Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

nations. Daniel was in Babylon (Dan. 1). Ezekiel saw the visions of God while an exile in Babylon (Ezek. 1; 10). Even John, the author of the Book of Revelation, was banished to the desolate island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9), where he saw the apocalyptic vision while in the Spirit on the Lord’s day (v. 10). Obviously the circumstances surrounding a prophet praying in a den of hungry lions were far more difficult than enduring a cold and moldy church basement! I have prayed with Dad in churches, homes, and small hotel rooms, and I have discovered that your surroundings have no dominion for hindering you from visiting the realm of heaven or for heaven visiting you. In Paul’s day, the Roman prison was the least desirable place to be. Stone jails were cold in the winter, smelly, and rodent infested. Prisoners were commonly chained to the walls to prevent escape or fighting. Yet it was in this setting that Paul wrote many prison epistles, including a letter to the church at Ephesus, in which he penned the famed armor of God passages in chapter 6. Despite being in jail, Paul never allowed his present circumstances to hinder his intimacy with God. On one occasion he and Silas were beaten and placed in stocks. Both preachers began singing at midnight so loudly that the other prisoners heard them. Suddenly an earthquake struck the prison, setting all of the prisoners free (Acts 16:25–26). When penning the Book of Ephesians, Paul wrote that he was seated with Christ “in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6). Never allow your setting to set the atmosphere of your