Prayer for the President and nation…
Father, in the name of Jesus and according to your Word, we pray for those in authority in our nation. We lift up President Donald Trump, his family, his staff, and cabinet members. Let Your Word 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. Continually surround him 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. 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, our military leaders, and our intelligence agencies. 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. 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 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. 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.
Mary led group in worship…
Pastor Ray shared…
I want to share something from Andrew Wommack’s book, “Excellence: How to Pursue an Excellent Spirit.” He spoke about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Because of their great confidence in God, Daniel and his friends weren’t afraid to speak the truth. They weren’t concerned with criticism. Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, they were able to hold fast the profession of their faith (Heb. 10:23).
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s image, the king threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace, and he taunted them by asking, “And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan. 3:15). But they weren’t afraid. They weren’t even worried. They said:
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve they gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (Dan. 3:17–18)
What great faith! Unfortunately, every time I minister using these verses, people approach me and question the three Hebrew children’s statement in Daniel 3:18. For some reason, people see their “but if not” statement as a negative confession. I don’t think it is. I think this statement is a great profession of faith. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that God was bigger than the circumstances they were facing. They knew He was able to deliver them, and they believed He would. “But if not,” they said, “If for some reason we die in the fire, we will still believe God, and we will still serve Him.”
Let me give you a modern-day example. I believe it is God’s will to heal. I believe God wants all of His children to live in health, and I’ve seen a lot of physical proof that my belief is accurate. I’ve walked in supernatural health for over forty years. I’ve seen blind eyes and deaf ears opened. I’ve seen cancers healed. I’ve seen people come out of wheelchairs. I’ve seen about every kind of miracle there is. I’ve even seen people raised from the dead. I believe it is God’s will to heal every person, every time. But I don’t see every person I pray for healed.
My sister recently died battling lung cancer. I know lung cancer wasn’t God’s will for her life, and she knew it too. She was believing to be healed the best she knew how, yet she died. I don’t understand all the ins and outs of that situation, but one thing I do know: God didn’t miss it. His Word says that healing is the children’s bread (Matt. 15:21–28). Even though I didn’t see my sister healed, I know God’s Word is still true. He is still the God who “forgiveth all thine iniquities; [and] healeth all thy diseases” (Ps. 103:3, brackets added).
But a lot of people let circumstances dictate their theology. They don’t let the Bible get in the way of what they believe. The average Christian may read that by Jesus’ stripes they were healed (1 Pet. 2:14), but they let their God-fearing, great-aunt Alice’s battle with diabetes “prove” that God doesn’t always heal His people. Romans 3:4 says, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” If God’s Word says He heals all our diseases (Ps. 103:3), then He heals all our diseases. If the Word says Jesus carried our griefs and purchased our healing (Isa. 53:4–5), then He carried our griefs and purchased our healing ( 1 Peter. 2:24), regardless of what our experience says.
Pastor Ray continued to share…
God cannot deny His Word. God and His Word are one! How could He deny His own Word? So His Word is true. I wanted to share something that happened yesterday. I had to get an eye checkup. The doctor has an assistant do all the pre-work. She’s testing everything. I’m then waiting for the doctor to come. He’s maybe 50 years old. Sandy and I have gone to him a few times. He knows about this church. He knows about Pastor Mac. When the doctor comes in, they usually have an assistant present. She said, “I’m going to be here with the doctor and I’ll be taking notes…” blah, blah, blah. He came in and the first thing I noticed was his shirt. His shirt was bunched up, sticking up in the back. He says, “Hi, Mr. Kelly!” And I said, “Excuse me.” I got out of the chair and went behind him and straightened out his shirt for him. It just came on me. I couldn’t stand it. I had to fix it.
