Morning Prayer Summary for Friday, July 17, 2020

Pastor Ray…

Good morning! I got a text from Cindy. She texted me yesterday about 777, something we talked about earlier in the week. She texted, “We have a credit card from heaven with no limits. (It is finished.) Our address in the spirit is 777. (It is finished.)” So I texted back, “Also, there is no expiration date and Jesus is the code, or the key.” You know when they ask you what your code is. J.E.S.U.S Because He said, “It is finished.” I like that. That was a little hors d`oeuvre for this morning.

I wanted to welcome the Holy Spirit, of course. We welcome You in this place. We’re so grateful and thankful for Your presence. We require it. We have to have it. And You made us to want more. You’ve given us words to pray that we might receive and our hearts would be more open to You… to the “more.” Thank You, Holy Spirit.

I touched on this at the end of yesterday, but I want to go over this again. I have three things. Breakthroughs. Expectation. And receiving. So I looked up Hebrews 13:8 and this is in the Passion translation. “Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever.” He’s not changing. That means what He did for us is not changing. It’s always good and it’s always more. The Aramaic is translated, “Jesus the Messiah is the fulfillment of yesterday, today, and forever.” That doesn’t mean we just lay back on a hammock and let Him do it. We have a part, words to speak, and things to believe. We have to receive it.

Breakthrough can mean like major progress or advance. And research is like a “Wow there’s a major discovery” or it could be like a military advance. So a breakthrough is also like an act or an instance of breaking through an obstacle. Breakthrough is agreement or a sudden advance, especially in knowledge or technique. It could be, again, a medical situation, a medical breakthrough.

Then connected to that, I felt expectation is so connected. I’m talking about these three (Breakthroughs. Expectation. Receiving.) so when we start singing, going, praying, we’re believing for breakthroughs and we have expectation we’re going to see them. And we’re going to do whatever we can to receive them.

So expectation is hope, anticipation, a longing, or a waiting for, or it’s a strong belief that something will happen or be the case. We always say “something good” or, you know, it’s better and better.

One more thing. That’s the receiving part is to take or acquire, something given, something offered, or something is transmitted. The Spirit of God does that. He’ll transmit things to us. He’s transmitting 24/7! So we have to have our ears open and our hearts open. Then it also means to hear or see. Or like to receive a good report, to admit or welcome guests, receive like that.

I had a couple things we can do to check our receivers… tune them up. We talked just a tad about that yesterday, how we need to do that sometimes. You have to tune in exactly to the right channel like on a radio. Here are things we can check to be sure our receivers are tuned in.

Number one: Keep glorifying God.
Number two: Be thankful. Have a thankful heart.
Number three: Recognize the power of our imagination.

Pastor Mac talks a lot about the imagination and spending time just imagining how it will be. We can tie it into this, how it will be when the breakthrough comes full bore! Also just have a good heart.

This afternoon, I have the honor of doing a service for a young man that suddenly left because of a medical situation. I’m doing the service for him. I didn’t know him, but my wife, Sandy, and I know his mother. His mom was a volunteer at the bookstore for over 20 years. She would bring her son at ten years old while she worked at the bookstore. She would sit him in a chair and he would read Christian books. He was always into the Lord. I talked to his mother and said, “Tell me some things about him.” His name is Sam. She said, “Anyone that knew him would say he was loving and tender hearted.” That’s a good way to check up on our receivers. Be tender. Be loving. She said he cared about people and had a gentle non-judgmental spirit and was always quick to forgive. He always had a love for God and had an ability to make people feel accepted and feel special. I thought those were all good. What an amazing young man. He lived his life for God. He just had a situation that he didn’t know was serious. And overnight, it took him out. Instead of going in and getting it checked out, he thought it would just go away.

Sometimes I feel like laying down in the front pew and let Pastor Tim just go! So I went through this list so we’d have that in mind as we worship. Breakthroughs… we can throw that out like, “Yeah, I want a breakthrough.” Well, what do you mean? So that’s why I gave the definition of what a breakthrough is and if we’re truly expecting. And then to check up on our receivers. When we’re declaring breakthroughs, we want to expect them and receive them. All right, Pastor Tim…

Pastor Tim led group in worship…

There’s a breaking in my favor… there’s a shifting in my direction… there’s a breaking in my favor… as I give you all the praise, all of the praise is Yours… ♪ I like to say it this way. ♪ There’s a breakthrough in my favor… according to Your Word, Lord… there’s a shifting in my direction… there’s a breakthrough in my favor as I praise… that’s Your promise so I believe I receive… can I just say there’s a breaking this morning in your favor… ♪ There’s a breakthrough coming for you. ♪ There’s a shifting, a changing, a rearranging in your direction…

Pastor Ray…

I just looked up “what is a spiritual shift?” I just googled it. I love this first part. It says you don’t notice something until you do. You don’t notice it until you notice it. So then it says, “and once that happens, you see things differently than you did before. Well, that’s pretty much what a spiritual shift does. It changes the way you see the world, the way you see people, the way you see your life, and everything else under the sun, the moon, and the stars. Whoo! That’s serious! You don’t notice something until you notice it. Wow. There’s a shift. By faith.

