Jerre led in worship…
Pastor Ray shared…
I’m going to give you a list of eight keys to release the power of El Shaddai. This list is from a book by Vicki Jamison Peterson, “El Shaddai: The God of More Than Enough.” Toward the end of the book she gave a list of keys to experience God being El Shaddai in your life.
Eight Keys to Release the Power of El Shaddai
1. Believe the abundant life is God’s will for you
The first key to unlocking the blessings of El Shaddai is to believe that it is His will for you to enjoy His abundance. Jesus made that clear when He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
God wants you to prosper. His Word is His will, and it contains more than 7,000 promises for your well-being and spiritual abundance. So when you pray concerning needs in your life, pray with thanksgiving… with boldness… with assurance. Your needs are met when you trust Him without wavering, knowing that what His Word promises is yours.
2. Discover the work God has called you to do
The second key to walking with power is to actively seek out the life-work for which you are best suited. If it is still not clear to you what God would have you do with your life, pray until He reveals that to you. Discontentment is a favorite tool of the enemy. Thousands of people are in careers that are less than God’s perfect will. They are bound to their jobs by financial necessity, or a need for recognition, or family tradition. Your grandfather was a dentist; your father was a dentist—so naturally, you should want to be a dentist, too. No! Have the courage to be what you feel God wants you to be.
Conversely, many people are unhappy in their life-work—even though they are doing what God wants them to do. We forget that God distributes gifts to His children severally as He wills. Some people are ideally suited to be accountants—but they desire to be evangelists. Others are best suited for sales or industrial work—but long to be prophets.
Learn to be content in the place God has created for you—but always be sensitive to His direction. Remember, Jesus leads—Satan pushes. Jesus asks—the devil compels.
Ask God to lead you into the life-work He would have you to do. When He makes that clear to you, then do all you can to succeed in that profession. When you’ve done all that’s possible, El Shaddai will take care of the impossible. He will always be more than enough for your shortcomings.
3. Have faith in God
The third key to superabundance is a strong faith in God. Believing is the first step—but faith puts wheels on your belief. Someone has said that hope is the grab hook by which you latch onto your dreams. Faith is the rope attached to the grab hook. First you catch a vision of God’s power and abundance. Then, you set your hopes on attaining it. Faith is the way you get there. God is an immovable rock. He will never fail. But our hopes and our faith fluctuate. The key to achieving God’s best is to develop our faith to rock-hard consistency.
The day you really understand that God will always be here, that He will never let you down if you come to Him in faith, according to His Word, is the first day of a life filled with unlimited resources and spiritual blessings. No matter how big the obstacle you may encounter, you can move it through the power of El Shaddai. The secret is to cast your cares at His feet. Turn the controls of your life over to Him. He can see farther than you can see. He can work out things that are invisible to you.
Stand today on Psalm 127:2, and you’ll never have to worry again. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] foil; for he gives [blessings] to his beloved in sleep” (Amp.). Tonight, you can close your eyes and enjoy a good night’s sleep—El Shaddai is watching over you.
4. Establish a partnership with God
The fourth key to superabundance is to establish a covenant or partnership with God. Make Him your Executive Officer and realize that He has given you the power of attorney to carry on His business in this word. With that divine authority, or exousia, comes a reward in kingdom benefits. You see, being involved in the Father’s business offers more than a great retirement plan. There are some fantastic fringe benefits! To start with, there is unlimited health insurance. Read your contract, or covenant, and you’ll see that His stated policy includes divine health.
Look at the health clause in Proverbs 4:20–22: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” Not only is your health insurance provided, but God’s company offers a great profit-sharing program that pays dividends while you are working. Check the employee stockholder’s section in Mark 10:29–30, “So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is not one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time.” Follow His counsel. Be faithful to perform every task He gives you to do. When you adhere to His corporate guidelines (His Word)—willingly and obediently—there is no limit to your advancement potential.
5. Be bold to launch out in new ventures
The fifth step in releasing the power of El Shaddai is to be unafraid in launching out into new ventures. If you have been praying for things to happen, get ready to act. Expect some exciting changes and challenges. When God says to move, step out in faith. Don’t limit Him by your own evaluation of yourself. Even if you doubt your own ability, if God says you can do it—you can. Ask God to let you see yourself as He sees you. When God told me to leave Dallas, move to Tulsa, and begin a daily television ministry, my natural reaction was to say, “You’ve got to be kidding.” But I’ve learned to recognize His voice, and when He speaks, I act.
On the other hand, you need to be sure you’re hearing the voice of God, not your own desires … or even the voice of the enemy. There is a fine line that separates faith from presumption. God will give you faith to believe for a tremendous amount of money, but He won’t lead you to spend it before it comes. He will allow your ministry to expand beyond your wildest expectations, and He will do it by His own law of increase. Seeds don’t produce a harvest overnight. And while eternity is not limited by the dimension of time, it is governed by a sequence of events. It took God six days to create the world and all that’s in it. So don’t expect Him to give you everything at the snap of a finger. “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised” (Heb. 10:36 Amp).
6. Obey the Golden Rule
The sixth key to receiving from God is obeying the Golden Rule. Jesus never took advantage of another man to realize a profit. He always did unto others as He would have them to do unto Him. So God would not bless you to everyone else’s hurt. “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Pro. 10:22). And that’s the guideline He’s given to every believer.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Mat. 25:34–40 NKJV)
The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good. If you want to enjoy His benefits, go thou and do likewise!
7. Put God first
Step number seven is spelled out in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Such a simple truth, but one that eludes so many people. Seek the kingdom of God … seek His will for your life … seek out every opportunity to give love and care to everyone you meet. When you do these things, then God will meet your needs.
