We were in corporate worship singing about the greatness of God. The song spoke of coming before the throne and celebrating His holiness. But even as I sensed the fervor and desire within the congregation to honor the Lord in this way, something was missing. As if there was some kind of barrier between the people and the throne, the hunger and desire to meet God was hindered by some invisible wall.

It was then that I was reminded of all the exposures happening within the Body of Christ and the great need for cleansing and purification. The immorality and compromise have come into the light as sin in the camp has been revealed. And though not all have fallen short in this area, our collective cries as the people of God have been affected by the leaven. Corporately, there hasn’t been a lack of hunger, but a lack of holiness that has hindered our mandate. Our collective witness has been impacted by these stains and blemishes, and the Lord longs for us to overcome these failures and walk in the power of His holiness.

As I reflected on this invitation from the Lord, I then saw in my spirit a vision of the host of Heaven before His throne. They were all facing our direction and pulling on heavy-duty ropes that were attached to all of us down below. As if playing a massive tug of war, they were all pulling together to bring the people of God up to the throne. The pull was so strong, they were all leaning back from the weight. They were determined to bring us up to the throne of grace where holiness is found. Knowing the dark forces working to keep us earthbound, they were just as determined to bring us up and free us from the enemy’s grip.

“You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” (Leviticus 20:26 ESV)

“Come Up Here”

At that moment, I realized we were singing about Heaven coming to Earth. The song was reiterating our familiar declaration that God’s presence would come to us on the earth “as it is in Heaven.” This has been our battle cry for years as we have sought to see God’s presence manifest fully on the earth. But now, I recognized this moment in time and this season of sanctification.

Instead of calling for Heaven to come to the earth, I saw that Heaven was actually calling for us! To free us from the snares of the flesh and find cleansing at the throne. Knowing the pull of enemy forces on our lives to defile and profane all that is holy, Heaven’s host is pulling for us. They are pulling on our hearts, calling for us to come up to God’s throne where true holiness can be found once again.

Our desire for God’s presence pleases Him, and He longs to reveal Himself more fully. But the Lord knows the war that is being waged against the saints. Even as we contend for a greater measure of His glory to be manifest on the earth, we must come up and come out. We must untangle ourselves from the voices and vices that keep us bound and trapped in our sin.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

God is looking for those who will yield to the pull of Heaven and come up higher. It is only then that we will find the necessary Power and Presence to win this tug of war over our souls. Our highest worship will be when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices in pursuit of Holiness Himself. This alone can turn the battle and empower the saints to come out victorious.

Wanda Alger is an ordained and commissioned fivefold leader who has been in ministry for more than 35 years and is passionate about interpreting life from Heaven’s perspective. She is called to speak to the Body of Christ about the mountain of government, godly leadership, and Kingdom authority. Her blogs, videos, books, and other resources are available at wandaalger.me.