THE HEART BEAT OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP

Psalms 55:17 KJV – Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

The above scripture jumped at me last month as my wife, Queen Irene and I were going through the Psalms as has become our daily routine. I noticed the mention of evening, morning and noon and I could not help but question why David mentioned these specific times. One thing the Holy Spirit has taught me especially this year is to question everything in the Bible and dig deeper. I have since learnt that nothing in the Bible is written or captured just for the sake of it. So I asked God, why did David speak of evening, morning and noon time?

It was not until last week that I believe God answered me and that is why I am excited to share this revelation hot from the throne of grace. Stay with me.

Over the years I have noticed that many churches and also many Christians like to pray at these specific times, especially noon. In my human wisdom I assumed that maybe Heaven is open during these specific times hence why even David prayed at these times.  However, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, we were transferred into the heavenly realms right next to Jesus. We live and operate under open heavens.

Ephesians 2:4-7 KJV……………………….And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:…………………………

We have access by the blood round the clock, anytime any place and that is the gospel. Do not be cheated that it is better to pray at specific times, remember the old slang saying, anytime is tea time?

Hebrews 10:19 NASB – Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

Let me confess, I used to be a dedicated member of various prayer movements where it was religiously required of us to pray at specific times and fire specific prayer bullets at different yet specific times of the day and seasons within the year. Looking back, I really thank God for His mercy and freedom from such naive dead works, thinking and believing that heaven is widely open 3 times a day. Good Lord!!!! Thank God I now know better. One of my spiritual Authorities, once asked me, ‘………….this devil you keep binding and firing at, who unbinds him and does he have a bullet proof vest? He seems to survive all the bullets because you keep firing at him. No wonder Paul asked the Galatian church ‘who bewitched you’ , Galatians 3:1..………..‘

God hears us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days in the year. There is no better time to pray than now.

2 Corinthians 6:2 TLB – For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

The best time and the right time to pray is now, it is any time. No time is special, besides the world does not operate within the same time zone. Noon in my country is not noon everywhere globally, so if one is to say noon is the correct time to pray, then which noon is the best noon? I believe this is why we are told to pray at all times, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17.

What was David pointing at in Psalms 55:17 by giving mention to the timings of his prayer? What is God pointing at when He allows timings of prayer to be mentioned?

Acts 3:1 KJV – Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Acts 10:9 NIV – About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

Acts 16:25-26 KJV – And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,…………….

Why did God see it important for us to know that the disciples went to pray at noon and at 3pm (evening)? Like I mentioned before, I believe there is a reason and meaning behind every detail in the Bible.

Mark 1:35 : And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

There are various records of Jesus praying in the morning, evening and night too. Why?

Mark 11:24 KJV Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Jesus did not say when we pray in the morning, noon or evening we will be answered. He did not say that prayers travel faster at night because of less traffic as it were 🙂

2 Corinthians 1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes………………………….

God did not say the promises are yes at noon or in the morning. Yes at night. God did not in any way suggest that there are better chances of getting a yes from Him at specific hours.

Basically all I am saying, I repeat, all I AM saying (did you see what I did there?), all I AM saying is that there is no biblical evidence that it is better to pray at specific times rather than at other times. 2 Corinthians 6:2 makes this very clear. I speak as far as the new covenant realities are concerned.

Why then are there records of times of prayer recorded? I believe today I found out why and I will tell you why.

Psalms 119:62 NASB – At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You because of Your righteous ordinances

Last week during our Psalms sharing, as we read this verse, I noticed the mention of midnight. Again, another association of prayer and timing. So in my desperation and zeal to be a doer of the word, James 1:22, I told my wife that I think we should start sleeping early so that we can wake up at midnight to offer thanks giving prayers.

Romans 10:2 NASB – For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

You know this is why we need knowledge before getting to the doing part. It is the lack of knowledge and revelation that has robbed Christianity of the power it should command.

Proverbs 4:7 KJV Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

If it was not for my wife’s understanding / insight today, I would have passed a new rule for my house i.e ‘wake up daily at midnight to give thanks’. I would have justified it as the biblical time of giving thanks according to Psalms 119.

Seriously though, some things are really sad if you think about them, this is the same way many Christians are caught up doing rituals and meaningless religious activities passed on from generations because man somewhere created religion, laws and rules for others to follow and nobody has really ever questioned or sought God for Himself. Any activity done without revelation or understanding has no meaning. Have you ever questioned why you do the things you do when you do and how you do? The power is in the revelation, in the understanding of the why, otherwise it remains a ritual / dead works.

