Pastor Ray shared…
I wanted to read from Isaiah 40:28. “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” You know, these are questions. “The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord…”
We don’t like to wait. Even the fast-food drive-thru’s sometimes are so slow. We don’t like to wait.
“But those who wait for the Lord, [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
We thought we would do a little waiting today. Just resting in Him. I thought of this yesterday. Sometimes we get to thinking that if we’re not doing something, something is wrong. When He wants to speak. It’s not all about us speaking. It’s about Him speaking to us. Isn’t that what prayer is about?
Prayed…
Thank You, Father, for the presence of the Holy Spirit
We welcome Your presence
We believe You’re speaking
You said in Your Word that You would declare and transmit things to us
That we’d be able to see the things that we are to pray
Without us having this relationship with You, how can we hear?
We want to fellowship with You and thank You for being our friend
We’re thankful that You don’t get weary or faith
We take our place, seated in heaven with You
We want to wait on You and rest in You and take to us the change, the renewed strength and power from You
Mary led in worship…
♪ In the glory of Your presence, I found rest for my soul… In the depths of Your love, I find peace makes me whole… I love, I love, I love Your presence ♪
Pastor Ray shared and prayed…
We lift You up, Lord, and magnify Your name. We rest and take our place in You… take our seat in heavenly places.
Psalm 27:4 says “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. 6 And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. Verse 13, “[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! 14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.”
Lord, we do expect and yield and trust. We know that You are showing us, and revealing to us that these times spent with You are times of change. Maybe different than what we sometimes experience but the change that is necessary in us and in the church and in our cities and our nations across the face of the earth. There must be and we require Your presence. We need, want, and desire, and hunger, and thirst for You. We yield and yield and yield some more. Thank You, Father. You’re moving us up like You said You would. You’re strengthening us and leading and directing us. You are transmitting by Your Spirit… heaven’s ways and plans for these days. Thank You, Lord.
Mary resumed worship…
Prayed…
Thank You for Your love and goodness and grace… May He grant you 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 your innermost being and personality]. 17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within 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 forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
Group continues to worship…
Prayer for President…
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.
