Morning Chapel Prayer Playlist
Morning Chapel Prayer Today
Woman shared…
This morning, Pastor Folu asked me if the Lord was speaking anything to my heart. And at first, I was like, I’m not sure. But I know He’s always speaking and always leading us. And I think the reason I was unsure is because… I don’t know if it’s like this for anybody else but Tuesdays, I call it my busy day. I have a hundred meetings and then I want to be here on time. I have a weird anxiety about being on time, probably because I was late to every event as a child. You can’t really control that. You go with what your family culturally does. So for some reason in my head, it’s hardwired that Tuesdays are like, “I got to go, I got to be on time.” I don’t want to be late to anything. It’s definitely pride. It’s not a good thing.
I am the true vine…
But since it’s my busy day, my husband and I don’t usually get our typical time to read the Word together. So this morning, I’m pulling apart a rotisserie chicken, and he’s reading to me John chapter 15. And I’m trying to listen and stay attentive. It’s definitely a different type of morning. But this stuck with me. We are reading through John 15, “I’m the true vine and my Father’s the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit.”
And that was very reassuring to me because last night I made a very… I think the word is we have a faith-filled speaking. We use that term a lot here. Like “that language is faith-filled.” I said the opposite of something that is faith-filled. I don’t know what that word is. It’s like, is that like a cuss word? I’m not sure what you guys would define it as, but last night I was really struggling because I’ve had certain things in my personal life and just happening that feels like my prayers haven’t been answered. So usually my husband and I pray before bed and I was telling him like… I know you guys would never say this because you are all perfect, and I am not there yet.
I’m not there yet…
I didn’t want to pray and I told him, “I don’t feel like praying because some of the things that I’ve been believing for haven’t been answered recently.” And I know, sometimes you say stuff like that off the cuff. And right when I said it, I’m just like, oh, I know that the Lord has been good to me. I can think of so many moments that He saved me, transformed my life. Like, if anything, I shouldn’t even be alive right now. So what a selfish thing to say. But it was the truth. It was what I was feeling right then and there.
And what reassured me is, I have felt all these feelings of condemnation and just like, gosh, I’m going to church tomorrow. And I consider Tuesdays my busy day when really it’s like this day we have this opportunity to worship and just receive from the Lord, but understanding that the pruning process is continual and it’s going to happen my whole life. And He’s so gentle to lead me. It was my thoughts that made me feel horrible about saying that or thinking that. But really I could feel the Lord’s compassion come into my heart in that moment reminding me of, “No, I love you. I’m holding you. I’m leading you.”
The pruning process…
And throughout the pruning process, we have to tap into a humbleness. Sometimes there’s just a trust and a not knowing. And we can choose to be stubborn. But like it says, we’re not going to bear fruit if we choose to not let the Lord prune us and continually refine us. We’re just going to stay exactly the same. And what’s so beautiful is even like a Bonsai that’s a hundred years old, it still needs to be pruned. So it’s going to be a lifelong process. I think, oh, I work at church. I don’t think I’ve ever missed Church. I’m always here. I should be here, or whatever the standards are we have in our mind for spirituality. But understanding that we’re a continuous work in Him, and that process of bearing fruit is just going to keep continuing in a way that we can’t even picture it.
We have sometimes our end goal, but the Lord is continuously pruning us to bear fruit in ways that I don’t think we’re ever going to be able to imagine. So that’s something that the Lord has been speaking to me today and this morning.
Abide in me and I in you…
And I just want to encourage you, as it continues to say, “Abide in Me and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in Me. I’m the vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is that bears much fruit. For apart from Me, you can do nothing.”
And it’s just a constant reminder that as we lean into Him, He’s going to be the one leading us and guiding us. Sometimes I feel like I have to pave my own way and figure things out, but it’s just a constant abiding and He’s going to do the work. He’s going to show me what needs to be changed, the things in my heart that maybe need a new direction. And sometimes that correction is difficult and it’s hard. For me, it’s usually pride, considering not wanting to be late. I want to do everything as perfectly as possible. And sometimes that’s perceived as “She really cares a lot.” But deep down, we can see sometimes that is a pride issue and the Lord just so tenderly and gently continues to refine us as we abide in Him, as we spend time in His presence, continually leads us down His path. And I just want to quickly pray over everybody in here.
