- “Morning Chapel Prayer Playlist”
Peg led group in worship…
Pastor Ken…
If God is pressing down on the accelerator of His purposes in this hour, then we ought to be pressing down and pressing into Him as well. Come on now! Good morning everybody. Welcome everybody! Wherever you might be. We’re glad to have you with us. We love you. We’re glad to connect with you and be a part of our prayer family.
Worship puts everything in perspective. Just taking some time to celebrate and magnify Him puts everything in perspective, right? Sometimes you just got to shake it off. You just got to get rid of some things, offload things to God—cares, worries, weights, whatever they might be. Just do business with God and get it off of you through some praise, through some worship, through opening your mouth and declaring the way things ought to be.
The last time I checked, if we’re going to bring the Bible into this conversation, the Bible says we can have what we say, right? It says we can say to mountains, impossibilities, situations be removed, be changed. Be rerouted. Be cast into the sea. The Bible says if we’ll believe in our hearts and will doubt not that what we say will come to pass, we will, you will, I will have what we say!
It says in the King James “whosoever.” So if you’re a whosoever, then you can have whatsoever. You say! It’s not a magic formula. It’s a spiritual law. Death and life are in the power of your tongue. Right? God has put you in a position of dominion. God has transformed you through the work of Jesus into the ruling class. Boom! Mic drop, right there! Right? Yeah. We are the ruling class on the earth. We’re supposed to be. It doesn’t look like it oftentimes, but we are the ruling class. We’ve been created in the image of Jesus as kings and priests. We’ve been delegated. We’ve been endowed. We’ve been gifted with spiritual authority. The ability to tread on serpents and scorpions and over every work of darkness, over every form of evil. We’ve been given power, authority, might, dominion… to exercise it, to use it, to put the enemy on the run. Whether that’s a touch of melancholy and depression, whether it’s fear, whether it’s our past, whether it’s a present situation where there looks like there could be harm or problems or symptoms, it doesn’t matter.
All must bow in the presence and in the expression of the name of Jesus in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. The name of Jesus is supreme, still reigns supreme today. Last time I checked in my Bible. And at that name, all of heaven, all of existence stands at attention and responds.
It’s a good morning. Once again, welcome you guys. Good to have you here today. That was just like the preface, I guess. I just want to say it’s good to be with you.
“I am done with lukewarmness.”
I just want to share a couple of things that are on my heart. I haven’t necessarily premeditated a lot of this, but I just am sensing something and I want to kind of get it out. One of the things is… well, let me just say this. I’ve been sensing this, and I’ve heard others say this. I heard something the other night from somebody that I follow who is very well known and had a some sort of a vision with the Lord here recently. Where the Lord talked to him and instructed him on some different things. And none of this is scripture, but it aligns with scripture clearly. But the Lord spoke to this man and said, “I am done with lukewarmness.” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to maybe figure that out. But the Lord recently said that to this person. And that resonated with me. The Lord is done with lukewarmness, probably because of the day and the hour that we’re in and what the Spirit of God is wanting to do in us and through us.
And that kind of jived with me because I’ve been just… and maybe sharing it here from time to time or maybe regularly. The necessity for us to grow up spiritually. I’ve got three kids and they’ve gone through different stages of their journey in their life thus far. When they were babies, you did a lot for them. You had to change their diapers. You had to feed them, instruct them, guide them, protect them. Do a lot for them. But as they’ve grown… like last night, we made a meal together. We made homemade pizzas together. And everybody was doing something. Every one of them was doing something. Somebody was chopping up the green peppers. Somebody else was browning the spicy Italian sausage. Somebody else was spreading the pizza sauce. Everybody had a job. Everybody had a purpose. Everybody had a place. Everybody contributed. Cause my kids are teenagers now at 14, 16 and almost 18. So they better be contributing. They better be doing something. I shouldn’t have to be changing any diapers at this point.
And I share that not to share something into my life, but simply because that’s a great word picture and analogy and truth when it comes to our spiritual lives. Salvation is just the introductory offer. We’re to go on to completeness and to fullness. We’re to grow up, in fact, to the fullness of the very stature of Jesus Himself in our spiritual walk and journey.
And that is what God is calling us to right now. Growth. Maturity. Not living in the messy, middle. Not playing around with certain things. Not always needing to call the prayer line. It’s okay. Yes, let us know if we can pray for you today. But catch the spirit of what I’m saying. The Bible actually says, if any is afflicted going through hardships, suffering, going through a tough time one paraphrase says, “let him or let her pray.” God is leading us and cheering us on to get to a place where we no longer need to constantly require others to pray for us. But instead we’re praying for ourselves. In fact, we’re not only praying for situations presently going on in our journey, but we’re what I call “praying forward.” We’re praying out things before we even encounter them. We’re praying in advance. Right? And in addition, we’re starting to pray and provide a supply for the greater plan of God on the earth and perhaps even into the next dispensation.
