Releasing the Prayer of Anointing

Uh, since Pastor Robert's not here, we have the special, special treat to be able to have one of our favorites.

And he is a man that's been with us a number of times, and every time he comes, I just receive so much.

I'm telling you, man, he is unbelievably gifted, and God's anointed him with a great word for us this weekend.

He is a pastor at Faithful Center Bible Church in Los Angeles, California.

He's also uh uh the vice chairman of King's University, along with Pastor Robert, who's the chairman of King's University.

That's Jack Hayford's uh university and seminary.

He's been a part of that.

He is a phenomenal speaker, written several, several books.

In fact, every summer, he is actually uh teaching at Oxford University.

So, phenomenally gifted man of God and has a great word for us today.

So I want us to give him a phenomenal gateway welcome.

Dr.

Ken Ulmer.

Ken, would you come?

Come on up, bud.

Let's bless him today.

Come on.

Oh, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.

This time, only the folk that have been blessed.

Give the Lord a hand of praise, won't you?

Come on, nigga, you're better than that.

Amen.

Wow.

Uh I I was just sitting there thinking, I I have a few friends who have a very few people, a few friends who have uh second homes, and they they spend time at their main home in LA, then they go to their other home.

This is my other home.

This is this gateway is my other home.

And uh it's an honor to be here.

Last time I was in this building, um my son and I were were giving the the grand tour with with Pastor Roberts that we had hard hats on.

Um this place um did not look like this, I'm telling you.

Did not look like this, but wow.

Uh turn to the first deck to you and say, How cool is this?

Is this cool?

Praise the Lord.

We want to welcome uh those who are worshiping with us at NRH and at Frisco.

Uh uh We're gonna here's a shout-out to NRH and Frisco.

Here's an LA shout-out.

Everybody over here say, Hey, what's happening over in the NRH and Frisco?

Praise the Lord.

Come with me to the book of 2 Chronicles.

Come with me to the book of 2 Chronicles.

Wow.

It is so great to be here and to be a part of the things that God is doing.

I pray that you continually, and by that I mean every day, I pray that you do not allow one day to come and go without spending some time thanking God for your pastor, the pastoral team that gives leadership here, the men and women who must stand before God one day and give an account for your soul.

I look at the great things that God is doing through Gateway, but into the uttermost parts of the world.

Pastor Robert is uh in Korea this weekend, and it is because of the anointing and the favor that God has rested on his life and on this house that is far, far too big to be contained here in Dallas.

And as you've heard just this week, uh he'll be ministering in Korea.

I want you to be in prayer for him and for the team that's there, but recognizing that what God is doing here in Dallas is now reaching literally around the world.

2 Chronicles chapter 6, we're gonna jump in there at about verse 20.

2 Chronicles 6 · chapter mention

Um years ago I was here and I shared with you a story of a of an old preacher.

Old preacher who one day after service uh on a Sunday slowly walked down the steps of his country church with a kind of a tattered Bible in one hand and a uh uh worn old robe in the other hand, and he slowly made his way down the steps pondering the activities of the day.

And as he did so, uh a little boy, a little boy rode by on a bicycle, and he uh saw this old preacher coming out of the church house, and little boy put his brakes on and turned around and came back.

And as the pastor was making his way to the to his car, little boy called out, and little boy uh said, Hey, mister, hey, hey mister, hey mister, did you just come out of that church?

Hey mister, hey hey, hey, did you just come out of that church?

Hey, mister, is God in there?

Hey, is God in that church?

You just come out of that church! Hey, Mister, it's not in there It's not in the church took a moment and scratched his head looking at the little boy and said, Son.

Sometimes I wonder.

Little boy, little boy waved at the old preacher and said, Hey, mister! Hey, preacher, hey! Is God in that church?

The old preacher scratched his head and said, Son, sometimes I wonder.

Maybe today as you leave NRH, or maybe as you leave Frisco, or maybe as you leave the worship center here, and and someone will see you leaving this facility, and they'll recognize that maybe you're leaving this church, and may and maybe there'll be a little boy who will shout out to you.

