Update 7/24/23: Preservice group prayer never was fully reinstated at Abbott Loop, now called “Unite Church.” Josh’s tightly structured version didn’t last long, probably only months, and he stopped attending. Since then, there has either been just a handful praying, or no group prayer at all. There used to be hundreds!
UPDATE 2/24/09: When I wrote this, a number of months ago, I didn’t realize that Josh’s concept of prayer seems to be quite different from the let-it-rip style of before. It would be nice to have a combination of both relational and let-it-rip. And the more the better.
Freeeeeeeeeee——-dom!
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Dear holiness, revival hungry friends,
Josh Tanner, new head pastor of Abbott Loop Community Church in Anchorage, announced last week that pre-service prayer will be reinstated in the gym, 9:45 am. Service starts at 10:30.
I call this a milestone because I think this is one of the milestones that helped ALCC get freed up, able to in many ways overcome years ago, and now will again. And it’s great to see Josh have the vision for the need for corporate prayer! For my guess is that for many people, this is the only time they will pray in tongues. And since I have yet to knowingly meet someone who forgives everyone, everywhere from their entire heart 100% of the time, most people need to pray in tongues to get free from the tormentors (Mt. 18).
This is huge! Way more important than most Christians realize, partly because of the false doctrine taught that demons can’t influence Christians directly, which is one of the greatest deceptions Satan has largely pulled off. Most people have demons influencing their thoughts and emotions and affecting their bodies. This can be proven clinically and Biblically. Praying in tongues is one of the greatest ways to get free and to free others. From my “Let Us Be ONE” prophecy: A Gift that Will Set Many Free! Satan hates tongues, and will do everything he can to keep people from praying in this crucial way. Thankfully, things are changing at “the Loop” — “a place of peace again.”
For those of you who are skeptical of the importance in praying in tongues and attended ALCC’s Bible school, please consider this. Remember when Frank used to “blow out the carbon” before classes and Prayer and Praise. What do you think we were blowing out?
Also, some people get cursed more than others. Prophetic people (like Frank was. Thank you, Lord for Frank!!!) will be among those getting hit worst, which is why he so often recognized the need. Selah.
Josh also said they’re hoping to soon build a prayer room that can be used during the hours that the building is open. Francis Frangipane’s church building has a prayer room that is accessible 24/7 for those who can be trusted with the combination code:
We also have a prayer room which is accessible 24 hours a day. Simply stop by our office to request a copy of the lock combination for the prayer room door.
A friend of mine and I utilized this incredible after-hours opportunity awhile back. The entrance is between the building’s two sets of entrance doors. The outermost is left unlocked.
And I’d like to put in a plug for something I’ve been greatly longing for: a worship room—a place where people can come and hang out where freedom reigns through worship!
Worship is another way to be free, a way to excise demons. And it’s a significant, direct way of doing the Greatest Commandment, to love the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And when people worship God together in Spirit and in Truth [unhypocritically, having clean hands (right with all) and a clean heart. We can’t worship in Spirit if we aren’t worshiping in truth], God is greatly honored and His manifest presence will be there. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts…” (James 4:8). See what happened during the Asbury Revival: VIDEO: The Asbury Revival
International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City has a dedicated, 24/7 prayer room in which people can come anytime to participate, or just hang. There are even tables where people can study with their laptops. I like this model very much, but I think it can only be successful in God’s sight if worship in Spirit and in Truth is achieved through holiness—being right with God and right with each other—so we are worshiping in truth. Until holiness is more consistently realized among believers in general, it’s crucial that those leading worship need to be going-to-heaven, right-with-God-and-all-people children of God [see: Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way]. Or the anointing won’t come, and it will mostly be in vain. Somebody has to lead the people out of the yuck and into God’s great light. Musical talent, alone, cannot do this. The musicians must be right with God to be able to lead. It’s better to have one person who is holy lead than many who aren’t. It’s even better to have an anointed CD playing than an unanointed worship leader leading, which would be totally cool, but the CDs would have to carefully be chosen by those who are sensitive to what is truly worshipful. Many are deceived by demon-anointed ‘worship,’ today. Which I think is similar to what Rick Joyner’s “The Final Quest” vision illustrates: demons riding on ‘Christians,’ who think this is the anointing of God. [Warning: grossness factor ahead. But it really is this gross in today’s average ‘Christian.’ It’s time to wake up!]