After I fixed his shirt, he goes, “What does your church believe about exorcisms?” You should have seen the assistant. That opened up the door, about what do we do about the Devil. I said he’s defeated. We lay hands on people and they’re healed. The Devil has to go cuz he’s defeated. It opened up the door for a spiritual back and forth for ten minutes. He’s Catholic. I told him I used to be Catholic. He said, “Some of my family are Assembly of God and we have interesting talks when we get together.” He said, “What are you praying about?” He kept asking questions. I said, “One thing, first of all, we’re praying for our nation and we’re praying over our leaders. We’re using 1st Timothy where it says ‘first of all, pray for those in authority.’ The door was wide open to share. Because his shirt was in disarray, it opened the door. After I fixed his shirt, he was no longer the doctor but became someone interested in the things of God.
Erika shared…
I wanted to share this part of the prayer we’re going to pray because it fits so perfectly. This morning as I was getting ready, the words “manifold wisdom of God” popped up on the inside of me. I knew exactly what He was talking about and where I should go and what I should look at in my Bible. I did that. So all that Ray said relates exactly to this. Paul in the third chapter is talking about his call and what he was called out of and he said, “To me who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable wisdom of Christ. And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” I like the comment on this. He says:
“The textual variation suggests dispensation here for fellowship describes Paul’s driving desire to help every believer see the personal role each has in dispensing.”
Every believer has a role in dispensing the wisdom of God. Pastor Ray was dispensing some wisdom in an unexpected way because of the Holy Ghost. He goes on to say, “who created all things through Jesus Christ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to principalities, powers in heavenly places.” It says what manifold means: from much, varied, many colored. The word pictures God’s wisdom as a much varied with many shades, tints, hues, colorful expression. As a God of variety, He is still entering the human arena displaying many sided, multi-colored, much varied wisdom of God to His people and through His people. So the anointing on Pastor Ray which is part of who he is, he couldn’t stand a wrinkled collar. It opened up the door to share about God. Working with who you are in Christ, not making you somebody else, but working with the gift of God on the inside of you to release the manifold wisdom of God to and through the Church. So you had an unbeliever there astounded by what was going on, but a believer there who was getting revelation about what God wanted for his life. So that’s the everyday operation of the Spirit of God that He desires that every believer sees the personal role each has in dispensing, spreading, distributing, administering the grand truth of God’s purpose in the church.
That’s why we pray about the Church all the time! We pray about the revelation of the function of God that you discover the function He has for you personally. I couldn’t go in and do the same thing Pastor Ray did. I’d just think, “Oh dear, he’s got a wrinkled collar.” But something else might work for me.
Pastor Ray continued…
I was blessed when he said those that are around the President that are not speaking right things, need to get out. I loved it. The Pauline prayers. I like this prayer.
Prayed Pauline Prayers…
For we always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant every one of us a spirit of wisdom, revelation of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him by having the eyes of our hearts flooded with light. so that we all can know and understand the hope to which He’s called us and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints, we, His set apart ones, and so that we all can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in us and for us who believe. As demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule, all authority, and power and dominion and every name that is named above every title that can be conferred, not only in this age but also in the age and the worlds which are to come. And He has put all things under His feet (and ours) and has appointed Him the universal and supreme head of the church, a headship exercised throughout the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills us all in all. For in that body lives the full measure of Him who makes everything complete and who fills everything everywhere with Himself. For this reason, we also from the day we heard of it have not ceased to pray and make special requests for one another. Asking that we all may be filled with the full, deep and clear knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things that we all may walk, live, and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things. Bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight acquaintance and recognition. We all pray for each other that we may be invigorated, strengthened with all power according to His might and His glory. To exercise every kind of endurance and patience, perseverance and forbearance with joy. For this reason, seeing the greatness of this plan by which we are all built together in Christ, we all bow our knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for whom every family in heaven and on earth is named that from whom all fatherhood takes his title and derives its name. May he grant unto every one of us out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit Himself indwelling our inner most being and personality. May Christ throughout faith actually dwell, settle down, abide and make His permanent home in all our hearts. May we all be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love that we all may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all our fellow saints, God’s devoted people, the experience of that love. What is the breadth and length and height and depth of it that we all may really come to know practically through experience for ourselves the love of Christ which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience that we all may be filled through all of our beings unto all the fullness of God, may have the richest measure of the divine presence and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself and this we all pray for one another that our love may abound, yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge in all keen insight that our love may develop and display itself in greater depths of acquaintance, more comprehensive discernment so that we all may surely learn to sense what is vital and approve and apprise what is excellent and of real value, recognizing the highest and the best, distinguishing the moral differences that we all may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless so that our hearts sincere and certain and unsullied we all may approach the day of Christ not stumbling nor causing others to stumble. May every one of us abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness of right standing with God and right doing which come through Jesus Christ the anointed one to the honor and praise of God. That His glory may be both manifested and recognized. Now to him by and in consequence of the action of His power that is at work within every one of us is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever.
