WHY I LABOR TO BUILD NIGHT AND DAY PRAYER

This guest post was written by the Director of The Prayer Room Missions Base in Dallas Fort Worth, Brad Stroup

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In 2005 I had the most impacting encounter with the Lord that I’ve ever had.  In those marking moments the Holy Spirit told me clearly to “Start a daily prayer meeting tomorrow morning at 5 am and don’t stop until I come back.”  

That was the most unexpected thing I could imagine, and if I can be honest it was also just about the least desirable thing I could have heard God say to me at the time.  But I said yes and we began daily corporate prayer meetings the next day. That was the beginning of The Prayer Room Missions Base, the ministry for which I currently serve as director.  

What I didn’t realize in that moment was that I was being woven into a mostly unknown storyline of history; that is God’s commissioning for expressions of night and day prayer and worship.  These 24-hour expressions of the priestly ministry have been found here and there all throughout Church history but what we are witnessing now in this hour is unprecedented. Independent groups all over the Earth are suddenly endeavoring to build Jesus houses of continual of prayer and praise because of the conviction that Jesus is worth it.

Over the last 13 plus years I have been in 5am prayer meetings seven days a week growing in that same conviction.  Out of the overflow of that vision our team here in Dallas has labored tirelessly to see Jesus adored night and day.  Currently, we have a prayer room with live worship from 5am to 11pm seven days a week and we will be expanding those hours in the fall to go until 1am.  These 13 years have been the most costly and most beautiful sacrifice I could imagine and by God’s grace we will stay faithful in this pursuit of His worth until He comes to stop us with His appearing.  

Right now in Heaven there are angels, elders and living creatures perpetually singing of the worth of Jesus.  I believe that what we are watching unfold across the nations in our generation is the fulfillment of the billions of prayers throughout Church history for “the Kingdom of God to come and His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  That which surrounds the throne of God in Heaven is quite suddenly becoming reality on Earth.

I probably wouldn’t encourage people to just go start one of these night and day prayer expressions without the Lord’s clear leading.  I would however highly encourage every believer in Jesus to join those who are already doing it; to stand arm in arm contending for the worth of Jesus in this generation.  

I labor for the same reason as the attendants around the throne; the vision of this most beautiful man, worthy of all we can give.