A Tight Spot | Sarah Jakes Roberts

I want to act 16 verse 23 Paul and Silas

are missionaries who are in a town doing

the work of the Lord and as they’re

doing the work of the Lord they find

themselves in a tight spot that’s my

subject for tonight a tight spot they

find themselves in a tight spot and as a

result of them finding themselves in

this tight spot they end up imprisoned

and so I want to set this up so that

when we get into the text you understand

the context of what we’re reading they

were doing what they were supposed to do

they were doing what God had called them

to do and they were so effective that

they ended up in a tight spot that

sounds counterintuitive because our

thought is that if we are effective that

we should have more freedom and we

should have more Liberty if I play my

cards right then I should be able to do

more but the reality is that sometimes

the cost of being effective means that

you end up in tight spots and so when we

begin this text in verse 23 it says and

when they had laid many stripes on them

so they are being beaten and abused for

doing what they have been called to do

and when they had laid many stripes on

them they threw them into prison

commanding the jailer to keep them

securely having received such a charge

he put them into the inner prison and

fastened their feet in the stocks but at

midnight Paul and Silas were praying and

singing hymns to God and the prisoners

were listening to them suddenly there

was a great earthquake so that the

foundations of the prison was shaken and

immediately all the doors were opened in

everyone’s chains were loosed and the

keeper of the prison awaking from sleep

and seeing the prison doors open

supposing the prisoners had fled drew

his sword and was about to kill himself

but Paul called with a loud voice saying

do yourself no harm for we are all here

I want to talk about being in a tight

spot father it is so evident that there

is a flow in this room father it is my

prayer to add to that flow so god I am

asking that you would breathe in this

room as only you can do that this word

would become flesh and that it would

dwell amongst us and that it would leave

with us that it would follow us in our

cars that it would follow us to our

homes that it would follow us into our

businesses that this would be the kind

of word that radically changes our lives

because you don’t just whisper sweet

nothings in our ear when you speak a

word mountains moves identities are

transformed chains are broken

strongholds come down generational

curses are broken God you’ve been doing

it for it millions upon millions of

years so father I accept this would just

be another moment where you move let

there be no fear no insecurity no nerves

no Sara standing up here but may your

presence stand tall in me in Jesus name

Amen

I’ve been trying to find an analogy to

explain the season that I feel like we

have been in and the only way I can

really describe it is by saying it’s

like going to the store and buying a

pair of shoes stick with me I’m going to

bless you

the shoes are killer okay

they’re beautiful shoes they’re amazing

and you try the shoes on and you say to

yourself self I like these shoes but

these shoes don’t like me amen because

the moment I put them on my feet started

hurting but you know what you said

that’s all right I’m gonna buy these

shoes anyway because I’m just gonna

learn to stretch these shoes out so that

I can wear them without doing that Walt

that you do when your feet hurt but your

shoes are cute come on if you’ve been

there before and don’t leave me

that’s all right fellas don’t act like

you can’t be in this because I’ve seen

some of you tiptoeing down Melrose

trying to take your Sunday picture yeah

I was actually reading there’s this shoe

designer who said I don’t want to create

painful shoes but it is not my job to

create something comfortable I try to

make high heels as comfortable as they

can be but my priority is design beauty

and sexiness I’m not against them but

comfort is not my focus that’s what I

would call this season that for some

reason

it does not appear that comfort is God’s

focus and designing my life and it

wouldn’t be so bad but I have seen his

other designs and so I trust that when

he starts bending me and molding me that

if he did it for this person in that

person that he’s going to do it for me

sometimes God will expose you to people

who influence you and who you admire for

some reason not so that you can worship

them not so that you can be jealous of

them but so that you can see God’s

portfolio of work because if God can

show you his portfolio of work you will

fall so in love with the design in the

craftsmanship of what craftsmanship of

what he does that you won’t mind

undergoing the pain connected to the

process but the truth is sometimes that

process means that we end up in tight

spots and the goal is to keep living in

