Pastor Ray…
Good morning, everyone! Thank you for joining us this morning in the chapel every day. It’s a privilege and honor to be able to pray together. I wanted to start out this morning… I received an email from the UK. It says, “Hi, Pastor Ray. I wasn’t sure of the correct email address to be in touch from the UK, but just wanted to say a very, very big thank you for making live prayer times available online every day. It is a great encouragement. Thanks, Pastor Ray, Miss Annie, and the gentleman keyboard player.”
That would be Danny.
“And also Pastor Tim Amstutz, not forgetting the camera man.”
This morning it’s Josh.
“So thank you for making this possible for us to join in with you. I originally received Prayer Notes through the mail when Pastor Lynne first started them and now for a long time, I’ve been very grateful to receive GPAN online.”
If you don’t know what GPAN is, it’s a summary of what we pray every day. And you can go on the Living Word website and click on prayer and you’ll see how to sign up for it and you’ll get a summary every day. Whatever we pray, the confessions we make, all that kind of thing.
So this lady went on to say, “We agree with all your prayers for Pastor Mac and Lynne, all their family and everyone connected with Living Word to be safe and to be well. Thank you, once again, for being there and continually listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Thank you also for holding Prime Minister Boris Johnson up in prayer today.”
I think that was Tuesday.
“May all his blessings come upon you and overtake you.”
I wanted to read it because when we’re all joining up together, we’re in agreement. We don’t know how far our prayers go. We just know they go out. I just wanted to encourage you. We were raised this way here at Living Word through both Pastor Mac and Lynne that when we join ourselves together in a place of prayer, it’s not all about me, my family, my situation. We were raised that way, to come into a time of prayer… most of our prayer groups are one hour long and so we come in ready to give out our prayers to others. So we never really had people come in and go, “I had this and I had that.” We leave those things at the door and then we’re praying outward. So I want to encourage you with that, this morning. What we sow, we will reap. I always believe that within one hour of prayer, when we sow out at some point we receive back. We may receive just a word. We’ll be encouraged. We’ll be lifted up. Our families are blessed. Of course, we pray over our families, our pastors.
So Miss Annie and Danny, maybe I should have introduced them a long time ago, but they’re married. Annie and Danny Sunde. They flow really well together, and the main thing is the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows through them. And it takes us up. Go ahead, please.
Annie and Danny lead time of worship…
♪ nail pierced hands… a wounded side… this is love… a holy God, sacrificed… this is love… I bow down to the holy One… I bow down to the Lamb… I bow down to the worthy One… I bow down to the Lamb… Son of God… He died for us… this is love… He walked the hill… He bore the cross… this is love… I bow down to the holy One… I bow down to the Lamb… ♪
Pastor Ray…
We bow before You, Lord. That’s a picture of us moving out of the natural ways, natural days into supernatural plans, supernatural lifting. When we bow, we bring honor and reverence to the Father. We do that this morning. It’s a humbling before You, knowing that so many things natural are quite meaningless but You, Lord, mean everything to us. We trust and honor You. We lift You and know that without You, we can’t do it. But in You, humbling ourselves, trusting You, we can go all the way through. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, all the way through… until that some day when we hear “Well done, thy faithful servant.” We want to be faithful as You are faithful. You’ve been so good. You’re so faithful to us, Lord. Your goodness and mercy. Thank You.
In some ways, I feel in these past weeks, there’s been a change in maybe how we… well definitely a change in how we think, but I believe we’re being drawn up to a place where we can see more spiritually the steps and plans that we’re to take and to just follow what you tell us to do, follow by Your Spirit speaking to us and we know You are. So we trust You. I feel You’ve been reminding us of Your goodness and mercy and bringing to our hearts things You have done for us throughout our lives. So we can know you’re faithful. You did it then, You’ll do it now. That changed and this will change. So together as the church, not this church only but “the” church, the body of Christ. We believe we’re stepping up where we can see more clearly, stepping up where we can speak more clearly what You would have us speak. And that we’re above and moving out and preparing the way for the future days. Yes, there’s been a virus but it is defeated in Jesus’ name. Our full attention is on You, Lord, and on the future and continually contending for the church to be brighter and brighter and brighter. Thank You, Lord.
As we sang that song about bowing down, it reminded me back at North Hennepin… that’s a long time ago. Sandy and I were pretty new at Living Word. Their congregation was maybe 90 people at the time. They didn’t even have their own building. At first, I thought, “Why are we going somewhere where there’s no building.” We met at North Hennepin College. We’d always sit in certain chairs and there was a couple that always sat in front of us. Her name was Linda and when we sang like that, she would always bow down. That was new for me. Even to see people lifting up their hands. All that was new. But I still see that, that she would actually bow before Him. So this morning, when I opened up my eyes and see Miss Annie on her knees… that’s how we go through, lifting Him up, humbling ourselves before heaven know that is where all of our help comes from. Thank You, Lord.
I wanted to read a couple scriptures from Galatians.
Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”
Verse 22, “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”
Verse 25, “If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]”
Hallelujah! Holy Spirit of the living God! Let’s welcome Him. So much in these times so that we’ll fulfill and keep moving and be filled with all of these fruits of the Spirit. We need more of Him so we open up our hearts today, as much as we can. We are to “be being” filled up to overflowing with the precious Holy Spirit! That’s how we can really make a difference for others.
Okay, go ahead, Miss Annie.
