" 3:00 PM is the 9th hour of daylight. At this memorial hour of prayer Jesus died and gave up the Ghost. "
Why Should We Schedule Our Prayer Times
God commanded set festivals to be celebrated yearly for all Jews. These festivals were to be observed for ever, see example in Exodus 12:14. These set festivals are a time when God Himself is expecting the observance and He makes Himself available even to the unbeliever. Likewise there are daily set times of prayer when God is waiting for fellowship with Him and expecting the recognition as Our Divine Helper by our scheduling these set times each day.
Adam and Eve had a set time to pray recorded in Genesis 3:8. 'Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening or the cool of the day. The man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.' The cool of the day was the time of day when there was an evening breeze. Song of Solomon 2:17 "Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether." When is the cool of the day? The original Hebrew text uses the word 'ruach' that is translated to the English phrase 'cool of the day.' The Hebrew word 'ruach' in this text means wind or breeze. It is the late evening hours, the time of the cool evening breeze or the ruach wind that comes during the cooler part of the day. 'When the cool evening breezes were blowing (3-6PM), the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. In the cooler part of each day usually the time of the evening breeze God scheduled fellowship with Adam and Eve and both God and the First Family looked forward to the daily fellowship. This format of intimacy was God's primary will for mankind then in the Garden of Eden and also today through Jesus Christ. After the fall of man things changed and man was afraid to meet with God daily. Man stopped fellowship with God and only after the second generation past Adam did man begin to call out to God again from a distance not through the original intimacy.
See Genesis 4:25-26 King James Version (KJV)
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.
God needs intimacy and fellowship, that is why we were created, thus let prayer be the first disciplined step towards original intimacy! The next point is in order to fully understand set times for daily prayer we should understand what a Jewish day is as compared with a Roman day. The Roman Day starts at 12 midnight as compared with the Jewish 24 hour day that starts at Sunset.
The Jewish Day and Night Established in Genesis
The Jewish 24 hour day begins with night first followed by day light time. Sunset to sunset. The Jewish 24 hour day is divided into 12 night time hours from sunset to sunrise and 12 daytime hours from sunrise to sunset. The set hours of prayer are mainly within the daylight hours except for those who are called to an intimate ministry with God who include the midnight watch. Midnight praying is also imperative during critical situations or when in satanic captivity by satanic strongholds and satanic systems.
Gen 1:1,2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15-16 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
According to Genesis there are 12 hours of night time hours and 12 hours of day time hours. The statements "darkness was over the surface of the deep,..And the evening and the morning were the first day," are significant because they explain what time of day creation actually began. The statements also help us understand why the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown. Creation and more specifically the first day of creation began in darkness and thus the day originally began with evening followed by day time hours. This paradigm of evening starting a new day consistent with the creation sequence was common until Julius Ceasar proposed a change to the calendar in 45 A.D. known as the Julian calendar which was updated to the Gregorian calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Jews recognized the creation 'evening followed by day' sequence during the time of Christ and beyond and Orthodox Judaism especially still follows the creation sequence of evening followed by day.
Here are The Daily Hours of Prayer
6:00 AM: 1st hour of daylight
9:00 AM is the 3rd hour of daylight - Shacharit - morning prayer - Jesus was nailed to the cross during this memorial hour of prayer. Mark 15:25 says 'It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.' Also Pentecost occurred during The 3rd hour of prayer. In Acts 2:15 it says 'These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!' The Hebrew word for this hour of prayer is "Shacharit"(morning). According to Jewish time this is the 3rd hour (the third hour from sunrise); Abraham instituted morning prayer. Shacharit is the most important and longest in duration of all 3 required Jewish daily prayer times because we receive daily from God, put on and dress our souls with His thoughts, His person and nature which influence our speech and actions for that day. Judaism calls this putting on the "garments" of the soul that Adam lost when he sinned and became naked. The talith katan and talith gadol, small talith and large talith respectively, are both put on especially during morning prayers to indicate the importance of dressing our inner man with God Himself first thing each morning. In Judaism human thoughts, speech and deeds are considered garments of the soul, thus we want to be dressed in God's garments and with God Himself experiencially every day.
The Apostle Paul who was familiar with Shacharit morning prayers and as a Jewish concept whereby we 'put on and dress our souls' describes this concept in Colossians 3, Ephesians 4, Galatians 3, and Romans 13 as putting on and dressing ourselves with humility, meekness, kindness, and most importantly putting on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
12:00 Noon is the 6th hour of daylight - known as Minchah in Judasim- noon prayer - At the 6th hour, darkness covered the earth while Christ was on the cross - Mark 15:33-34 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.' Peter received his vision from God to go to Cornelius during the 6th hour of prayer.
3:00 PM is the 9th hour of daylight. At this memorial hour of prayer Jesus died and gave up the Ghost.
Luke 23:44-46 'It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When he had said this, he breathed his last. During the 3 PM-nineth hour of prayer, Peter and John healed the lamed man and Cornelius received a visitation from an angel of the Lord to send for Peter.
6:00 PM: 12th hour of daylight - known as Ma'ariv in Judaism - where prayers are made at sundown.
9:00 PM: 3rd hour of night - Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane 9PM-Midnight.
12:00 midnight: 6th hour of night - midnight watch - It is important to add this set time of prayer during life and death situations. Paul and Silas added the midnight watch set time of prayer during a stressful time. In Acts 16:25-27 it says 'About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.' THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME TO ADD TO YOUR PRAYER LIFE WHEN DELIVERANCE IS CRITICAL.
King David often prayed these 7 times per day ESPECIALLY DURING CRITICAL TIMES he would pray more than the 3 times per day required by Judaism. Psalm 119:164 records 'Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.' King David often prayed at 6A, 9A, 12Noon, 3P, 6P, 9P and 12 midnight at certain periods of his life.
3:00 AM: 9th hour of night
6:00 AM: 12th hour of night - beginning of daylight hours
New Testament Documentation of The Set Times of Prayer
Although the set times of prayer were instituted in the Old Testament the New Testament shows a functional application of the set times of prayer and the daily use of set prayer as an apostolic practice and as the prayer model for the early Church. These set times of prayer practiced by the New Testament Church can easily be missed if not intentionally pointed out to the reader.
