Pastor Ray shared…
Happy Friday! Will you be blessed when the vote takes place? And it goes in the right way? Yes! It will.
Was it last Friday when we were praying along and my phone lit up? Yes. When Jeff Flake said he was going to vote yes. And we were like “YES! Hallelujah!” And then he was corralled in the elevator. The Devil raised his head and he was… whatever. So which way are all those people that are on the fence going? God’s way!
I just had this, this morning. I want to read the first part of Psalm 91, in the Passion translation. Starting at verse one: “When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. 2 He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. 3 He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse.”
I read “false accusation…” and I thought we need to pray over this church to be out front and ahead of any kind of trap the enemy has planned against us.
Prayed…
Father, in Jesus’ name, we come by the blood… we declare that covering and protection through the blood that was shed on the cross over this ministry… we pray for our leaders, Pastor Mac and Lynne… we lift them up and pray the blood covering over them in Jesus’ name… and over Living Word and all of the different ministries that take place from here that go all over the earth… Your Word, Father… so we declare out front from today right now, we plead the blood of Jesus the seconds, the minutes, the hours, days, weeks, and months ahead. We cover out front… we go out front and plead the blood of Jesus for protection… we take authority over any kind of activity from the enemy that would try to bring a false accusation in any way… we lay a blanket of protection over this ministry, our pastors, the pastoral staff, all the staff, all those that call this their home church and all those that have just arrived on the scene… any kind of activity of the enemy that has already tried to enter, we say “Get out! Leave the premises. Get out of this place in Jesus’ name.” … no weapon formed against this church shall prosper… every activity, plan of the enemy is derailed… cut off… stopped in its tracks… it cannot happen… we lay the blood of the Lamb out front… we plead the blood out front… we believe for a spirit of seeing and knowing for those things that need to be revealed… they shall be revealed in Jesus’ name… uncovered and revealed… for Living Word will continually be the Living Word… thank You for an even greater outflow of Your Word from this place… thank You for the ministry of the Holy Spirit…
Pastor Ray interjected…
Sandy was watching brother Keith Moore from Branson at the Week of Increase, and he was talking about brother Hagin talking about the gifts of the Spirit, having more gifts of the Spirit in operation in the church. He said years ago, brother Hagin taught that the more we pray in other tongues, the more the gifts of the Spirit will be in manifestation. The less we pray in other tongues, the less there will be of the gifts of the Spirit in manifestation. So if we’re looking for more, we pray in the Holy Ghost more. If we’re not filled, how can we give out the fullness?
I want to read from Bill Johnson’s book, “Defining Moments” where he talks about Charles Finney.
Many Baptisms
One of the most important aspects of Finney’s personal life and ministry is that he always hungered for more of God. His encounters with God are legendary. The fruit of those encounters is also legendary, establishing some of the high points of the Second Great Awakening. And yet he knew there was more. This hunger marked him in a profound way. Although he had experienced some of the greatest harvests of souls anyone has ever seen, he knew there was more.
Regardless of our various definitions of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we can all probably agree it was essential in the life of the early church. And as we look through history at the greatest world changers, they all sought for and experienced this gift from God, viewing it as absolutely essential. For Charles Finney, there were at least two major baptisms.
It’s rather strange to the natural mind, but there is a spiritual hunger that comes only from fullness and satisfaction. In the same way that we are exalted by humbling ourselves, or that we receive by giving, so we experience our greatest hunger from our greatest satisfaction or fullness.
Such was the case for Finney. His overwhelming sense of the presence of God upon his life was just enough for him to cry for more. These God encounters became his new norm, as they should be for any believer. It was this second touch that made such an increased impact on him and the world around him. These baptisms of the Spirit are the defining moments that shape the course of history. It is time for those who claim to have had this experience to actually hunger for more until the world around us stands up and takes notice that the living God is among us.
I love the perspective that we don’t have to get down and dried up to get hungry. When we get filled up, we’re even hungrier for more. We need to “be being filled” and remain hungry for more.
I want to pray all of Psalm 91. It seems right to do that.
Psalm 91
When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai,
you are hidden in the strength of God Most High.
2 He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me,
the only God for me, and my great confidence.
3 He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy,
and he will protect you from false accusation
and any deadly curse.
4 His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.
You can run under his covering of majesty and hide.
His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.
5 You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night
nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.
6 Don’t fear a thing!
Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you,
nor will the powers of evil launched against you.
7 Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed,
you will remain unscathed and unharmed.
8 you will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment,
for they will be paid back for what they have done!
9–10 When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High,
our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm.
How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us?
11 God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go,
defending you from all harm.
12 If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you
and keep you from stumbling.
13 You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness,
trampling every one of them beneath your feet!
14 For here is what the Lord has spoken to me:
“Because you have delighted in me as my great lover,
I will greatly protect you.
I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before my face.
15 I will answer your cry for help every time you pray,
and you will find and feel my presence
even in your time of pressure and trouble.
I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast.
