Oh, That You Would Rend The Heavens!

VERSE OF THE DAY: Isaiah 64:1-4 ~ “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil—To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!  When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

What a powerful prayer from the prophet Isaiah that God would rip open the heavens come down and meet with his people. Some believe that this prayer was answered at Jesus’ baptism when the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended resting upon Jesus, and that could be true. There is no Scripture to show that the heavens were ever closed since that occurrence. Others believe that, this “Open Heaven” occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, and now because believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, now God’s presence comes out of us and is released through our declaration, witness, or prayers rather than being “poured out” from an open heaven. I happen to believe both.

There are many New Testament Scriptures stating that we as believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, or that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water in reference to the Holy Spirit. Today’s verse is a definite reference to God’s presence coming down or descending from on high, such as what happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. In any case, however you look at it, we need more of God’s presence and glory surrounding our lives and influencing our generation. I will always need more of God! I will always desire for His presence to be increased in my life, my church and for His glory to surround the area in which I live. For it is in your presence oh God that lives are changed, it is in God’s presence that purpose is discovered that identity is revealed and that healing is manifest. It is in your presence, God, that we find freedom from every yoke of bondage and enter into the fullness of His joy.

PRAYER: “Oh God I recognize that Your presence dwells in me. Yet, the world needs you to open the heavens and come down and increase the outpouring of your Holy Spirit, in a way that results in healing, deliverance, awakening and fulfillment of Your promise that the whole earth will be filled with Your Glory! I call upon your name for more of your presence in and around my life. Let today be a day of increased awareness of your presence and your glory! Lord visit with me, meet with me, touch me, fill me to overflowing with your presence, mighty God come down from heaven and bless me with your life transforming power in Jesus name amen!”

VERSE FOR FEARLESS LIVING!  ~  Daniel 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong! ”So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”