The Apostles Used the Set Times of Prayer
Acts 2:41-42;American Standard Version (ASV) ""They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers." - 'and the prayers' refers to the set prayer times of Judaism that were instituted by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was common that all new converts made a commitment to do four things when they became Christians.
The first was to assimilate the teachings or doctrines, making the doctrines and teachings of the Bible their own and allowing the doctrines of the Bible to form their philosophy and way of life.
The second was to fellowship or to share in all things in common, such as food, general necessities, loyalty, protection of each other, love and care for each other and sharing common enemies.
The third was breaking of bread which firstly meant a love of sharing meals together each day as well as joining in Holy Communion.
The fourth was embracing the accepted prayer times of the Church. A participation in these four categories allowed New Testament Christians especially the local Church in Jerusalem to experience a strong bond of unity, one heart and one mind.
The Talmud , tractate ta'anit 2a , records prayer is a biblical commandment because it is 'an act of the heart' known as Avodah sheba-Lev in Hebrew. Deuteronomy 11:13 says 'You shall serve God with your whole heart.' Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men pray 3 times per day, 4 times per day on Shabbat and Holidays and 5 times per day on Yom Kippur. Each prayer time is set parallel to the ancient morning, afternoon and night oblations or temple offerings. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews do not adhere to set prayer times because these sects of Judaism do not consider Halakah or Jewish Law as binding.
New Testament Memorials that Occurred During Set Times of Prayer
It was the third hour 9AM on the memorial day of Pentecost, when the one hundred and twenty disciples were in the upper room praying for the promise of the Father when cloven tongues of fire sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts 2:3, 15. Not only was it the day prophecy was fulfilled but also the set hour designated for fulfillment of prophecy.
The New Testament Church customarily went to the temple at the set hours of prayer. Evidence of this is revealed in the account of a miraculous event which occurred at a particular time when two of the disciples of Jesus were entering the temple shortly after the day of Pentecost. Acts 3:6-7 "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the HOUR OF PRAYER, being the ninth hour 3PM" (Acts 3:1). On this occasion a lame man was gloriously healed when the apostle Peter took him by the hand and said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk...and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength." Peter and John entered the temple because it was the set time of prayer. It wasn't a random act but during a set time of prayer.
The story of the Apostle Peter and Cornelius of Caesarea (Acts 10:1-8) In effect, it is a reenactment of the Day of Pentecost. The only major difference is that it was happening to a body of Gentiles on this occasion rather than to a body of Jews in the Upper Room. God began to set the stage for a dispensational change. The thrust of the Gospel from this point on, would be focused on the Gentile nations or Goyim in Hebrew. The unique circumstances of this story were divinely orchestrated. Cornelius was a gentile who adopted the Jewish prayer model. Consider if it weren't for Judaism there would be no Christianity. To conclude the Church has replaced the natural nation of Israel is a premature conclusion called "replacement theology." The Church and the natural nation of Israel operate side by side never one replacing the other or becoming obsolete. Remember Galatians 3:13 "the blessing of Abraham came on the gentiles through Jesus Christ."
The Christian Old Testament is translated verbatim from the Tanak or the Jewish Bible in a different sequence but the books are the same. The Christian New Testament quotes much of the Old Testament and draws historic and cultural contexts all sourced in the Tanak.
Cornelius, though a soldier in the Roman army, was a devout man who "prayed to God alway" and was very liberal in his alms giving. He was in prayer about the ninth hour 3PM when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to "send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter".
Acts 10:9 'The next day as Cornelius' servants came to Joppa, Peter was also having a spiritual experience. "Peter went up upon the house top to pray about the sixth hour-12Noon" Suddenly he fell into a trance and saw a vision of a great sheet let down from heaven full of all kinds of unclean beasts.
God proceeded to instruct Peter to accept these Gentiles because they had now been cleansed. It was simply an object lesson to prepare Peter for ministry to a people who were Gentiles whom he considered unacceptable for the kingdom of God. His obedience to God resulted in a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the house of Cornelius and consequently the Gentile nations. It is obvious that observing the memorial hours of prayer was a vital part of the spiritual value system of both Peter and Cornelius.
How Often Did The Old Testament Patriarchs, Prophets, Judges and Kings Pray?
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Abraham established morning prayers or the 9 AM set time of prayer called the 3rd hour after sunlight. As it says in Gen19:27 'And Abraham arose in the morning to the place where he stood,' and standing refers only to the act of prayer. Abraham established the practice of Shacharit, the Morning Prayer time where he stood before God.
Isaac instituted the afternoon 12 noon set time of prayer called the 6th hour after sunlight. Isaac established the Afternoon Prayer (called "Mincha"), as it is written, "Isaac went out to meditate ... Genesis 24:63 'He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.'
Jacob instituted the late evening set time of prayer called 'Ma'ariv' the 9th hour of prayer after sunlight. (Gen. 28:11) 'When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.'
Samuel's parents recorded in 1 Samuel 1:19 prayed early morning. 'Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.'
Hezekiah prayed early morning as recorded in 2 Chronicles 29:20. 'Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord.'
David prayed a minimum of three times a day; Psalm 55:17 says 'evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.'
David also prayed 7 times per day as he hungered for God. Psalm 119:164 records 'I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. ... Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.' David also prayed at midnight as recorded in Psalm 119:62 'At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.'
In Psalm 130:6 King David writes "I wait for the Lord to help me more than night watchmen wait for the dawn, more than night watchmen wait for the dawn." King David waited much longer, more fervently and more expectantly than all others in his kingdom such as worshipers waiting for the first morning sacrifice the first sacrifice of the day, sentinels posted to guard the city who were wet, cold and tired, Levites and porters who guarded the temple sacrifice and women who watch the severely sick throughout the night. King David had a love for God that would keep him awake longing for God all night. This is a true midnight watch that stems not out of duty but from an immense love for God.
