Annie led group in worship…
♪ Come and fill us all, come and fill us all… let Your river flow… ♪
Pastor Ray…
Hallelujah. When you sing that, I always think of in the natural going to the dentist. “Oh, we’ve got to take some x-rays.” Okay. So then they open up the cabinet and they get out that big, heavy vest. They put it on you. The weight… When you sing that, I always think of that. And when I’m at the dentist, I think of the weight of His presence, the glory. Have you ever been in that kind of presence where it seems like you can sense it? The weight of His glory. Have you, Miss Annie?
Annie…
Oh yes. And that translation, some people say it means heavy with everything good. Doesn’t it? But yes. When you’ve experienced the glory of God, it’s always wonderful. But one time in the move of God that happened in the nineties… It actually was a little… all these people just showed up at this old rundown shopping mall that was abandoned. Different people were just moving through the crowd and some total stranger just tapped me like this on my hand. And I fell down and the weight of His glory pinned me. I couldn’t move. If I tried to lift myself one inch off the floor, it was impossible. But it’s wonderful though, because it’s heavy with everything good. It’s heavy with who He is.
And when you’re going through stuff that’s hard, oh, for one drop of that drop! Oh Lord, just one little drop today. But we walk by faith, not by sight. But His glory is all around us and it’s in us. So when you’re going through something that’s hard, then you tap deep in the well inside. Right? And you pull out that molecule, His presence, that weighs more than the universe, right? He weighed the universe in the dust, like a speck in His hand. Right? He drew a circle on the face of the deep, but when He’s touched us with His spirit, with His glory, then it’s always there. We go down into the reservoirs of the rivers of living water that He said would flow out of our inner most being. And we pull out that little molecule. “Oh, I don’t even have a molecule.” Oh, well pull out that little Adam. “Oh, I don’t even have an Adam.” Okay. Pull out that little electron. That’s all it takes because it weighs more than the whole universe. The weight of His glory.
Jesus, we cry out for more of your manifested glory in us, through us, in our nation, in this world. Oh, we need you more and more and more and more and more and more and more. Jesus is the answer. Oh, thank you, Lord, for your glory. You said you’ll never leave us orphans. You will come to us. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. The weight of His presence is always on us.
Have you ever seen those things in the store? I’ve seen him. I don’t know what they are. They’re called a weighted blanket.
Pastor Ray…
My grandkids have those.
Annie…
Whenever I see them, I think that’s like the glory!
Pastor Ray…
It is. It’s like a heavy blanket.
Annie…
You want to sleep under something really heavy, like His glory… the weight of His glory. But isn’t that better than the weight of the world? The weight of sin… the weight of cares. I’ll take the weight of His glory. We lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us and we take on the weight of His glory. We cry out for the weight of His glory. Oh, that weight is easy. Its burden is light. Let’s all just lay down.
Pastor Ray…
Everyone in the chapel disappears! They’re laying down.
Annie…
There’re so many days when I come here and I go, “Lord, I don’t know why I’m here.” I know I am here, but I mean, why am I in here because I really am just coming here for me. Because I want to be in the weight of your glory today. Because every one of you here in the chapel and online, you’re all bringing your supplies of His glory. And it washes and spills over onto me. So thank you to every one of you.
Pastor Ray…
Well, if we don’t wait for the wait, you know what I mean? Then we can’t do what we are called to do, which is let those rivers flow out. And with no doubt, no question about it. The anointing that the Word makes so clear for us. You are anointed. And you know how we’re moving from… the Bible says that we got a degree of glory and then we move into another one. You know the more you talk about that, the more I just keep thinking about, you know, those are the things that we are to bring to our remembrance. There are other things we should go [makes noise] “you’re gone, you’re over it. You’re finished.” But those times… and that’s why we keep calling in these days for more.
Annie…
I just keep seeing that one little molecule, Atom, quark, whatever. There’s more power in that to change the universe, because it’s God who created the universe. So I’m feeling encouraged as a pray-er. Whereas some of the things around me this morning, reports you hear, you can start to go, “Wait a minute. I thought we were praying! What is going on?” But oh the God who waved the universe like a speck of dust has given us that molecule of His glory. That’s all we need. We put it in our mouths and we pray. And the kingdoms of the wicked one are brought to nothing. In Jesus’ name!
Father, we do believe you. We thank you for the deposit of your Holy Spirit and your infallible Word and the precious blood of Jesus and the name above every name, the name of Jesus that we go forth with your Son, Jesus. And we take the kingdoms of this world for the kingdom of our God. Righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! We decide and decree over our land, righteousness, peace, joy, in the Holy Ghost. The King has decreed it!