Hey, lady, hey, hey, mister.

Is God in that church?

Is God in Frisco?

Is God in NRH?

That's a pretty big building, lady.

Is God in that church?

The old preacher said, Son, sometimes I wonder.

Solomon stands before the people of God in the temple at the time of the dedication of this great and magnificent facility to the glory of God.

And he stands and he lifts his hands before the people and he prays.

And in his prayer, consecrating that place as a place of worship, he prays a series of hypothetical probabilities.

He prays a prayer structured in a unique way.

He prays, Lord, if then.

If this happens, then would you?

And if this kind of person comes, then would you.

And if they pray this, then would you?

A series of hypothetical probabilities.

And as we zoom in and allow our sanctified imagination to overhear this prayer, we soon recognize that he is praying a prayer for the prayers of the prayers who will pray in that place.

You guys didn't get it.

Let me try over here.

He prays a prayer, and actually, actually, he's praying a prayer for the prayers that will be prayed by the prayers in that place.

You guys got it.

He is anticipating the kind of prayers and the kinds of prayers that the prayers will pray in that place.

And in doing so, he releases a kind of prayer anointing on that house.

I I've come today as we've gathered at Frisco and NRH and here, I've gathered to ask God to release in this house a prayer anointing that seeks to anticipate the kinds of people and the kinds of prayers that the prayers will pray in this place.

Pick me up at verse 20 and let's listen in on Solomon's prayer.

He says, Lord, I pray that your eyes may be opened toward this temple day and night, toward the place where you said you would put your name, that you may hear the prayer which your servant makes toward this place, and may you hear the supplications of your servant and of the people Israel when they pray toward this place, hear from heaven your dwelling place, here it is, and when you hear, forgive.

Everyone say, forgive.

Hey lady, hey, mister, is God in this house?

If God is in this house, it's a place of forgiveness.

Solomon anticipates that the kinds of people who will be drawn to this place will include some who need forgiveness.

This house is not a museum of spiritual perfection.

This is not a place where you come to walk down the corridors and to uh to perceive and to look at the display of God's spiritual perfection through the lives of the people in here.

This is not where God displays his holy green berets.

These are not all, this is not a place where there are spiritual supermen and superwomen.

It's a place where people gather with clay feet, who have stumbled along the way, who've made some bad choices along the way.

And Solomon prays, oh God, when they come to this house, may they step into an atmosphere where it's safe to confess and receive forgiveness.

There's an unusual anointing on this house.

A unique anointing that God has released in this house that makes it safe to confess my flaws, that makes it safe to wrestle with choices that I've made.

So that the goal of this house is not just to see folks saved, and yet that's a part of it, but to see them healed and set forth and delivered and set free.

Because it is a place where God draws men and women who are in need of forgiveness and yet who are handled spiritually, who are handled in a certain way because they enter into an anointed atmosphere.

Some of you remember the story when this group of guys uh the Bible says they caught this woman in the very act of adultery.

Anyone remember that story?

Remember that story?

And and and the Bible says, and and they drug her in the dust and threw her at the feet of Jesus.

Now the Bible says that they caught her in the very act.

I thought about that.

What must they have been doing to catch this sister in the very act?

I mean, I know the text doesn't say it, and and and and I don't have time for that in this message, but it is a good question.

I mean, what kind of voyeur ministry were they had going on?

I mean, how how do you how did how did they catch this sister in the very act?

You know what I'm saying?

And so the Bible says they caught this woman and they threw her in the dust at the feet of Jesus.

Now, it really was a setup because they wanted to see how he would handle her.

See, the trick was this if he said stone her and condemn her, they would say, Yeah, yeah, but what about all this love you've been preaching about?

And yet if he condemned her, and and and and he, or rather, if if he forgave her and let her go, he would then be breaking the law of the land that says she ought to be stoned.