The most shocking part of this vision was that this horde was not riding on horses, but on Christians! Most of them were well-dressed, respectable, and had the appearance of being refined and educated. These were Christians who had opened themselves to the powers of darkness to such a degree that the enemy could use them and they would think that they were being used by God. …
Even worse than the vomit from the vultures was a repulsive slime that these demons were urinating and defecating upon the Christians they rode. This slime was the pride, selfish ambition, etc., that was the nature of the division they were a part of. However, this slime made the Christians feel so much better than the condemnation that they easily believed that the demons were messengers of God, and they actually thought this slime was the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
But here is the great part, when ONE happens, Jesus’ heart-cry for us in John 17:
When we reached the level called “The Unity of the Brethren,” none of the enemy’s arrows could reach us.
And:
When we reached the level called “Galatians Two Twenty,” we were above the altitude that the vultures could fly. At this level the sky above almost blinded us with its brightness and beauty. I felt peace like I had never felt it before. …
The “Galatians Two Twenty” level was so wide that there was no longer any danger of falling. … Faith, Hope and Love…were now so large that I knew people far beyond the battle area could see them. Their glory even radiated into the camp of prisoners who were still under a great cloud of vultures. The exhilaration continued to grow in all of us. I felt that being in this army, in this battle, had to be one of the greatest adventures of all time.
People who are right with God and who have a keen gift of discernment of spirits should oversee this venture—just like William Seymour carefully oversaw the goings on during the Azusa Street revival. Most who are gifted pastorally do not have a keen discernment gift that can smell the rat, and few pastors really appreciate and utilize those who are so gifted—those who can watch their backside and help keep the church clean so God can inhabit His people again. One former pastor even told me once that I was ‘weird.’
Incidentally, I had a dream, once, in which the people all spontaneously worshiped God without having to be led from the platform to enter in. I believe this day is coming, but isn’t here yet. Until it does, we need worship leaders who are right with God, first, and all people, so they can lead the people into worship.
Practically speaking, the prayer room concept could start by just having one worship-only service per week. Again, those on the platform must be holy (living in Gal. 5:22-24, really), or it won’t get off the ground. And it could probably be done in the auditorium if it got too big to fit in the chapel.
This is also a great time for people to hear from God. During Prayer and Praise in Bible school, I would often speak what God was telling me quietly into a micro-cassette recorder. I found I could more easily hear from God then. I suggested to two pastors about 20 years ago that a worship-only service could be done, which could incorporate a quiet time in which people could be encouraged to record or write down (or in this day and age, laptop users could type out) what God would speak to them. I knew this would work for many because it worked for me. So few ‘Christians’ hear from God regularly, or at all (because of demonic interference, I believe); though, this should be basic, fundamental, Christianity 101, because “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
By the way, the two pastors I suggested this to did start worship-only services, but instead of encouraging the people to hear from God during a quiet time, the one had people come up and prophecy, and the other prophesied to the people himself. Both of these things are okay, but I was greatly disappointed that the people, themselves weren’t encouraged to learn to hear from God. One pastor called it a Celebration Service, but there wasn’t yet time to celebrate. Oneness with God and each other wasn’t yet close to being realized, and that church no longer exists. James 4 has to happen before we can in Spirit and in truth celebrate.
We can get it right this time, encouraging the people to directly connect in this glorious, pure-pipeline way. It’s easy to hear from God when the competition is gone, the demonic impostors that almost all ‘Christians’ currently have.
Guess where I think revival will start in America, y’all? But we must be right with everybody — forgiving everyone from the heart.
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“May this never again be found in our midst”:
This is Satan’s ultimate deception, and his ultimate power of destruction is released when he uses Christians to attack other Christians [James-3 cursing?]. Throughout the ages he has used this army, but never has he been able to capture so many to be used for his evil purposes. [also from Joyner’s vision]
Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee————-dom!!!!!!!!!!! Power to the people and glory to God as we get freed up, together — lifting up truly HOLY hands in thanksgiving!!! God bless America as we worship in Spirit and in Truth — finally! Glory!!!
Jeff Fenske : )
By the way, if you’d like to leave a comment, it’s okay to be anonymous, and registration is not required. Please be kind. “People aren’t the enemy.” ONE can happen in our midst!
Related:
WordPOWER: The Remedy for James-3 Cursing & Partysville in Today’s Church is James 4
Another Reason To Be Holy: Purity Attracts Angels (Filth Repells) | The Coming Healing Revival