What God Seeks (at The Faith Center) | Part 1

0:00 You pray it and he can answer it. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. God will put the prayer in your heart to pray so that he can answer it. Goes into the hearts of the people, doesn't return void, it produces results. (*audience applauding*) Hello everybody. You may be seated. I'm starting a new fashion trend. Can't be that bad, I got heels on the other foot.

0:41 You know us ladies, we know how to make it happen no matter what. God is good, isn't he? I wanna make sure I'm very conscious of the time because I have an assignment from the Lord from the beginning of this message until the very end. Before we do, I just wanna let you know we did bring our books. This is Encounter God Through Prayer. This is a book that brings the reader from the very foundations of how to pray all the way up into contemplative meditative prayer. So this is a very good book for the beginner as well as those of you who've been walking with God for a while and as you know, we all need to be reminded because the Bible says we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have learned.

1:32 Yes, at any time we let them slip. Who would like this book? The young lady with the pink, is that pink? God bless you. Thank you Jesus. Next, I have my newest book, Contend, Stewarding the Hearts and Destinies of Our Children Through Prayer. This is one of my favorite books. I have literally put everything into this book that I've learned about prayer and the concentration is Stewarding the Hearts and Destinies of Our Children Through Prayer. So I give my own testimony.

2:13 There's testimonies of other mothers and fathers who have prayed their children through to victory because we're not talking about name it, claim it prayers when it comes to praying the prayer of intercession. It's a different kind of prayer. So I get into all the aspects of how to pray for your children as well as I give the reader probably, I forget how many, about 80 something promises at the very back of the book. Now when I was done with this book, one of the editors said to me, I think you should put an outline at the end of each chapter so that people can use the book for Bible studies. And I said, I'm done.

2:54 It's taken me forever to write this book and anybody that's ever written a book knows what I'm talking about. It's like, I'm done. I said, if you wanna write the outlines and you put them together, I'll let you do it, right? And where God guides, he provides. I just wrote him a check. He wrote the outlines. We put it into the book. And so therefore this book has a twofold purpose to teach the parent how to pray and to teach the teacher how to teach the parents how to pray. So I wanna give this book to you because you raised your hand. God bless you. Lastly, another book that was published by Destiny Image. This is one of my favorite books as well.

3:34 Focus Eliminating Distractions for Enhanced Spiritual Vision. God told me for about a year and a half when I was raising my children at one point, he said, I want you to stop traveling, stop preaching, stop going on the road. I was only doing really local stuff. He said, there's some things I wanna teach you and the only way you're gonna be able to do this is if you are just, when the kids get on the bus, you just seek me and read and study. So therefore that's where this book was birthed out of. It was about a year and a half. But Eliminating Distractions, Restoring Spiritual Focus Between Heaven and Earth, Living From the Spirit, Hearing What's Coming, so on and so forth. Then the enemies of spiritual vision, number one is offense, people pleasing, self-absorption, focusing on the past, the easy road.

4:22 That's a big one. The noise of the enemy, discouragement, the treasures of this world, reliance on our own works, weariness. So who would like this lady here in the very back? She's very, very aggressive and I'm gonna give it to you. Oh, okay, there you go. God bless you. As we're getting into the word, Pastor John and Pam are just really good friends of mine. We've known each other, yes, for a long time. But I just wanna give a shout out to Pam because you can sense people's hearts. How many of you know what I'm talking about? The Bible says, though we're absent in the flesh, we're present even in the spirit.

5:03 And I could tell you, even in a text, I can feel her heart. And she has a true heart of a mom. And I feel her mothering me. And it's just something you sense in the spirit. And God gives us the mothers and the fathers to watch over us and to protect us. So I just wanna give a shout out to Pam. I just love you and I appreciate you very, very much. Okay, so we're gonna talk this morning. Before I get into the message, I wanna explain something briefly to you. I do my best to hear the word of the Lord for that particular body where he sends me.

5:49 And I operate, can I be honest? I wish I could operate more as a teacher because in some regards, it's a little bit easier. But I operate also in a prophetic anointing combined with a teaching gift. Ooh, glory. And it's the prophetic that it has a little sense of you gotta walk by faith and then you have to listen and hear what the spirit is saying and put it together in a manner whereby you're not giving an uncertain sound, but you're preparing that body, that city, that whoever for battle.

