Morning Prayer Summary for Thursday, December 15, 2022

Sister Jeannie…
Good morning, if you live in Minnesota.

Announcement…
The last day of live prayer here in the chapel is tomorrow, and then it will resume again on Tuesday, January 3.

Excerpt from the Founders’ Bible…

So what Holy Spirit had for me to share this morning is similar to the drive this morning. It was a beautiful drive. It was also a drive where you had to be awake. You had to pay attention. You had to focus on your destination. And it could be a bit treacherous at times. But the entire time it was beautiful! So I am going to get started and read something from the Founders Bible. It’s about the origin of the dream of freedom. So it talks about American history encompassed within the Bible. And as I read this, I want you to think about and look for awakening. Also look for the times that they were in and their responses to the times that they were in, the condition of the church. And pretty much if I was reading this to you, you might think I was reading about today. So this is referring to before we gained our independence as a nation today.

Excerpt…

“Today, it seems strange that a denominational difference might prevent one Christian from praying with another, but not then. Most of the colonies had official state-established denominations such as the Anglicans in Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, North Carolina, and New York. And the Congregationalists in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The governmentally preferred denomination would sometimes persecute and even kill those from other denominations who preached or conducted their own religious services without official authorization from the state church.”

Isn’t that interesting?

“Division in the church to the degree that they would persecute one another and even kill one another. This was at the beginning of our nation being founded. But God had been at work in the colonies preparing to overcome these abuses by helping Christians focus on the major biblical teachings on which they all agreed rather than the nonessential denominational doctrines that separated them. The groundwork for this change came through the national revival, known as ‘The Great Awakening.’”

Did you hear that? That’s where we’re at right now. I have to tell you, as I read this and as I heard about it, I was not only shocked but surprised. I got excited. I got happy. And then when we get to the end of it, we’re going to take off in prayer because that’s where we’ve been for a while. So just hang in there with me.

“The groundwork for this change came through the national revival, known as The Great Awakening that was in 1730 through 1770 and was especially facilitated through the influence of English evangelist George Whitefield. Whitefield made seven missionary journeys to America preaching across the country for 34 years on horseback.”

You know that there are people that are coming here right now to America being called to our country as a mission. You know that, right? I am reading precedence to you that’s already been set for our nation.

“He delivered 18,000 sermons here in America. It is estimated that 80% of all Americans heard him preach. And his “Father Abraham” sermon was one of his more famous ones. John Adams heard that sermon and recounted its message to Thomas Jefferson. In that sermon, Whitefield pretended to be at the gates of heaven talking to Abraham, and here’s how it went.

“Father Abraham with his hands and eyes gracefully directed to the heavens. Father Abraham, whom have you there with you? Have you Catholic? No. Have you Protestants? No. Have you Churchmen or Anglicans? No. Have you dissenters or Congregationalists? No. Have you Presbyterians? No. Quakers? No. Anabaptists? No. Whom have you there? Are you alone? No. My brethren, you have the answer to all these questions in the words of my text. He who fears God and works righteousness shall be accepted of Him. Acts 10:35

“God help us all to forget having names and to become Christians in deed and in truth. Samuel Adams had taken the message of Whitefield’s popular Father Abraham message and gave it practical application in that first gathering of Congress. After hearing Jay…

Have you noticed too, people in leadership right now in the government that are believers are being pretty outward about it. Have you noticed that? If you haven’t, you’ll start noticing it. But it’s pretty obvious. Okay.

“After hearing Jay and Rutledge oppose the motion…”

Samuel Adams brought this message to Congress because Jay and Rutledge were opposing the motion for prayer. Isn’t that amazing? Leaders opposing prayer in government. This was the condition we were in.

He arose and said he was no bigot and could hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his country. Adams then acknowledged that because he was from Boston, he was a stranger in Philadelphia. But he had heard that the Reverend Douche deserved that character and therefore he moved that Mr. Douche, an Episcopalian, might be desired to read prayers to the Congress tomorrow morning. It is significant that Samuel Adams, an ardent Congregationalist, a Puritan, personally suggested having an Episcopalian clergyman from the Church of England, a denomination greatly disliked by Congregationalists delivered the original opening prayer to Congress. By this suggestion, Adams was implementing the Acts 10:35 message, so long preached by Whitefield.

Here’s the thing: The ground had been laid. Seeds had been sewn for unity. And just because it didn’t look like there was unity happening, it was happening. The ground has been laid, seeds have been sewn for Great Awakening. And we are seeing pieces of it, but just because we don’t see it all yet doesn’t mean it’s not happening. The ground has been laid; seeds have been sewn for America shall be saved.

