Ascend Above Prayer &#8211; Colossians 3 &#8211; Maranatha Vision&nbsp;Project

Ascend Above Prayer (Colossians 3)

Heavenly Father, our hearts and thoughts ascend to your throne room today. We lift you up, we honor and glorify your name in all the earth. We join in with the four living creatures and the 24 elders who fall down before your holy throne day and night singing this song, “Lamb of Yahweh, you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for the Father souls from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have built your people into a kingdom of priests to serve you forever, and they will reign with the Son upon the earth.” Hosanna, hallelujah!

Glory Sanctuary > O God, you are my God; early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, and my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary, to see your power and glory. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. Thus, I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul shall be satisfied. (Psalm 63:1-5 NKJV)

Father, how quickly my soul wanders away from your Glory Sanctuary. How prone to fall away from your love is my heart’s pathway. I return to the heart of worship today, and I vow that my life belongs to you. My heart is yours, Lord Jesus, my heart is yours. I need you, Holy Spirit, every hour I need you. Once again, I return to this river to swim. I’m sorry Lord for the times I have made following you more complicated than ascending a hill, or floating in a river, or resting in green pastures beneath a sheltering shade tree. Father, thank you for creating this space of prayer, this place of worship in my heart where your Spirit now dwells within me, speaking softly, guiding me to seek you with all that I am.

Heaven Sight > Since you became alive again when Christ arose from the dead, set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where Jesus sits beside God in the place of honor and power.Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glory. (Colossians 3:1-4 TLB)

Father, thank you for these new eyes as gifts for my new life. For I have been crucified with Jesus, and the old wineskins are gone. But you, Holy Spirit, live in me. My heart was dead and wicked, and now, because of your love, my heart is new and righteous, a mystery I will never comprehend. My spirit was restless and rebellious, quick to share your glory with idols and false gods, wanting everything in life to always benefit me and make me happy. Then one day, you conquered my pride and defeated my lust. My Shepherd Redeemer, you guided me through this new, living way to refresh in your powerful wisdom, to rest in your compassionate care, to satisfy myself alone with you.

Interceding Saints > As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1-2 GNT)

Father, I see the saints and angels today. My forebears of long lost days have finished their race and won the prize and dwell in glory. I am surrounded by the prophets and kings of old, all the seraphim and cherubim who remained steadfast on the day the dragon deceived so many into hellfire. More remained faithful than those who left your presence, exchanging your majesty for counterfeit glory. My flesh has selfish desires, yet my eyes will remain fixed upon you Jesus. The world has thousands of idols seeking my attention, yet my heart will remain focused upon you Jesus. The dragon masquerades as a Bearer of Light to manipulate my affections, yet my soul will remain faithful to you alone Jesus. There’s nowhere else I would rather be than here with you Holy Spirit.

Mysterious Unity > “I pray not on behalf of these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their message,that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory that You have given to Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one—I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them as You loved Me. (John 17:20-23 TLV)

Father, I see my brothers and sisters scattered across the nations. One kingdom family under one Great Ascended Priest. I see all your disciples in every nation and place as one united body under one Divine Head. I see the enemy’s plan to slither in between brothers to divide us, to prowl unseen in between families and deceive us. I receive a renewed love for your people everywhere. As you are One, Father, Son, and Spirit, so may your people by your grace and power love one another. You are worthy and worthwhile for your people to cherish, embrace, and nurture unity.

We praise you that unity is not uniformity, that we are One Tribe in Christ brightly sparkling as a multicolored mosaic, an intricately-woven matrix of myriad personalities, gifts, passions, strengths, skills, and anointings. We are a slow-building orchestral anthem, a symphonic hallelujah ever increasing in depth and breadth until every voice joins in from the highest heaven to the deepest abyss celebrating the only name that is above & beyond every name. Jesus Messiah, Lamb of God, praiseworthy is your name!

Praying Priest > Jesus permanently holds his priestly office, since he lives forever and will never have a successor! So he is able to save fully from now throughout eternity all who come to God through him, because he lives to pray continually for them. He is the High Priest who perfectly fits our need—holy, without a trace of evil, without the ability to deceive, incapable of sin, and exalted beyond the heavens! (Hebrews 7:24-26 TPT)

Father, what would we do if Jesus was not praying for us all the time? And not only do you pray for us, Treasured Friend, but also you have made a way for us by your Spirit to always pray. Spirit of Jesus, help our hearts to heal as we remember your salvation, that Jesus is our Great Physician whose glory is a soothing salve to restore our souls. Spirit of Glory, help our minds ascend to heavenly realities, hearing the voices of seraphim praising the Lamb day & night, witnessing the elders and saints worshipping Jesus and interceding for the Church of our generation to make disciples in every tribe & language.

Spirit of Grace & Prayer, thank you for shepherding my life with the compassion of heaven, the mercy of your kingdom, and the freedom of your presence. Here I raise my Ebenezer, here I’ve come by thy daily help, and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. Savior, you sought me when I was a stranger wandering from the fold of God. You rescued me from danger, and purchased my soul with your precious blood.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is Jesus who comes in the name of Yahweh. With all angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we praise the Lamb of God, we praise the Lion of Judah who was slain for the sins of the world. And we sing together, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty who was, and who is, and who is to come” world and age without end. And we say, “Maranatha!” Jesus has come, Christ will return, come quickly, Shalom Messiah!

Amen. So be it. Grace & peace.

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Maranatha Vision Project > teaching disciples how to walk in Jesus’ freedom.