NATIONAL SOLEMN ASSEMBLY UPDATE

Many of our readers have asked what is a Solemn Assembly and what will happen at it. We devote this update to helping our members to understand the answer to these questions.

What is a Solemn Assembly?

A Solemn Assembly is called specifically to confess any known sins, to restore a right relationship between God and His people and in bringing healing and restoration to society and the land. A solemn assembly is marked by seriousness, reflection and a sense of awe before God. It’s a time for believers to listen to what God has to say to them through scripture, to confess together where they have missed the mark and to renew their covenant with God and before those gathered.

A Solemn Assembly may be described as, a divinely ordained process for corporate repentance. It is an urgent call from leaders for the people of God to gather.

Solemn Assemblies can be called for: when the church (individual or corporate) is facing deep spiritual problems.

Solemn Assemblies can be a proactive, preventive measure to keep dissatisfaction from taking root and problems arising.

Solemn Assemblies may be a way to bring healing from past sins and mistakes, and they can be a cry for guidance from the Lord as well.

In preparing for a Solemn Assembly, people should understand from the outset, that the assembly will be an encounter with God!

Therefore, it must be guided by God’s agenda, not theirs (all hobby-horses should be stabled) God is calling the assembly, and people need to stay focused on God and wait until He is through speaking to them. Therefore people need to be well prepared before they come. They must be really ready and anticipation needs to be high: each person must own it as part of their own personal experience with the Lord.

Scriptures like: Exodus 33:7-11: All Israel to come out from the camp for a solemn assembly, to meet God in His tabernacle and to hear what God had to say to them.

1 Samuel 7:5-6: To help people prepare for the return of the ark of God the prophet Samuel called a solemn assembly.

Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoiada, Hezekiah, Josiah, Zerubabbel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Joel all proclaimed solemn assemblies throughout Israel’s history.

In Joel 2:15-17 God spoke to him and said to declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Although in the Old Testament and today it is the spiritual leaders who call a solemn assembly, in a deep sense it is God himself, calling out to His people to return with all their hearts. This is the biblical vision of a solemn assembly.

What we can expect:

There are many unknowns in a solemn assembly. It’s impossible to know before hand, for example, what and how God may lay issues and things on peoples hearts, what scriptures or songs will prove the most powerful, and what parts of the service may need to be prolonged or expanded to allow the Spirit room to work. But we can count on some things. Both ancient and recent history show God’s wonderful response to His people’s heartfelt repentance and recommitment. If we are serious about seeking God, we can expect God to answer our prayers for guidance, reveal hidden sins etc, move individuals to speak His truth, and send spiritual refreshment and healing where it is needed the most.

So we call it and we prepare ourselves to come together and to listen to the Word of the living God. Then wait and see what the Lord of heaven and earth will do.

Assisting you to prepare

To assist in the process of preparation, as previously announced, we are inviting people to take part in a 40 day season of personal preparation beginning on Australia Day 26th January and concluding just 3 days prior to the commencement of the Solemn Assembly in Canberra. Those 3 days will allow us to then prepare and travel to Canberra for the Assembly gathering.

We will be advising those on our network of daily bible readings of scriptures which came to us through the 40 days of seeking the face of God so that each day we can ponder on the word of God in relation to the matters He has called us to Canberra to deal with.

The first lot of readings will be sent on Tuesday 16th January to enable Churches to place them in their weekly bulletins the week prior to the commencement of the 40 day season, and then at regular intervals until the season concludes.

Prayer points will not be issued as this is not primarily a season of prayer but of personal reflection and heart preparation as we focus on the word of the Lord to us.

Source: Australian Prayer Network