The Solemn Assembly

A White Paper from Mark S Mirza and Common Thread Ministries

Argument for the Solemn Assembly White Paper

How often do you hear people talk about Solemn Assemblies. We know they're scriptural. We know they're needed. We know everythingexcept how to do them! I've been honored to do nearly 100, as of the writing of this paper. Allow me to share with you what has worked for us. And forgive me as I could refer to it as "A Solemn Assembly in one hour or less." Some may consider this another product of the microwave generation, but please reserve judgment until, 1) you read this, and 2) you try it. These Solemn Assemblies have become so important to those affected by Common Thread Ministries that I try to work one in EVERY time I have multiple engagements in one location. Even just a cursory reading of Scripture shows us that Solemn Assemblies lasted for days, included fasting, wearing sackcloth, etc. and Godly leaders today, that I respect, revere and quote, also bring up Solemn Assemblies in the context of many days preparation. Please hear me, I am NOT contradicting them, or telling you that their way is wrong, or not for today. Some of the most cleansing times in my life have been when I've dedicated hours and days to solemnly seeking the Lord, asking forgiveness, and trusting Him to do just that, namely, forgive me of my sins (which, by the way, is the focus of 2 Chronicles 7:14, the cleansing of MY sins). If forgiveness of sins is at the center of a Solemn Assembly, then why doesn't our morning prayer time, when we are doing our daily devotions and asking for forgiveness of sin, completely deal with sin? Asking this another way, "Why is a Solemn Assembly necessary?" The Mission Statement of Common Thread Ministries is, "Rebuilding the Foundations of Prayer" and comes from Psalm 11:3. The broken foundation of Solemn Assemblies is that we have stopped corporately, although silently, petitioning God for forgiveness. In this paper, because of both the Word and the questions (neither of which are mine), you will see, in a very simple two point process, the power of periodic Solemn Assemblies, and I hope, you will acknowledge that these Solemn Assemblies are necessary for rebuilding the foundations of our prayer life, of your prayer life.

Two Steps in A Solemn Assembly

Step 1) Own the fact that sin impacts our prayers. Step 2) Corporately, though silently, deal with sin. That's it! That's your outline, those two steps! I believe that the reason Common Thread Ministries' Solemn Assemblies are so well received is because we spend a great deal of time addressing sin as a problem UNTO our prayer life. Somehow in our persons, we get the idea that sin doesn't really impact our prayer life. We would never say this out loud of course, but we live that wayand pray that way. So the first thing we do is go over the verses that tell us the impact of sin in our prayer life. Helpful in this endeavor is the "pointed" and "specific" ways that we apply these verses. See Addendum-1: Step 1) Sins Impact on our Prayer Life. Secondly, the work accomplished by Greg Frizzell has been phenomenally important. So much so that I ALWAYS use his questions when I ask folks to search their hearts. See Addendum-2: Step 2) Questions Used in a Solemn Assembly. His questions are all encompassing and you cannot listen to them without agreeing that there are many of them that impact you! I told you that I have done nearly a hundred of theseEvery time I read through these questions at least one (sometimes more than one, and once in a while, a lot more than one) prick my heart. To do the Solemn Assembly then, I merely go through the two attached addendums, in order, from top to bottom.

The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

Addendum-1 Step 1) Sins Impact on our Prayer Life

As we look at the following verses we will look at their practical impact on our daily prayer life. Sin/Prayer in the Old Testament: Psalm 38:18, Sometimes you have anxiety in your life because of sin. In this case, don't waste your time going to Philippians 4:6-7, because you need to be in 1 John 1:9. Psalm 40:12, When sins in my life are so high I cannot look up, I am usually on my face asking forgiveness because I am ashamed of my sin. Don't let satan1 fool you by him saying, "Oh, that condemnation you feel is not from the Lord, so don't concern yourself, the more important thing is that you put off feeling condemned." The fact that you feel bad that you sinned is appropriate! Do not confuse condemnation with being ashamed of yourself and sorry for your sin. So own it, the sin. Ask forgiveness, and let the Holy Spirit wipe away your tearsnot the evil one. He's only there to deceive you. Psalm 80:4, God is angry "Against the prayers of His people." Ouch! Proverbs 28:9, Our prayers become detestable. Do you want a sobering challenge? Look up this verse in versions of the Bible you do not useyou'll be glad you're using the one you do. Isaiah 1:15-16, God says, "I will not listen!" Whew! Need we say more? Look at the beginning of verse 15. In fact, go back earlier in the chapter too. But verse 16 is the heart of the problem, isn't it?. In numerous contexts we hear verse 17 quoted, but none of that matters without verse 16. Isaiah 59:2, Sin puts up a barrier between us and God. I don't know about you, but the barrier for me is that I cannot do ANYTHING, until I've dealt with sin. Woe to us when we DO NOT deal with sin, and then because of the hardness of our hearts we go through the motions, allowing our hearts to become more and more calloused. Lamentations 3:44, A cloud that prayers do not penetrate. Ever wonder where the phrase, "My prayers aren't getting thru the ceiling" came from? It is sin that causes the "cloud." In fact, looking at verse 43, I think you can argue that your sins ARE the cloud. Additional verse relating sin and prayer, but not negatively, necessarily, Lamentations 2:19 o Ask, "When was the last time you poured out your heart like water before the LordBECAUSE of, or, as it relates to, sin in your life." Need we say more? So, You Might Say, "I'm a pretty good guy, not perfect, a couple of pet sins, but God seems to be answering some of my prayers." I would tell you 2 things. Either: --- God is simply being gracious to you. --- Or, He is answering the prayers of others. --- I suppose there is a third option - Maybe the Holy Spirit made a mistake, in the above verses -- NAH! Or, Maybe You Think I'm spending too much time in the Old Testament. Maybe you're saying, "Mark, this is the time of GRACE!" I would ask you to compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with Ephesians 5:8-9. --- Well I am with you! We are in an age of grace. --- And yet, there is an expectation of righteousness, isnt there?

