International House of Prayer University – Mike Bickle
The End-time Prayer Movement and the Bridegroom God Page 2
The End-time Prayer Movement and the Bridegroom God
I. the end-time prayer movement
A. Before Jesus returns, the Spirit will raise up the greatest prayer movement in history. There are many indicators of this in the Scripture (Ps. 96:1, 9, 13; 98:1-9; 102:15-22; 122:6; 149:6-9; Isa. 19:20-22; 24:14-16, 23; 25:9; 26:1, 8-9; 27:2-5, 13; 30:18-19, 29, 32; 35:2, 10; 42:10-15; 43:26; 51:11; 52:8; 62:6-7; Jer. 31:7; 51:8; Joel 2:12-17, 32; Zeph. 2:1-3; Zech. 8:20-23; 10:1; 12:10; 13:9; Lk. 18:7-8; Mt. 21:13; 25:1-13; Rev. 5:8; 6:9-11; 8:3-5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7; 18:6; 22:17).
B. Jesus is a Bridegroom King. He is a King with power and a Bridegroom with desire. Many are accustomed to Jesus being a King with power, but not a Bridegroom with desire. Jesus has power to rule over us and He desires to relate to us. He is looking for relationship, not just a workforce.
C. There is a significant relationship between the end-time worship and prayer movement and the revelation of Jesus as our Bridegroom God. It is essential that we emphasize this revelation. Some stumble over this truth. His eternal nature is all-consuming love (1 Jn. 4:16).
D. Those wanting to be deeply involved in the end-time worship movement must take time to understand and encounter Jesus as the Bridegroom God in an ongoing way. Worship leaders, singers, musicians, artists, preachers, and intercessors will only reach their full potential in the end-time worship movement as they regularly encounter Jesus as the God of desire.
E. The eternal identity of the redeemed is to be a “house of prayer.” The essence of prayer is that God speaks and moves our heart, and then we speak and move His heart, so that He releases His resources on earth. When God names someone, it indicates how they are to function in the Spirit. Even “foreigners,” Gentile believers who love Jesus, will experience joy or enjoyable prayer. God sees all the local churches in a city as part of His one house of prayer in that city.
6The sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD…to love the name of the LORD.…7Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer…For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isa. 56:7)
F. The Lord desires to be worshiped on earth as He is in heaven (Mt. 6:10). In Revelation 4-5, John describes the worship order that was established after God’s own heart. It reveals how He wants to be worshiped. The heavenly order of worship is continual, musical, and God-centered (Rev. 4:8; 5:8-9; 14:2; 15:2). God-centered worship focuses on God and His personality and actions.
8The four living creatures…do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy…” (Rev. 4:8)
8The twenty-four elders…each having a harp …9sang a new song… (Rev. 5:8-9)
G. Worship and prayer change the spiritual atmosphere of the region in focus, as demons are driven back, angels are more active, and the Spirit moves in a greater measure (Dan. 10:13, 20-21). This causes the preaching of the gospel and the works of the kingdom to have a greater impact.
H. The human spirit is musical. Therefore, anointed music and singing touch the deepest places in our heart and unify us. For example, in a stadium of 100,000 people, someone can say, “God loves you,” and some will feel the power of that truth for a moment. A worship team can sing of God’s love, and 100,000 people can feel the power of it in a much deeper way. They can feel the same thing for long periods as they sing the same thing to the same Man.
I. David trained and supported prophetic musicians and singers (1 Chr. 9:33; 16:37; 23:5; 25:7) and commanded future leaders to do the same (2 Chr. 29:25; 35:4, 15; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:45).
1David…separated for service some…who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals…7with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD…
(1 Chr. 25:1, 7)
25He [Hezekiah] stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David…for thus was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets. (2 Chr. 29:25)
J. Isaiah added the new dimension of singing before a Bridegroom God (Isa. 54:4-12; 62:2-5; Jer. 2:2; 3:14; 31:32; Ezek. 16:13-15, 32; 23:1-45; Hos. 1:2; 2:7, 14-23; 3:1-5; Mt. 9:15; 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Jn. 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:9; 22:17). This was new to Israel. They were accustomed to God being a transcendent King with power, but not a Bridegroom with desire. Singing with the revelation of a Bridegroom God is singing that reveals and imparts love.
1Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud…5For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name… (Isa. 54:1, 5)
K. Jesus wants more than workers; He desires deep relationship with His people. We are called to give our love to God even before we are called to work for God. Our work for God is to flow from loving God; thus, we work “with” Him instead of “for” Him. Some only seek to be anointed to work, neglecting the anointing to love God with all their heart. Some only think of the Holy Spirit as raising up a kingdom workforce, rather than a Bride who partners with Jesus in His work.
II. John propheSIED the Spirit’s work in the End-Time Church (Rev. 22:17)
A. Revelation 22:17 is one of the most informative and significant prophecies describing the end-time church. It describes the end-time church in unity with what the Spirit is saying and doing.
17The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come…20I am coming quickly. Even so, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:17-20)
B. What is the Spirit saying? He is speaking to believers about their identity as a Bride.What is the Spirit doing? He is interceding for Jesus to come in power, and calling thirsty people to come to Jesus as the Bridegroom God. John depicts the Church calling out in both these ways.
C. In this prophecy, John tells us how the Church will function as: 1) empowered with the Spirit; 2) engaged in intercession; 3) established in a bridal identity; and 4) effective in the harvest.
D. In the end times, for the first time in history, the Spirit will universally emphasize the Church’s identity as Jesus’ Bride. It is not the Spirit and the family who will say, “Come,” nor the Spirit and the army, kingdom, body, temple, or priesthood. Rather, it is the Spirit resting on the Church as a Bride. Forever, we will rejoice in our identity as God’s family, body, temple, priesthood, etc.
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