Prayer Journal: October 1, 2025
05. Jan. 2025 Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service
Scripture Reading: Genesis 14:17-24
You must remember the New Year’s message well for the entire year.
Because it is the answer you will receive. In the midst of darkness, He said, “Let there be light.” Let us restore the temple of light that has the three courtyards. Then the prayer of the remaining ones of 24, 25, and eternity will begin. In the course of your life you must surely restore the economy of light. This is the pilgrim’s prayer. And you must set up the guideposts of light. At that time true revival will arise. This is the prayer of creation.
Within this, today Abraham met Melchizedek. We should see this as the answer you will receive during the week. To those who have the gospel, God first promised five things.
▣ Introduction
He gave them to Abraham, saying, “Go to the land I will show you.”
1. The covenantal blessing
That means He first gave the blessing of the covenant. Therefore, for you, holding the covenant accurately is the most important thing in the life of faith.
2. The foundational blessing
“You shall be a source of blessing.” Only then can world missions be done. He promised this to you. He also spoke the reason you must be blessed: “Through you.”
3. The representative blessing
Only when you receive answers can others see the answers. Therefore, the representative blessing.
4. The monumental blessing
“Through your seed.” It is a monumental blessing. He promised like this: “No one will be able to stand against you. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.”
5. The irresistible blessing
No one can block it. It is an irresistible blessing.
This is the promise given to you. Why? Because God gave it to Abraham. Unchangingly, it is fulfilled in you as it is.
▣ Main
Now then, what did Abraham lose and then find? It already came up in the first service. There is something truly important that you must not lose here. God has a special plan the likes of which has never been before and will never be again for you. He has it. Many people are mistaken because they do not know this. They say many things like, “That person is such-and-such. Useless.” That is being deceived. Even if it seems very difficult, God has a plan for each one of you. And it is a plan the likes of which has never been before and will never be again. Some people do well as they go, and some people do it even though they do not do well; people are of many kinds. But clearly, as long as you live, it exists.
Because he did not know this, Abraham kept suffering in the first half of his life. He suffered, wondering, “Should I do this, should I do that?” He truly went another way. So many people keep making judgments about others. One who truly knows the gospel must not judge. There is a plan for that person. There is a special plan for every remnant. You must find it. Abraham could not find it and kept suffering, then he found it. Perhaps while God was doing His work He made a mistake and let you live on this earth? Right? He governs our lives completely—He calls us and He sends us. Right? Did He leave you on this earth due to a small miss? Is that correct? There is no such law. You must surely find it this year. I see that many pastors have already lost hold of this. “Things do not go well for me…” But God has a plan. You must find it.
There was such a pastor in America—Pastor Robert Schuller, about whom there were some odd rumors. His ministry would not work even if he died; nothing worked. And there was “Oral Roberts,” a pastor. He could not speak well, so when his parents named him they attached the word “Oral,” hoping he would speak better. But when this man prayed, words came out; otherwise, he could not speak well. He was a famous person in America for a time. Alone, he truly prayed: “God, what is the reason You called me?” And then this power came upon him. He held meetings across America, and it caused a stir. This really happened. When the meeting ended, canes were loaded—two truckloads. That means those who had come leaning on canes were healed. Wheelchairs—about three truckloads were taken away. This really happened. The entire region was stirred. As I see it, God had such a special plan for that person.
You must not lose hold of this, especially this year. God has a special, unprecedented plan for you. Until you discover this, do not give up. You simply have not seen it yet. The reason was explained in the first service today. Abraham finally found it, and we will see it now in the second service.
1. Genesis 13:18 “The prayer of the watchman”
First. In Genesis 13:18, he began to build an altar. What is this? The prayer of the watchman began. You only need to begin this prayer.
[Power of the throne]
The prayer of the watchman is not just any watchman’s prayer; it is prayer that enjoys the power of the throne. This is certain.
1) Bartizan of the throne
What is happening now, right now? While you are praying, the bartizan of the throne is being made.
2) Journey of the throne
The path you take becomes the journey of the throne.
3) Guideposts of the throne
You come to set up these guideposts of the throne in many places. From that day on, Abraham began to build an altar.
[Prayer done alone]
Simply put, it is prayer done alone. You must be able to pray alone to know prayer. If a remnant can pray alone, then wherever they are, it is okay. Whatever they face, it is okay. Believe this. This covenant does not change.
2. Genesis 14:17–24 “Worship prayer”
Second. This is today’s passage. We read verses 17 to 24. What is this? Simply put, it goes beyond the simple prayer of the watchman to the prayer you enjoy during worship.
1) 318 (RT)
While he was worshiping, he raised 318 trained men. What does this mean? It means that while you worshiped and prayed properly, remnants arose. Your children are changed into mighty warriors.
2) Spiritual victory that overcomes darkness
In this way, they defeated Sodom and Gomorrah. What does that mean? It means the spiritual battle that overcomes darkness results in victory. People do not know what worship is. Worship is like this. During worship, spiritual victory that overcomes darkness takes place. It also happens in personal prayer, but especially when worshiping together. Nearly 318 were praying. Thus they overcame Sodom. This is well-known content.
3) Tithe (economy of light)
Then as he was coming down, he met the high priest named Melchizedek, and this priest blessed Abraham. At that time Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe. There would have been spoils of victory—he tithed that. This is called the three economies. It is the time when the economy of light that revives the church, the economy of light to do world missions, and the economy of light to raise the remnants is restored. It is so today when you pray. Do not ever be discouraged; the offerings you give are the economy of light. Wherever this offering is used, the economy of light appears. The missions you support are the economy of light. Right? When your remnants grow and move the world—this becomes the economy of light.