those tight spots until the tight spot

becomes comfortable until what I used to

call tight and uncomfortable becomes my

norm but so many of us are surprised

that we find ourselves in a tight spot

that we can’t even adjust and convince

ourselves that comfort is on the other

side but if you think about it there are

some of us who are flourishing in areas

that used to be tight spots before that

stands to mean that you don’t just get

to this level where everything is always

comfortable that if we are really doing

this walk with God right it means that

he’s going to continue to reveal areas

of our life that require we put

ourselves or surrender to tight spots

and one phase of my life you could not

have paid me to get up here and talk to

you but now that I have learned how to

navigate tight spots I realized that

when I get up here if I make it about me

then I lost but if I get up here and I

make it about what God wants to say

through me then he gets the ultimate

victory that’s the way that I’ve learned

how to navigate my tight spots and I

feel like God is trying to teach us how

to navigate the pressure connected to

the design that he has in mind when I

formed you in your mother’s womb I had a

design and I can’t get you to that

design unless you’re willing to go

through a tight spot the womb is a tight

spot until the woman gives birth and

then all of a sudden what once was tight

it’s no longer tight because you’re

flourishing in a new realm the only way

through it’s through we can’t go back

now we can’t give up now we can’t just

stop and settle and refuse to birth that

thing that God has placed down on us

that version of who he has called us to

be there are some moments where you get

in too deep I’m in too deep now I

literally can’t go back so I got to

learn how to navigate this tight spot I

got to learn how to make this money work

for me and not against me I’m in a tight

spot I got to learn how to let this city

help me be who God has called me to be

without drowning in the process I got to

navigate a tight spot I can’t be who I

used to be I got to learn how to have

integrity I got to learn how to step to

it and believe that if God brought me to

it it’s because there’s something in

this room for me I’m trying to navigate

a tight spot I’m here on a Thursday

night at 8 o’clock not because I didn’t

have nothing to teach how I could be at

home but I’m navigating a tight spot and

if God doesn’t speak a word I may not

make it through but if he does if he

does this tight spot won’t define me

forever

the sea doesn’t get to flourish where

everyone can see it until it survives

being in the tight spot that the soil

creates when God is trying to give it

roots feel like God is trying to give us

roots

so we got to be in tight spots and in

tight situations but most importantly we

have to learn to love pressure don’t

resist the pressure it has been said

that pressure produces diamonds I would

like to submit for your consideration

that pressure produces opportunity that

when you learn how to surrender to

pressure and no longer resist the

pressure that you see that there are

opportunities connected to the pressure

not opportunities for you to gain

externally the though though that is

there to but opportunities for you to

become someone you never could have

become had it not been for the pressure

the reason why I love pressure is

because pressure looks like an

opportunity to me so when I have to

start strategizing differently than I

was strategizing before I realized that

I am becoming a better business owner

than I was because of the pressure that

being a over budget created when my

family is in pressure it makes me become

a better mother pressure produces

opportunity and I want you to know that

anything that you surrender to that

produces pressure is not meant to just

give you something is it meant to birth

something down on the inside of you that

pressure is trying to pull something out

of you and I just feel like somebody

feels like they’ve been being taken

under but I hear God saying that those

are just contractions that I’m trying to

birth something that the womb is closing

in on you that the room is closing in on

you not because I’m trying to kill you

I’m not trying to take you out of here

I’m trying to birth the version of you

that you never thought you could be I’m

trying to birth that mindset a mentality

a ministry so that I can build something

on you so that I can build something

unshakable down on the inside of you but

I can’t do it unless you love pressure

pressure makes you put your game face on

pressure makes you qualify your circle

pressure makes you qualify your

creativity it makes you budget your time

differently pressure is the only way

that we’re going to make it through this

and so in my text I realize that Paul

and Silas are experiencing pressure

they’re experiencing the kind of

pressure that you can only experience

when you’re doing what God has called