6:32 And that's my heart, that's where I'm at and that's where I'm at today. So this morning, we're gonna talk about what God seeks. And oftentimes we hear and I teach so much about, you know, those that seek me, find me. There are those that knock, the door will be open. Draw near to God, he'll draw near to you. And I teach people how to pray, how to enter into the presence of God. But recently God showed me there are things that I seek as well. And as if my people would just posture themselves in a position to come into alignment with what I seek, they will have an encounter with me like they've never had before.

7:25 Now, before we get into this message, there's some specific things God gave me for the Faith Center on the 14th of this month. He said, I heard on the inside of me, I am increasing the Faith Center with a greater measure of wisdom, listen, and spiritual understanding. Listen to me, the realm of the spirit is not like the realm of the natural. And there is a realm of the spirit and there's ingredients in the realm of the spirit. There's angels in the realm of the spirit. There's unseen things that go on in the realm of the spirit.

8:08 And what I saw for the Faith Center is, he is rising up, it's like Isaiah 60, there's a glory of God, is rising up within you and he is increasing this ministry specifically in the area of wisdom and spiritual understanding. Wisdom is Sophia. That word means to insight into the true nature of things. So he's going to increase you with wisdom and spiritual understanding. In other words, it's like the Ephesians prayer that says, that the eyes of your understanding would be open and enlightened.

8:53 That he would anoint your eyes with eyes salve that you may see. It's a spirit of seeing and knowing in the realm of the spirit. It goes beyond what you see with these eyes and it goes into what you see and hear and know on the inside. Now how is he going to increase the Faith Center with a greater measure of the spirit of seeing and knowing? I heard him say, it's not by might. It's not by power, but it's by my spirit.

9:34 And we are living in perilous times and it's very important that the church be fully equipped, fully understand what the laws of the spirit are so that we can live and move and have our being in that realm and therefore accomplish the will of God in the earth because we are co-labors together with God. And he has need for us in this hour to operate in this greater measure of the spirit of seeing and knowing. So I want you to know that that's happening. And I want you to know one other thing and I was thinking about it when I was sitting there, I wasn't thinking about it on the 14th, but spiritual things are transferable.

10:23 Spiritual things are transferable who you sit under. Spiritual things are transferable who lays hands on you. Be careful with that. There's a lot of new-agers in the world. I just went to my energy healer and he laid hands on me. Stay away from that. Through association, spiritual things are transferable. And I'm gonna say this with all boldness because I know who I am, I am what I am by the absolute 100% grace of God. I know that there's a measure of what I carry. And I know that spiritual things are transferable.

11:04 I'm very much aware that that which is in me is going and is already rising up and it's being poured out of me into you. I didn't know anything about that. I used to clean Kenneth E. Hagen's home. I was around all these heavy hitters back in the day and I was only 19 years old. I was born a Catholic girl. I was six months old when I went to Ramo Bible Training Center. Knew nothing about the word of God. And I landed in these homes of all these heavy hitters and Kenneth E. Hagen was one of them. And to make a long story short, at our 1977 graduation, you know, I was 20, I went at 19, I was 20 at the time.

11:46 And during our graduation, we all stood up, you know, cause you're leaving the building, right? You got your hat, the whole thing. And you know how Kenneth E. Hagen, sometimes prophets do things that are very unpredictable. But I just want to encourage you, let the prophets speak. We need the voice of the prophets. There are actually normal prophets in the earth today. There are some that are nutty, fruity, and flaky and what they prophesied doesn't come to pass. But there are real solid prophets in the land. How do you know if a prophet is solid? They know the word of God. And they don't just speak by experience.

12:26 They confirm the word of God with their visions, their dreams, and whatever else it is that they're seeing. So Kenneth E. Hagen, am I talking too fast? Kenneth E. Hagen, just breathe for a second. I went to a public speaking class and they told us to let the people breathe for just a second. Can you breathe? Are you done breathing? Okay. And during our graduation, Kenneth E. Hagen stopped the whole ceremony and he said, let's not miss God. And then he stopped everything and there were brother and sister Goodwin.

13:08 I mean, you guys, I don't even remember, totally. I mean, they were older than me and I was only 19, 20. But this is what he said. He said, I used to be able to go into their church and instantly operate in the Spirit. Do you know the churches I go into that don't understand the Holy Spirit, His person and His work? You go into these churches, you can't always do and operate in the full measure of your calling and your anointing because they don't understand the Holy Ghost. That's why Kenneth E. Hagen used to say, the Holy Ghost could walk into the room with a big hat on and say, I'm the Holy Ghost. And some people would never ever recognize Him.