David also prayed early morning as recorded in Psalm 119:147 which says 'I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.' David was praying very early in the morning before many believers are up. He prevented the dawning of the morning because he was up crying aloud to the Lord in prayer.
Daniel prayed 3 times per day as seen in Daniel 6:10 'Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.' Daniel did not pray three times a day just because he felt strangely "inspired" to do it. He prayed three times a day because it was part of Halakah or Jewish Law. It was the prayer model for Judaism.
Job prayed early in the morning. Job 1:5 'When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, 'Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.' This was Job's regular custom.
Adam and Eve had a set time to pray: Genesis 3:8 'When the cool evening breezes were blowing (3-6PM), the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.'
Jesus' Prayer Times
Jesus had early devotions too and used the set times of prayer. During many times in His life, Jesus withdrew from His disciples and the crowds to be alone to pray. He often went up on a mountainside or went to a solitary place to pray. Sometimes He even went to pray very early in the morning, while it was still dark.
Mark 1:35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. King James Bible ...Luke 5:16 'But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.' Mark 6:46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus prayed late evening as well. Matthew 14:23 'After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,'
But at times, being in quiet and solitary places alone is not enough. We need to spend more time with God in prayer. This is evident from the way Jesus went about His task of choosing the twelve apostles. Jesus spent a whole night on a mountainside in prayer before He chose the twelve apostles (Ref. Luke 6:12). ALL NIGHT PRAYER
Jesus prayed in THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE from 9P to Midnight. Jesus prayed and transfigured at night during one of the late set times of prayer indicated in Luke 9:32 and 37 which says "Peter and the others were very sleepy, but when they awoke fully, they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men standing with him." "The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus." The indicators that the transfiguration happened at night during late night prayer times were the disciples were sleepy, Jesus' garments stood out against the dark back drop and Jesus and the disciples left the mountain early the next day.
Noteworthy is the concept of praying without ceasing recorded in Thessalonians 5:7 - an instruction to keep the set times of prayer and to not give up our prayer system or rhythm of prayer. As a Jew, Jesus used the three set times of prayer instituted by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Like King David, Jesus also prayed seven times per day as needed and maintained a prayer rhythm.
Designated Prayer Times for Mainline Denominations
Mainline denominations carried over and practice the prayer rhythms of the set times of prayer started by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, practiced by the early New Testament Church.
Anglican Church Prayer Offices : Daily morning, noon, evening and bedtime prayer taken from the historical Jewish model that prayer was to be a command and a daily rhythm. Priests pray all offices while lay members choose one or the other.
Catholic Church Prayer Divines: Daily Divines of morning, evening and night. Priests are required to pray all 3 hours and monks up to 7 times per day.
Devout Muslims pray five times a day although the Koran only requires prayer 3 times a day. The first prayer of the day is performed just before sunrise in the morning, the second prayer of the day immediately after noon, the third in the late afternoon, the fourth immediately after sunset and the fifth before retiring to bed. In strict doctrine, the five daily prayers cannot be waived even for the sick. These prayers are implemented no matter what the situation or circumstance. Muslims are required to pray whether they are at work, in flight, in transit by train, in an office building, in the supermarket or in public on the street.
Non Mainline Churches in general are random with regards to prayer, only when there is an unction to pray. Jesus made an observation and said " . .for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke 16:8). God has a set prayer schedule just as He has set yearly festivals. Many in Christianity are not aware of these biblical set Hours of Daily Prayer. However the "High Church" and Mainline Churches actually utilize the Jewish prayer model religiously and the Christian community can learn about the prayer system from Mainline Churches. The set times of prayer are not practiced nor is a systemic function of non Mainline Churches.
A Superimposed Time of Prayer, when the yearly set times for feasts are superimposed by a daily set time of prayer. A case in point is the story of Peter in prison and the prayer that was made on his behalf. The back drop was during Passover a time of dramatic supernatural deliverance and the set time of prayer was one of the daily set times of prayer where disciples met at John Mark's house for prayer. These times of prayer that combine set festivals with set prayer times are invincible.
Acts 12: 1-19 Peter's Miraculous Escape From Prison
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, 'Put on your clothes and sandals.' And Peter did so. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me, the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, 'Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.' 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, 'Peter is at the door!'
15 You're out of your mind, they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, It must be his angel. 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this, he said, and then he left for another place. 18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
The power of Pesach or Passover was intensified by the power generated by a set time of prayer.
So Why Schedule Our Prayer Times
Think of someone who you are deeply in love with that you cannot stop thinking about because of the fond stimulating feelings you have for them such as a spouse, fiancé or someone who is being considered for any of these significant positions in your life. Consequently there are frequent calls just to say hello but what really makes your day in addition to the fond thoughts and fellowship by phone throughout the day is scheduling a time to meet with that special person and looking forward to seeing them at the scheduled time. The anticipation keeps your soul charged throughout the day. Further more the climactic feeling of being with them after work and then having to say "I hate to leave." If you are married you will say "thank God I don't have to leave you any longer." This is the attitude and concept of scheduled prayer. Prayer that is scheduled because of intense relationship.
In the original Garden of Eden God had a scheduled time each day to visit Adam and Eve during the evening hours when a cool breeze would add a wonderful temperature and feel to the garden along with His Spirit. This scheduled meeting was in addition to the constant fellowship Adam and Eve had with Him throughout the entire 24 hour period very similar to the natural love relationship described above.
As Christians we cherish the uninterrupted fellowship we maintain with Christ throughout the day and night but how wonderful it is to actually schedule power encounters with Jesus Christ, The Father and The Holy Spirit which adds weight, affirmation, stimulation, intensity to the on-going experience with God. The set times of prayer are designed to strengthen our fellowship more and more with each meeting not discounting the importance of on-going fellowship throughout the day and certainly not rejecting grace as the theme of the New Testament and of our New Covenant with God. So lets learn all we can about the opportunities available to have power meetings with God during these set times of prayer. This was Jesus' model. He was always in fellowship with God the Father but enhanced the relationship with a prayer rhythm of scheduled power encounters. The more we are in need of His ministry the more power meetings we choose to attend as they await all of us throughout the entire day and night. King David learned this secret as he became a man after God's own heart.