And just because it doesn’t look like it, it doesn’t mean it’s not upon us. And that’s what I’m talking about here. So stay with me.

For Samuel Adams to get up and suggest that someone else from a different denomination that was abhorred and disliked by his denomination to give the floor to pray was huge. These things are happening now in the church. Right now. Have you noticed the streams are coming together? Have you noticed? It’s been happening. We are in that moment. While we were reading this, the scripture that kept resounding for me was Isaiah 43. “Behold I’m doing a new thing. Do you not see it? Do you not perceive it? I make a way in the wilderness.”

We are in Bible times, and if we’re in Bible times, we can expect Bible victory. We can expect Bible results. Right now, what we’re seeing is a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Do you know what that means? Massive awakening is upon us. And it was happening here at the beginning.

So after Samuel Adams suggested that Douche read the prayer. Interestingly, 70 years later in arguments before the US Supreme Court, the Great Daniel Webster recalled this example to the justices reminding them, “At the meeting of the first Congress, there was a doubt in the minds of many about the propriety of opening the session with prayer.” At the very beginning, Congress wasn’t so sure about opening with prayer. At the very beginning! We were all moronic. Be encouraged. And the reason assigned was as here, the great diversity of opinion and religious belief. Come on! This is good news.

“Until at last, Mr. Samuel Adams with his gray hairs hanging about his shoulders and with an impressive venerableness now seldom to be met with, rose in that assembly. Arise and shine and with the air of a perfect puritan said it did not become men professing to be Christian men who had come together for solemn deliberation in the hour of their extremity to say that there was so wide a difference in their religious belief that they could not as one man bow the knee in prayer to the Almighty.”

I declare today that the church is coming together and she keeps her eyes on the one who saved her, and that is Jesus. And that is what matters. And the Great Awakening ensues. The Great Awakening is upon us because all that other stuff that has separated us before, it becomes small when the pressure is on.

The pressure was on. And yet they were still divided. And it only took a few leaders to say, “We’re not going to do this. We’re going to pray. And by the way, we’re going to focus on where we agree.” And guess what happened? Awakening. Independence. America was created.

America shall be saved!

“Adams, Whitefield’s light rebuke penetrated the hearts of the other delegates. Cushing’s motion was seconded and passed in the affirmative. The President waited on Mr. Douche. Accordingly, the next morning, he appeared with his clerk and his pontificals. (I’m not even sure what that means.) In the culture of that day, prayer was not nearly so casual as it is today. It was very formal. As Benjamin Franklin once noted, clergy officiated in prayer and recall that when Samuel Adams moved for Jacob Douche to read prayers in the established form, Douche agreed to do so arriving with his clerk and with his Pontifical. That is he entered the assembly with an entourage and in his special ceremonial robes. “

So there was even a lot of religion. It didn’t keep unity from happening.

“Prayers over public bodies at the time involved in orthodox ceremonial formality that deliberately conveyed a majestic reverence for almighty God. But Douche did much more than just officiate by reading prayers from the book of common prayer. Surprisingly, everyone present, he launched into an unforeseen but passionate and spontaneous prayer.”

Okay, here comes the anointing.

According to John Adams, Mr. Douche unexpectedly to everybody struck out into an extemporary prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present.”

Holy Spirit rushed on it!

“What was the effect? I must confess I never heard a prayer or one so well pronounced with such fervor, such earnestness and pathos, and in language so elegant and sublime. It has had an excellent effect upon everybody here. Several delegates commented on Douche’s remarkable prayer, including Samuel Adams, Joseph Reed, Samuel Ward, Silas Dean reported that Douche’s prayer was worth riding 100 miles to hear. He prayed without book, about 10 minutes. So permanently, with such fervency, purity, and sublimity of style and sentiment, and with such an apparent sensibility of the scenes in business before us, that even Quakers shed tears.”

By the way, Dean’s comment that it was a prayer worth riding 100 miles to hear significant. In that day, riding 100 miles meant three days in the saddle. Dean admitted that he would have willingly spent three days on horseback just to reach that gathering and hear that prayer.

That is the kind of hunger that is coming to America! That is upon Minnesota… A hunger for God. The anointing and the freedom of Holy Spirit to operate in the Twin Cities, in Minnesota, in America, and globally. The hunger for freedom is erupting all over the world. If you know where to look, it’s there.