Pastor Tim…

The Bible says to call those things that are not as though they were. We’re supposed to see those things happen with the eyes of our faith. So we see the change occurring. We see the shifting taking place through the eyes of our faith because that’s the promise of His Word to us. We know that things are not going to stay the same.

Thank You, Father, for the promise of Your Word to us. You said I know the thoughts and plans I have for you are good. Only good. Thoughts to give you a hope. Plans to give you a hope and a future an expected end. Thank You, Father, for things are changing. Things are rearranging. Father, You said that even the heart of the king is in Your hand. You said that man makes his plans but You have the final say and the final word. Thank You, Lord. So this morning we see increase. We declare life and blessing and favor over our lives and over all of our circumstances. We speak life and blessing and favor. We declare breakthrough. Thank You for breakthrough, Father. Thank You that things are breaking in our favor, things are shifting, things are turning around for our good. Because You are the way maker and You make a way where there seems to be no way. Thank You, Lord, that You’re a miracle worker and You’re still working miracles! Oral Roberts said that miracles are coming to us, going past us every single moment of every single day. Father, we just reach out and take the promise of Your Word and bind it to ourselves. Thank You, Father, that You’re a promise keeper. That You are always faithful to perform Your Word. You never go back on Your Word. You never alter Your Word. You never change Your mind, Lord. Because You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You never change! You’re a good, good Father.

You’re a good, good Father… that’s who You are… and I’m loved by You… that’s who I am… You’re a good, good Father… ♪

Pastor Tim shared…

I know that some of you are going through some tough things. I would never want to trivialize or marginalized what you’re going through and what you’re dealing with because it’s very real and it’s impacting your life. It’s hard. It’s difficult. It’s challenging. No doubt about that. But I just want to encourage you that God is still in control. He’s still in charge. He’s still got you right here in the palm of His hand. You’re His precious, most prized possession. You’re the apple of His eye. He knows your name. He knows where you are. He cares about you and about what you’re going through. He cares about everything that you’re concerned about. He loves you. He’s for you. He’s not against you. He’s fighting for you. I just want to encourage you this morning to look up because He is where your help comes from. And He’s reaching out to you this morning. I believe that breakthrough is coming to your house. Breakthrough is coming to your family… to your finances… to you where your health is concerned. I believe that things are turning around for you if you’ll just begin to thank Him, not for the circumstances but thank Him for who He is and who He has been to you. Thank Him for His goodness to you, for His faithfulness, for His kindness, for His everlasting love, His unconditional love and acceptance. Thank Him for your salvation. Thank Him for the healing that He has brought to you. Thank Him for taking care of you. Thank Him for providing for your every need. Thank Him for protecting you, for keeping you. He’s been good to you. That’s undeniable. He is good. He is good no matter what the circumstances are. He is good and His mercy and His lovingkindness is forever. He’s a good, good God. You can put your hope, your truest in Him. You can depend on Him. Because He will never, ever let you down.

You’re never going to let me down… You are good… oh yeah… You are good to me… You’ve been so good to me… You are good…  ♪

I just sense in my heart that some of you are disappointed, maybe discouraged because things didn’t work out the way that you had thought or the way that you had hoped. Can I just tell you that’s not the present circumstances do not negate the promise of God’s Word to you? You just keep holding onto the promise of God. I believe that things are going to turn around in your favor. I believe that the best for you is yet to come. It may not look like it right now at this moment, but that’s the promise of God to you. I’m sorry to be redundant but this is the promise of God. He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the thoughts and plans I have for you. they are good for welfare and not for evil or for destruction but to give you a hope and a future, an expected end.” That’s still the promise of God to you. Again, it may not look like it but you just hold fast to the promise of God’s Word. Keep standing. The Bible says when you’ve done all to stand, keep standing. Don’t get weary in well doing. Pastor Mac always says if you don’t quit, you win. So don’t give up and don’t give in. You’re going to see the promise of God on your behalf because He’s good and He’s trustworthy. He’s been good to you… faithful. He’s got a track record. You know what He’s done. And what He did for you before, He can surely do again. He is the author and the finisher of your faith. He will leave nothing undone. He is faithful to complete that which He has begun. That’s, again, His promise to us.

