Pastor Ray shared the lyrics of O Come All Ye Faithful as worship to the Lord…
O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of Heav’n above.
Glory to God
In the Highest glory!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
I’m not sure what year that this song was written but it’s one of my favorites to sing.
Lord, we adore You and magnify You this morning. We humble ourselves before You. Thank You for the mercy, kindness, and grace You’ve given to us. Jesus, so faithful, all the way to the cross. We magnify Your name and lift it up.
Things are changing and turning around but there’s still more that needs to turn. Thank You for tax cuts.
Prayed…
Father, in the name of Jesus and according to Your Word, we pray for those in authority in our nation. We lift them up… every position of authority… thank You for wisdom from heaven to come through them… we pray over President Trump and every member of his family… the blood of Jesus over them… we pray over their minds and hearts… all the staff and cabinet members… if some need to exit and others need to come in, we lift that up… we want Your perfect will and plan… we pray Your Word would cling to them and let them not depart from Your plan… strengthen them with mighty power by Your Spirit to stand against wickedness, lies, and deception… Guide President Trump’s decisions; let Your light shine upon his path and show him the path of reversal for every evil way. Things are being pulled up by the roots… taken out… things that need to be restored are being restored… We pray over Israel and the situation with the embassy moving to Jerusalem… we believe it shall come to pass… we know Jerusalem is the capital of Israel… continually surround the President with godly men and women who impart wise counsel to him… Cause the way of the wicked to be set to confusion and come to nothing. Deliver us from the traps and snares the enemy has laid for us, and let the wicked be caught in their own devises and be brought to shame. We take authority over the plots and plans of the enemy against this nation. We plead the blood against any plot of the enemy that come against our nation. We pray over air ports and air planes, trains, whatever form of transportation all over the States… we cover with the blood of the Lamb and declare no weapon formed against us shall prosper… uncovered… hidden things revealed… Let prideful and lying lips be silenced in Jesus’ name… Slanderers will not be established in America. We pray for our congress, our supreme court … new members of the Supreme Court… that they be the right man or woman at the right time… our military leaders, and every branch of the military… we cover them with the blood… and our intelligence agencies … hidden things be revealed… Let the wisdom that is from above reign in this nation and be constantly speaking to our leaders. We exercise the authority You have given us to tread down all the power of the enemy. … the end of some things and the beginning of the new… new, new, new days… ideas… steps… new increases… increase of the lost coming in from the darkness to the light… hallelujah!… glory, glory, glory… We cast down and demolish imaginations and arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and we bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We bind spirits of strife and division, civil wars and tumults, spirits of hostility, lawlessness and blasphemy, and fires from hell that have burned in our cities. We pray over Minneapolis/St. Paul… all the suburbs… we cover them with the blood… no weapon formed against our cities will prosper… we cover our airport… the leaders of our cities… the mayors, both new mayors… we pray they have wisdom and understanding… help them to do and move and declare things to go in God’s way… We speak grace and peace over America. We pray and believe for the voice of truth, salvation, revival, and restoration to be proclaimed and heard across our land. Grant unto your servants everywhere that with all boldness we may speak your Word. Thank You for Your Word… We pray for a mighty outpouring of your Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles. We expect the wisdom of this world that is earthly, sensual, and devilish to depart and vanish until Your mighty work in America becomes a beacon of hope for all people everywhere. We expect the voice of rejoicing to be heard in our nation for your goodness, mercy, and prosperity in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Spirit, soul, and body… we prosper… whatever we set our hands unto will prosper… we ask extravagantly for Your plan and purpose… for prosperity in everything… we take authority over poverty… we ask beyond what we can think… every need met over and above… we hear Your voice… a stranger’s voice we will not follow… You’ve called us to walk in victory… (singing in the spirit) … Impossibilities… things we have no idea how to do… You’ll show us what to do… impossible steps… ways… doors… doors that have not opened, be opened! In Jesus’ name… impossibilities turned upside down to possibilities… it is coming to pass…
Pastor Ray interjected…
I’m reminded of the stand that our President and nation has taken for Israel. In that, this nation is about to enter into prosperity like never before. Other Presidents said they would do it but they didn’t do it. They bowed to the pressure. But this President did not bow to the pressure. He stood up and declared what already has been voted on that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that is where our embassy belongs. Hallelujah! For if we bless Israel, we shall be blessed!