That’s a divine principle that applies in every area of life. We are to seek the Creator—not the creature … the Giver—not the gifts—the Holy Spirit—not outward manifestations. You see, signs and wonders FOLLOW those who believe. We are not to seek the blessings and manifestations of El Shaddai. But when we seek Him, His blessings will overtake us.
8. Pay your tithes and put God to the test!
The eighth and final step on the road to prosperity and spiritual power could well be the first. It’s defined very succinctly in Proverbs 3:9, 10. “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase, so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” That verse is talking about the rewards that come from paying your tithes—the first tenth of your income.
God promises in Mal. 3:10,11, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of hosts.”
Now that’s what I call prosperity, and it’s yours if you’ll just be faithful in giving God a tenth of everything that comes your way. You see, it all belongs to Him. But He asks for only ten percent, and our willingness to let Him use everything He needs.
Don’t be afraid to let God have your finances. When you let Him have everything you have, He gives you access to everything He has. His Word says, “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
If you expect to receive bountiful blessings, learn to give bountifully. Frances Hunter says that when you give to God with a teaspoon, he gives back to you with a teaspoon. But when you give to Him with a shovel, He gives back with a shovel. And His shovel is a lot bigger than yours!
The apostle Paul explains it this way: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance of every good work (2 Cor. 9:6–8).
Make tithing and giving a way of life for your family. Teach it to your children from the time they’re old enough to understand. When you live by faith, God’s way, you release the power of El Shaddai. And no matter what your need might be, you’ll always have more than enough! [end excerpt]
Group worshiped…
Word came forth…
If you’ve been saying to the Lord, “Lord, I want to be used more. I want what You’ve put within me to come forth… the individual gifts from heaven.” I heard this from Him, Get ready. Because the demand that will be placed upon each one of you as My children is about to be ramped up! When those demands are put upon you, because you’ve talked to Me about it, will have answers and solutions that you never thought or knew about. It will come from heaven. It’s been placed within you, but it will begin to come forth to a greater degree because your influence is about to increase. Maybe you never thought it would. It will if you keep your connection open heavenward. Those living waters will come in an increased way through you and those demands… it’s not a bad thing. It’s a God thing. People’s lives will be changed because of Who you have within you. They’ll see and know it’s Him and it’s not you. They will want what you are operating in and they’ll move closer to heaven’s ways and plans.
Prayed…
We believe for that, Lord… we all want it
We all desire to be used by heaven
Group continued to worship…
Pastor Ray shared and then prayed…
I just had this person come up in my spirit. Pastor Brian Sullivan, the principal of our school, Maranatha. I started seeing his face. Let’s lift him up and pray over him. He’s done great things, but there’s much more that is to come. And some of the demands that are about to be put upon him will be over not just in the school realm but it’ll be in the spirit realm. I’m just speaking all that out of my spirit man. I don’t know anything in the natural. What comes up in me for him is like a “refueling.” A renewing? I’m not sure. Just bringing him up to another level where the realm of the spirit moves to an even greater degree and it’ll lift up Maranatha Christian Academy into a higher level of expectancy and a greater level of spiritual activity that will lift up every teacher, every student… no matter what stream of ministry they’re in… what church they go to… whatever their parents think… the students that are in these rooms under this anointing will be brought up to a higher level of spirituality… That’s the only way I know how to put it. So there will be a fresh stirring in him that will come down to every teacher and those in other positions working at Maranatha, the staff… I plead the blood of Jesus over every single one of them. We’re in agreement, we’re asking and confessing an increase, a superabundant increase in spiritual activity. Revival in the school. A revival. A renewal, a restoration. An equipping. An opening of the gifts that are in every single one of these children. The seniors will go out into a greater level of authority because they’ve been raised up in this place of supernatural spiritual activity. Now! We declare it now! Not next year. Not two years from now. Not five years from now. But in Jesus name, now. We use the authority You put within us, and we call the blood of Jesus over the school and all the leadership and the direction of that “ship” called Maranatha. [group prayed in the spirit over MCA.]
Prayed…
A visitation… a divine visitation
We thank You for a divine visitation… supernatural supply
A great sweeping in of Your Spirit
Throughout the school before the end of this year
Suddenly… astounding… I see it as being astounding… not the work of man… the work of Your Spirit
There’s a door… we open that door… to walk in it… straight through it… liberty there
Shaking off the old
We take authority over those chains, those lies that would hold it captive that would hold it land bound…
We say “Be broken in Jesus’ name”
We declare freedom and liberty to move and flow in the Holy Ghost
Freedom! Be free and flow with the Holy Spirit
Great power in that place… manifestations there… to Your glory, Lord
The purity of it… it may start with something that looks small and foolish but, Father, that’s how You work… the foolish things to confound the wise…
So we plead the blood of Jesus over that opening there…
And we know that it will grow into a great fire…
For that one, Father, we pray and under gird and plead the blood of Jesus over them and for boldness to do what You’ve called them to do… to start that fire… it’ll burn… like a forest fire… from one to another to another, etc.
By Your Spirit, no man will receive the glory
We’re asking for every student… maybe there are some in the school that have never accepted You, Lord, as their Savior…
We believe before the end of this year that every single one will come to you… if they’ve never been Spirit filled, they’ll be Spirit filled…
But in every classroom, we’re asking for a move of the Spirit that would override some of the classwork, but it would be holy work and bring these gifts…
Father, I thank You that because of the power of Your Spirit and this increase that so many of the students will have a great revelation of what they’ve been called unto to do in their lives… what You put within them… the gifts and callings in their hearts… they get a revelation of it before they leave…