How many of you know that you can pray not only for the present and not only for a year ahead or 10 years ahead, but you can be praying perhaps into the next dispensation, into the next realm and arena. God is not limited by our tiny, finite intellect. He’s far beyond that. And so when we endeavor to walk in the spirit, move in the spirit, discern by the spirit, pray by the spirit, we truly step into the unlimitedness and the supernaturalness of God. So take encouragement and hope in that today. But it is true, God is leading us to a place of maturity and where we don’t necessarily… we don’t engage in things that are unprofitable.
And in fact, I was just going to read First Corinthians 10:23. I think it is, it says all things are lawful for me, Paul wrote, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. There’s a step right there in growing up, in maturing, identifying what maybe isn’t outright sin are all bad, but it doesn’t necessarily contribute to you as a prayer. Doesn’t contribute to you spiritually. Maybe it actually detracts or dulls your senses spiritually. I don’t know.
What I want to read actually is found in Ephesians chapter four, where Paul is writing about the church in particular and from the New King James, it says, speaking of Jesus: “And himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ that we should no longer…” This is what the Spirit of God is saying in His Word and right now to us. That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful, plotting.
I just have to interject there. I’ve seen a lot in my journey and maybe you have too, but I have been shocked in the last couple of years especially at … I’m talking about Christians who are dabbling and outright engaging in things that is new age, is witchcraft, wrapped up with new wrapping paper and a fresh bow from long ago. Same old, same old of the enemy. So clearly that is on the earth and the enemy is trying to invade the Church with some things like that. Some deceitful things, some doctrines of devils. And it’s affecting people that you at times thought, “Wow, they’re going somewhere for God.” Where now they’re like, where are they at? Wow! It’s almost shocking.
And so I suppose that’s one of the main reasons God is calling us to grow up. In addition, He knows what He’s preparing us for. What’s coming next. He’s preparing the Church. And it is for good, without a doubt. But it’s also for what’s coming on the earth. He’s trying to build a capacity in us to overcome, to perhaps even deal with persecution. Who knows? In America… is a possible? Yeah! I’m not trying to be a Debbie downer here today, but I’m just saying, “Hey, our place is not to stagnate in religion, to stay where we’ve been. Our place as pray-ers, as believers is, as the Bible says to walk in the light is He is in the light, ever journeying ever growing, ever going to God.”
That we wouldn’t stay like my kids when they were babies needing so much attention and investment. Well, we start to grow and we take on and embrace and are responsible for what God has called us to be responsible for. Because as I said, a couple of days ago, there’s something in you that God wants to come out of you. But those seeds of greatness and purpose will lay dormant within you until you’re ready. And what helps you to get ready? Mature. Grow. Lay aside what isn’t edifying anymore. Step into your place of prayer. Every day. Every one of us has an opportunity to dig into the Word. Every day!
In fact, in the Old Testament, David wrote in the Psalms that our habitation was to be the presence of God, to abide under the shadow of His wing. Don’t let the world dull your senses, dupe you, deceive you, and lead you away. Because, trust me, I’m not saying this prophetically. This is happening a lot in the Church in America! Our place is to be right under His wing, white hot with fervor and passion for God. But you’ve got to steer your life in that direction. You’ve got to turn your attention and your sight to Him daily. You’ve got to stir up the gift of God. Like I said yesterday, your lenses, your glasses be His promises, rather than what the news media is reporting.
It goes on to say, “but speaking the truth in love” in Ephesians four, “may grow up.” Come on now, say “Grow up!” It’s time to grow up. And that’s all relative, by the way. No offense to anybody. If you’ve been a Christian for 30 years, that’s okay. It’s all relative. Just where are you at right now? Where do you need to grow up to the next level? Have you been continuing to progress? Or have you been in the same place for a long time? It’s all relative. Grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working of which every part does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” In other words, as we grow up and we connect with the plan of God, we actually have an integral part in bringing increase to the body through our praying, but also as through our going and our doing.
Now, hold on there. Let me just read this from the Passion translation. I’m gonna start in verse 12. It says, “And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers…” In other words, to encourage and edify and inspire you and cheer you on and impart the Word “to nurture and prepare all believers to do their own works of ministry.” This is why God’s calling us… one of the big reasons why He wants us to grow and mature, because you have your own works of ministry to do. You have a contribution. You have a supply. Yes, in prayer, but also in action in reality.