Prayed…
Lord, thank you that we have the opportunity to abide in you.
Lord, I’m just so grateful that you’d want to spend time with me despite the things I say, my thoughts. The ways that I’ve strayed and complained.
You’re so desperate to spend time with us, for us to abide in you.
I just pray, Father, that if anyone in here is struggling with those doubts or those feelings of, “Lord, where are you? Where are you in my situation? I don’t feel you right now. I’m not experiencing my prayers being answered.” I just pray right now, Lord, that you fill him with that deep comfort, that shalom peace, that despite what’s going on, despite the circumstances, we’re okay. We’re above water. We’re experiencing your peace and your joy.
Pastor Folu…
Thank you, Holy Spirit for helping us continually see you… that you are trustworthy, Lord.
You that began a good work in us, the Bible says will complete it.
Thank you, Lord, that we are called sons and daughters of the most high God.
You are the one that said fear not for I’m with you.
Thank you, Father, for your Spirit just going up and down in this place is touching everyone.
I see an explosion…
I see an explosion in this church in the coming days and in the coming weeks and in the coming months. I see an explosion. And I believe all of us that are on staff, we have come into the kingdom for such a time as this. I see a little bit of what the Lord is doing at Healing School, and I believe that that is just a microcosm of what He’s about to do in a big way at the church.
To give you an example, Healing School has grown over 500% in the last four years. And I feel it very strongly that this year is a turning point for this ministry that He has been positioning you. He has been positioning me for this moment. And just like it happened in the Book of Acts, that it was “suddenly.” What is about to show up in the coming days and in the coming weeks is going to be suddenly. And one of the best preparations we can have is to be full of the Holy Ghost and full of His power for what is about to happen.
And so when it happens, it will not be like He did not give us a heads up. Because He’s been giving us heads up for some time. And today is another heads up that “Sons and daughters, I have been preparing you for something big. There’s a lot of people hurting out there and I’m sending them your way. Are you ready to receive them?”
Am I ready to receive them? When my dear sister and her dear brother was singing, “Lord, fill the room,” what I heard in the spirit is “not so much for Me to fill the room, but I want to fill the room with you.”
The focus of the service changed…
And a few weeks ago, my wife and I were in the sanctuary. I had this wonderful message. It took me some time to put it together. It was about the glory of God. Great message. And we got into the sanctuary and as we’re flowing with the Spirit, I saw a lady, one of our church members, and I just felt that she had something. And so I went over to where she was sitting and I gave her the mic and I walked away. And then she just started. The Spirit of God just started moving in her. And that lady changed the entire focus of that service to the point that after she was done with what she was saying, I picked up on where the Spirit of the Lord wanted to move the service. And I just went there to the point that at the end of the service, when I had the altar call… Saints, I was shocked. Practically everybody in the sanctuary came forward. I asked the usher leader, “How many people came forward?” He said, “Folu, what do you mean how many people came forward? The question is, how many people did not come forward?” And what was going on there, saints, what did the Lord do in that lady’s heart to change the whole entire flow of the service? It is what I’m about to read to you here.
This is a word that was given to our senior pastor, Pastor Lynne Hammond. And, saints, every time… I’m just shaking. I don’t know why I’m shaking so much. Whew. The Lord gave this to Pastor Lynne at one of the Autumn assemblies back in the fall of 2015. And this has just been for the past six weeks.
“Tongues is the language of heaven.”