The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

Sin/Prayer in the New Testament: John 9:31, God does not hear sinners. 1 Peter 3:7, Anything between you and your wife, hinders your prayers. I am usually trying to prepare people for step 2 by now, so I often use only 1 Peter 3:7, but I will say, "Ladies, it works the other direction too." And sometimes bring in, "Youth, parents, it works the same way. If there is ANYTHING between you and anyone else, your prayers will be hindered." To Prepare for Repenting before God, look at, or just mention the main points in the two passages below, but DO bring them up! I believe that they are critical for the preparation for the next step. If I am concerned about time I will reduce some of the ABOVE verses but NEVER the two passages below: Luke 15:7, 10 - Well used parables for the unsaved, but NOT ONLY THEM: o There is great rejoicing in heaven when ANY sinner repents. o And the first parable does talk of the lost sheep, not goats, just say'in 2 Kings 4:1-7, Elisha and the Widow's oil: o The oil stopped flowing when they ran out of empty vessels. o Praying Hyde says, "The Holy Spirit stopped flowing for want of empty vessels." o And then I ask, "Are you an empty vessel that the Holy Spirit can flow thru, or do you have garbage in your life that you need to deal with?"

The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

Addendum-2 Step 2) Questions Used in a Solemn Assembly

Plan for this section to take a full 13-14 minutes. Again, these questions are not mine, they are from Greg Frizzell. Greg and his publisher have given me permission to put these on my website, so if you go to my site and search for Solemn Assembly, the questions will be about the 2nd or 3rd blog that is available. The direct link is: http://www.ctmprayer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/7AreasCompleteCleansing.pdf The same questions are in a couple of his books, I got these from Pages 37-41 of Praying Gods Heart in Times Like These! The publisher is The Master Design; P O Box 569; Union City, TN. 38281; www.masterdesign.org or they can be ordered by calling Greg Frizzell's office directly at (405) 942-3800 x 4517. I begin by asking people to resist the temptation to poke their spouse and say, Hey baby, that was for you. I also go so far as to say, "When you get home, DO NOT ask your spouse, kid, etc. what they and God talked about, because they will NEVER deal with God if they expect you to pester them!" Sometimes, depending upon the reaction when I say that I will drop my eyes so that I'm not looking at anyone and say, "Some of you are control freaks. Trust me on this." That usually breaks down any barriers and the point is made clearly, although with some humor. And just for you, the reader, I have NEVER asked my wife what her and God talked aboutand I have wanted to! I also warn the congregation to never say, as Im reading a question, "That has NOTHING to do with me!" Because their brain will tend to miss the next question I read. But another reason is because I then ask them to search themselves with asking, "How might I be the same way?" At this point I will ask people to bow their head and close their eyes, and then I will simply read the section title, read the verse, and then pointedly personalize each question2 by asking, "Do you have any" or "Are you often guilty of" Then after each of the seven sections, and before I go on to the next one, I ask people to, "Live Romans 6:11, dead to sins and alive to Christ." A number of times throughout the questions I will also remind them of 1 John 1:9. Here are Greg's questions: 1. Pure Thoughts "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7a) (a) Do I have any pattern of unclean or lustful thoughts? (Remember to say, "Do you have") (b) Do I think far more about worldly things than spiritual? (Remember to say, "Do you think") (c) Have I opened the door to impurity by anything I view on-line or in other media? (d) Am I often guilty of angry thoughts? (e) Do I frequently entertain thoughts of doubt instead of trust? (f) Am I often filled with thoughts of bitterness and unforgiveness? 2. Godly Attitudes "Let this mind (attitude) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5) (a) Am I lukewarm about spiritual things? (b) Am I in any way proud or condescending toward others?
The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