It was kind of a catch-22, and so they they thought they thought they had him.

But but look at the genius of Jesus.

Bible says he he he kneeled down and started writing, started writing in the dust.

Doctoral theses and and uh master's theses have been written on what he wrote.

You know, all kinds of uh academic and intellectual and exegetical speculation about what he wrote.

I'm gonna tell you what he wrote in a minute.

And so he was writing, he was writing, and and and and he was writing, and people saw walking up.

I'm gonna tell you what he wrote, I'm gonna tell you in a minute.

And he was writing and writing, kept on writing, kept on writing, and went and and I'm gonna tell you what he was writing.

And he was writing and writing and writing, and and and and uh well see what he wrote was I don't know what he wrote.

I know I don't know.

The Bible never says what he wrote.

Praise the Lord.

Because some of my stuff was probably in there too, you know what I'm saying?

But we do know that when he finished writing, the accusers had left.

And Jesus said to that woman, Where are your accusers?

And she cowered and looked up to him and said, They're gone.

And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you.

And then he looked her straight in the face and he said, And don't you ever do that again?

Watch this, watch this, watch this.

Watch how Jesus handled her.

She found forgiveness, but she found compassion.

It was not just that he forgave her, it was about how he handled her.

When when you come to a place like this, there is there is such an anointing of compassion that flows in the very atmosphere of this house, that it's a safe place to confess.

I blew it, I messed up, I sinned, I made some bad choices, and yet they handle you in such a way that you recognize that they speak truth, but they speak love, and though they do not condemn you, they they speak to you and they handle you with compassion.

Because when it's the house of God, it's a place where you can come, and it's safe to declare, I've blown it, I've messed up, but can I find favor?

Can I find forgiveness?

Can I find the mercy of God?

And God says, In this house, it is a house of forgiveness.

Come here, come here.

Back to the text, back, back, back, back, back, back.

Next verse, watch this, verse 22.

If anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before you, your altar at this temple, watch this.

Then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, listen very carefully, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way unto his own head and justifying the righteous by giving them according to his righteousness.

Look at me.

He says this, and yet, Lord, when some of us come in need of forgiveness, let not that need of forgiveness and how we handle them be like leaven.

Let it not bleed over and affect and impact the innocent.

In other words, Lord, as you are dealing with those who are struggling with bad choices and sin and struggling with the challenges of our lives, oh God, don't let our lives, the lives of the innocent, be negatively impacted by the reality of bad choices in the lives of others.

Let me say that another way.

Oh Lord, as you deal with those of us who are in need of forgiveness, protect the rest of us that we don't likewise have to live under the burden and weight and consequences of sin in someone else's life.

God brought someone here today, and you're struggling with the load and the weight of the choices that someone else has made.

Solomon says, I pray, Lord, that you would protect the innocent.

I pray that it might never be seen by any as a license to sin.

I pray that it might never be a place that's soft on sin, but rather a place where holiness is a value and righteousness covers the people of God.

I pray, oh God, that as you deal with those of us who are struggling, that you protect those of us who are trying to walk right.

God brought someone here today.

And maybe in your family, someone is struggling to get their lives back.

And yet the whole family is being impacted by this.

I don't know who I'm talking to.

But God says there's a release of the presence of God in this house and in your life that covers and protects the innocent.

I see someone, uh, and there's been a bad choice, and you you're concerned about siblings, something about siblings, uh that the other sons and daughters, the other brothers and sisters do not see the negative example of one as a license to turn themselves.

May it be a place where holiness, oh God, and righteousness are the values.

And that even as we struggle with the choices and the decisions, and yea, even the sins of others, that you might protect our minds and our spirits, that we might continue to walk in righteousness.

It's a spirit of mercy.

Oh God, have mercy on us that we might live and strive under the canopy covering of your mercy in spite of the temptation and the struggles that we might face.

May you cover those who walk in righteousness.

If it's God's house, it's a place of forgiveness, it's a place of mercy.