you to do what’s tricky for me is that

as they are experiencing this pressure

that it seems like it happens in a way

that is out of sequence when I was

studying in my notes I literally wrote

that Paul and Silas have been beaten up

and they’re in prison not because they

did something wrong but because they did

something right they cast out a spirit

of this servant girl and when they cast

out their spirit her masters get upset

and because they are upset with them

being effective they decide if I can’t

keep you from being who God has called

you to be then I’ll try and keep who you

are sequestered in a room or no one can

see it and so they don’t realize that

Paul and Silas love pressure and when

you love pressure no one can put you in

a room and keep you in the room because

there’s something about pressure that

makes me find an opportunity to break

free I want to talk to some people who

have been in a tight spot because they

did the right thing and I want you to

know that if you have found yourself in

a tight spot by doing the right thing it

is because God has ordained that tight

spot to be stretched out for who you are

got to say that the way I feel it if you

are in a tight spot sometimes you pray

for God to deliver you from the tight

spot and you ask that God would make a

way of escape out of this tight

spot but God says I put you in the tight

spot because you’re the only one who can

stretch that thing out I’m trying to

stretch I’m trying to stretch the

industry I’m trying to stretch your

identity I’m trying to stretch that

ministry I can’t take you out of that

tight spot because I’m trying to stretch

that marriage to be the kind of marriage

that can last for 50 years I know you’re

in a tight spot but that tight spot has

been ordained that tight spot has been

ordained to stretch because you were in

it when you got into the tight spot

because you were following what God told

you to do you have to know that that

means that this tight spot has been

ordained to stretch and become

everything that God said that I was

going to be this tight spot cannot hold

me I don’t care what the bank said about

it I don’t care what anyone else thought

about it if God put me in this tight

spot you better get your popcorn sit

back and watch cuz I’m gonna stretch

this thing down I’m gonna stretch it out

until it becomes everything that God has

called it to be I know it doesn’t look

like much now but wait till God gets

finished stretching this thing out on my

behalf I know you’re wondering why I

came to this city but just wait till God

gets finished stretching stretching this

thing out because I didn’t get in this

tight spot on my own God sent me I got

in this tight spot because God sent me

here I got in this tight spot because I

answered the call connected to my life I

got in this tight spot because I was

taken seriously what He has called me to

do and I’m not going to quit and I’m not

gonna back down I want to prophesy over

somebody who’s been thinking about

quitting over somebody who’s been

thinking about giving up

set you in that tight spot cuz he knows

something about that spot that you’re

gonna learn by saying

I hear godson if you stay in position if

you believe that I’m not a man that I

should lie then you’re gonna see that

that cracks pot must make room for you

the city’s gotta make room for you this

industry’s got to make room for you

I’m in a tight spot now cuz it’s all I

could handle but while I’m in this

tights but I’ve been praising I’ve been

worshiping I’ve been inviting God into

the tight spot cuz when me and God get

into tight spots together you thought

you had me but my muffin invited the

presence of God and when we got in this

thing together

the demons started trembling there

started shakin the shackle started

dropping this thing’s gotta make room

for me cuz I can’t go back to who I used

to be and I’m in love with Who I am

becoming and I’m not afraid of a few

lickin’s and I’m not afraid of a few

beatings cuz I believe when it’s all

said and done that though he slay me I

can trust him

that all things are gonna work together

for my good this tight spot it’s worse

than me this tight spot is showing me

who I can call

[Music]

I’m in a tight spot Paul and Silas start

praying and they start singing hymns in

a tight spot good I was in a tight spot

in a tight spot when I should have been

silent when I didn’t have any words to

say when I should have been grieving cuz

you took something from me I found a way

to pray in a tight spot I found a way to

glorify you in the tight spot I found a

way to not let what was around me get in

me and said I chose to let what was in

me change what was taking place

I need about 10 people in this room

how to worship God from a tight spot

god I don’t need a million college

god I’ll do it on over trash

got out – what if nobody comes with

cuz I gotta worship you from this tight

spot

[Applause]