(c) Is there anyone about whom I think jealous, envious thoughts? (d) Do I have an attitude of doubt and unbelief? (e) Do I have any tendency toward being harsh or critical? 3. Holy Speech "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36) (a) Have I uttered any inappropriate or slang speech? (b) Do I have patterns of cursing or off-color words? (c) Am I prone to exaggeration or lying? (d) Do I have patterns of complaining and griping? (e) Am I guilty of any form of divisive speech? (f) Do I have any patterns of critical, judgmental speech? (g) Have I blogged, emailed or forwarded anything that violated Scripture or grieved God's Spirit? (h) Have I said things when alone that would cause great shame if made public? At this point, before reminding them to live Romans 6:11, I will usually say, "Remember, and this is not to be threatening, simply to be sobering, ALL will be revealed." 4. Right Relationships "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7) (a) Is there anyone I have offended but have not asked forgiveness? (b) Have I failed to seek full reconciliation and make restitution to anyone I have offended or harmed? (c) Do I harbor the slightest unforgiveness and anger toward anyone? (d) As a father, am I leading my family spiritually? (e) As a mother, am I sacrificially and joyfully serving my family? (f) Have I in any way failed to honor, respect or show attention to my parents? (g) Have I spoken negatively about anyone behind their back? (h) Am I involved in any form of gossip or negative, critical speech? (i) Do I tend to hurt and offend people with my words or emails? (j) Is there any pattern of failing to respect and support my spiritual leaders? At this point, before reminding them to live Romans 6:11, I will usually say, "Sins of relationships are especially serious with God." 5. Rejecting Sins of Commission "For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me." (Psalm 51:3) (a) Am I engaged in any form of sexual immorality? (b) Have I compromised by viewing anything unclean via movies, TV or Internet? (c) Do I have habits that abuse or neglect my body? (d) Do I commit idolatry by placing anyone or anything over loving and serving God? (e) Have I dabbled in any form of gambling or new ageism? (f) Am I doing anything for which I do not have perfect peace? (g) Am I in any way harsh or unkind to others? (h) Have I abused God's grace by taking sin lightly? (i) Do I confess sins but fail to forsake them?
The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

6. Renouncing Sins of Omission "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) (a) Am I failing to abide in Jesus by neglecting regular time in His Word and prayer? (b) Do I neglect to be a daily witness and fail to generously support evangelism and missions? (c) Have I neglected to discern and use my spiritual gifts? (d) Am I allowing any point of spiritual bondage to remain in my life? (e) Have I failed to support and respect my spiritual leaders? (f) Am I failing to daily pursue holiness? (g) Am I robbing God by failing to tithe and give generous offerings beyond the tithe? (h) Have I neglected to work at improving my marriage and family life? (i) Do I fail to pray with my family? 7. Embracing Full Surrender and Obedience to Jesus "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) (a) Have I willfully failed to surrender certain areas of my life to God's total control? (b) Do any people or things come before my relationship and service to God? (c) Has work, family or recreation become idols that take priority over God? (d) Has God told me to do something yet I still haven't obeyed Him? (e) Is there some area where I pretend not to know what God is saying, yet deep down I know I do? (f) Are there things God has told me to stop; yet I still do them? (g) Is there any area of service I should be doing; yet I am not? (h) Have I continued to sin willfully in areas about which God has clearly spoken? (i) Are there areas of my life about which I do not have full peace? (j) Do I sense there are issues about which I am delaying to embrace God's full will? (k) Do I find yourself repeatedly confessing the same three or four sins yet there is little real improvement?

The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)

Footnotes
1. I never capitalize the evil one's name. It is just a personal preference of mine. 2. Over time I have ONLY changed Greg's questions by adding the following: a. After 2.c, as a new question "Do I desire to manipulate another, rather than to trust God?" b. As a part of 4.b "remember, if what you did was public, you may need to ask forgiveness publically, even if you have already apologized privately." c. As a part of 4.f I add, "your parents may have already passed on, but you may still need to deal with this with God." d. As a part of reading the title of section 5, I add, "things that you commit, things that you do." e. After 5.a, as a new question "Do I try to manipulate other people? f. As a part of 5.d I include "worry" as a point of idolatry. g. As a part of 5.e I insert "Astrology" in the center. h. As a part of 7.c I insert "worry" as another idol.

Common Thread Ministries Mark S Mirza (Founder/Speaker) Mark@CTMPrayer.org (404) 606-2322 850 Piedmont Ave. NE #1506, Atlanta GA. 30308

Web: www.CTMPrayer.org Twitter: @CTMPrayer Facebook: Common Thread Ministries

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The Solemn Assembly, A White Paper (www.CTMPrayer.org)