Go back to the next verse.

Watch this.

Or, he says, if your people are defeated.

Before the enemy, because they've sinned against you.

Watch this one now, and they return and confess your name and pray and make supplication before you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people, and listen, and bring them back to the land which you gave them and to their fathers.

I love this.

Solomon says, Oh God, because of the attack of the enemy, some of us have lost ground, some of us have had setbacks, some of us have missed and what and fallen short of the blessings that you've released and given to us.

And so he says, Father, when we repent and we turn and we confess, beyond healing, beyond deliverance, beyond salvation, he says, Restore the land that you gave them in the first place.

Ah it's God's house, it's a house of restoration, it's a house that recognizes that when the enemy comes upon us, we lose ground.

There are setbacks in our lives.

And yet, when God cleanses us and forgives us and makes us righteous, when God cleanses us and steps into our life, the prayer is that God would take you right back and the stuff that the enemy has tried to take away, the stuff that the canker worm has destroyed, the things in your life that the enemy has taken by the power of God, when he has cleansed you, when he has forgiven you, when he has washed you, that he takes you back and gives you everything that the enemy tried to take from you.

He restores unto you the joy of your salvation and the things that he has decreed, you shall see them come to pass.

It's a place of restoration.

Ah, someone's here today, and you you've had setbacks because of bad choices.

Ah, God says there's a release in this house.

Job says, Sometimes I feel like the Lord has forgotten my address.

Job said, I looked around and I couldn't find him.

Left, right, forward, back.

I could not find him.

But Job learned an interesting lesson.

Job said, He knows the way that I trod.

Here's what Job's lesson is.

Sometimes there's better than you being able to see God.

And when you can't see God, the thing that's better than seeing God is remembering that when you cannot see him, he can always see you.

And God has made a commitment.

And so Job says, When he has tried me, I shall come forth as true, true gold.

I will in all the days of my appointed time, I will continue to trust in God.

God says to somebody today, it looks like you've had a setback, it looks like the enemy has come in, it looks like you've lost some ground.

But God says to you, by the power of the living God, He speaks restoration in your life.

And everything that the enemy has taken from you, God shall restore it, God shall remove it, God shall bring it back, God shall restore you.

And everything that the enemy came and took away from you, God says, It shall be restored.

The land that he promised you shall be given unto you.

What God said he would do, you heard him right.

He's still going to do it.

The devil at best can delay it, but he cannot deny it.

Because when God says it's time for your restoration, when God says it's time for you to step forth, the devil in hell cannot stop you.

God releases in this place a spirit of restoration.

Now watch this, now watch this, watch this.

We sing it sometimes in the African-American tradition that says, I'm going.

You may speak in it, may sing it in the vanilla tradition too, but but uh uh when and the song says something like, I'm going into the enemy's camp and I'm gonna take back everything the devil stole from me.

You ever heard that song?

I'm going into the enemy's camp and I'm gonna take back everything the devil stole from me.

Well, when you go in, don't move too fast.

Because some of the stuff that the devil took from you, God never gave you in the first place.

God gives you wisdom to recognize that sometimes what the devil took from you, you can let the devil have it.

Because what God has for you is exceeding abundantly above anything you can ask or think.

And what is coming is better than what has been.

You didn't get that.

I said it too fast.

I said, What is coming is better than what has been.

You still didn't get it.

Tell your neighbor, what's coming is better than what has been.

That's a good place for a shout.

Right off down through there, right?

Right off in there, right off down through there.

God says, It shall be a house of restoration.

Praise the name of the living God.

I'm going home on this one.

Come on, back to the text one more time, last time.

Watch what he says in verse 26.

When the heavens, thank you, Lord, have been shut up, and there is no rain.

Everyone say rain.

Because they sinned against you.

Watch this.

When they pray toward this place, thank you, Lord, and confess your name and turn from their sins because you afflicted them.

Watch this now.

Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people and your people Israel, that you may teach them the good way in which they should walk.

Here it is, and send rain.

