’s people. The prophet Isaiah spoke of intercessory “watchmen'' who would cry out to God day and night for God’s purposes to be fulfilled.
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7
This incredible prophecy from Isaiah speaks about 24/7 prayer communities that God will raise up in the days preceding the return of Jesus. Isaiah is describing prophetic intercessors like watchmen on the walls of a city that God will set in place before Christ comes again. It says that those who are “never” silent are calling on the Lord “day and night”. They give themselves “no rest.” It is clear: the watchmen are engaged in perpetual prayer.
I believe Jesus himself was recalling this prophecy when He urged the Church to pray for justice day and night:
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:7-8
The challenge from Jesus could not be clearer. Those who are full of faith when He returns are those who will be praying day and night. They are the watchmen on the wall of 24/7 prayer.
Prayer and worship are good, even when it’s not 24/7. But we must not abandon the biblical call to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We must keep the heavenly vision before our eyes of God receiving the extravagant, incessant praise and intercession that is due His name from every tribe, tongue and language.
A Singing Prayer Movement
This end times 24/7 prayer movement will be a singing movement. The watchmen are worshipers. Intercession and spiritual warfare will flow from intimacy and adoration. Praise and prayers will mingle together on the earth just as it does in heaven. The elders in the heavenly throne room hold harps and bowls in their hands. The harps represent musical worship, and the bowls are filled with incense representing the prayers of the saints.
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8
The prophet Malachi had a vision of this same global worship-based prayer movement invading the four corners of the earth. He saw the incense of prayer and offerings of pure worship arising “in every place” around the world!
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
Paul summarized the purpose of Christ’s coming and his own apostolic ministry as reaching the Gentile nations with the Gospel so that they would praise the Lord (Romans 15:9-11). Just as heaven is filled with every nation, tribe and tongue worshiping the Lord around the throne day and night, God’s desire is to redeem the nations so that they can join in the song!
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”
Romans 15:11
The prophet Isaiah also spoke of a global “new song” that would arise in every place — from the cities to the villages, from the mountains to the coastlands. This global worship explosion is bubbling up now. Let’s enter into it! Let a new song arise day and night to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise 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 that Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
Isaiah 42:10-12
Similar to those heavenly elders with harps and bowls, the Levitical musicians and singers in David and Solomon’s day were described as serving in their musical ministry “day and night.”
Now these, the singers, the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night. I Chronicles 9:33
Matthew Henry says this about this verse:
“It should seem, some companies were continually singing, at least at stated hours, both day and night. Thus was God continually praised, as it is fit he should be who is continually doing good.”
Elsewhere, the Psalms describe David and others pursuing God’s presence “day and night” (Psalm 1:2, 88:1) and specifically in the “night watches” (Psalm 63:6, 119:148). As God rebuilds David’s tabernacle in our day (Acts 15:16-17), we can expect day and night worship and prayer to increase across the earth.
There is a special blessing designated for those who are committed to the late night hours of ministry to the Lord. Psalm 134 is a short chapter dedicated entirely to the Levites who were specifically assigned to offering worship during the watches of the night.
Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! Psalm 134
These Levites were working third shift, so to speak, and if you have ever tried to stay up praying and worshiping all night long, then you understand both the special challenges and blessings of this kind of ministry! It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
It’s Time For Another Wave
Day and night worship and prayer is not a pipe dream but a biblical promise and a modern-day reality.
Over the last 25 years, we have seen an unprecedented global movement of day and night worship and prayer. Before recent decades, there were only a few recorded instances of 24/7 prayer throughout Christian history, but we have now seen thousands of expressions of day and night prayer in the 21st century. This is a historic phenomenon that is bigger than any one ministry, denomination, stream or organization. To be clear, this has never happened before.
Some have recently questioned the validity of this movement or the wisdom of pursuing 24/7 prayer and worship. We must resist the urge to ebb and flow with trends and subjective prophecies and instead lock ourselves into the biblical promises of incense rising around the world to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ. Yes, we should pray and worship day and night. Yes, this is a Holy Spirit orchestrated global prayer movement. No demon can stop it. No scandal can thwart it. No politician can derail it. Jesus is worthy of the day and night worship and prayer of the nations, and the Lamb will receive the reward of His suffering.
It’s time for another wave of day and night worship and prayer in our cities. It’s time to come together and establish resting places for God in the midst of unceasing praise and prayers. It’s time to host God’s presence and pierce through the nightwatch with non-stop songs. It's time to set ourselves on the wall of incessant intercession.
It’s time for more 24-hour worship weekends. It’s time for more 24-7 prayer rooms. It’s time for pastors and churches to start more prayer meetings. It’s time for more extended worship nights. It’s time for worship and prayer in homes and small groups and tents and college campuses and parks and church buildings and coffee shops. It’s time to prioritize the presence of God like never before. It’s time to come together in unprecedented unity to minister to the heart of God and let Him lead us from His presence into the neighborhoods and nations of the earth with the song of heaven: Jesus is worthy!