We believe you for it. We trust You for it, Father. For Your Word is not void of power.
Father, we thank You that by Your mighty Spirit, You are working in and through the church
She is increasing in glory… strengthened and unified by Your Spirit
Word…
I saw a sweeping off… it looks like a plaque that’s been set in the soil and it has words on it, directives to each of us. You could say it’s the written Word or the word spoken to us by the Holy Spirit. It could have been a word spoken to us yesterday or it could have been a word spoken 20 years ago, but the Word of God was spoken unto you. And in these hours and days where there has been a small bit of confusion about what His Word has said about you or about each one of us, the power of the Holy Spirit… It’s like Jesus stepped forward with a broom and swept the plaque off so we see what the Word said about us. And confusion has to go. It’s happening in the White House. It’s happening in our leaders. It’s happening across the face of our land. It’s happening in Minneapolis. Words that were sown years ago in and through ministries, downtown Minneapolis, those words are beginning to come up and come forth and the church is stepping into revival. Revival is about to break forth in the cathedral in St. Paul. Revival is about to break forth in the Basilica in Minneapolis.
We declare that. We lift up those in authority in those two ministries. We pray for them for direction, that their eyes would be opened to see what You said about them and about what they should do.
The church is getting together… it’s joining one with another… friends are joining together… streams are moving and are being blended together… no, the Word is not being rendered inoperative… the Word is true and will never change… God doesn’t change. He’s the same today as He was yesterday. He’ll be the same tomorrow. So we watch over the words that we speak about one another. Judge not, saith the Lord. We walk in love. Thank You for the ministry of Your love, Lord.
Group prays in the spirit…
Prayer/Word comes forth…
It is a new day, a new ordination day. Ordained by My Spirit up into the new … a graduation, so to speak, from one degree to another degree… ha, ha, ha… not the degrees of men but the degrees of My Spirit, saith God… On the shoulders now, on the shoulders… Yes, that change, Father, in the realm of the government… in the realm of the government of God…
Sometimes day by day and day after day, we walk by and see but we don’t see. We walk by and we see it but we don’t see it. But in these days, there is a new and greater way of seeing and it’s by the power of the Holy Spirit that uncovers and reveals what we walk by all the time. But we’re not walking by today. We see it. We’ll say it. We’ll walk in it. It’s the Word of the living God and it’ll have its way.
Mary led group in singing about the blood of Jesus…
Word came forth…
Where doors have been shut that need to be opened, they will be opened by the blood of the Lamb. The name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus in these things we do overcome. And in that name, lifted up and magnified, we will never be the same. We’re different today than we were yesterday but tomorrow we’ll be different than we are today. So we look up ahead and out front and we take that blood and apply it out in the days and weeks and the months and the years ahead until You come. The blood of Jesus preparing the way, clearing out and raising up those low places and leveling them out. We believe in You and through You our steps are always ordered. We declare today to bring Your light to those that have never seen it.
Prayer for Persecuted Church…
Father, we lift up and apply the blood of Jesus over the persecuted Church. Those that are standing up and saying, “I will not bow my knee.” We loose ministering spirits to assist them in all of their ways. We loose those angels, “Go and work on their behalf. Go to those war zones in Jesus’ name.” Strengthen them and cause their eyes to see, ears to hear, understanding and light to come to each and every one of them. Father, we plead the blood and loose those angels. We call for their safety and protection. We thank You for each one of those individuals. Let us all remain strong and able to stand and say, “We will not bow in the name of Jesus.”
