The flesh must become quiet.
It takes time for human appetites, restlessness, and self-consciousness to lose their dominance in the presence of God.
About Courts of Prayer
One Hour
Why one hour forms the foundation of our prayer rhythm—and why intimacy with God must come before demands.
A foundation, not a doctrine
We give prayer enough time to become undistracted.
Our regular prayer meetings last one hour. We try not to exceed that time, although a meeting may continue for one hour and twenty minutes—or, at most, about one hour and thirty minutes—when the Spirit of God is moving.
We are not making a doctrine out of a duration. We regard one hour as a practical foundation: the minimum sustained time in which an intercessor can become quiet before God, move beyond the noise of the day, and give Him concentrated attention.
The soul must settle.
Distractions, inner conflicts, worries, and the many conversations within the soul do not always disappear the moment prayer begins.
Attention must deepen.
Sustained prayer creates room for unencumbered fellowship—time in which the heart is no longer being continually pulled away from God.
A cue from Gethsemane
“Could ye not watch with me one hour?”
In Gethsemane, Jesus returned to His disciples and asked, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” He went away to pray and returned to them three times. Scripture does not establish a universal rule that every prayer meeting must last exactly sixty minutes, but Christ’s question gives us a meaningful biblical cue for sustained watching and prayer.
Our central conviction
We do not merely throw prayer points at God.
Most of our prayer time is spent praying in the Holy Ghost. At other times, the Spirit of the Lord leads us to intercede for particular people, churches, nations, or situations. In every case, the most important ingredient of intercession is our relationship and intimacy with God.
We come to grow into Him before we begin making demands. An intercessor may sometimes beg or plead with God, but mature intercession increasingly speaks the language of spiritual negotiation—not as though we are God’s equals, but as His servants and friends who understand the responsibility He has entrusted to us and carry it faithfully.
“Concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” Isaiah 45:11
This language of negotiation rests upon what God has already said: “Lord, You promised this; therefore, we ask You to fulfill it.” It appeals to His revealed will, His character, His plans, and His covenants. One hour in God’s presence becomes a gateway into deeper intimacy, clearer understanding, and greater spiritual authority.