OPENING THE HEAVENS 2
(week 28/08)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that we need to open the heavens, through intense, consistent, persevering prayer in the spirit like Elijah (1 Kings 18.42-45, James 5.16-18) to enjoy greater measures of the Spirit in our lives. This week we will see practically how to ‘open’ the heavens.
We ‘open’ the heavens by putting on the whole armour of God who is love and then praying effectually, fervently, consistently and perseveringly in the spirit with all kinds of prayer:
Ephesians 6:13 (ESV): Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:18 (ESV): “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
We do this practically by putting on the whole armour by praying to keep ourselves in the love of God for about 20-30 minutes and then praying 1 hour for ourselves personally and households to be conformed to the image of Jesus and another 1 hour for those under our covering.
Leviticus 16:17 (ESV): No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.
This makes a total of about 2.5 hours a day, which is about a tithe of 24 hours; so as we tithe our time, like we tithe our money, the heavens over us will open for greater outpourings of the Spirit:
Malachi 3:10 (ESV): Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Now, the more open the heavens over us are, the greater the measure of the Spirit of God that can be released unto us from God.
As we grow spiritually, the heavens become more and more open until we come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ when the heavens are totally open over us so that we, like Jesus, will have a release of the Spirit without measure:
During our growth process we need to be under the covering of more mature spiritual fathers under whose open heavens we can be blessed supplementing the measure of the Spirit we have with the extra we get through their covering.
It is instructive to note that we cannot start by praying 2.5 hours every morning. We start small and grow gradually:
Start with 15-30 minutes every morning as a habit praying to keep in the love of God.
After sometime, say 1 year, add 1 extra hour of prayer in the morning by waking up earlier (Mark 1.35, Psalms 63.1).
After say another year add another 1 hour in the morning.
In addition to this add extra hours of prayer through cooperate church prayer meetings and all-night prayers both personal and corporate until, like Jesus (Hebrews 5:7), you are praying an average of 3-4 hours daily (Matthew 26: 39-44) with the full armour of God (Love) and all kinds of prayer in the spirit, so living under totally open heavens and thus ministering by the Spirit without measure!
