Preparing For His Presence

We are going to pray about the conference coming up…

The 3 big things I want us to do tonight is PREPARE - ASK - INVITE.

(NLT) — 8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.” 11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’ ” “No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” 14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?” Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.” 15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!” “No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.” 17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.

Heres what we are going to do tonight… We are building a room for God…

KEY- Its what you prepare in the small room that will grow in the big one.

Its what we do on a Wednesday in the rutine that makes way for what God will do at a conference…

The 3 big things I want us to do tonight is PREPARE - ASK - INVITE.

This is what the women did…

When we prepare, ask and, invite we can expect things to get set into motion.

1. Unexpected Blessings

(NLT) — 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!” “No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”

2. Unexpected Problems

(NLT) — 18 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.” 20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.

I already know I’m talking to someone tonight who is thinking this is just another camp coming up, its just another conference… Nothing to truly get excited about because nothing really changes…

ILLUSTRATION- Getting excited about hearing about that injured football player.

The women had problems…

A dead son.

Family who was not interested

People trying to keep her from God (the man of God)

3. Unexpected Power

(NLT) — 29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face.” 30 But the boy’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me.” So Elisha returned with her. 31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.” 32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes! 36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!”

Salvations

Healings

Gifts of the spirit

CHALLENGE- Now you need to do something… Who are you going to drag on Saturday???