Morning Chapel Prayer Playlist
Morning Chapel Prayer Today
Prayer leader Mike…
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining online as well as the faithful here in the chapel this morning. My name is Mike and my wife, Jeannie, and I are not on staff, but we do come here. And we’ve been coming here for a long time and really appreciate the body here at this church and what the Lord wants to do here.
Like most things, as we continue to pursue God, it’s great to be in a company of believers who may not agree absolutely down to the nth detail about things, but one thing we agree on: it’s the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, through us, upon us. Not just for ourselves, but for the world around us. Because we’ve been thrown into chaos.
Be of good cheer…
However, Jesus recognized this and said, “You know what? You’re going to have lots of troubles. But be of good cheer, be happy, be expectant, be excited because I actually overcame everything you’re going through.”
Prayed…
And so today we put our attention on you, Father.
We come to pray.
We come to seek you.
We come to hear from you, not just what we might be saying today, but, Father, I thank you that your Holy Spirit works and touches everyone listening now and maybe even later of what you are saying.
We don’t always have the right words to say, but if our hearts are aligned with you and as we learn to connect with each other through your Spirit, Father, great things will happen.
So as we set aside this time in our hearts, we do what we can to shut the door to the enemy and all the distractions that could be going on in our lives, the things that would want to get us off track of what you have for us today, that we see this as vitally important as eating food, as drinking water. We breathe in your presence, Father, so that we are sustained, we are built up, we are encouraged, and our eyes remain on you through the course of whatever we’re doing.
Ever been in a snow storm?
It’s kind of like the image I’m getting right now. It’s like living in northern states when it snows, have you ever been at night and driving in a snowstorm and all you have is your headlights? And as you’re driving, the snow is almost mesmerizing, wanting to distract us. And sometimes it takes all you can in the natural to focus on where are those lines. And you might be looking literally 30, 20 feet in front of your car. But those lines are there to guide us. Those lines have a special paint that when your headlights hit them, they reflect. So as the light is hitting them, it literally is that lamp to my feet, guiding us in which way we need to go.
But we cannot be distracted or frightened or worried that we can only see a short distance. And everything else out there is black. And there’s things that are coming at our face wanting us to be scared. We might slow down, which is smart, but as long as we keep our eyes on that lamp, in a sense spiritually, even though it’s only a couple steps in front of us, that we are trusting that the Lord is helping us get through every single solitary thing that we face in this life.
Thank God for His light…
And you know, sometimes it’s bright and sunny and beautiful. That same path that can be bright and beautiful one day might seem intimidating, scary, nerve wracking. But thank God for the light of Jesus that will light to our feet as we continue to go on this.
So, Father, we just open up our hearts to you today, that we focus on what’s right in front of us. But we also know as all around us is your power, your Holy Spirit guiding and encouraging us.
And, Father, we’re trusting that even if we might not know the road that we’re facing today, meaning there might be some corners and turns that the Holy Spirit wants to take us, we are going to trust in you for each of us individually as well as corporately.
Prayer leader Jeannie…
Endurance is a quality of the people of God and a quality of the kingdom. But we don’t endure just to endure. We endure to break through. We endure to take through. So even in Acts 9, I mentioned this before, but Holy Spirit brought it up again today. The absolute hilarity of how Holy Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves.
Then came the Damascus moment…
So Stephen was martyred. Charlie Kirk was martyred. And then came the Damascus moment. We have been contending for this and it is coming to pass.
But here is the hilarity in Acts 9:10. “Now, there was in Damascus a disciple…” A disciple, someone that had been following Jesus, someone that had known the teachings and had been walking it out. A disciple named Ananias. “The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he answered, Here am I, Lord.” Right? He said, I’m right here. And then the Lord asked something of him. The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight.”
Isn’t that interesting?
In Proverbs 3, it talks about trust in the Lord and rely not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” Because what the Spirit of the Lord is about to tell Ananias, Ananias has no understanding of it. It makes no sense to him.
And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul. For behold, he is praying there.”
Okay, I love Ananias’ response in verse 13. “But Ananias answered the Lord, I’ve heard many people tell about this man, especially how much evil and what great suffering he has brought on your saints at Jerusalem.” But God already told Saul Ananias is going to come and pray for you. Yet when the Lord came to Ananias, he said, “Don’t you know who that guy is? Don’t you know what he’s done? Don’t you know how evil he is?” But that did not keep our Lord from knowing that Ananias would obey him.