There are other very important opportunities already in place within the Church that are designed for power meetings with God such as your Church Services that are designed to be a holy time with God in a prepared and set designated place, where Christ is present among His people to save in all aspects and to make His presence known. Holy Communion, Water Baptism as we deepen our commitment to God and receive His acceptance into the body of Christ, Sincere Confession of your sins to a mature Christian who can facilitate God's forgiveness or confessing to someone when you have wronged them, receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help you mature as a Christian, receiving the ministry of healing for your body, soul, spirit, finances and life, the mystery of Marriage where God grants us a new start in life and becoming one. Finally Ordination if you choose to do so. Ordination is receiving divine ability to administer the mysteries of Christ to the people. In all these opportunities God is personally present and His presence can be felt tangibly to do supernatural work for us.
In summary, the set times of prayer are power times throughout the day to keep our spirits "charged like a battery" and to strengthen and to make powerful our walk with God. This is the message of Jude 1:20 'But you, my loved ones, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, and making prayers in the Holy Spirit,' The term 'building up yourselves' can be compared with charging your human spirit as one would charge a battery.
The daily prayer times is a set program to help us commune with God daily, minute by minute and to build our daily lives around our fellowship with God. The set times of prayer help us to set our priorities making God and fellowship with Him the most important priority of all. The set times of prayer is a program to aid the believer to live spiritually vibrant rather than mere existence. The set times of prayer helps us to seek God daily rather than only during the set festivals that occur once each year. Use each set prayer time to continually apply an added charge to your human spirit keeping your spirit charged and healthy. Don't stop what you are already doing such as praying by unction as the Holy Spirit moves you to pray, but now add the set times of prayer to your prayer life and you will see your prayer life fully enhanced.
The basic set times for prayer are as follows:
9:00 AM called the 3rd hour
12:00 Noon called the 6th hour
3:00 PM called the 9th hour
The extended set times for prayer that will accommodate critical situations and recommended for Leaders at all levels are as follows:
6:00 AM called the 1st hour
9:00 AM called the 3rd hour
12:00 Noon called the 6th hour
3:00 PM called the 9th hour
6:00 PM called evening prayer
9:00 PM called night prayer
12:00 Midnight-called midnight hour
Prayer Time for Chronic Urgent Situations & Stronghold Removal
12:00 Midnight - 3AM - 6AM
Chinese Version
“下午 3:00 是白天的第九個小時。在這個紀念性的祈禱時刻，耶穌死了，並放棄了靈魂。” 為什麼我們應該安排祈禱時間 上帝命令所有猶太人每年慶祝特定的節日。這些節日是要永遠遵守的，參考出埃及記 12:14 的例子。這些設定的節日是神親自期待遵守的時刻，甚至他也向不信的人敞開了自己的大門。同樣，每天都有固定的祈禱時間，神正在等待與祂相交，並期待透過我們每天安排這些固定的時間來承認祂是我們神聖的幫助者。 創世記 3 章 8 節記載了亞當和夏娃有固定的禱告時間。 '然後他們聽到主上帝在傍晚或涼爽的天氣裡在花園裡行走的聲音。那人和他的妻子躲在花園的樹林裡躲避主上帝。一天中的涼爽是指晚風徐徐的時候。雅歌 2:17 “直到天涼，影子散去的時候，我親愛的，你要轉身，像羚羊，像伯特山上的小鹿。”天什麼時候涼？希伯來文原文使用「ruach」一詞，翻譯為英文片語「cool of the day」。希伯來文單字“ruach”在本文中的意思是風或微風。這是傍晚時分，涼爽的晚風或白天涼爽的時候吹來的魯阿克風的時間。當涼爽的晚風吹過時（下午三點至六點），男人和他的妻子聽到主神在花園裡走來走去。於是他們就躲在樹林裡躲避耶和華上帝。在每天涼爽的時候，通常是晚風的時間，神安排了與亞當和夏娃的團契，神和第一家庭都期待著每天的團契。這種親密的形式是上帝在伊甸園和今天透過耶穌基督對人類的主要旨意。人墮落後，事情發生了變化，人每天都害怕與神見面。人與神不再有交通，直到亞當第二代以後，人才開始不再像原來那樣親密地遠距離呼求神。 參考創世記 4:25-26 King James 版本 (KJV) 25 亞當又認識了他的妻子；她生了一個兒子，給他起名叫塞特：她說，因為上帝為我指定了另一個後裔，代替該隱所殺的亞伯。 26 塞特也生了一個兒子。他給他起名叫以挪士。 神需要親密和團契，這就是我們被創造的原因，因此讓禱告成為邁向原始親密關係的第一步！下一點是，為了充分理解每日祈禱的規定時間，我們應該了解猶太日與羅馬日的比較。羅馬日從午夜 12 點開始，而猶太日則從日落時分開始 24 小時。 創世記中所確立的猶太晝夜 猶太人的一天是 24 小時，首先是夜晚，然後是白天。日落到日落。猶太人的一天24小時分為從日落到日出的12個夜間時間和從日出到日落的12個白天時間。規定的禱告時間主要是在白天，除了那些被呼召與神進行親密事奉的人，包括午夜更班的人。在危急情況下或被撒旦據點和撒旦系統囚禁時，午夜祈禱也是必要的。 創 1:1,2 起初神創造天地。 Gen 1:3 神說，要有光，就有了光。 Gen 1:5 神稱光為晝，稱暗為夜。有晚上，有早晨，是第一日。 Gen 1:14 神說，天上要有光體，可以分晝夜。並讓它們作為記號、季節、日子和年份： 創 1:15-16 並且要發光在天上、普照在地上、事就這樣成了。 16 神造了兩大光；較大的光統治白天，較小的光統治夜晚：他還創造了星星。 根據創世記，有 12 小時的夜間時間和 12 小時的白天時間。 「黑暗籠罩在深淵的表面，…晚上和早晨是第一天」這句話很重要，因為它們解釋了一天中的創造實際上是從什麼時間開始的。這些陳述也幫助我們理解為什麼猶太人的安息日從日落開始。創造，更具體地說，創造的第一天是在黑暗中開始的，因此一天最初是從晚上開始的，然後是白天的時間。這種按照創世順序從晚上開始新的一天的範例很常見，直到公元45 年朱利葉斯·凱撒(Julius Ceasar) 提議對日曆進行更改，稱為儒略曆(Julian calendar)，並於1582 年更新為格里高利歷(Gregorian calendar)
基督時代及以後，猶太人認識到「晚上之後是白天」的創造順序，而正統猶太教尤其仍然遵循晚上之後是白天的創造順序。 這是每日禱告的時間 早上 6:00：日照第一個小時 上午 9:00 是白天的第三個小時 - Shacharit - 晨禱 - 耶穌在這個紀念祈禱時刻被釘在十字架上。馬可福音 15:25 說：“他們把他釘在十字架上的時候是早上九點。”五旬節也發生在祈禱的第三個小時。使徒行傳 2 章 15 節說：『這些人並不是醉了，正如你們所想的。現在才早上九點！這個祈禱時刻的希伯來文是「Shacharit」（早晨）。根據猶太時間，這是第三個小時（日出後的第三個小時）；亞伯拉罕設立了晨禱。 Shacharit 是猶太人每日必需的3 個祈禱時間中最重要且持續時間最長的一個，因為我們每天從上帝那裡接受祈禱，用他的思想、他的位格和本性來裝扮我們的靈魂，這些都會影響我們當天的言語和行為。猶太教稱之為穿上亞當犯罪並赤身露體時失去的靈魂「衣服」。 talith katan 和 talith gadol，分別是小 talith 和大 talith，都是特別在晨禱時佩戴的，以表明每天早上第一件事就是用神自己打扮我們內心的重要性。在猶太教中，人類的思想、言語和行為被認為是靈魂的衣服，因此我們希望每天都穿著上帝的衣服，並與上帝一起體驗。 使徒保羅熟悉沙迦里特晨禱，並認為這是一個猶太概念，即我們“穿上並穿戴我們的靈魂”，在歌羅西書第3 章、以弗所書第4 章、加拉太書第3 章和羅馬書第13 章中將這個概念描述為以謙卑的方式穿戴和穿戴自己，溫柔、仁慈，最重要的是披戴主耶穌基督自己。 