At Ease in Zion, No More
“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord ? It is darkness, and not light…” Amos 5:18
Author: Spencer Lloyd
Some months ago as I was reading through Amos, this verse jumped out at me. I was pondering why desiring the day of the Lord would elicit a ‘woe’ from the prophet Amos. Isn’t calling for the day of the Lord a good thing? As I continued reading I found a portion of the answer in verse 24. The prophet is speaking the words of the Lord when he says, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
If the day of the Lord came before the appointed time, the church would experience the justice of God without the fullness of the prayers of His saints being manifest. If the prophet Amos, is rebuking people for attempting to call forth the day of the Lord, that seems to suggest that it could be done. Amos is stepping in, as prophets often do, and expressing the heart of the Father—do not call for my day of reckoning because you are not yet ready for that encounter.
In John’s Revelation of the Christ, we are presented with this beautiful picture of the prayers of the Saints filling bowls around the throne of God (Rev. 5:8). Later in the book, John’s encounter indicates that the prayers must be poured out before the seven seals are opened.
Consider the following progression. The day of the Lord is the opening of the seven seals. The prayers of the Saints must be poured out before the seals are opened. A prayer-less church calling for the day of the Lord deserves to be rebuked by God’s prophets. It is not God’s will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). There WILL be a day when that happens. The book of Revelation makes it clear that the final act of the church, the Bride, is to stand with the Spirit and say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come” (Rev. 22:17). I believe that will be the prayer that causes the overflow of the bowls before the Throne and sets into motion the events of the day of the Lord.
Before we get there, the world must experience a praying church. We must be a praying church. If you look around and are displeased with what you see; pray. If the events of the global political arena cause you anxiety; pray. If you have ever believed for a moment that the world is “going to Hell in a hand basket;” stop what you are doing, repent and pray.
Some months ago as I was reading through Amos, this verse jumped out at me. I was pondering why desiring the day of the Lord would elicit a ‘woe’ from the prophet Amos. Isn’t calling for the day of the Lord a good thing? As I continued reading I found a portion of the answer in verse 24. The prophet is speaking the words of the Lord when he says, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
If the day of the Lord came before the appointed time, the church would experience the justice of God without the fullness of the prayers of His saints being manifest. If the prophet Amos, is rebuking people for attempting to call forth the day of the Lord, that seems to suggest that it could be done. Amos is stepping in, as prophets often do, and expressing the heart of the Father—do not call for my day of reckoning because you are not yet ready for that encounter.
In John’s Revelation of the Christ, we are presented with this beautiful picture of the prayers of the Saints filling bowls around the throne of God (Rev. 5:8). Later in the book, John’s encounter indicates that the prayers must be poured out before the seven seals are opened.
Consider the following progression. The day of the Lord is the opening of the seven seals. The prayers of the Saints must be poured out before the seals are opened. A prayer-less church calling for the day of the Lord deserves to be rebuked by God’s prophets. It is not God’s will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). There WILL be a day when that happens. The book of Revelation makes it clear that the final act of the church, the Bride, is to stand with the Spirit and say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come” (Rev. 22:17). I believe that will be the prayer that causes the overflow of the bowls before the Throne and sets into motion the events of the day of the Lord.
Before we get there, the world must experience a praying church. We must be a praying church. If you look around and are displeased with what you see; pray. If the events of the global political arena cause you anxiety; pray. If you have ever believed for a moment that the world is “going to Hell in a hand basket;” stop what you are doing, repent and pray.
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!” Amos 6:1
Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” The success of the church today will not be determined by outreaches, by performances, or by preaching. In fact these things have made us feel comfortable, but God never called us to be comfortable. He called us to follow Jesus, no matter the cost. These things have been the very things that have made us at ease in Zion.
The success of God’s true church, the Bride of Christ, will be determined by the prayer life of the church. Let us be quick to examine our hearts and be honest with ourselves, before the Lord, and respond accordingly if our individual and corporate prayer lives have not been what they should be. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to a place of authentic repentance where the work of the cross can be complete and we can properly align ourselves with the purposing of God over us—praying for His Kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
The success of God’s true church, the Bride of Christ, will be determined by the prayer life of the church. Let us be quick to examine our hearts and be honest with ourselves, before the Lord, and respond accordingly if our individual and corporate prayer lives have not been what they should be. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to a place of authentic repentance where the work of the cross can be complete and we can properly align ourselves with the purposing of God over us—praying for His Kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
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1 Comment
Very excellent teaching, I endeavor to pray daily and also we have a Pastor who encourages us to pray weekly on Saturday night. Prayer must be a way of life, a good habit to establish. Blessings.