Mark 7:13 KJV – Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Like I was saying, if it was not for the understanding that God has blessed my wife with, I would have fallen and led my entire family into the category of the people talked about in the verse above (Mark 7:13). My wife told me, ‘you know my King (i love how she calls me my King) I don’t think David meant midnight the hour but rather the darkness it symbolises‘. ‘There must be a deeper meaning and revelation to the word midnight‘, she said, ‘remember Hebrew is a very symbolic language’, she continued.

Boom!!!!!, I got a witness from the Holy Spirit, the light bulb went on, through my wife, God answered me, the question I had asked 1 month ago finally got answered (I really should be listening to my wife more often you know). Anyways that is besides the point, especially todays point.

Now that it has come up, I might as well just put it out there, women do carry answers for and from God. It is no wonder Eve was targeted by the devil and Jesus used women for His ministry (John 20:17, Luke 8:1-3) and birth (like He had a choice as far as birthing was concerned, LoL 🙂 . Jesus used women and liberated women, God has something up His sleeves that only women can birth, that is all I AM (is) saying.

Women get ready and get into position, you are going to be used in amazing ways for the kingdom of God, God will use you to birth grace realities, men brace yourselves and embrace the women. To the woman reading this, I declare and decree in the name of Jesus, your womb will birth for God in this season.

Moving on, making reference to the scriptures quoted before, we see that Jesus, David, Peter and the disciples, many times prayed in the morning, noon, evening and night. Why? To show us that we should never get too busy for prayer and intimate time with God i.e the secret place. Let me paint the picture and show the symbolism of the prayer timings mentioned. Morning is when the errands for the day begin, will you make time to pray and spend time with God or will you rush out and do what needs to be done. Noon represents the peak of the day, when the sun is all out, when the day is smack in the middle of busy, when everything is all bright and glowing. Will you step aside from your success, from your busy schedule to make time to spend intimately with God? Evening or late afternoon represent the concluding part of the day. After all is said and done, will you remember God or will you be too consumed marinating in the days success? Midnight or night represents darkness. Right in the middle of the night, having endured a duration of darkness with an equal duration left before dawn breaks. Like David, will you in the middle of your dark season or crisis wake up or stop to give God thanks?

Psalms 119:62 NASB – At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous ordinances.

Diligently seeking God during the good and bright times and during the bad and dark times forms the heart beat of praise and worship.

Psalms 100:4 KJV – Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Do you know the gates are made of pearls?

Revelations 21:21 KJV – And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl:………………

David said at midnight, i.e in his darkest hour and season he will wake up to give thanks to God, he later tells us to enter into the gates with thanksgiving. We also learn that the gates are made of pearls. Pearls are formed through irritation. The discomfort trials bring are meant to create pearls in you. There is something about giving thanks in your dark season, it forms a jewel in you and out of you. There is power, strength and beautification process in giving thanks when that situation, person and/or circumstance is uncomfortable and undeserving. There is something about stepping aside from your success, deliberately making room for God when all feels and shows to be extremely well. There is power in seeking God with a consistent zeal and hunger in both ‘good and bad’ times, remembering your secret place with God. All these might be irritating,uncomfortable,demanding and could be assumed as adding no value BUT a pearl is being formed through that discomfort AND that is the heart beat of praise and worship. God remains God, unchangeable and unshakable, worthy of our praise and worship round the clock. That is the heart beat of praise and worship. Loving God for who He is. Praising Him for He is never changing.

Thanks giving is what keeps your gates open.

Isaiah 60:11 NASB –“Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession.

No matter what the circumstances or situations, keep your praise and worship on. That is the heart beat of praise and worship.

Psalms 34:1 NLT – I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises

In what you might perceive to be good times or bad times, maintain the discipline and attitude of hearty praise and worship. With this attitude, the earth will shake to bring forth the salvation of God. The earth cannot resist the heart beat of praise and worship.

Acts 16:25-26 NASB – But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

Forget not your secret place, it does not matter the season or times, forget not your secret place. Never plug out of your first love. That is the heart beat of praise and worship.

You want your gates to remain open for blessings to come in? You want the gates of the prison or whatever is holding you back to swing open? Get your praise on, get your worship on.

This is the heart beat of praise and worship – during your hour of crisis, you will remember God, worship and praise Him for who He is. The earth will shake and move to the frequency of the heart beat of this kind of praise and worship.

I remain King David Mure. I live to praise and worship my Father. May we all find the heart beat of praise and worship.

Baraka