I believe this message on the 7th Time will be a ‘life changer’ for those who are serious with God. We all know that the Lord wants us to give Him our everything. He wants to conquer us, in order to bless us.
‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2
Three areas I feel are important for Christians to surrender to the Lord, are that of money, food and sleep. For many these things are ‘no go’ areas, but the Lord wants all of us. ‘Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.’ He wants all of our hearts.
I want to look at the whole area of sleep. It’s like a last frontier that the Lord wants us to conquer in our lives.
I remember reading the testimonies of Reese Howells intercessor, Praying Hyde and Evan Roberts who was instrumental in the Welsh Revival. All of these men would speak of getting up in the night to pray. I have tried and failed in the past to get up and pray and soon realised that if you want to do this you need to have vision. Something you desire that is greater than your desire for sleep. Evan Roberts longed for Revival, so much so that he would wake in the night and cry out to God for it.
It’s interesting to note that King David used to get up and pray in the night for no other reason than that of praising God for His word. I want to start this message by showing you this verse in Psalm 119:164.
“Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.” Psalm 119:164
King David was really into praising God, and he says in Psalm 119 that 7 times a day he would praise God for His word. Every verse of Psalm 119 mentions the word of God - all 176 verses. Of course we should be praising God all the time for the wonderful things He has done for us, but David said he set aside certain times each day in his busy schedule to praise the Lord, and specifically for His word. He did this even though he was under the old covenant which is amazing in itself, but we today have a greater reason as we have far better promises.
I figured that the most obvious times he set aside as a ‘praise break’ would be; Breakfast time, Morning tea, Lunch time, After-noon tea, Dinner and Supper time. That brings us to a total of 6 times.
The question is, when would be the 7th Time that he would do this? He actually tells us what this time was in the same Psalm, for in verse 62 he says;
“At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.” Psalm 119:62
In Hebrew the word for midnight means the middle of the night. In those days they must have got to bed a lot earlier than we do as they didn’t have electricity, nor did they have television. Today we stay awake late, soaking up so much ‘stuff’ that we can barely get up in the morning let alone arise in the middle of the night to seek God.
David was quite ‘radical’ in his worship. He couldn’t go to sleep for as long as 8 hours without spending some time praising God in the middle of the night. It’s interesting to note that he was praising God for the law. If he could do that under the bondage of the law, then how much more should we be praising God under the freedom of grace, with a far better covenant. Far better promises. If he could do it 7 times a day, then we should be doing it 70 x 7 – amen?
The book of Hebrews tell us that we have a far better covenant than David had.
“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.” Hebrews 8:6-7
The word ‘Praise’ in Psalm 119:164 is the Hebrew word ‘Halal.’ It comes from the word Hallelujah. This type of praise is not passive, for it means to ‘shine, flash light, boast, make a fool of yourself, act madly or to rave.’
It’s using the whole body in our praise. King David was quite a ‘Raver’ in his praise, for when they were bringing the Ark of God into Jerusalem he danced before it in his ‘under garments’ with all his might.
“And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.” 2 Samuel 6:16
He was using his whole body to praise the Lord, and not just his words. It’s always good to praise the Lord, but there are times when we need to praise God with a little more gusto. Just a quiet under your breath type of praise doesn’t set us free from an oppressive spirit.
Again the thought comes to me that if David could praise like this as he brought the Ark or Presence of God into the City of David. How much more should we be praising God in this dispensation, when Jesus actually dwells in our hearts.
“For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power.” Colossians 2:9-10
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? “ 1 Corinthians 3:16
Paul said that we shouldn’t allow our feelings to stop us praising God. It’s to be a continual sacrifice of praise, using our lips to speak it out. Our statement of faith causes walls to fall down.
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15
It seems that King David got up most nights to spend time praising the Lord. I have found 4 occasions in Psalm 119 alone that speak of him getting up at night to praise God.
“In the night, Lord, I remember your name, that I may keep your law.” Psalm 119:55
“At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.” Psalm 119:62
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:147
“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” Psalm 119:148
In the rest of the Psalms we read of him getting up often at night. Here are two more examples.
“The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Psalm 110:2-3 KJV
“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Psalm 16:7
As I have understood the power and privilege of praising God in the night, its become the best part of my day. The blessing of the ‘7th time.’ Getting up in the womb of the morning to think of and speak the word of God over my day and that of my friends is a great privilege and there are also blessings to be had from it.
“And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10
When I first started doing this I found it hard to get up and needed an alarm clock to wake me and then found it difficult to get back to sleep again. As time went by I woke up randomly without an alarm and have had no trouble getting back to sleep again since. I do have a great vision now that has helped me to get up at night, and that is to see Revival in my life time. I have also learnt that there is something even more precious to the Lord and even more powerful and that is to want to be in His presence. As the Bride gets herself ready in these Last Days, her greatest desire should be for her beloved, and everything else is just a by product.
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4
There is an anointing to be gained in the night that will invigorate you. I call it the Dew of the Night which I will speak about next week. If you feel that this is the way the Lord is directing you to go, then don’t expect it to be easy as the Devil apposes this radical form of prayer. Once your mind is renewed and you see its value you can speak over your days with more authority. Prophesying health, healing, prosperity and victory. Get ready to experience a whole new level of relationship with God.
Here are a few tips to help you get up in the night;
Go to bed earlier.
Don’t try and do it for too long at first. It’s like fasting, you don’t try a 3 day fast if you have never done a 1 day one before.
Put the clothes you want to wear right next to your bed. Track pants, slippers, jacket or blanket etc. It’s important to have them right next to you when it gets cold.
I have a touch lamp next to my bed so that its not hard to turn the light on. I also have an illuminated clock that lights up at night and serves as a night light. I also have a cap with a light attached so that I don’t have to turn lights on and wake others up. You can get the attachment at a $2 shop or can be bought online.
I walk around praying at first to wake myself up and then sit down. I find the best way to enter His presence is to be thankful. Look around at all the things you can be thankful for. You enter His Gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4
You can have communion if you want as part of your thanksgiving. It helps to get you focused on heavenly things.
I have a book of daily verses which I read each night and I use some of them to speak out and prophesy over my situation and day.
Have a ‘Praise Break’ now and then by jumping up and down and having a rave for Jesus. (Keep away from low hanging lights or china cabinets) It’s distracting when you have to clean up broken glass.
Happy Hallelujahs!!