16 You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you.
For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”
Prayer continued…
Thank You, Lord… in the stillness, we sense Your presence… we know You’re with us… we can see and know Your way to go… undo, undo, unto it… we undo that… we watch over it and we undo it… that was the wrong door… that was not the way to go… we undo it in Jesus’ name… we apply the blood over the right path and ways… we step ahead… no, no, no way… not going that way… we’re going this way… not that plan, this plan… all of the keys… to open the doors… contending… watching and praying… we take our place and set up in heavenly places high above… contending for the right votes… that that was broken, it shall be restored… the wrong shall be made right… some things will be permanently removed… we look up and watch… decisions, the right decisions… cover with the blood… for the favor of God… even in the last hours… a turn, a continual move… we contend for the right way, the right move… a mandate from heaven… delays, be removed… we pray over the God-ordained steps… a continuing to contend… confusion for that way… an opening for this way… great revelation… seeing and knowing to go in the right flow… waking up to what is right… we deal with it by the blood and the name… Cooperation… with the Spirit… ha, ha, ha… We watch… over it…
Dave prayed and shared…
Thank You, Father, for Your grace and power… thank You for the Holy Spirit who helps us… as we make our requests be made know known unto You, who is the author and finisher of our faith, You began our faith… You sustain us in our faith… and You finished the work of our faith… You fill us with the promise and hope to which we’ve been called… to know that it’s worth looking unto You… the rewarder of our faith… thank You for it…
I just had this thing in my heart earlier this week and it came back to me today while we were praying. The Holy Spirit said to me “It’s not what they do, it’s not what happens that matters. It’s what I do.” He said that to me for this purpose. He was trying to communicate to me that “your focus should be on Me, not them. Your focus should be on My plan, not that plan. Your focus should be on what I say, not what they say.” So when brother Ray was reading the Word, those were the words we need to focus on. When we focus and meditate on those, it allows our spirits to ascend to a place where we start looking and expecting the good things, expecting the possibilities rather than the impossibilities. Having a position of peace, authority, confidence that you can stand in the midst of adversity and have a confidence that “this too we shall overcome.” That’s the position of authority and faith that is not easily shaken or moved.
Cindy shared…
Last night, I went to the movie, “The Trump Prophecy.” The scripture they started this whole prayer thing about our country was “If My people humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will heal their land.” That kept visiting me and visiting me. I’m praying and praying. In Isaiah it talks about do we keep turning the soil and seed. We have to sow the seed in the soil. Don’t know why that came up, but then all of a sudden out of my spirit, I heard, “We need a lightning strike.” I didn’t know what that means. So I Googled it. I know lightning clears and cleans the air. So I Googled the question, “What does lightning do for the soil?” This is where lightning comes in. “In thunderstorms there’s enough electrical energy and lightning to separate the nitrogen atoms in the air. Once the atoms are separated, they can fall to the earth with the rain and combines with the minerals in the soil to form nitrates, a type of fertilizer.” So it’s kind of like healing the soil. So I had the anointing on me to say that. And I know that when He wants me to say things, I don’t even know how or what I’m supposed to say, but I just know I have to say it. I have to release it. So I pray for the lightning to come in our country, and a lightning strike to happen. Then God, Your purpose would be fulfilled in that in how it cleans the atmosphere. You smell the fresh air after a thunderstorm. And it just feels clean. It aligns everything and it cleans everything out. But it mends the soil.
You said, Lord, that if we pray and humble ourselves, come to a place where we are repentant… and He’s not talking to the world. He’s talking to His people to repent. He said “you turn.” You align yourselves and pray and humble yourselves, then He will heal the soil. So we thank You today that all these things are just smoke and mirrors. You are the Creator of heaven and earth. You uphold and maintain all things. Without You being in it, they would cease to exist. You are in everything. So we decree that we see everything good and it’s working, Father. We are aligning ourselves to Your purpose and will. We repent for all the fear and lack of trust so we don’t have that. We just repent. And we ask You, Lord, to come with Your thunder and lightning. That speaks quick and decisive and that You would heal our land. That our country would bring forth prosperity. It’s in the soil, Lord. The good soil. We call it good in Jesus’ name. America is a seedbed for growth and for Your prosperity. That goodness and righteousness would flourish in this country. Mercy and truth have met.
Dave continued…
That’s a good example of the Lord speaking to us and giving us His thoughts. He has a plan. We look at the lightning and we tend to think it’s a destructive force. But maybe that’s not the way to look at it. If you look at it through the eyes of God, you can see benefit. If you look at it in the eyes of what the enemy is telling you, like all the stuff happening in the media… it has degraded and destroyed our country. The last two weeks have been bad. But you can’t get caught up in all of that. You got to look to heaven from where our help comes from. You have to look at God’s purpose for this nation. When He created this nation, He had a purpose in mind. And that this would be a great nation to take the Gospel throughout the world. That’s why He established this country. For that ability. What the Lord was showing me was that our focus needs to be different than the focus we’ve had. Because when you focus on the things that are just, pure, and praiseworthy, you’re praying different. Not only you’re praying different, you’re believing different. Your position is different. Your attitude is different. Your confidence is different. Everything is different about you. And the way you present yourself before God it’s not in a weak, weeping, low disposition, groveling person. You come to Him with boldness. The Bible says come boldly to the throne of grace.