Pastor Ray…
I think you should just play some notes just for a little bit here. I’m thinking we should do the song, the Carrie Joe version of the Bible, blessing to the country.
Last night we had a guest minister here at Living Word, Todd White. And his whole deal is the presence… his whole thing. It’s everything. Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit. Sandy and I watched… we couldn’t be here so we watched that. And we were a part of it and the prayers that he prayed and everything. so when that was finished, there was something else we had to do. And then I turned on the TV and it was the response to President Biden’s speech last night. And it was Tim Scott. And so he was right at the point, right at the end of his response and that is what… Actually, he declared that it was like a prophetic word in response. And it was to bring unity, to bring blessings of God over America. I was like, Wow! And, of course, today he’s receiving grief. Why would that be? He stirred things up. He told the truth and he stood on the Word. I loved how he said it. This is what the Word says. This is what the Bible says. And then he declared that. So let’s do that upfront here. And then there’s a couple of things I wanted to go over about the presence and about calling on it. Okay, go ahead, Miss Annie.
Annie led group in song of prayer…
Pastor Ray…
While you were singing, I kept hearing this: “Hold fast. Don’t quit. Hold fast. Hold fast to the things that we know the Word says to us. Hold fast to what the Spirit of God has spoken personally to each one of us, for our families, for our children, and children’s children, for our countries. Hold fast, says the Lord. Do not doubt Me. Do not doubt the words that I’ve spoken to thee for they shall come to pass when you hold fast. It’s My strength. It’s My power. It’s the anointing that’s resident within each one of you that will assist you in your “holding fast.”
We hold fast to you, Lord, to your Word, to what you’ve said, what you’ve given us, what you’ve done for us, the memories that we have of your glorious presence. Each one of us… your presence, Lord. Oh, we can bring it to our remembrance that little molecule, like Miss Annie said. Just the remembrance of that great change. What you’ve done for us. Thank you, Lord.
We’ll hold fast and we’ll not quit… we’ll not settle for less. We’ll not settle for second best. In you, we shall continually keep on resting in you and trusting in you, calling those things forth that you said would be so. Lord, we remind you… we’re reminding ourselves to remind you your Word is still true and you’ve never changed and you’ll never quit and you’ll never let us down. You are faithful, a faithful friend, a faithful Father. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for your goodness for your mercies that are new today. Thank you. Hallelujah.
In Isaiah, it reminded me of this. Isaiah 59:19. “So [as the result of the Messiah’s intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives].”
And then right on over into 60: “Arise [from the depression…” We know He’s speaking right here to Israel, but we can take it as His word for us in these days. Get up! That’s what I put in my Bible. Get up! Get yourself up! Stir yourself up. Continually call on the master and His plans. “Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you…” That’s a war of attrition. Continual pressure from the enemy. “Rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! or behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you.” Thank you, Father, for the power of your Spirit, the presence of your Holy Spirit within us. That increased power, or we could say that increase in momentum, that increase in our ability to declare what you want to speak out and pray what you want. Your will, your plans, Lord. No! No way. No way. No way. No way. No way to the enemy’s ways. No way! We say it today. No way! We hold fast to what the Word has said and we’re believing and we’re expecting that mighty wind that will come like a rushing stream. It’ll drive the enemy’s plans and ways out! Now, in Jesus’ name. Thank you, Father.
Oh, holding on, not just barely holding on, but holding fast and calling the things that are not yet seen as though they are. And one, two, three, four on and on and on and on … more and more doors of opportunity… more and more avenues to walk out on to high places in you… Lord, your glory, your glorious plans and your glorious purposes. How can we lose? We are not losers. We’re winners in you. Thank you.
When the enemy is going ballistic, sometimes all we need to do is just laugh. Laugh, like [heartily laughing] You are a loser. You’ve already lost. We’re over on the side of victory. This is our victory plan. Hallelujah. And in this plan, you’ve been defeated. You are a defeated foe, for the blood of the Lamb has made us righteous and we are overcomers. Hallelujah.
All the glory goes to you, Lord. Thank you for your goodness and your mercy. You know, the enemy is trying to get us to reverse our declaration to say, instead of saying, “every day is getting better.” He wants us to say “every day is getting worse.” No! That is a lie from the pit of hell. It’s getting worse for you, but it’s getting better for us. Hallelujah. (tongues) We get up. We get out. We get up. No, like that Word said in Isaiah 60 “rise up now from depression.” Depression is from the enemy. We rise up from it in Jesus’ name.
