Heaven on Earth
I find it fascinating that the Lord is sovereign and holy and almighty, yet He desires to include us in what He does. Without humans, He created the entire world, yet He gives humans dominion and authority over the earth.
Genesis 1: 27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Matthew 16:19 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 6:9-13 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
From these scriptures, it is clear that there are things the Lord has willed that He is waiting on us to partner with Him on in prayer before they become a reality on earth. I imagine something like shelves in Heaven, where all promises are stored. And the longer we bypass the offensive and defensive weapon of prayer, the blessings the Lord has already paid for and made available to us will continue to sit on that shelf (Ephesians 1:3).
It is when we open our mouths, consistently and confidently declaring the word of God, which is His will, which will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11), that we see advancements in His Kingdom, demonic agendas demolished, and King Jesus exalted.
For a while, I did not understand the above scriptures. It was hard for me to understand how God could give mere humans such influence and responsibility. Yet He chose us from the very beginning (Ephesians 1:4 & Ephesians 2:10).
Heaven is open and available, but we have to consistently pray in the Spirit, desiring God’s will over our own. Only after we die do we ascend to Heaven. It was after Jesus laid down His will and was crucified that He was resurrected to the right hand of the Father. We are to follow Him in this way, making no provisions for the flesh. It is only after we humble ourselves in full submission to the Spirit that we may ascend and experience Heaven.