73-76StuartGreavesStanding in the Watches of the Night

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ONETHING 2013STUART GREAVES

International House of Prayer of Kansas City ihopkc.orgFree Teaching Library mikebickle.org

Standing in the Watches of the Night (Ps. 134)

I. THE DIVINE SETTING6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never

keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;7and give Him no rest until

He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7

A. The night-and-day global worship movement is by divine initiative. The Holy Spirit is movingacross the earth setting worshiping intercessors on the wall.

B. One of the indicators of a global worship and prayer movement is the rapid increase of worshipand prayer ministries as well as the desire for worship and prayer. It is inevitable that the calling

to minister to the Lord will one day cover the whole earth.

11For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations,and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure;

for My name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Mal. 1:11)

C. The Lord is drawing intercessors and prophetic singers and musicians across the earth toembrace the vow of David (Ps. 132:1-5) and contend for the breakthrough of Gods dwelling in

cities and regions across the earth. The ultimate breakthrough will occur when Jesus comes anddwells in Jerusalem at the end of the age.

1Remember, O Lord, on Davids behalf, all his affliction;

2how he swore to the Lord and

vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,3Surely I will not enter my house, nor lie on my bed;

4I

will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, [cf. Isa. 62:6]5until I find a place for

the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. (Ps. 132:1-5)

29For this purpose [cf. Col.1:26-28]also I labor, striving according to His power, which

mightily works within me. (Col. 1:29)

II. PERPETUAL SOLEMN ASSEMBLIES: THE CALL TO NIGHT AND DAY PRAYER the day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?

12Yet

even now, declares the Lord, Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping

and mourning;15

Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,16

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation (Joel 2:11, 12, 15-16)

A. The purpose of solemn assemblies is to gather corporately and contend for the perhaps of Godby turning our hearts back to the Lord. Solemn assemblies are times when the people of Godstep out of the status quo to seek God because times are desperate, and desperate measure are

required to more fully turn our hearts to the Lord that He might release His glory in the midst ofcrisis.

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ONETHING CONFERENCE 2013STUART GREAVESStanding in the Watches of the Night (Ps. 134)


B. The Holy Spirit is raising up perpetual solemn assemblies, night-and-day prayer centers. TheLord in this hour is calling this nation to a focused lifestyle in the grace of God. The lifestyle is alifestyle of fasting and prayer and wholeheartedness (Joel 2:12).

C.

The book of Joel is a book that we are to become familiar with in this hour, in that the contentshave profound relevance to this nation and us in this hour, in particular Joel 1-2.

D. Joel 1:1-2:11addresses the reality of the coming crisis. The crisis and the glory of Joels day isgoing to be significantly increased on a global dimension, and all the nations will encounter this

dilemma. Joel 2:12-17gives the prescribed divine remedy for the coming crisis, and Joel 2:18-31gives us the breakthrough of God in response to the solemn assemblies.

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people,

will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation

until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be

rescued. (Dan. 12:1)

E. There is coming the greatest global crisis the earth has ever witnessed. At center stage of thiscoming crisis will be a demonized world leader who develops and then rules over a worldwide

system including government, finances, religion, and military. Jesus will confront Him with thefierceness of His righteous judgments (Joel 2:30-31, 2 Thes. 2:8, Rev. 6, 8-9, 11, 15-16).

5There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to

act for forty-two months was given to him.6And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against

God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.7It was

also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every

tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. (Rev. 13:5-7)

F. There is coming the greatest global outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29) that will result ina unified and glorious end-time church (Eph. 5:27), the preaching of the gospel with power to allthe nations (Mt. 24:14), the greatest release of signs and wonders (Jn.14:21), and the salvation of

Israel (Isa.62:7; Rom. 11:26).

Personal Notes:

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III. CALLING TO THE NIGHT WATCHGird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar! Come,

spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God (Joel 1:13)

A. Essential to the night-and-day prayer movement is the establishing, building, and strengtheningof the watches of the night. I believe that before the Lord returns, millions of men and womenacross the nations will embrace a lifestyle to stand in the house of the Lord during the watches of

the night.

B. The Holy Spirit is raising up a community in the watches of the night across the nations of theearth:

1. To cry out for the mercy of God in light of the coming crisis - Joel 2:172. To contend for the realm of prophetic revelation to break in - Psalm 19:23. To raise up a prophetic voice declaring the return of the Bridegroom - Matthew 25:6

IV. ACTIVELY ENGAGING GOD IN THE NIGHT PSALM 134:11Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord!2Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord.

3May the Lord bless you from

Zion, He who made heaven and earth. (Ps. 134:1-3)

A. Psalm 134 was strategically place in the word of God by the Lord as a mandate and exhortationto the night watch community as well as a blueprint of how to build the night watch. Psalm 134

also serves as:

1. The mandate and vision to engage with God in a focused way - 134:12. The exhortation to come before the Lord with strength and ready to engage (lifestyle) -

134:2

3. The life flow of God to the individual and community of the night - 134:3B. Psalm 134:1 is a call to peer into the heart and being of God, standing before Him with loving

adoration. The premier mandate and exhortation to the night watch is to behold, to deliberately

engage our mind to consider and to gaze. It is a call to peer into the Word and behold, to say yes

to the Lords invitation, to receive the divine escort to peer into the ways of God.62

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.

(Ps. 119:62)

148My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. (Ps. 119:148)

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V. LOVE THE LORD YOU GOD WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH (PS. 134:2)A. The lifting of our hands: offering our strength and us to Him. The lifting up of the hands speaks

of being wholly engaged in ministering to the Lord.

B. The Psalmist calls those who stand in the watches of the night to lift up of their hand, whichspeaks of being alert and awake, with strength and readiness of the body, mind, and soul. This

calls for several things that are to be embraced in such a lifestyle, affecting sleep schedule, etc. Inmany ways the night watch is a form of fasting.

C. If we are going to do the night watch long-term with effectiveness we must embrace the nightwatch lifestyle. In doing the night watch we must go on a journey to discover what form of

living produces most mental and physical health.

VI. THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD (PS. 134:3)A. The Lord who made heaven spiritual blessingsB. The Lord who made earth natural blessingsC. The God releases a special blessing to those who stand in the watches of the night.

Personal Notes:

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73-76StuartGreavesStanding in the Watches of the Night