“It is downloaded in your spirit and at the reception of the Holy Ghost. When the language is released, that language will change the world and change you when used. Because it is accompanied by the fire of God. The language carries the very essence and nature of God to any and every situation. The language of the Spirit is very personalized and individualized. Marking each person with heaven’s label and tag, ‘this is mine.’ There’s much more to comprehend and understand about this gift. Much more revelation to be had. As apostle Paul wrote, I would not have you to be ignorant. The more you understand about speaking in other tongues, the more you will give way to yield to it. Growing exponentially. Speaking in tongues is a sign to arrest, attract, and to indicate the presence of God is here. It is the gateway and the door to the supernatural.”
Tongues is a gateway to the supernatural…
Saints, I heard Pastor Ken recently talk about this… about the whole gateway thing. And every time I read this, for whatever reason, the Holy Spirit has me really focus in on that part right there. For you, you might be highlighting some other things, but for me, and even now, it is “the gateway and door to the supernatural.”
“The Holy Ghost will bring the full expression of heaven through the believer.”
Saints, I believe that for what is coming, what is at the door, there needs to be an emphasis, more and more on the supernatural. What is ahead of us right now. It cannot be done just operating in the natural. And I would highly recommend this book by Brother Hagin: “Tongues Beyond the Upper Room.”
Testimony of the men in the Christian fraternity…
It was interesting. I went into our bookstore years ago after he went home to be with the Lord. And I saw a new book that he wrote. I said, “Whoa, the man just passed that. He’s writing a book from Heaven! How’s this possible?” And so I read it back then and then I’m rereading it now. Just to share one example of how powerful this is.
About two weeks ago, I just got into town. I was in Texas. I was in the men’s bathroom in the airport. And there was this big commotion right outside the restroom. Seven big guys just walked in, and I was washing my hands about to leave the restroom. And I’m like, wow. And college guys full of life, full of energy, big guys. So I finished washing my hands. They were in there talking and having a good time. So I walked out of the restroom. I’m right outside the men’s restroom. And one of the guys was outside. I said, “Hey, where are you guys from?” “Oh, we’re from Dallas.” “Oh, okay. Are you guys football players.” Because they’re pretty big. He said, “No, we’re part of a fraternity.” I said, “Well, have a good evening.”
And as I’m walking away… and mind you, that day by the grace of the Lord, I had been involved in this language for about an hour and a half that day. As I get in the car, “Son, just be praying in the spirit.” So as I’m walking away, it was so loud on the inside of me, it was like, “Go back and talk to those guys. You are part of the biggest fraternity in the whole world.” I said, “I am?”
So I went back and now the rest of the guys are out there. So there’s seven of them, big guys. So I approached them and said, “Hey, I was just talking to your friend and said, you guys are part of a fraternity. What kind of fraternity are you guys a part of?” He said, “It’s a Christian one.” I said, “Oh, Christian!” But, saints, you know, it’s interesting, as soon as he said, “Christian,” which should be an indicator that these guys are okay, guess what the Holy Ghost would have me do? I went up to each one of them said, “So, sir, you tell me right now that you’re born again, you’ve given your heart to the Lord Jesus. You know Him personally.” He said, “No.” I went to the next one. “So how about you, sir? Have you given your life to the Lord Jesus? If anything happens today, you’ll be in heaven?” He said, “no.” I’m shocked. I’m like, what is this? I went to the third guy… same thing. Out of the seven of them, only three of them were saved. Shocking, isn’t it?
And then the Lord gave me the opportunity. I said, “Guys, you know about Jesus. You’re part of a Christian fraternity for crying out. This is a good day to receive Jesus.” And the remaining four, God saved. And one of them, maybe the biggest one in the bunch, comes up to me and said, “Can I give you a hug?” I said, sure. And as I walked away, the Lord said, “Son, you would not have been able to do that if you had not allowed Me to prepare you. Because when they said that they were Christians, you would’ve just cut and run.” But my spirit said “no.” “And what you did there, going to each one of them like that, you would not have done that in times passing.” Not exactly like that. That boldness of the Lord just came upon me.
That language will change the world…
Saints, a lot of people want to change. I want to change. But listen to what the Holy Spirit said through Pastor Lynne. “When the language is released, that language will change the world and change you.”