So I’m just going to read the entire passage…
But I’m going to put myself in here now in place of Ananias. I want you to put your name in place of Ananias’ name. Considering the times we’re in, which are amazing, glorious times, God knows. Could it be that He knows that you will obey Him? That He’s already out ahead and prepared the path for you. That He has seen you choose life over and over and over again. And He is even surpassing your hesitation, just like He did Ananias in one of the most poignant moments in history.
Think about that…
Saul, who did so much evil with great conviction, visits him after he’s had an encounter and says, “Oh yeah, and Ananias is going to come and pray for you, and you’re going to get your sight back.” Knowing that Ananias would hesitate. Knowing that Ananias would say, “Yeah, but the guy’s evil. Um, don’t you know what he’s doing to your people?”
So any hesitation you might have in your heart, any trepidation you might have about what you see right now. What if your Lord knows you’re going to follow through before you know it? On things that are pivotal right now in history, things that your obedience will shift history. In Minnesota. Yeah, I said it! In Minnesota. Today. Right now!
Okay, here we go. Get ready to put your name in.
“Now, there was in Damascus evil doers…” Actually, now there were in Minnesota evil doers… “and there was a disciple named, [say your name], ‘Jeannie.’ And the Lord said to her in a vision. Hey, Jeannie. And I said, here I am, Lord.” Not occurring to me what He’s about to ask me to do. Because I’m a disciple, I’m accustomed to moving forward in Him. And He knows that. He knows. You know how to hear His voice and follow.
“And the Lord said to her, [to him] [to you], get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul. For behold, he is praying there.”
Just right there you know he’s thinking, “Um, are you sure you know what you’re talking about?” Right? “And he has seen in a vision a man named [you].” A woman named Jeannie! “…enter and lay hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
Like, um, too late! You’re going to do it.
Too late, I already arranged it.
Too late, signs and wonders are already happening.
I already showed this person, that person, this rascal, that rascal, this evil doer, that evil doer that you’re coming.
“But Jeannie answered, Lord, I’ve heard many people tell about this, man.” What? Don’t you know what’s happening? Never mind that he’s the one that met him in Damascus and blinded him in the first place. Okay?
Especially how much evil and what great suffering he has brought on your saints at Jerusalem. Now he is here and has authority from the high priest to put in chains all who call upon your name. Don’t you know that, God? I have done this a few times.
“But the Lord said to Jeannie, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine.”
Did you see that? That evil doer has become My chosen instrument and I made it happen. And you’re coming at the end of what I’m doing. Just so you know, I already did it all. You just have to go in there and confirm it. We are coming in. I’m declaring this. We are coming in at the end of what God is doing and we’re walking in to confirm it. We’re walking in to confirm it, because we are entering a time of massive awakening and revival that has already begun.
“Go for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel, for I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and must endure and suffer for My name’s sake.”
So guess what? Ananias did it! It only took six verses.
Verse 17, “He laughed and went into the house. He laid his hands on Saul, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you along the way by which you came here has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And instantly…”
The time of delay is finished. We declare that. And instantly, God has already prepared the way. We’re coming in right now to confirm it.
You know, they had endured much from evil. God confronts evil and says, Go finish it now. And even Ananias’ hesitation did not hinder the Lord, because Ananias went right ahead and did it. God knew He would. God knows you will. Be encouraged today. He knows you’ll follow through.
You know, I’ve had times where God has told me to do something and I’ve delayed and obeyed, but I’ve finally obeyed. I’m not saying every time. So don’t do that weird misinterpretation thing? But there have been times when He said, “Hey, sweetheart, I knew it would take you a few days to finally get there so you’re right on time.” Not all the time. But there are times. Regardless, He knows our hearts. He knows your heart. And He already has made the way for you.
“And instantly something like reptilian scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized, and after he took some food, he was strengthened for several days. He remained with the disciples. He remained with the people of God. And then he went and he proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God.”
Be encouraged to know that God’s plan is playing out all around us and right in front of us and in us and through us. And even us being tentative and hesitant does not move God. What He has for you to do remains.