Everyone say rain.

Prophet says, Send rain on your land, which you've given to your people as an inheritance.

Look at me, we're ready to go home.

Solomon says, Lord, when the heavens have been shut up, when you and I and the people of God go through seasons of drought, when you've sown seeds and you've trusted God.

And as Pastor Dave said, you've been seeking and asking and knocking, and it has not happened.

The word of the Lord says to you, it's too soon to quit.

Don't stop seeking, don't stop asking, don't stop knocking.

Though it appears that the heavens have been shut up and there is no rain.

I declare unto you, I have the weather report.

It's gonna rain, children.

I came by to tell somebody today.

It does not matter how long it may appear that the heavens have been shut up.

I've got the weather report.

And the weather report is rain is on the way.

It's gonna rain in this house.

Rain symbolizes an unusual outpouring of the presence and power of God.

Rain symbolizes that which God gives to bring forth harvests.

Harvest assumes that seeds have been planted.

I came to tell somebody today, you've planted seeds and you've watered seeds and you've waited and you've trusted and you've watered and you waited and you've trusted and you've watered and you've waited and you trusted, and it seems as though the heavens have been shut up.

Well, I came to tell you your waiting days are coming to an end.

It's going to rain.

A harvest of souls, the likes of which you've not seen.

A harvest of deliverance, the likes of which you've not seen.

As you have sown and struggled and waited and trusted, in spite of your discouragement, in spite of looking for rain, and there has been none.

Solomon prays what I pray for you.

Oh Lord, send the rain.

It's gonna rain in Gateway, it's gonna rain in NRH, it's gonna rain in Frisco.

I came to declare unto you, God shall send the outpouring of his spirit and his presence and his power in such an unusual way, it's gonna be a gully washer.

My word to you, gateway, get ready for rain.

You're not ready for it.

It's gonna rain, children.

My daddy would sometimes sit on the back porch of our little house in East St.

Louis, look up and nothing but blue sky.

And daddy would say, Son, it's going to rain.

I said, Daddy, but the weatherman said it's nothing but blue sky.

Daddy said, Son, I'm not talking about the weatherman, I'm talking about the man who makes the weather.

I'm telling you, it's going to rain.

I said, Daddy, how can it rain when there's not a cloud in the sky?

Daddy would say, Son, it's going to rain.

Daddy, how do you know it's going to rain?

Daddy would say, Son, I can feel it in my knees.

God says, if my people who are called by them by my name will humble themselves and pray, if I can find somebody who will go down on their knees and feel it in your knees, that God is about to do something, it's going to rain up in here.

Oh, God, send the rain.

Tell your neighbor, get ready for rain.

It's going to rain in this house.

It had not rained for many years in a little country town.

And the old preacher stood on a Sunday morning and said, Saints of God, tomorrow night we're going to gather in the house of God.

Every knee is bowed, everybody bent, and we're going to trust God, we're going to pray for rain.

Tomorrow night we're going to gather in the house.

And everybody's going to bow to God and we're going to pray for rain.

Sure enough, that next night, that Monday night, all the saints gathered in this little country church.

They came from here and there in this down this little dusty road on leading to this little country church.

Because the preacher said we're going to pray for rain.

Had not rained in years, crops were failing, farms were failing, and yet the preacher said we're going to pray for rain.

Sure enough, the little kids who were gathering early looked down the road and they saw a strange sight coming because the preacher said we're going to pray for rain.

They looked down the road and they saw dust being kicked up at every step that this person was taking.

One of the little kids realized this was old Mother Jones, one of the old prayer warriors in the church.

Because the preacher said, We're going to gather and pray for rain.

They looked at Mother Jones and she was dressed in a strange outfit.

Mother Jones dressed up in a strange getup.

They looked up and she had a strange rubber hat on her head.

Mother Jones had an old yellow rubber coat around her back.

Mother Jones had a parasol.

That's nothing for you young folk.

That's an old umbrella, anyway.

