RIVER OF LIFE CHURCH – CHRYSTAL F.

Worship and Prophesy Through the Psalms

Session 2 Worship and Prophecy – David’s Tabernacle

I. DAVID THE PROPHET

A. We frequently refer to how David is a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). David was a warrior
and a king that the Lord found unsuitable to build His temple because of the violence of his
conquests. However, despite the limitations placed on his calling, the Lord used David to speak
prophetically about the coming of the Messiah and the future establishment of the Millennial
Kingdom in Revelation.

B. David was able to speak the word of the Lord partly because he understood the connection
between prayer, prophecy, and worship. The prophetic words that David uttered sprang from the
heart of a worshipper and from a community of worship.

C. The angels that minister before the throne of God continually offer before Him the blending of
music and prayers/decrees of the saints. God is the only uncreated Being in the universe.
Everything around Him, including His throne room and His angels, He created. He could have
chosen to surround Himself with anything, but He chose unceasing worship exalting who He is
and prayers. When we approach prophecy from a heart of worship, we are following a divine
pattern established before the creation of our world.

8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden
bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new
song . . . . (Rev. 5:8-9)

8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and
within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4:8)

D. David made regular worship before the Lord a priority when he began his kingship over Israel.
The Lord gave David revelation of His divine order establishing night and day worship before
His throne, and David in turn imparted this to the people.

II. DAVID’S TABERNACLE

A. Although the Lord did not allow David to build His temple, David was given the honor of
establishing a house of prayer before the Lord. David’s tabernacle was the model for Solomon’s
temple and for the worship revivals of Hezekiah, Josiah, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jehoiada,
and Jehoshaphat. (2 Chr. 8:14; 2 Chr. 29:25-27; 2 Chr. 35:3-15; Ezra 3:10-11; Neh. 12:47; Neh.
12:24, 45; 2 Chr. 23:16-18; 2 Chr. 20:19-28)

Download at http://chrystalf.blogspot.com
Worship and Prophecy Through the Psalms – CHRYSTAL F.
Session 2 Worship and Prophecy – David’s Tabernacle PAGE 2

B. When David built the tabernacle according to the model of God’s throne room, he established a
night-and-day prayer and worship movement that prepared the atmosphere for prophetic decrees.
The presence of the Lord rests in the praises of His people (Psa. 22:3). David’s heart for worship
ensured that he stayed in an attitude of praise before the Lord, promoting conversation between
his spirit and God’s.

33 These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who
lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were
employed in that work day and night. (1 Chr. 9:33)

37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the
LORD to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required; (1
Chr. 16:37)

C. Elisha recognized the ability of worship to facilitate communication with the Lord for prophetic
utterances when the king of Israel called for him to come and prophesy concerning an upcoming
battle with the kings of Moab. Elisha was already recognized as a prophet of the Lord, receiving
a double-portion of the anointing that was on the prophet Elijah, his mentor. However, he did
not function in his office as a prophet until a musician came to begin worship the Lord.

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may
inquire of the LORD by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel
answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on
the hands of Elijah.” 12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with
him.”. . . 14 And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I
stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of
Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.”
Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came
upon him. 16 And he said, “Thus says the LORD. . . ." (2 Kings 3:11-16)

III. UNCEASING WORSHIP

A. God’s desire for constant communion is not to limit us or to rob us of pleasure. Rather, it is
through conversation with God that our hearts are satisfied. Humans are hard-wired to be
enthralled by beauty, and God is the only one who is creative enough to keep us from getting
bored. The Spirit of God was moving over the waters in Genesis 1, and calls for the bride to
“come” in Revelation 22. There is always a new dimension of Him to discover.

B. Paul recognized this need to stay in constant dialogue with the Lord to truly hear His heart when
he admonished us to pray without ceasing. Paul did not admonish us to keep our hearts in an
attitude of worship to exhaust us. It was a call to live in perpetual readiness to hear from the
Lord and speak His words to the world around us.

Download at http://chrystalf.blogspot.com
Worship and Prophecy Through the Psalms – CHRYSTAL F.
Session 2 Worship and Prophecy – David’s Tabernacle PAGE 3

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for

this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

C. When we come to church with a mindset of “punching in” our God clock, we spend the time we
have in God’s presence trying to ready our hearts to receive from Him. By the time we’ve
worked through our issues from the week, Sunday morning service is over and we miss out on
hearing the secrets of that He’s longing to share.

D. Worship is more than just a song service on Sunday mornings; worship is an ongoing action of
engaging our hearts with the Father. David’s obedience in establishing ongoing, night and day
worship in his tabernacle created an open door for divine creativity to flow. The flow of worship
ensured that the door to the Spirit remained open at all times, and gave God access to show
things to His servants.

E. When the door to heaven is open and we hear the voice of God indicating His desire to unveil
our eyes, we do not have to struggle to press into Him; we immediately find ourselves in His
presence and receive prophetic revelation of who He is.

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And
the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying,
“Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” 2
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One
sat on the throne. (Rev. 4:1-2)

IV. CHANGING THE STANDARD

A. What naturally follows a heart that remains in a constant attitude of prayer is a change in
activities and interests. This shift is not an issue of bondage to the law, but a standard of the
heart that flows from love.

B. The desire to hear His voice and to maintain dialogue with Him takes precedence over all other
secondary activities. Choices that we make regarding relationships, food, clothing, and media
(to name a few) do not dictate the grace with which we are saved, but they do impact how clearly
we hear the Lord and receive what He says.

C. The Lord is more concerned about our character than convenience. Making decisions to live a
life in total submission to Him brings about the benefits of hearing His voice, but it may involve
sometimes painful sacrifices when we cut off the wants of the flesh. He does not always speak
when we feel like sitting and listening. The privilege of carrying the prophetic voice of the Lord
comes at the cost of maintaining a teachable spirit willing to learn on His terms and lay aside
anything that would make it difficult to hear.

Download at http://chrystalf.blogspot.com
Worship and Prophecy Through the Psalms – CHRYSTAL F.
Session 2 Worship and Prophecy – David’s Tabernacle PAGE 4

4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word
that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to
listen like one being taught. 5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I
have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. (Is. 50:4-5)

D. We cannot remain in constant interaction with the Spirit without producing the fruit of the Spirit
in our lives. Jesus spoke of how we are grafted into Him as branches on a vine, and John the
Baptist warned that any branch not producing fruit would be thrown into the fire (Matt. 3:10).
However, we are not capable of producing fruit in ourselves. We bear fruit only through
meditating on the greatness of the Lord, remaining in Jesus the true vine as the Spirit convicts us
to repentance (John 15:4).

E. The fullness of intercession (and, ultimately, prophetic decrees of deliverance) comes from
remaining in Jesus. It is only in this place that we have the right to ask of the Father and expect
to receive what He has for us.

5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does
not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me
and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
(John 15:5-7)

Download at http://chrystalf.blogspot.com