Annie led in song…
♪ Welcome, Holy Spirit… we are in Your presence… fill us with Your power… come live inside of me… welcome, Holy Spirit… live big inside of me… You’re the living waters… our never-drying fountain… our comforter and counselor… take complete control… ♪
Pastor Ray…
That’s what we want, Lord. Take complete control. We cast aside our old ways… “be being filled.” Those are Your words. When we’re filled, the joy will seep out and the peace will be all around us… the comfort of the Spirit will move through us… the compassion… oh, thank You… let the rivers flow through us as we’ll filled and filled up… let Your power move… we yield and give ourselves to You… take control…
I just heard this in my spirit: “For many in these days, it won’t be just stepping into new places where you’ve never been, for many it will be stepping back just a bit to see what He did call you to do, then entering on into that, that He showed you then. Because He is our strength and comforter and He gives revelation to us. So for many of us, we just begin to do what He’s already shown us to do and then we’ll step over into more and more of the new. Hallelujah! New opportunities… new doors of favor… more strength, more endurance. Thank You, Lord.
I want to pray this prayer. Someone sent this to me two days ago. She said it was after 911, a critical time in our nation, and it was in Kenneth Copeland’s magazine. This lady copied it and she and her husband kept praying it over and over and over and she said they prayed it through three different Presidents. So as soon as President Trump was President and Vice President Pence, she put their names in here. But they’ve been praying over different administrations. So I’m going to pray down through it and we’ll have it on GPAN so you can have another resource to pray for America. This is the right time now to be lifting up our country and our President.
A PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
Heavenly Father, I come before You in the name of Jesus on behalf of the United States of America. I pray for a shield over this country and for insight into and uncovering of all terrorist activity. I rebuke the spirit of fear, terror, and division. It has no place here.
Father, You said the heart of a king is in Your hand, and You turn it whichever way You choose. So I ask You to direct the heart and mind of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. I pray for the wisdom of God, that he makes the right decisions. I also pray for their divine strength and health. I set myself in agreement with them that we receive these things, in Jesus’ name.
I give thanks that our government is upon Jesus’ shoulder, and I hold up in prayer all the men and women in positions of authority over us in any way. I am lifting up the three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. State, local, and federal. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon them and a hedge of protection surrounds them.
I believe skillful and godly wisdom has enters into their hearts, and knowledge is pleasant to them. Discretion watches over them. Understanding keeps them and delivers them from the way of evil and from evil men. Lord, I believe You give them revelation of Your perfect will, and all their decisions are divinely directed by You.
I thank You, Lord, for bringing change to the politics of our nation. Thank You for changing the voices of influence to speak in agreement with Your Word. I ask You to send laborers, filled with the Spirit of wisdom and might, to surround our leaders with godly counsel and insight. I also ask You to remove from positions of authority those who stubbornly oppose righteousness, and replace them with men and women who will follow You and Your appointed course for America.
Pastor Ray adds…
We pray over the election that is coming in November 2020. We believe our nation will continually move more and more and more in God’s perfect will and ways. We declare this morning… no, no, no… there will be no opportunity to derail that election and make it go in the wrong way. No! We plead the blood of Jesus over the election, over the outcome. We lift it up and plead the blood over everyone that would vote, in Jesus’ name. It will not be derailed. No plan of the enemy will come to pass. Thank You, Lord.
Your Word declares that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” I receive Your blessing and declare with my mouth that Your people dwell safely in this land and they prosper abundantly.
You said in Your Word that if Your people would turn from their wicked ways and pray, You would heal the land. So, Lord, I repent for the sins of this nation. I ask that you would cleanse us and forgive us for idolatry, witchcraft, the sin of abortion and what we’ve done to the sanctity of marriage and the spirit of division that we’ve allowed to rule in our nation and every kind of disobedience. Grant this nation a spirit of repentance and cover us with Your mercy. As we turn back to You, Lord, I believe the land is being healed.
As we enter the final hours of the last days, I ask for the spirit of faith, the working of miracles, for signs, wonders, gifts, demonstrations of the Holy Spirit and power to be in strong operation. Let believers in the United States and in every land be unified to stand strong by faith in Jesus, the anointed One and His anointing, that Your glory may be revealed in all the earth.
I thank you that the good news of the gospel is published in our land, and Your Word prevails and grows mightily in the hearts and lives of the people. I declare that Jesus is Lord over the United States! Thank You, Lord, that these requests come to pass. I believe in Jesus’ name. Amen
Pastor Ray continues…
Thank You, Lord, that these requests come to pass. We believe it. We receive it. In Jesus’ name. Jesus is Lord.
Annie, let’s sing “Jesus is Lord.”
Annie sings…
♪ He is Lord… He has risen from the dead and He is Lord… every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord… ♪
Pastor Ray…
The beginning verses of Psalm 91.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. (Amp.)
The beginning of Psalm 92 says, “It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High, 2 To show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night. … verse 10, I am anointed with fresh oil. … 12 The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].” 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
Thank You, Lord. We trust You and rely on You. We take comfort. We keep looking up from where our help comes from. And we keep marching in Him. Thank You, Father.
Before we finish, tomorrow is Good Friday, so we’re still going to have prayer here in the chapel. We’ll go through some things about why we call it Good Friday. Pastor Tim will be here and we’ll be directed by the Holy Spirit. Thank you for tuning in. We appreciate it so much and we’ll all in this together. So we take that comfort and strength today.