Had an umbrella in her hand.

Mother Jones had old rubber boots.

They called them golashers.

Y'all don't call them down here in that Dallas no more like that.

She had on a rubber hat and an old rubber raincoat, and she had an umbrella in her hand and golashers on her feet.

The kids began to wonder what's wrong with old Mother Jones.

They ran to tell the preacher, preacher, preacher, something's wrong with old Mother Jones.

She's dressed up in a strange outfit.

Sure enough, the preacher came and looked down the road, and here comes old Mother Jones.

She's got a rubber hat on her head, she's got an old yellow rubber coat on her back.

She's got an umbrella in her hands, and she's got golashers on her feet.

And the preacher said, Mother Jones, Mother Jones, why are you dressed in such a strange way?

Mother Jones had lost all her teeth.

And she said, Pastor, I thought you said we was coming out here to pray for rain.

And it seems to me if we come in to pray for rain, somebody ought to be dressed for rain.

So I got on my rain hat and I got my umbrella and I got my gold lashes and I got my raincoat because I came to pray for rain.

Is there anybody in Gateway who's ready for rain?

Uh, you've got to learn how to praise God in the rain.

You've got to learn how to give God a wave offering in the rain.

You've got to learn how to give God glory in the rain.

And when you've got enough faith that the rain is coming, you don't wait until it starts raining to start praising.

You can praise God now because the rain is on the way.

Is there a praiser in this house?

Is there a worshiper in this house?

Lift up your heads, oh ye gates.

Somebody give God glory in this house.

Right on your power, rain double your spirit, rainbow anointing.

Somebody give God praise.

Bless the name of the living God.

Rain God.

Rain, ring, ring, ring, ring, rain, rain God.

Everyone standing, everyone standing, everyone standing, everyone standing.

He rains down mercy.

Lavishly.

Abundantly.

He rains down forgiveness.

He rains down cleansing.

He rains down strength.

He rains down encouragement.

He is such an omnipresent God that he reigns in NRH and Frisco and in this center at the same time.

Reign, Lord.

Open up the windows of heaven.

Pour out blessings that we don't even have room to receive.

Lord, it appears as though the heavens have been shut up.

In our homes, in our marriages, in our finances, in our businesses.

It seemed as though there's been a drought.

But we've come into this house and we declare God is in this house.

A house of forgiveness.

A house of mercy.

A house of restoration.

A house of rain.

God brought someone here tonight, today.

Here at this worship center.

God brought someone to NRH.

He navigated the circumstances of your life.

You almost didn't come this morning.

You faced some obstacles and you almost did not come.

You almost didn't come.

And God knew when Adam and Eve were walking around in the garden looking for a leaf to hide under.

God ordained that you'd be here today.

God brought someone to Frisco today.

By his sovereign hand.

The ministry workers are going to come and stand with you.

And agree with you and pray with you.

As you come knowing you're in a safe place.

Safe enough to confess.

Safe enough to be healed.

Safe enough to be made whole.

Is this God's house?

I believe it is.

Amen.

Remain standing.

Every head bowed and everybody closed.

Let me just talk to us real quick, right?

And this isn't we're not dismissing yet.

I just, if you need ministry today for any of those areas, we want to pray for you.

I believe there's power in prayer, and I believe there's real power when two or more gather together and agree together.

And that's what we do during the ministry time.

So I'm going to invite you all over the house, whether in the balcony or all the way in the back, it doesn't matter.

And please don't leave during this time.

This could be the most critical time for some people's lives.

If you need ministry, here in a second, I'm going to pray.

And as soon as I say amen, we're going to just receive that ministry.

I'm going to ask my ministry leaders to come forward and let God minister to you.

You don't have to be a member here.

You don't have to be embarrassed by it.

I mean, this is something we do.

So take advantage of that, all right?

Let God minister to your life.

Heavenly Father, I pray you bring everyone forward that needs prayer, Father, in any of those areas in Jesus' name.

Amen.