12:00 中午是白天的第六個小時- 在猶太教中被稱為Minchah - 中午祈禱- 在第六個小時，黑暗覆蓋了大地，而基督在十字架上- 馬可福音15:33-34 中午，黑暗籠罩了整個大地直到下午三點才落地。 34 下午三點，耶穌大聲喊著說：「Eloi，Eloi，lema sabachthani」（意思是「我的神，我的神，為什麼離棄我。」彼得從神那裡得到異象，要他去見哥尼流）在祈禱的第 6 小時期間。 下午 3:00 是白天的第九個小時。在這個紀念祈禱的時刻，耶穌死了，並放棄了聖靈。 路加福音 23:44-46 那時正午左右，遍地都黑暗了，直到下午三點，日頭停止了。聖殿的幔子裂為兩半。耶穌大聲呼喚：父啊，我將我的靈魂交在祢手中。說完這句話，他就嚥下了最後一口氣。在下午 3 點，也就是禱告的第九個小時，彼得和約翰醫治了瘸子，哥尼流接到主天使的拜訪，派人去接彼得。 下午 6:00：日照的第 12 小時 - 在猶太教中稱為 Ma'ariv - 日落時分進行祈禱。 晚上 9:00：夜晚的第三個小時 - 耶穌在客西馬尼園祈禱，晚上 9 點至午夜。 午夜 12:00：晚上第 6 小時 - 午夜守望 - 在生死攸關的情況下添加這個設定的祈禱時間非常重要。保羅和西拉在壓力很大的時候增加了午夜更時的禱告時間。使徒行傳 16 章 25-27 節說：“約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告唱詩讚美神，其餘的囚犯也都聽他們的。” 26 忽然地大震動，監牢的地基都搖動了。立刻，所有牢門都打開了，每個人的鎖鏈都鬆了。 27 獄卒醒了，看見監門全開，以為囚犯已經逃走了，就拔刀要自殺。當拯救至關重要時，這是增加你的禱告生活的關鍵時刻。 大衛王經常每天祈禱七次，特別是在關鍵時期，他會比猶太教要求的每天祈禱三次還要多。詩篇 119:164 記載：“因你公義的判斷，我每天讚美你七次。”大衛王經常在他一生中的某些時期於早上 6 點、上午 9 點、中午 12 點、下午 3 點、下午 6 點、晚上 9 點和午夜 12 點祈禱。
凌晨 3:00：晚上 9 點 早上 6:00：夜晚第 12 小時 - 白天開始 新約有關禱告規定時間的文獻 雖然固定的祈禱時間是在舊約中製定的，但新約顯示了固定祈禱時間的功能性應用，以及固定祈禱作為使徒實踐和早期教會祈禱模式的日常使用。如果不刻意向讀者指出，新約教會實行的這些規定的禱告時間很容易被錯過。 宗徒們使用固定的禱告時間 使徒行傳 2:41-42；美國標準版 (ASV) 「於是領受他話的人就受了洗。那日，門徒約添了三千人。他們堅定地繼續使徒的教導和團契，擘餅和祈禱。做四件事。 第一個是吸收教義或教義，使聖經的教義和教義成為他們自己的，讓聖經的教義成為他們的哲學和生活方式。 第二個是團契或分享所有共同的東西，例如食物、一般必需品、忠誠、互相保護、互相愛護和共同的敵人。 第三個是擘餅，首先意味著每天願意一起吃飯以及參加聖餐。 第四是接受教會公認的祈禱時間。參與這四個類別使新約基督徒，特別是耶路撒冷當地的教會，體驗到團結、同心同意的強大紐帶。 塔木德 (Ta'anit 2a) 記錄祈禱是聖經的誡命，因為它是“內心的行為”，希伯來語稱為 Avodah sheba-Lev。申命記 11:13 說：“你要全心事奉神。”東正教和保守派猶太男子每天祈禱 3 次，安息日和假日每天祈禱 4 次，贖罪日每天祈禱 5 次。每個祈禱時間都與古代早晨、下午和夜間的祭祀或寺廟供奉平行。改革和重建派猶太人不遵守規定的祈禱時間，因為這些猶太教派不認為哈拉卡或猶太法具有約束力。 新約聖經中在規定的禱告時間期間所發生的紀念活動 那是五旬節紀念日上午九點，當時一百二十名門徒在樓上祈禱天父的應許，這時火舌落在他們每個人身上，他們都被聖神充滿了。 3, 15 記載了聖靈。 新約教會通常在規定的時間去聖殿祈禱。這方面的證據可以在五旬節後不久耶穌的兩個門徒進入聖殿時發生的一個奇蹟事件的記載中得到證實。使徒行傳 3:6-7 「禱告的時候，正午三點，彼得和約翰同上殿去」（使徒行傳 3:1）。這次，當使徒彼得拉著一個瘸子的手說：「金銀我都沒有，只把我所有的賜給你：奉拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名，站起來行走」時，他就得到了榮耀的醫治。彼得和約翰進入聖殿，因為這是規定的祈禱時間。這不是一個隨機的行為，而是在規定的祈禱時間內發生的。 使徒彼得和該撒利亞的哥尼流的故事（使徒行傳 10:1-8）實際上，這是五旬節的重演。唯一的主要區別是，這次發生在外邦人身上，而不是在樓房裡發生在猶太人身上。神開始為時代的改變奠定基礎。從此時起，福音的主旨將集中在外邦民族或希伯來文的非猶太人身上。這個故事的獨特環境是上帝精心安排的。哥尼流是一位外邦人，他採用了猶太人的禱告模式。想想看，如果沒有猶太教，就沒有基督教。得出教會已經取代以色列自然民族的結論是一個不成熟的結論，稱為「替代神學」。教會和以色列自然民族並肩運作，從來沒有一個取代另一個或變得過時。請記住加拉太書 3 章 13 節：“亞伯拉罕的福，藉著耶穌基督臨到了外邦人。” 基督教舊約是從塔納克聖經或猶太聖經以不同的順序逐字翻譯的，但書籍是相同的。基督教新約引用了舊約的大部分內容，並繪製了所有源自塔納克的歷史和文化背景。 哥尼流雖然是羅馬軍隊的士兵，