When two ideologies were fighting as now, it was already so during the Korean War (6.25). At that time, missionaries who had the gospel entered our country and prayed for Korea. It is truly amazing. They established schools. They established hospitals—not large hospitals, but it was urgent. There was nothing. Today is the Worship Committee’s dedication service, and you must surely restore personal prayer. He said they built an altar. Then, with the 318—though I do not know the exact place—prayer began: worship prayer. And it did not end there.
3. Genesis 22:1–22 “Prayer that saves the posterity”
In Genesis 22:1–22, this is not just prayer. It is prayer that is transmitted to the posterity. It is indeed prayer that saves the posterity, but more precisely, this prayer must be transmitted to the posterity.
Thus, as we study Genesis well, we see this flow of the Word. People hardly believe the flow of the Word. When I began in Busan I said, “In the afternoon I will lecture on the Book of Acts for my whole life. But in the first service I will survey the Word beginning with Genesis. When Genesis ends, we will go on to Exodus.” Before Genesis even ended—before it ended—our church was in an uproar. For a long time we could not receive permission to build the temple, so we prayed long and held to the Word: the three courtyards. If this is not realized, we knew it is not a church. Indeed, the Word is fulfilled precisely like this.
When you come on Sunday, you must truly come with a heart that waits for God’s highest grace. Thus David said, “Enter His courts with thanksgiving.” As though the king has called you to enter. Simply put, the king says, “I will appoint you to the office of Minister. Come in.” Then you enter the palace to meet the king. How would you feel? On Sundays, at least to that extent—“Enter His courts with thanksgiving.” Some may not be doing that. It will be a bit toilsome. The life of faith will be difficult. Why? Because you lost hold of something—something important. You are not truly enjoying this power. Thus you do not realize how important your worship is. From then on, you save the posterity. It is transmitted to the posterity.
1) Genesis 22:1 “To test him”
Genesis 22:1. God tested Abraham. “Abraham!” He said. “Offer your beloved only son Isaac as a burnt offering.” This—Scripture clearly says—“God tested Abraham.” What test? He is now sitting for the test in which God blesses. We almost always take it as though hardship is coming, but when the real thing of God is coming, it is often like this. Now Abraham is not like before. Formerly he would have made excuses: “That is not possible.” Formerly he might have said, “God, that cannot be. We had him at a hundred years old, it caused such a stir, how can we offer him? Absolutely not. Please take the old woman instead. Or else take me.” But he went in silence. It is said he believed that God would bring him back to life. Simply put, he confirmed why God told him to go there to worship. There surely is a reason, for you as well.
As he went, Abraham spoke to the servant: “Stay here. We will go and worship God and return.” He told the servant to wait. Why? Because Abraham thought that if he took the servant, the servant would stop him. As they went, the son asked, “Father, why is there no ram this time?” “God Himself has provided,” he answered.
2) Genesis 22:13
So as you know, a ram was provided in place of Isaac. This is not an ordinary story. There is a difference between being helped while walking along the road and being helped at the time of death, right? What is the difference? When you are helped at the time of death, you do not forget it. The ram was completely engraved. The gospel transmitted to the posterity. It is prayer transmitted to the posterity. It is this important. At decisive moments, teach your children the name of Christ, bless them, and speak. You already know this. The answers are all out.
3) Blessing
Then, after offering the ram in his place, God spoke thus. He blessed with three things.
(1) Stars
“Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the heavens and as the sand of the sea.” Like the many stars of heaven—He promised that.
(2) Gate
And, “You will possess the gate of your enemies.” That means victory.
(3) All peoples of the earth
And finally He said again, “Through your seed all the peoples of the earth will be blessed.” It must align with this. In this way, prayer became a work in history.
There is another thing easy for us to mistake. When you pray, are there more answers that come now, or more that come later? Which are more? Because we are dull of mind, we realize almost all later. The answers that come later are greater.
▣ Conclusion
What answers came?
1. Isaac
1) One hundredfold
For world missions, God gave to the son named Isaac the blessing of a hundredfold. In one year He allowed the blessing of a hundred years. Thus world missions are done—through the son Isaac.
2) Source of springs
Abraham obtained many wells, but God made him obtain the very source of springs. Our remnants must open their eyes like this in the future. You must obtain the source of the economy of light. Just watch—who knows what will happen? As for your church building here, building the three courtyards, and doing it in Busan—we do not worry. Now God will begin to attach to us tremendous people of prayer. There is nothing to worry about.
3) Rehoboth
He promised the blessing of Rehoboth—to the son. And it did not end there.
2. Jacob → Israel
To the grandson Jacob, God blessed: “Your name…”—an immense blessing. “Do not call your name Jacob, but Israel.” From here came the twelve tribes of Israel. From here this famous name—Israel—came. This was Jacob’s new name.
3. Joseph – Egypt
In the posterity, world evangelization arose through Joseph. Amazing things took place. He saved Egypt and the world, and made him prime minister of Egypt. The whole world came to buy grain. The whole world bowed the knee to this Joseph. With confidence he delivered the covenant to them, and while earning money, he moved the world. Who would have imagined? They thought this son was dead, yet he had become prime minister. Jacob must have been shocked. Right? First the brothers were shocked when they found out. They had tried to kill him, then sold him, and he had become the prime minister who moves the world. The brothers were shocked—beyond shocked; people lost their senses and acted strangely. Then he said, “Do not be afraid, my brothers. It was not you who sold me. God sent me ahead.” To that extent they were shocked. Though unconfirmed, Potiphar’s wife probably fainted—she had put him in prison, and he became prime minister.
Light overcomes darkness. You are children of light. You set up the bartizan of light, you go on the journey of light, and you set up the guideposts of light. This is certain. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that this week will be a week in which you receive yet another great answer. Let us pray.
Prayer. Do not let us lose the flow of the covenant, and let us restore the true power of prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.