[Applause]

somebody’s wondering what they’re doing

somebody’s finally releasing the praise

that the tight spot tried to hold down

the tight spot chata in prison paul and

silas’s feet and it slammed the door on

the possibilities for them to be free

but it didn’t take what was down in them

and I think that Paul and Silas had two

options that they could look at their

wounds and they could complain and they

could ask God why why did I end up here

when I did everything you told me to do

God how could I end up in this situation

when I was simply following what she

told me to do but instead of assessing

how they got there they just invited God

to get down in that thing with them you

see God needs an invitation he’s a

gentleman that way he doesn’t just force

his way into your situation he’s looking

for an invitation to get into that tight

spot with you so when they started

praying and they started worshiping God

it was an invitation to him that she

don’t mind being in the tight spot if

I’m there with you and I felt that for

me so heavily when I was worshiping the

other day I said God you don’t have to

deliver me from this mess but if I know

that you’re down in this thing with me

then my swag could be a little bit

different

then my confidence could be a little bit

different and I heard God say well sir

if you really want me in there you gotta

lift up your praise in the middle of the

tight spot you gotta make room for me

with your worship down in that tight

spot

and I’ll make that big stretch shot on

your behalf

[Music]

so I started praying and I started

worshipping and I just said god I want

to be where you are but if I can’t be

where you are from here then God can you

be where I am and show me the way out of

this thing I feel like God’s waiting on

somebody to give him an invitation the

tight spot is scary because you don’t

know whether or not you have what it

takes to really make it to the other

side the pain is scary but they did

something when they got alone with their

pain that’s what I realize is the most

powerful thing that any of us can do on

this journey to healing and wholeness is

learning the power of being alone with

our pain the most dangerous thing that

the Romans could have done was stop

beating them because when they stop

beating them they left them alone with

their pain as long as they had to be

defensive they didn’t have time to pray

and they didn’t have time to sing in him

but when the pain stopped and they got

alone with their pain they said there’s

a remedy to this pain there’s a healer

for this pain it’s what you do when

you’re alone with the pain that makes

all of the difference and so they prayed

and they sang the hymns and I want to

read the scripture because Luke says it

better than I could have ever said it

Luke says suddenly there was a great

earthquake

they weren’t praying for the earthquake

they weren’t praying to be delivered

they just want to got to be in the midst

of it with them there’s something about

having a heart for God to just be there

with you that allows God the opportunity

to make room for his presence God I got

to say that the way you’re saying it God

says when you wouldn’t bite me into the

situation I leveled the playing field

when you invited me into this situation

you’ve got more armory than you had

before when you would invite me into

this situation things have to change

so when they started inviting God into

that thing suddenly the earthquake came

put the scripture on the screen for me

suddenly the earthquake came and there

was a great earthquake so that the

foundations of the prison God didn’t

just come and try and set them out of

that mess he decided to do something

that would set not just them free but

anything that was connected to where

they weren’t had to be free as a result

of the praise that was on their lips God

didn’t just send them in that prison so

that he could bring them out by

themselves the next time God pulls you

out of that tight spot I want you to

know that you’re coming out with more

than what you came in there with that

you’re coming out with your generations

with you

I’m leaving that was like

great-grandchildren free I got in this

tight spot by myself but when I come out

I’m bringing my business with me

he didn’t just shake my prison it shut

the prison of everything connected to

I’m here for you there’s some children

coming behind me

and know how to balsa

know how to make helter

they need to know how to stand

suppressor

this tight spot it’s not just about you

[Applause]

[Music]

it’s not just about you I hear God

saying that I’m gonna make you the

leader of people who you didn’t even

know would be connected to you because

while they were praying and while they

were singing hymns even why they were

wounded and even while they were

bleeding there were other prisoners that

were listening to them somebody’s

listening to how you handle that pain

somebody’s listening to how you handle

that abandonment somebody’s listening to

how you handle that divorce somebody’s

listening to how you handle that no cuz

you’re gonna show me how to stand up to

it suddenly suddenly suddenly not ten

years later not 15 years later suddenly

suddenly suddenly suddenly official

words you need to grab it suddenly

suddenly suddenly suddenly

suddenly suddenly I became the head and

I was the tail

suddenly he prepared a table for me and

enemies suddenly suddenly suddenly it

went from being a tight spot to be in

free NZ suddenly suddenly suddenly

suddenly you’re gonna look up and relax

you made it to the other

suddenly you’re gonna look up and you’re

gonna have generational wealthy it’s not

gonna happen for you the way it happened

for everyone else

wanna see how you handle this tight spot

[Applause]

[Music]

suddenly

[Applause]