Thank You, Lord… You’re a good, good Father… that’s who you are… and I know that I know that I know that I’m loved by You… that’s who I am… ♪

For those of you that are battling some kind of physical ailment, symptoms, can I just remind you this morning… again, the promise of God to us and that Jesus’s death provided for us… by the stripes of Jesus, you were healed. Therefore you are healed. So just stand on that promise this morning and just say…

Every day is going to get sweeter… every day I’m getting better… every day gets sweeter… gets better… I’m getting better… by the stripes of Jesus I know that I was healed; therefore I’m healed… I’m delivered…I’m set free… I’m delivered from the curse… from every kind of sickness, disease, and infirmity… Oh, I’m getting better… I’m getting stronger…  ♪

The Bible says that when we praise, the enemy has to flee. It literally shuts him up. He cannot stand in the presence of God and he hates it when we praise the Lord our God. He can’t stay around. He’s got to go. The Bible says that when we praise Him, the Devil flees from us in seven different directions. He flees in terror. That’s how our circumstances will begin to change as we praise Him.

This is how we fight our battle… this is how I fight my battle… ♪ You might just want to life your hand, just as an act of your faith and say, ♪  this is how I fight my battle… I’m going to praise You, no matter what, Lord… this is how I fight my battle… I’m going to declare the goodness of the Lord this morning… this is how I fight my battle… as an act of my will I’m going to praise You, Lord… I’m going to choose to believe You and to trust You and stand on Your word… this is how I fight my battle… I’m surrounded by You… ♪

 You know what that means to me, is that even when it feels like we’re surrounded by the enemy and the warfare that’s coming against us, the circumstances seem dire. Well, I’ve got good news. There are more with us than are against us. Our God and all the host of heaven are fighting for us. They’re fighting on our behalf. So there are more that are for us than there are that are arrayed against us. And if God be for us, who can be against us? Man, that ought to just make you want to shout this morning. Whoo! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is for us! He’s not against us. And if our God before us, who dare be against us. Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph. Hallelujah! Glory!

This is how we fight our battle… this is how I fight my battle… ♪

Pastor Ray…

Pastor Tim, every time you’re singing that this morning that He’s reaching out… well He is. Everything you would say it, it reminds me of this scene from quite a few years ago. My mom was into her mid-90s and she lived in her apartment and was never sick. We were raised Catholic. When she would go to confession, she would be in there for like 20 minutes. We were like, “What is she doing?” As kids, we were embarrassed because we never saw her curse, or … we never saw her do anything wrong. So she had some internal parts were breaking down so she ended up in hospice and all my family was there in the room. She was very alert. My sister had been a nun for a lot of years. So three of her friends who are still nuns… one was a music major and so they came in and said, “Would you mind if we sing a little bit?” We were like, “Sure.” They started worshiping the Lord. It still gives me shivers. The anointing came into the room so powerfully when they started doing exactly what you’re doing. Just lifting Him up. They didn’t pray over my mom. They didn’t come to do that. They came to lift Him up. It was a beautiful scene. And we were in hospice. My family didn’t know what it was. All it made them do was just weep because it was His presence. So they finished and my mom looked over and said, “I see Jesus. I kept seeing Jesus and He was reaching out to me saying, come.” We were so melted. And we thought she was going to exit immediately but it took maybe two or three more days. But still, she saw Him. She was a born again Catholic lady. She lived that Catholic way, church every day, the rosary, all her little prayers. But He appeared to her with His hands reaching out toward her. It meant so much for us, of course, and even more for her. But she was able to exit. The priest was involved, of course. He’d come into the room a day after that and would pray a Psalms and then leave. Then my mom would say, “Well, I suppose you could have done that too.” She knew it wasn’t all about him, it was about Him and His Word. She wasn’t making fun of him, she just took everything and exited earth in such a beautiful way.

Why do you think that in the Old Testament they sent those praisers, those worshipers out in the front of the army? How would you like to do that? When you kept singing that, the enemy is terrified of worship and praise. And it does still him. I like the way it says that. The enemy will be stilled… or stopped in his tracks.

So if you’re thinking, “wow, we didn’t hardly pray.” Yes, we did. One of the highest forms of prayers is praise. Worship. Magnifying the Lord almighty. In the anointing that comes because we keep lifting Him, we can say even just one word like “go” speaking to fear, “get out”… we know there’s a lot of it around that has to go. Someone said they were speaking to a Christian and they said they thought this time is up. We’re going down. This country will never come up. We’re leaving. Whatever. They were like, excuse me? We must continually speak what the Word says. That’s just a picture of every other situation that might be going on. We speak against it and we’ve said it a lot, we take the blood of Jesus and push back on the things the Devil wants to do or has plans to do. We push him back by the blood. But then we too use that blood for protection, for a covering… so when we’re called by the Word to lift up our leaders, we lift them up. We lift up our President. We put the blood of Jesus around him. Yesterday, we prayed for those that the words of faith declared over him or to him for those that are around him would … it would be stronger than any words of doubt or lies or inaccuracies. So we still will always believe that. This word will be spoken over and into him and it shall always have its way.

I think we should just sing our way out this morning. If you don’t mind, Pastor Tim.

Pastor Tim led the group in worship…

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