13:52 So anyway, so the Goodwins were like that. You could walk in. He said, I could operate instantly in the Spirit. They just had an understanding of the operations of the Holy Spirit. What He liked, what He didn't like. How to flow, how to know. It was the Spirit of seeing and knowing they had an ability to flow and operate. And it was just, according to Kenneth E. Hagen, amazing. So he said, they were at our graduation. And he said, I saw them, everyone say saw. Prophets see. And I believe those of you that are believers don't necessarily stand in the office of a prophet.

14:36 You can still operate in the Spirit of seeing and knowing by way of the revelation gifts. And I believe that's what the, I know that's what the Holy Ghost is saying. So anyway, he said, I saw them stretching forth their hands toward this graduating class. Now in that day, there was only 337 of us. Now Ramah's a Bible college and so on and so forth. He said, I saw something of the wisdom of God and the maturity of God. He said, that which took them 40 years to learn being transferred into these students tonight.

15:17 Now I didn't know. I only went to Bible school for a year. I was raised a Catholic. I learned a lot in Ramah. But I didn't understand what that meant. But after that graduation day, I noticed something that I was able to do, but it wasn't from my own natural ability. I noticed that when I was in prayer, I was able to follow the rhythm of the Holy Spirit in prayer and pray supernaturally. Pray, when I say supernaturally, I mean pray with wisdom and revelation and knowledge and insight into the true nature of things.

15:58 And I was able to pray more accurately, more like you hit the target right on time, right on target. And I noticed that, I was very young when I started ministry, I noticed that when I would teach and preach or minister, I had an understanding of what was going on in the services. Now that doesn't come by natural means. Listen, it's by the Spirit of the living God. And so I believe that God is increasing the faith center in wisdom and spiritual understanding in Sophia. The revelation gifts are going to be arising and you're gonna be shining because men are gonna come to the brightness of your rising and we're gonna need to be fully equipped and ready to meet people's needs.

16:50 Not only that, I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is calling this church, not just a couple of you, but all of you to a greater measure of a devotion in prayer. In your secret prayer and in your corporate prayer. And prayer becomes fun when you operate in the spirit of seeing and knowing. Now how many of you have had dry prayer times? You know, when I first got here on the 6th of January, that's when this happened, because the devil is a liar. You have no idea the warfare. Do you know that every time you're about to enter into a new door, there's adversaries at the gates?

17:36 The apostle Paul said, a great door in effectuals has been opened to me, there's many adversaries. Well, you're entering into a new door. I just wore at the gate, just keep going. I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt, I know that I know that once we did this meeting today, things are gonna change and shift in the spirit. Because Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. He doesn't want you going through that open door. He doesn't want you to enter into that new level. He doesn't want you to increase in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. So he'll try to stop with warfare, stop with this tactic, stop with that tactic, I'm just gonna do this and I'm gonna do that, meh.

18:17 I mean, I can't even tell you, I'm in my house and I'm like, hmm, distracted at the noise of the enemy, the book of Psalms says. Just the warfare, and the Lord said to me, because he's been whispering to me lately, and all the whispers, I actually might make a book out of it, have been really beautiful and fun, and I'm here with you, I go before you, I'm with you. All these beautiful whispers. I woke up one morning and he whispered, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. And there was an insight into the true nature of things, and the Lord just reminded me, be strong, be very courageous.

18:58 I am with you, greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world. The warfare may be there, and all this is going on, but it's the realm of the spirit. Be as wise as a serpent, and as harmless as a dove. That's the time you don't open up your mouth and talk about it. What you do when you're in the midst of the battle is, you speak the word of God, and the enemy must flee. And then the other thing is, I don't know how to explain this, you just gotta get through that door. I said to God, I know once I do this meeting on Sunday morning, I know all this stuff's gonna lift.

19:41 All this crazy stuff's gonna lift. I just know it. I know it. Mary Jo knows, when we first launched our KIU events, I don't remember what year that was, the first time we did the KIU events, we were bringing leaders from all around the area, because I have favor in my region. They like me because I'm not competitive. I'm not jealous. I don't have an agenda, and I love the pastors, and want to support the pastors. And so we had the opportunity, and the opportunity to bring together all these leaders.

20:22 That we were all coming together, all the different churches were coming together, all the leaders were coming together for the purpose of prayer for the region, fellowship, and learning how to pray. And I'm telling you, for a month, before that first KIU event, I would wake up in the morning and hear that enemy was, just whispering in my ear, you don't think that anybody is gonna show up to that corporate prayer meeting. And then it was like, who do you think you are? And the beauty of it is, I know who I am.