[Music]

suddenly suddenly it happened for them I

want to prophesy suddenly in this one by

the God you are no respecter of person

the same God who did it for Paul and

Silas who did it for Sara and to Ray the

same God that same anointing still

exists today

father God there are people in this room

who are in some tight spots because they

followed what they thought they heard

you saying and there’s somebody in this

room ready to quit there’s somebody in

this room ready to go back to that toxic

relationship they’re ready to go back to

that addiction they’re ready to go back

to that job and not pursue purpose and

father God I’m praying for as suddenly

anointing that would saturate that thing

that would saturate them down to the

core of their being go God that she

would shift things suddenly shifted God

said in me shifted God suddenly closed

the door closed the door and make the

key disappear close the door and take

the doorknob which you were not going

back to who we used to be suddenly God

opened the door

God revealed the financing suddenly

suddenly suddenly God give me my

confidence back

suddenly gotta kid me my faith back

suddenly God give me my mind back

suddenly suddenly and God did it God did

it suddenly and I said to myself God why

didn’t Pollan Silas leave when the doors

were open seems like if you had been in

prison and the moment they opened the

doors you said I I’m ahead out but

that’s not what they did and God told me

they didn’t have to leave because the

tables had turned and the place where

they were once oppressed the place where

they once experienced a tight spot

became their territory see you only

escape when you’re no longer on your

territory but when God got down in that

tight spot with them he expanded it and

made it their territory

that’s better than y’all clapping

because if you understood what I

understood

it would mean that you didn’t need God

to deliver you from something he planned

on giving you then you didn’t need

nobody to come and save you that I’m

gonna give you the very area that was

suppressed – I hear God’s saying that

everywhere you have experienced pain and

oppression it’s a sign that I want to

give you territory in that very area

there are lives connected to you baby

there are films connected to you baby

you need to start taking inventory over

every area where you have that’s

oppression because God wants to give you

deliverance god I felt oppressed because

my daddy wasn’t in my life God said

that’s why I’m gonna make you a great

father somebody said I felt oppressed

because

paycheck-to-paycheck I hear God saying

that’s so great baby cuz imma teach you

generational wealth

[Music]

the very area where I felt oppression

that I wasn’t going to be good enough

that I broke all the church rules that I

was never going to be those people who

did things all of the right way and got

to show up in ministry so I ran and I

ran and I ran away from church and as

long as I was running I couldn’t see

that God wanted to give me territory in

the very area where I felt oppressed I

don’t know what you’ve been running from

I don’t know what happened to you that

changed and shaped and molded you but I

hear God saying that if you go back and

put yourself in a tight spot that my

glory will be manifested in your life in

such a way that the thing that would

have made you run becomes the place

where you feel most comfortable

[Applause]