Continued praying…
We pray over the preparations… the location and area where the embassy will be… we declare, no matter what other countries have voted against, in Jesus’ name, we pray for smooth sailing… we declare “It is coming to pass” … In Jesus’ name… things that need to be set straight, they shall be set straight… things shall work out right… Devil, take your hands off our money… we loose ministering spirits to “go get the money and bring it to us” … the wealth of the sinner has been laid up… we declare a loosing today… above and beyond and more than that…
Pastor Ray shared…
Because it’s Christmas, I want to read Luke 2:1–20. I found this in the Revival Study Bible. “Ever wonder what shepherds talk about while watching their flocks by night?” I like to put myself in the Word. I remember one time when I came out of the old building and saw Pastor Lynne sitting in her car. She was white as a ghost. I asked, “Are you alright?” She said she had just been in the tomb of Jesus! “What?!” In the tomb in the garden of Gethsemane. In the spirit, she went into the tomb where Jesus was laid. She observed everything that had taken place. Talk about putting yourself in the Word!
“Ever wonder what shepherds talk about while watching their flocks by night? Maybe the shepherds in this story had just finished counting the sheep and they were discussing plans to search for one that was missing. Perhaps one of them was sharing with the others that his dinner did not sit well with him or possibly the latest news of the day, the new tax census that Caesar Augustus had initiated may have been the focus of conversation. Little has changed since then. As our conversation is essentially the same today. Man spends much of his brief earthly sojourn choking on the smog of senseless speculations. What man needs to do is take in a fresh word from heaven’s throne. Being consumed with breaking news and current events can lead us to become so engrossed in earthly things that when God does come on the scene with a fresh word, He often frightens or angers us. Be it a word of instruction, a prophetic word, or a rebuking word, our reaction is usually the same as those mentioned in the Bible. We’re often startled and afraid as were the shepherds in Luke 2. Many become religious and offended as those of the synagogue in Nazareth. Some even shake with conviction as did Felix at the words of Paul. Those shepherds stopped their idle chitchat long enough to hear a fresh word from heaven and it changed their lives for eternity. Robert Murray said a calm hour with God is worth a whole lifetime with man. We must shake off the deluge of worldly words and seek the fresh breath of heaven for our lives and the lives of others.”
Thank You, Father, for a refreshing from heaven. We ask You for a fresh breath. Let us not be saying we’re so burned up and tired over Christmas, but let us stand strong and declare Your glory and thank You for what You did in that manger and on the cross. Thank You!
Luke 2:1, “About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
6–7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.
8–12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
13–14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
15–18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
19–20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!
Pastor Folu shared a testimony…
We were at this wonderful pizza place in Brooklyn Park. I’ll give a quick backdrop. The Lord has given us favor. We prayed that we’d be able to get into some businesses and right now we have Popeye’s in Brooklyn Park and Five-Dollar Pizza in Brooklyn Park. We set up a table in these businesses and give people water. We have a sign on our table that says “How can I pray for you?” and the same message is on our shirts as well. We’ve had the privilege of praying with a lot of people. There’s a lady I want to talk about that touched my heart. Her name is Jeanne from Plymouth. She used to be in management at Arby’s in Plymouth. One thing led to the other and her current condition is that she’s homeless sleeping in her car with her boyfriend. I asked, “How do you go from working in management to living in your car for the past months?” She said her health began to deteriorate. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The insurance she had was not the best. She came to a point where she had to decide “do I pay rent or pay for medications and treatments and copays.” She opted to pay for treatment. She didn’t pay for her rent and got evicted. But the good thing out of this is that she came into Five Dollar Pizza and was standing in line. After she paid, we engaged her. She came and sat down at our table and was open to the Gospel. She ended up getting saved and we ministered to her. There’s a lot of things going on with her. We prayed about her housing situation. She’s getting better. We prayed the healing process would continue. She wants to get back into the food industry and so we prayed for that.
That’s just one of the many things that Lord did last night. Last night, I went to Holiday Gas Station about the pressure in my tire. As I finished, I got back in my car and saw this gentleman sitting in his car while his friend had gone inside Holiday. I felt impressed to talk to him. He rolled down his window. He didn’t have a jacket on. I tapped on his window and said, “I want to talk to you about Jesus.” He was on the phone. He said, “Hold on,” and got out of his car, came outside and said, “Yes, what do you want to say about Jesus.” I was like, “Whoa!” I was not expecting that. But we need to start expecting that. One of the words the Lord said is that this is the day for expectation. A word given to brother Copeland was about going into stores and the unbelievers will see the light. Without us saying anything, they would come to us and say “Tell me about your God.” That’s a little bit of what that guy did. He was already a believer and so we just prayed. I said “Please pray for us. We’re going to be in Popeye’s from Saturday night to next Friday.” That’s when this campaign officially comes to an end. Then we’ll revisit it next year and ask the Lord what He wants us to do with it. This has been a huge springboard, another outlet that the Lord has given us.
Think about this. The Lord has given us access to be in a Muslim store to tell people about Jesus! When you think about it… Only God! Every time I think about it, I say “Lord, You are the almighty God.” Not only has He given us this access, this man… please pray for him. His name is Oman. He’s so close to getting saved. He’s so hospitable. The other day he gave us a pizza.