21:03 I'm like a little tiny person that was raised by five brothers, and I'm an introvert by nature. So this isn't even my nature to do half the stuff, three quarters of the stuff I do for God. Do you know once we launched that KIU event, we had, I don't know how many leaders came, how many churches came, we preached, we prayed, there was lunch, everybody got to know, it was just incredible. Oh, I forgot to tell you, and my hair started falling out, and I had a bald spot in the back of my head. And we were bringing in the cameras, we were recording it, because listen, it was a new season, it was the dawn of a new day. God said, I'm about to do a new thing.

21:47 So there's war at the gates. So what? I've learned in whatsoever state I am to be content, to be patient, to rest, because patience and rest and contentment is your secret weapons. You start getting freaked out, start getting anxious, start saying all the wrong things, the enemy gets all involved in that, and he likes all that confusion, then he just makes it worse and worse and worse. No, having done all to stand, stand therefore. So that was my word for the faith center, there was a lot more than what I had planned, so there's going to be an increase.

22:30 So what is going to facilitate this increase? The Lord said, posture yourselves individually and collectively, then go after God with your whole heart. And the scripture he gave me was, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and everything that is within you. Go after God with all your heart. In other words, he's calling for a fresh commitment. He's calling for a fresh surrender to him, because the best is yet to come.

23:17 And with great surrender comes a great wave of the power and the anointing of the Holy Ghost. I don't know where it is, I think it's Psalms 110. My people shall be willing in the day of my power. It's a surrender, it's a willingness, it's an opening up your heart to God. It's saying not my will, but your will be done in my life. Though everyone forsake me, Lord, I'm gonna press forth toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. I choose not my life, I pick up my cross, and I'm gonna follow you all the way.

24:00 Though my father and mother forsake me, I know that the Lord will take me up. No man has left houses or brothers or mothers or sisters and shall not receive in this lifetime anything according to his riches in glory that you need. It's living in the light of eternity and living a surrendered life. So what does God seek? Number one, God seeks worshipers. This is a new thing for me, and I've been preaching prayer for how many years? Years, I never saw this. My guy back there is so good, I gave him all these scriptures, now he could put one of them up.

24:43 Right? Remember the prayer seminar? I gave him so many scriptures, I don't even know how many we used, not many. John four, I think we need to honor those that are hidden in the background because if it wasn't for them, what would we do? I have an assistant, it's Jeannie, I have a social media assistant. Listen, what would we do with all the people that are hidden? Let me tell you, one day we're all gonna stand before God, we're gonna give an account for our lives. It's not gonna be just the preacher that's in front of everybody, it's gonna be the praying people, the Aaron's and the hers that held up their arms, it's gonna be the people that supported us in the spirit and in the natural.

25:32 So God seeks worshipers. Jesus said, John four, 21 through 24, Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, wouldn't you would have loved to have been there when Jesus walked the earth? I would have been that person right next to him. I just know my heart, I would have been right there. I would have grown my hair out and I would have washed his feet with my hair. How many of you know your hearts? Sometimes it's good to look into your heart and test and see if you're in the faith. It's created me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

26:14 Lord, Lord, am I right with you? Lord, I know this thing that I keep doing is not pleasing to you. Lord, give me the grace that I need to overcome. You said your strength is made perfect in weakness. Lord, help me. It's okay, I get it. Listen, we all have stuff, but give it to God and ask him to work it out. He said, work out your own salvation. With what? Fear and trembling. So Jesus said, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father.

26:56 You worship what you do not know. They were worshiping idols. So much going on in the world, isn't there? And by the way, Florida, the last time I was here, God said to us, all of us, not a time for you to retire. It's a time for you to refire. Oh, I'm just gonna go get a boat and hang on the boat and drink a martini and look at the dolphins. No, get out of the boat. Put your boots on. You're a soldier in the kingdom of God. These young people, these millennials, these people who are sick, they have disease, they have need of us in this hour.

27:43 The Bible says be sober, be vigilant. Your adversary, the devil, Azeruri Lion, is seeking to devour the generations that are rising in the land today, but we are the strong ones. We are the bold ones. It is going to be by the Holy Ghost anointing us and using what we know that's gonna pull them, marvelous light. I am not giving up. I am not retiring. I told God, I am not retiring. I'm gonna be like a Joyce Meyer. I'm gonna be 94-ish, and now I'm gonna go home and be with Jesus, and if I'm in a rocking chair, I'm gonna be praying in the Holy Ghost.

28:23 Thank you so much for tuning in to today's podcast. It has been such a joy sharing this time with you. For more inspiration and resources on today's topic, please visit our website at margieflora.org.