the tables turned so much so that the

warden was shocked that they were still

in position how could you still be where

you are after all of the things that

happen to you and after all of the

things that you went through but God

kept them there because there were lives

that needed to be saved from that very

position Paul and Silas go on

I didn’t even give them the text but I

want to read it to you really quick when

the warden recognizes that they didn’t

leave even though they could have left

that they didn’t walk away even though

they should have ran away that they

stayed in spite of what had happened to

them because they recognized that the

power that was down on the inside once

so it was released would change what

they were experiencing on the outside he

asked them sirs what must I do to be

saved had they left they couldn’t have

saved the very people who were

oppressing them that’s why we can’t be

so bitter and so upset with who hurt us

that we can’t find a way to deliver them

that’s why we can’t be so jaded that we

can’t find a way to help the very people

who hurt us but it does require that we

learn the power and pressure of being in

tight spaces that we love them in a way

that’s crazy to the world but because we

trust what God can do from this tight

space that we stay in position even when

it hurts even when it wounds us because

God sent me here and it’s not working

out the way that I thought it would but

I don’t give up when things don’t go the

way that I want them to because

is so much better your way so if you put

me here

there must be something for me to do

here so my one responsibility and the

thing that requires nothing but feels

like it costs so much is to invite you

into the tight space sometimes we don’t

want to invite God into those tight

spaces because we invited people into

those tight spaces and they disappointed

us and it is easier to be a loner even

if that means that we have separation

from God but I hear God saying even if

you’re not ready to let people in again

even if you’re not ready to trust again

if you would just let me in let me get

in that tight space with you so that I

can show you how I can stretch this

thing for you I don’t know who you are

but you’ve been trying to do it in your

own strength you’ve been trying to

stretch that tight space out in your own

strength I’ve tried everything I know to

do this tight space god I’m taking every

job I’ve auditioned for every single

thing I could cuz I’m in a tight space

the only thing I haven’t done is

actually to get done in this thing with

me and God I don’t see how you could get

away out of this tight spot but if you

were here with me I would have peace and

I want to have an altar call a moment

here where we invite God into those

tight spots

there’s somebody in this room and you

have an addiction for real you’ve been

avoiding it you didn’t want to talk

about it but that thing has a hold of

you I don’t know who you are but that is

a generational addiction and you are so

upset that you just fell into the same

thing that everyone else in your family

went through that you’re assessing how

you got there and God says I don’t care

how you got there if you invite me in I

can get you out there is no shame in

being in a tight spot honey we all get

there we all get there if we’re doing

this thing the right way we ought to

find ourselves in some tight spots we

decided that we wanted to live a life

that would make us more like Jesus I

don’t know about you but for me

sometimes Jesus’s shoes are too tight

God I don’t know if I can forgive God I

don’t know if I can move past that I

want to be like Jesus but being like

Jesus cost me so much pain sometimes God

said that’s all right you don’t have to

do it by yourself you’ve been in a tight

spot a tight spot financially a tight

spot

emotionally I know you want to come to

the altar but you’re thinking the altar

is so full how to get to this tight spot

we got room for you there’s room for you

here as you come you make room for God

and we make room for you and together we

rise up as an army because the only way

the earth shakes is if we rise up

together and we call on the name of

Jesus so that we invite him down into

our circumstance and into our situation

I want to tell you that I’m sorry that

doing the right thing landed you in a

tight spot because I feel like sometimes

in church we spend so much time talking

about the blessings and the promises and

and the prosperity that comes with

walking with God so when you find

yourself in a tight spot it feels

strange it feels like maybe I didn’t do

everything the right way maybe we should

spend more time talking about the

persecutions that come with the promises

but it doesn’t mean that you did

anything wrong as a matter of fact it

means that you’re doing something right

because when Jesus got on the cross and

then went into the tomb before he could

be glorified and resurrected he had to

go through a tight spot so in the

process of us becoming like him we will

have moments like Jesus like Paul and

Silas where we find ourselves in the

tight spot but the Holy Spirit he makes

up the difference so when we say fill me

up it’s about really stretching me out

you guys stretched me out God cuz right

now I can only hold so much I can only

do so much but if you feel me up it’ll

stretch me out and if you stretch me out

then I can have enough weight to handle

this thing that I gotta go up against

because I am going to go up against it

but I want to go up against it with

wisdom and strategy that can only come

from above

I need a wisdom greater than mine I need

a strategy greater than mine and I can’t

do it on East somebody’s been running on

e too long oh I feel that for you

somebody’s been running on e too long

you thought you were coming to a service

I hear God’s saying that I came to fill

you back up again that I came to kill

you back up again that I came so that

you may have overflow jesus said I came

that you may have life and have it more

abundantly

if you’re running on empty somebody

drains something out of you but God is a

restorer of what the locusts have eaten

I don’t care what you haven’t lost