“Prepare all believers to do their own works in ministry. And as they do this, they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ.” In other words, you are God’s church growth plan. A healthy thriving growing, going Church. One believer at a time is God’s Church growth plan. It’s His plan to reap the precious fruit of the earth. It’s His plan to change the trajectory of America, for that matter. We read that yesterday. The presence of God will change the Church. And if the Church changes, then it will change our nation and change the world.
“These grace ministries will function until all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experienced the fullness of what it means to know the son of God. Finally, we become one into a perfect,” or you can save mature, “man.” That’s a Christ person. “With the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ.” This is so important because by the way, also inherent in this or as a byproduct of growth and maturity and advancement and continuing to grow in Him, you’ll find that things will fall away. Things that you’ve been praying about and yearning for to see in your life, freedom and greater capacity and deliverance, in some ways, from things, those things will start to just fall away and disappear. Even a lot of the praying we do for ourselves at times, you won’t have to do anymore because when you take up the mantle of what is on God’s heart, when you embrace what’s on His heart, He takes up what’s on your heart and does it automatically for you. And even things you didn’t even know you desired, or know you needed. He starts to do for you as you pursue Him. As you seek Him. As you engage with Him in new ways.
It says, “And then our maturity will end, and we will not be easily shaken by trouble.” I think I just said that. “Nor let us stray by novel teachings or false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. But instead we will remain strong.” I’m reminded of a verse in the Old Testament that says “the strong spirit of a man will sustain them through bodily harm and trouble.”
Keith Moore said recently, a strong spirit will get you through anything. That is so true! A strong spirit. Just strengthening yourself in God. Letting the Word saturate and be imbibed in your spirit, praying in your heavenly prayer language, being built up in your most holy faith, energized, shot through in your soul with divine power and inspiration and strength as you pray in the Holy Ghost. That’s what happens. “But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed head of His body, the Church. Amen.”
Prayer for next steps…
Father, we pray for a spirit of discernment in our hearts and in our lives right now… individually, our prayer community online and in the chapel here today, we pray and agree that you would just grant us a spirit of wisdom and discernment and knowledge as to what you’re saying to us individually, where we need to take a step. There’s always next steps and so, Lord, help us to identify those next steps in our journey in our prayer lives, in our love walk. In our calling and our purpose, in our ministry, in our families, in our relationships.
Lord, help us to see and understand the time and the season. You pointed that out of a group of people under the Old Covenant, that there was a group that there was something noble about them. And that was that they recognized and identified the time and the season in which they lived and what God was saying and what God was doing.
So we just pray that right now, today, we pray for a spirit of wisdom. As we see over in Ephesians and a spirit of wisdom and truth, and the knowledge into your ways, Lord, into your plan, into the future.
I pray that you would just open up our hearts here today, open up the heart of our churches, Lord, to recognize and identify where we’re at and what the Spirit of God is calling…
Prayer for leaders…
We pray for pastors today… leaders today… prophets and evangelists and teachers today… missionaries today… about business leaders today… parents today, grandparents today .. anyone at all that has even a slight inkling or place of leadership or influence. We lift them up today, Father, in the church, and we just pray for discernment. We pray that we would hear and sense what is coming from heaven. The sound that is emanating, the invitation and even alert that’s going out all across the earth today. You are sending out alerts. You are sending out instructions. You are saying certain things to the church, to the leaders, to the pastors to believers now. Help us to receive, help us to catch them, help us to plug into that frequency. And sense the urgency and timing of things… sense what we’re to do next in Jesus’ name…
We break. We break that static in the atmosphere… we break the assignment of the enemy to stop up and block up in any way, the signal, the sound from heaven that God is sending. We pray for a clearing out of the spiritual atmosphere. We pray for a clearing out, a complete clearing out …
Prayer for brokenness in our hearts…
We pray for a holy brokenness in the hearts of your people, Lord, in the church … that we would be broken over our sinfulness, that we would be repentant and broken over our waywardness. As the Bible says over our slothfulness, our spiritual slowness, dullness, indifference in so many ways. Oh, Lord, in the Church in America or wherever you might be this morning, we repent for our lethargy. We repent for our backslidings. We repent for where we are and maybe lukewarmness or indifference once again… or just going through the motions where we’ve kind of relegated God to the margins of our lives, or we relegated prayer to the far off places of our schedule.