虔誠的人，“經常向上帝祈禱”，並且在施捨方面非常慷慨。下午三點左右，他正在祈禱，主的一位天使在異像中向他顯現，指示他「派人到約帕去，請一位名叫彼得的西門」。 使徒行傳 10:9 第二天，哥尼流的僕人到了約帕，彼得也有屬靈的經歷。 「約在正午正午十二點，彼得上房頂去禱告。」突然，他陷入恍惚之中，看見一個異象，看見一張大佈從天上降下來，佈滿了各種不潔的野獸。 神接著指示彼得接受這些外邦人，因為他們現在已經被潔淨了。這只是一個具體的教訓，目的是讓彼得為外邦人的事工做好準備，他認為外邦人是神國所不可接受的。他對神的順服導致了聖靈的大澆灌，澆灌在哥尼流家，進而澆灌在外邦各國。顯然，遵守紀念祈禱時間是彼得和哥尼流精神價值體系的重要組成部分。 舊約中的族長、先知、士師和君王多久祈禱一次？ 亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各 亞伯拉罕制定了晨禱或上午 9 點規定的祈禱時間，稱為日照後的第三個小時。正如創世記 19 章 27 節所說：“亞伯拉罕早晨起來，到了他站的地方”，站只是指禱告的行為。亞伯拉罕建立了 Shacharit 的做法，即他站在上帝面前的晨禱時間。 以撒設立了中午 12 點的固定祈禱時間，稱為日照後第六小時。以撒制定了午禱（稱為「Mincha」），正如經上所記：「以撒出去默想…創世記24:63 有一天晚上，他出去到田野裡默想，抬頭一看，看見駱駝正在接近。 雅各制定了晚上的固定祈禱時間，稱為“Ma'ariv”，即太陽出來後的第九個小時的祈禱。 （創28:11）「到了一個地方，因為太陽已經下山，他就停下來過夜。他拿起其中一塊石頭，把它放在頭下，然後躺下睡覺。 撒母耳的父母在《撒母耳記上》1:19 中記載了清早的禱告。第二天一早，他們就起床，在耶和華面前敬拜，然後就回到拉瑪的家了。以利加拿與他的妻子哈拿做愛，主就記念她了。 正如《歷代誌下》29:20 所記載，希西家清早禱告。 「第二天一早，希西家王召集城裡的官員，上到耶和華的殿。」 大衛每天至少禱告三次；詩篇 55:17 說：“我晚上、早晨、晌午哀號，他聽我的聲音。” 大衛也因渴慕神而每天禱告七次。詩篇 119:164 記載：“我每日要讚美你七次，因為你一切的典章都是公義的。” ……我每天讚美你七次，因為你正義的判斷。大衛也在半夜祈禱，正如詩篇 119:62 所記載的那樣：“半夜我起來稱謝你，因你公義的律法。” 大衛王在詩篇 130:6 中寫道：“我等候耶和華幫助我，勝過守夜的人等候黎明，勝過守夜的人等候黎明。”大衛王比他王國中的其他人等待的時間更長、更熱切、更期待，例如等待第一場早晨獻祭的敬拜者，當天的第一場獻祭，派駐守衛城市的哨兵，他們又濕又冷又疲憊，利未人和搬運工守護寺廟祭品的婦女和整夜看護重病患者的婦女。大衛王對神的愛使他徹夜不眠地渴望神。這是真正的午夜守望，不是出於責任，而是出於對上帝的巨大愛。 大衛也在清晨祈禱，正如詩篇 119:147 所記載的那樣：「黎明前我起來呼救；我把希望寄託在你的話上。清晨，在許多信徒起床之前，大衛就開始禱告了。他阻止了黎明的到來，因為他起來向主大聲祈禱。 但以理每天禱告 3 次，正如但以理書 6 章 10 節所見：「但以理知道法令已經頒布，就回家到樓上的房間，那裡的窗戶朝耶路撒冷開著。他每天三次跪下來祈禱，感謝他的上帝，就像他以前所做的那樣。但以理一天禱告三次並不是因為他感到奇怪的「靈感」而這樣做。他每天祈禱三次，因為這是哈拉卡或猶太律法的一部分。這是猶太教的祈禱模式。 約伯一大早就禱告。約伯記 1:5 筵席完了，約伯就安排他們潔淨。一大早，他就會為他們每人獻上燔祭，心想：“也許我的孩子們犯了罪，心裡咒罵了上帝。”這是約伯的一貫習慣。 亞當和夏娃有固定的祈禱時間：創世記 3:8 「當涼爽的晚風吹過時（下午 3-6 點），男人和他的妻子
聽見耶和華神在園中行走。於是他們就躲在樹林裡躲避耶和華上帝。 耶穌的禱告時間 耶穌也有早期的靈修，並使用規定的時間祈禱。耶穌一生中多次離開門徒和人群，獨自祈禱。他經常上山腰或到僻靜的地方祈禱。有時他甚至一大早就去祈禱，天還黑著。 馬可福音 1:35 清早，天還黑，耶穌就起來，出了家，往一個僻靜的地方去，在那裡禱告。 King James Bible ...路加福音 5:16 “但耶穌常常退到僻靜的地方祈禱。”馬可福音 6:46 耶穌離開他們，就上山去禱告。耶穌也在深夜祈禱。馬太福音 14:23 散了他們以後，耶穌就獨自上山去禱告。那天晚上晚些時候，他獨自一人在那裡，” 但有時，獨自待在安靜和孤獨的地方是不夠的。我們需要花更多的時間與神一起禱告。這從耶穌選擇十二使徒的方式可以明顯看出。耶穌在山上禱告了一整夜，然後才選出十二使徒（參考路加福音 6:12）。整夜祈禱 耶穌從晚上 9 點到午夜在客西馬尼園禱告。路加福音9 章32 節和37 節指出，耶穌在夜間禱告並變了形象，其中提到「彼得和其他人很困，但當他們完全醒來時，他們看到耶穌和兩個人的榮耀」。和他站在一起。” “第二天，當他們下山時，一大群人遇見了耶穌。”耶穌顯聖容發生在深夜禱告時間的跡像是，門徒們都困了，耶穌的衣服在黑暗的背景下顯得格外顯眼，耶穌和門徒們第二天一早就離開了山。 值得注意的是帖撒羅尼迦前書 5 章 7 節所記載的不住禱告的概念－教導我們要遵守規定的禱告時間，並且不要放棄我們的禱告系統或禱告的節奏。身為猶太人，耶穌使用了亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各所製定的三個固定的禱告時間。像大衛王一樣，耶穌也根據需要每天祈禱七次，並保持祈禱的節奏。 主線教派的指定祈禱時間 主教教派繼承並實行了由亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各開始的固定禱告時間的禱告節奏，並由早期新約教會所實行。 聖公會祈禱辦公室：每日早晨、中午、晚上和睡前祈禱，源自歷史上的猶太模式，即祈禱是命令和每日節奏。牧師為所有職位祈禱，而平信徒則選擇其中一個。 天主教會祈禱神靈：每天早上、傍晚和晚上的神靈祈禱。牧師每天必須祈禱 3 小時，僧侶每天最多祈禱 7 次。 虔誠的穆斯林每天祈禱五次，儘管《古蘭經》只要求每天祈禱三次。當天的第一次祈禱是在早上日出之前進行，當天的第二次祈禱是在中午之後進行，第三次是在下午晚些時候進行，第四次是在日落之後進行，第五次是睡前進行。按照嚴格的教義，即使是病人也不能放棄每日五次祈禱。無論情況或情況如何，這些祈禱都會得到落實。穆斯林無論是在工作、飛行、搭乘火車過境、在辦公大樓、在超市或在街上的公共場合都必須祈禱。 一般來說，非主流教會在禱告方面是隨機的，只有當有禱告的恩膏時。耶穌做了一個觀察並說：「…因為今世之子在他們的世代，比光明之子更有智慧」（路加福音 16:8）。神有一個固定的禱告時間表，就像祂設定了每年的節日一樣。許多基督徒並不知道這些聖經規定的每日祈禱時間。然而，「高教會」和主流教會實際上虔誠地利用了猶太祈禱模式，基督教社區可以從主流教會學習祈禱系統。非主流教會沒有實行固定的祈禱時間，也不是系統性的功能。 疊加的祈禱時間，即每年規定的節日時間與每日規定的祈禱時間疊加。一個典型的例子是彼得在監獄中的故事以及為他所做的祈禱。背景是逾越節期間，一個戲劇性的超自然拯救時期，規定的禱告時間是每日規定的禱告時間之一，門徒們在約翰馬可的家中聚會禱告。這些結合固定節日和固定祈禱時間的祈禱時間是無敵的。 使徒行傳 12: 1-19 彼得奇蹟般地越獄 1 大約在這個時候，希律王逮捕了一些教友，意圖迫害他們。 2 他用刀殺了約翰的哥哥雅各。 3 當他看到這得到猶太人的認可後，他就繼續