Let’s just shake off some things right now, shake them off, shake them out, shake them away, open our eyes to the things of God, to the plan of God, to the glory of God. All the praise be on to you, Lord. Thank you.
I want to just read this. It’s called “Revival Flames.” Guess where I found it? GPAN! But it was from 2010. This just shows you here after year after year, we are contending and we are believing and that’s just it. I uncovered it. I think this is from Wesley Duel.
Revival Fire by Wesley Duel
The prophet Isaiah lived in a time when Israel was in a backslidden condition. Her cup of iniquity had become almost full and she was soon to be carried away captive to a heathen land. There were mountains of difficulties in the way of God’s work. The people were divided, and nothing, it seemed, could bring them together. The worst thing was their lukewarmness–the hardest thing in the world with which to deal.
The adversaries were ridiculing and mocking, saying, “Where is your God?” These taunts did not trouble Israel very much, because there was very little fear of God among the people. In the midst of this situation, Isaiah perceived that if God would only come down, that is, if He would manifest His presence, it would solve every problem of the nation.
Oh that thou wouldest rend the Heavens, that Thou wouldest down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence! (Isa. 64:1,2).
The mountains would flow down at His presence. Nothing could stand in the presence of Almighty God, and His manifested presence would break down every barrier and sweep away everything that hindered. He saw that God’s fire would melt the people and bring them together by His power. He saw that the waters would be made to boil, so that lukewarmness would vanish. Best of all, God’s name would be made known to the adversaries. Skepticism would be swept away, and His people would tremble in His presence.
Similar Conditions Today
Without a doubt we are living in a time similar to that of Isaiah’s day. We see conditions in America are terrible. There are divisions among God’s people. False doctrines and cults have swept thousands into fanaticism and delusions of vast variety. On every hand there is a lukewarmness that is appalling. Thousands have lost their faith and left their first love. The only thing that can solve the problem is the manifest presence of God! All our programs, our great preaching, our organizations, our choirs and orchestras, radio and TV–everything that man can do–has failed to solve the problem. But if we can get God to come down and manifest Himself, the mountains will flow down at His presence, the divisions among God’s people will vanish, and we will be brought into one great united body. More than that, the lukewarm people will be set on fire for God. The waters will be made to boil. The enemies of Christ will be made to know that His power is real, and His name will be made known to the adversaries.
The words of Isaiah take us to the very heart of today’s problem of getting God to come down and manifest His presence among us:
There is none that calleth upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee: for Thou hast hid Thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities (Isaiah 64:7).
Let us face the truth. God has declared exactly why He does not come down. His people are backslidden, and not a man can be found who will stir himself up to take hold of God in effectual prayer. It is clearly the meaning of this Word that God will come down, however bad conditions may be, provided He can get His people to call upon His name.
Many instances in the history of the Church prove this. The greatest men who have lived to shake the world with God’s power have been, every one of them, men of prevailing prayer. The one effectual means for bringing back the presence of God to the people is prevailing prayer!
The greatest lack among God’s people is that of travailing prayer. We should be reminded that there has never been a Holy Ghost revival in the history of the world that has not been prayed down! And the praying had to be prevailing prayer–prayer that was desperate; prayer that stirred people up to such fervency of spirit that they fairly took hold of God.
I have seen many times in revival meetings when God’s Spirit began to move on people whose hearts were open, and who were hungry for God until that heavenly urge was upon them, and they would pray all night long, wrestling with God like Jacob of old! (Gen. 32.24-30). I have seen such tremendous results come after such travailing prayer that I am certain that wherever there is real travailing prayer that takes hold of God, it will bring the presence of God down.
‘As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children (Isaiah 66:8).
Prayer Means Warfare
The devil in all his wisdom knows that the power of prayer is the greatest weapon that God has put in our hands against the enemy. He knows that if he can keep the people from praying, he will stop a revival, and knowing this, he will do anything and everything in the world that he can to choke down a real spirit of Holy Ghost praying.
The devil knows that if we recognize that prayer is a real battle, we would be willing to fight in the battle of prayer and not get down because of the pressure of the enemy. For that reason the devil has camouflaged his movements in these days, and he is making a battleground in other places. The devil gets us disputing over doctrines, and fighting over other things–a camouflage to sidetrack
us from the real place of battle. There is only one real battleground today and that is the battleground of prayer!
