- “Morning Chapel Prayer Playlist”
DJ …
Thank you, Father. King David said, “One thing I desire that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever and forever.” He found a secret in the house of the Lord. If he just make it to the house of the Lord, he’ll have a victory. He’ll get out of depression. He will get out of oppression. The sickness will leave him. Disease will leave him. He found a secret dwelling in the presence of the Lord.
Father, thank you this morning. It’s a good Friday. Thank you, Father, that we dwell in the secret place of the most high God… that we abide in the shadow of the almighty God …
Opening prayer…
We abide in the shadow of the almighty God … the Lord is a refuge. He’s our fortress, our Redeemer, our healer, our provider. We trust you. Thank you, Lord. We dwell in your presence. There is no one else like you. Thank you, Lord… Therefore no evil shall befall us… no plague, no sickness or disease, or infirmities come near us because we are dwelling in the secret place or the most high God… In your presence, there is a fullness of joy.
I think Cindy has something to read.
Cindy shared…
I’ve been praying this recently over myself and others… that God is pressurizing our cabin. I think you can feel it collectively. There’s some pressure out there and He wants our internal cabins to be pressurized. If you’re at 40,000 feet and in an airplane, you better be pressurized or that’s going to crush you. If you’re in a submarine way down in the ocean floor, you better be pressurized. But greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. And there are more with us. So be a good cheer because I am pressurizing your cabin.
Just sitting here and listening to the anointed music and words just pouring over our bodies and souls, hearts, and minds. All kinds of stuff is getting washed off that doesn’t belong.
I was listening to a documentary the other day on YouTube, just quickly listening to it because the gentleman they cited on it was from that book about water. So I thought we’ll just listen to this because I read the book. It was very interesting. Water holds all kinds of information, but it actually holds a memory. The word speaks about the Word as the washing of the Word. It cleanses and it washes off things that don’t belong. We talk about being baptized in water and leaving our past behind and coming up fresh and new. It’s interesting because they said that water will retain the memories.
So thank you, Father, that you are washing us free and clean of all trauma, hurt, and disappointment of anything that would be void of hope. That’s tried to condition our hearts and minds and keep us from going forward in the hope that you have for us. Every day is filled with promise. Every day is new and fresh, and His mercy is new. And He’s shining on us today. And we thank you, Father. We lay all cares and worries, anxiety, disappointment, lack… Father, any kind of feeling like we have that we’re at a loss is a lie. I thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ mighty name. Hallelujah.
I opened up a book this morning. I’m kind of a divergent thinker so I can overthink things. So I just have to purposely not and I just go, “God, I just trust you.” So this is “Signposts on the Road for Success” by E.W. Kenyon. And I’m going to read “What’s the Use? God Has Forgotten Me and Nobody Cares.”
“I might as well throw up the sponge.” These words were said to me just a few weeks ago by a young woman. I asked her how she knew that God had forgotten her and how she knew that nobody believed in her.
She said “I had nothing but failure ever since I came to the city.”
I said, “Don’t you think we should take an inventory and find out why you have had failure? What is the reason for it?” When a person has a string of bad luck, I feel like diagnosing the cause. And if possible, finding what is wrong.
“Well,” she said, “I was whipped when I came in. This was the frontier of the last resort for me. I was simply running away from bad luck in the east.”
I said “You didn’t expect to win, did you?”
“I’d hoped I might. I thought if I could get in the right surroundings, I might get on top.”
But I noticed a hopelessness strain in her voice and a look of hopelessness in her eyes. I said, “Let’s go back to the beginning of things for a bit. You know that God can’t fail anyone who trusts in Him. Suppose you bring Him your shattered, broken present. Then make a new start today. He will wipe out all the past and He wipes it out as though you never had tried and failed. That’s the memories of all past failures.” And then a healing comes from that place.
She said, “I would give anything if I could do that.”
“But you can do it. All those who have reached the top have had to do it.” Many of the dreams and expectations of youth have been lost, but there have been born new dreams and new expectations. Today is a new day. The faith of youth and young manhood and womanhood have been destroyed and a new faith has been born out of the failure of the past. I can see her now.
“I could only do that if there could only be born in my heart a new faith, a new dream, hope.”
I said, “Your worst enemy is your memory. Your worst trial is going back over the failures and taunting yourself. You cry nearly every night after you have you go to bed because you have failed.”
She said, “Yes, that’s true.”
But I said, “You are done with that. You are done with all that and it’s past. Failure is a memory thing to be forgotten. Right now we are writing a new page.”
Both Pastor Ken and Pastor Ray have said that many times: “We’re turning a new page.”
“This is a new chapter, forgetting the things that were before and reaching forward into the hope, the earnest expectation of God’s goodness. And what He’s speaking to us today. Right now we are writing a new page, a new history. You have a new name. The name is victory. We will call you Victoria. We will christen this new girl with a new name and you will go out to win. You can succeed. Life is big and rich ahead of you. Let Him, the unseen one, take care of you.”
She whispered softly, “Do you think He would do it?”
“I know He would. He counts it a privilege. He’s looking for opportunities like this. I imagine He has had His eye on you for a long time, waiting for you to look up through the clouds and ask for help.” So she went on to win. I met her days afterwards. She had no past. She had nothing but brilliant, glad future ahead of her.
She said, “You know, it was so easy to get a job. I went out to the same store where they had turned me down and they seemed to be glad I came. I’m doing the work I enjoy.”
Those of you who are chasing after a better job, have in you the possibilities of a better job. Don’t spoil them. Sell yourself to the man who needs you. It is easy to do it when you have the right mental attitude toward life.
Prayer and worship…
Thank you, Father. Thank you. You’re the God that knows today. You know our yesterday, Father. You inhabit our future. I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you, to give you hope for the future, the earnest expectation of your goodness, Father, today. Today you’re erasing the memories of the past that have held us back … goodness and mercy and unfailingly love… rushing in like water… washing away the memories that have held us back… I thank you, Father, for building new memories… memories of you showing up… and unusual and wonderful ways… delightful ways, full of light and wonder … unexpected ways… enriching our faith, building… we trust you, Lord… even in the midst of darkness… you make darkness your secret hiding place… and you’re never far from any one of us… give us eyes to see, ears to hear, opening up our ears to hear the delightful… that build strength and understanding … thank you, Lord… your ways are wonderful… We want to walk in your ways more and more… as you show us, Father, our steps… they are brighter and brighter… even when there’s no reason to have joy, according to the world, we have joy… because your ways are coming through… we’re doorways of hope …
More grace and peace every day, every day… for it is all about grace… may we learn grace more and more as we walk with you giving up our foolish ways… all cares are falling off … cares are falling off today … strengthened in our union with the God who never leaves us or forsakes up or fails us … united in Christ… No eye has seen, no ear has heard all the God has laid up ready for us in store …
I ask you, Lord, to help us … to step out, to exercise every opportunity that’s given us to step out… Thank you for boldness. Thank you for courage. Thank you for hope that we know even though we step out and it might be in a trembling way, Father, we expect you to show up. We expect the road to rise because we’re hearing you… we’re hearing you more and more … and seeing all … and getting used to you showing up in unexpected wonderful, beautiful ways…
God, you’re so good. You have given us precious promises… in the secret place… you make darkness your secret hiding place. So we go out into the darkness … seeing you … because we know it’s a set up… God with us more than with them…
Group worshiped…