“While the exact wording of that first prayer is not known, an indication of the type of prayers prayed by Douche can be as ascertained in the Second Continental Congress. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was approved, Douche was appointed congressional chaplain, and delivered this stirring prayer.

Oh Lord, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Over all the kingdoms, empires, and governments look down in mercy. We beseech thee on these American states who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be hence forth dependent only on thee. To thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause. To thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which thou alone can’t give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father. Under the nurturing care, give them wisdom and counsel and valor in the field. Defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries. Convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, thy Son and our Savior. Amen.”

Okay, here’s the part that got me super beyond. I mean, you thought this was awesome. We have similarities of what’s happening now in the church and in our nation. That happened back then. Then it hits home. Now listen to this.

“A year later, it did not appear as if his prayer would be answered. (This is Douche.) The one who was chosen, the one who prayed, the one who Holy Ghost worked through, spoke through, was anointed. He was appointed, and a year later it did not appear as if the prayer would be answered.

I don’t know. Are we there?

“The Americans had lost battle after battle, and British troops had invaded and seized his hometown of Philadelphia. In the midst of this gloomy outlook, Douche wrote George Washington predicting defeat for the Americans, nudging them to retract the Declaration of Independence.”

The last time I led prayer, I shared about how even Jesus wanted to give up! But Jesus never sinned. Douche did because he despaired and he encouraged others to despair as well. Aren’t you happy about this? I am so happy about this. That when God works through you, would you see God do great things and then there’s a leg and it really doesn’t look like anything’s going to happen and you start to think, “Oh, maybe we didn’t hear God. Oh, maybe that isn’t what’s going to happen. Oh, maybe America won’t be saved. Or maybe revival won’t come to the Twin Cities. Maybe that prophetic word about where 35 W and the Mississippi intersect, that massive revival is going to come out of this area.” That was prophesied a hundred years ago! Even the best of them wrote George Washington and said, “We can’t… We’re not doing this.”

This is good news. If you read in the Word, people are doing this all the time. Peter did it. I’ve done it. Are you kidding? I don’t even want to remember all the times I’ve done that.

“Washington refused.”

See, it only takes a remnant… only takes a few to say, “No, I’m standing. I’m sticking with this. We are not leaving this alone.”

“And Congress declared Douche a traitor.”

Huh?

“Whereupon he fled to Great Britain. But in later life, after receiving permission from President Washington, Douche returned to America where he spent his remaining years. But returning to that first gathering, Congress did not just pray according to John Adams, Douche also.”

See! You can always come back.

“You must remember this was the next morning after we heard the horrible rumor of the Cannonade of Boston. I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seemed as if heaven had ordained that psalm to be read on that morning. It has had an excellent effect upon everybody here. I must beg you to read that Psalm. Read this letter in the 35th Psalm to your friends. Read it to your Father, the church pastor. Significantly, when the delegates gathered in Philadelphia, they heard a rumor that Boston was under attack. The founders’ distress was palpable. They were still British citizens.”

Is the distress palpable? Yes!

“And their own British Army and Navy were now besieging them, but Psalm 35 spoke directly to their growing fears. Delegate Silas Dean noted that the lessons the scriptures of the day which were accidentally extremely applicable…”

Have you noticed how accidentally extremely applicable the Word is?

And John Adams agreed affirming that the reading of Psalm 35 on that day was not only most admirably adapted, but also was providential.

So let’s read Psalm 35. “Contend oh Lord with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle ax to meet those who pursue me. Say to my soul, I am your salvation. Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life. Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery with the angel of the Lord, pursuing them. For without cause they hid their net for me. Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. Let destruction come upon him unawares and let the net which he hid catch himself into that very destruction. Let him fall and my soul shall rejoice in the Lord. It shall exalt in his salvation. All my bones will say, Lord, who is like you? Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him and the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him.”

Okay so here’s the deal. Look at the similarities! Look at the precedence that was even set from the beginning and the precedence that’s happening in the world today. And the precedence that’s been set in the Word. Period. They came together. They were real squeamish about prayer. Even if they did believe in Jesus, they couldn’t agree on anything. In fact, they persecuted each other. They pummeled each other. And then God brought a missionary from a different country to America. And he preached unity and he preached Jesus. And then a few people caught on. Just a few. And then it caught fire. And then Holy Spirit hit it. And then it really caught fire. And then a year later, it didn’t seem like anything was happening. Didn’t seem like God was answering prayer. And those that had it in the beginning started to waver, but not everyone wavered. They stood. They kept at it. And then even the one that wavered, repented and there was still unity.

Ways to Connect

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