也抓住彼得。這發生在除酵節期間。 4 耶穌逮捕了他，把他關在監裡，交給四隊，每隊四名士兵看守。希律打算在逾越節後將他帶出去接受公開審判。 5 彼得被關在監裡，但教會卻為他切切地向神禱告。 6 希律審判彼得的前一天晚上，彼得被兩條鐵鍊鎖著，睡在兩個士兵中間，門口還有哨兵把守。 7 突然，主的一位天使出現，牢房裡有光亮。他拍打彼得的側面，把他吵醒了。 “快起來！”他說，彼得手腕上的鎖鏈就掉下來了。 8 天使對他說：“穿上衣服和鞋吧。”彼得也這麼做了。天使告訴他，把你的斗篷裹在身上，跟著我。 9 彼得跟著他出了監牢，卻不知道天使所做的事是真實發生的。他以為他看到了異象。 10 他們過了第一道、第二道守衛，來到了通往城池的鐵門前。它自動為他們敞開，他們也經歷了它。當他們走過一條街時，天使突然離開了他。 11 彼得醒悟過來，說：“現在我確實知道，主已經派了他的使者來救我脫離希律王的魔爪，也脫離了猶太人所希望發生的一切事情。” 12 他明白了這事，就到約翰（又稱馬可）的母親馬利亞家去，那裡聚集了許多人正在禱告。 13 彼得敲外門，有一個僕人，名叫羅達，來應門。 14 她一認出是彼得的聲音，就非常高興，沒有開門，就跑回去，喊道：“彼得在門口了！” 15.他們告訴她，你瘋了。當她堅持說是這樣時，他們說，這一定是他的天使。 16 彼得卻不停地敲門。 17 彼得擺手示意他們安靜，並講述主如何帶他出監。他說，把這件事告訴詹姆斯和其他兄弟姊妹，然後他就去了另一個地方。 18 到了早晨，士兵們議論彼得的事，議論紛紛。 19 希律搜遍了他，沒有找到，就盤問了看守的人，就下令將他們殺了。 逾越節或逾越節的力量因特定時間的祈禱所產生的力量而得到加強。 那為什麼要安排我們的祈禱時間 想想那些你深愛的人，你無法停止思考，因為你對他們有一種喜歡和刺激的感覺，例如配偶、未婚夫或正在考慮擔任你生活中任何重要職位的人。因此，我們經常會打電話打個招呼，但除了全天通過電話表達美好的想法和團契之外，真正讓你開心的一天是安排一個時間與那個特別的人見面，並期待在預定的時間見到他們。期待讓您的靈魂一整天充滿活力。更重要的是，下班後和他們在一起然後不得不說「我討厭離開」的高潮感覺。如果你結婚了，你會說「感謝上帝，我不必再離開你了」。這就是定時禱告的態度和理念。由於關係密切而安排的祈禱。 在最初的伊甸園中，上帝每天都有一個預定的時間在晚上拜訪亞當和夏娃，此時涼爽的微風會與祂的靈一起為花園增添美妙的溫度和感覺。這次預定的會面是亞當和夏娃在整個 24 小時內與他持續不斷的團契之外的補充，非常類似於上述自然的愛情關係。 身為基督徒，我們珍惜與基督日夜不間斷的團契，但實際上安排與耶穌基督、天父和聖靈的力量相遇是多麼美妙，這為正在進行的事情增加了重量、肯定、刺激和強度與神的經歷。規定的禱告時間是為了在每次聚會中越來越加強我們的團契，而不是低估全天持續團契的重要性，當然也不會拒絕恩典作為新約和我們與神新約的主題。因此，讓我們盡可能地了解在這些規定的禱告時間裡與神進行能力聚會的機會。這是耶穌的榜樣。他總是與天父上帝相交，但透過預定的權力相遇的祈禱節奏來加強這種關係。我們越需要祂的事工，我們就越選擇參加更多的權力聚會，因為它們日日夜夜地等待著我們所有人。當大衛王成為合神心意的人時，他知道了這個秘密。 還有其他非常重要的機會
教會內的一個地方，是為了與神有能力的聚會而設計的，例如你的教會禮拜，是為了在一個準備好的和指定的地方與神一起度過神聖的時光，在那裡基督臨在他的子民中間，在各方面進行拯救，並使祂的存在眾所周知。聖餐、水洗禮，加深我們對神的委身並接受祂加入基督的身體，向成熟的基督徒真誠地認罪，當你冤枉某人時，祂可以促進神的寬恕或向某人認罪，接受神的恩賜聖靈幫助你成為一個成熟的基督徒，接受你的身體、靈魂、精神、財務和生活的醫治事工，婚姻的奧秘，神賜予我們生命的新開始並合而為一。最後按立（如果您選擇的話）。按立是接受神聖的能力，將基督的奧秘傳達給人們。在所有這些機會中，上帝親自臨在，並且我們可以切實感受到祂的臨在，為我們做超自然的工作。 總而言之，規定的禱告時間是一天中的能量時間，讓我們的精神“像電池一樣充滿電”，並加強我們與神同行的力量。這是猶大書1 章20 節的信息：「但你們，我親愛的弟兄們，要在至聖的信仰上造就自己，並在聖靈裡禱告。」「造就你們自己」這個字可以比喻給你們的靈充電。 每日禱告時間是一個固定的計劃，可以幫助我們每天、每分鐘與神交通，並圍繞與神的團契建立我們的日常生活。固定的禱告時間可以幫助我們決定優先順序，讓上帝和與祂的團契成為最重要的優先事項。規定的祈禱時間是一個幫助信徒在精神上充滿活力而不僅僅是存在的計劃。固定的禱告時間可以幫助我們每天尋求上帝，而不僅僅是在每年一次的固定節日期間尋求上帝。利用每個設定的祈禱時間不斷地為你的精神注入額外的能量，讓你的精神保持充沛和健康。不要停止你已經在做的事情，例如在聖靈感動你祈禱時透過塗油祈禱，但現在將固定的祈禱時間添加到你的祈禱生活中，你會看到你的祈禱生活得到全面增強。 祈禱的基本規定時間如下： 上午 9:00 稱為第三個小時 12:00 中午稱為第六個小時 下午 3:00 稱為第九個小時 為適應緊急狀況，建議各級領袖延長祈禱時間如下： 6:00 AM 稱為第一個小時 上午 9:00 稱為第三個小時 12:00 中午稱為第六個小時 下午 3:00 稱為第九個小時 6:00 PM 召開晚禱 晚上 9:00 稱為夜間祈禱 12:00 午夜稱為午夜時間 為長期緊急情況和堡壘拆除祈禱時間 12:00 午夜 - 凌晨 3 點 - 凌晨 6 點