process God says if you get with me I’ll

take on your burden and you take on mine

my burden is easy its light if you’re

hearing you don’t know Jesus there’s

nothing wrong with that but I want to

introduce you to him and you don’t have

to have it all figured out you may even

not even know how to be religious honey

we don’t know how to do it either

but what you can say is I want to be in

a relationship with Jesus that Jesus

she’s been talking about I want to

invite you down to the altar as well

because all we have done as believers is

said that I don’t want to be in this

tight spot by myself

so I accepted Jesus as my savior so that

he could be down on the inside of me and

when I got access to Jesus I got access

to power I got access to Authority I got

access to anointing so when I walk into

the rooms the rooms are not bigger than

me as a matter of fact I am bigger than

the room you just can’t tell it because

I got something down on the inside

that’s why Paul and Silas weren’t afraid

when they were in the prison because

they knew what was down on the inside of

them you may have hurt my flesh but you

didn’t hurt my spirit I’m gonna unleash

the power of God in this thing and watch

the ground starts shaking

watch the door start open and the change

start falling I want you to lift your

hands like you’re getting ready to

receive overflow and I’m gonna pray but

before I pray I want you to pray like

Paul and Silas prayed from your tight

spot I want you to open up your mouth in

your own way it can be a whisper it

could be whatever but I want you to

invite God into the tight spider

I know you’re wounded I know it feels

awkward sometimes but let’s invite them

in God God I need you got to be honest

I’m I’m nothing without you

god I feel the walls closing in on me

God I don’t feel like I have what it

takes got a minute

tight spot god I think this addiction

might be stronger than I realized God

I’m in a tight spot God I don’t have any

family I don’t have any friends god I

just had to bury somebody I loved dearly

god I’m in a tight spot God the

depression is trying to take me out I

don’t even have enough strength to go to

therapy I’m in a tight spot the suicidal

thoughts are running through my mind I’m

in a tight spot I can’t forget those

things that happen God the memories are

haunting me the autonomy I’m in a tight

spot but God I want to invite you into

that tight spot god I don’t want to be

in this tight spot by myself anymore God

I need you I need you I need you I need

you I need you I need you I need you I

need you I need you every day God I need

you every hour God I need you because I

feel like I’m losing without you and I

don’t know if I can stand up to life

without you but God if you would get in

this tight spot with me I believe that

you would help me find a way not to

escape but to understand the power

connect it to me being in this place

spirit of the Living God

[Music]

more than anything we could ask you for

God we need you Father you sent a word

for those of us struggling in tight

spaces but God you didn’t just send a

word so that we could walk out of here

the same way we came in

you want to give us more than what we

came in here with so father I am asking

wherever there is a heart open and a

hand raised and the soul ready to

receive that you would pour out your

spirit on all flesh show God that you

would baptize them afresh in your

presence that they would recognize that

when they are in your presence that’s

all they did in the prison is they made

a request for your presence they turn

the prison into a church god I’m asking

that you would turn every sail

represented at this altar into a

sanctuary Oh God

so that when this service is over that

service would just be beginning God

wherever there is something locked up

down on the inside of them in a tight

spot God let them build an altar and may

they place you on the throne god we’re

sorry that we haven’t always realized

that you were just a prayer away but now

that we recognize that you want access

to every part of us God we give you full

authority and full reign to touch every

part of us God help us to understand

what you’re doing in this season and who

we are becoming as a result of it god

I’m asking that you would stir up the

gift of God done on the inside of these

your sons and daughters that they would

be reminded of that vision that you had

in mind when you sent them into that

marriage when you sent them to raise

that child when you sent them into this

city Oh God you gave them a vision and

that tight spot is trying to make them

lose sight of the vision but God as they

worship give them their vision back as

they worship give them their creativity

back as they worship God give them all

of the music the words the the songs

that have been playing in the head God

bring it back God give them the passion

that they had before they got in the

tight spot because when you get down

into think it stretches everything

that’s down on the inside of us so

father God I want to prophesy right now

in the name of Jesus that this season of

being in that tight spot alone is over

because I decree and declare right now

in the name of Jesus that freedom is

coming on the other side of this pain

that breakthrough was coming on the

other side of this plane and that what

was what so pressing them they will have

the power to overcome because they

surrender to you

repeat after me Heavenly Father I heard

you I needed this I’m lost without you

but with you I can do great exploits I

can survive anything

so I surrender to the discomfort of this

season

because you’re in it and because you’re

in it I can trust there’s a better me

connect it to it thank you for Jesus

thank you for making him who had no sin

no weakness no fear no insecurity all of

mine and when you placed him on the

cross you placed my fears and my

limitations on the cross with him and

when he was raised free and victorious I

was raised up to I’m ready to walk in

that freedom unleash me free me stir up

the gift of God in me that I can be a

blessing to everyone who was listening

as I pray and as I worship in Jesus name

Amen

can we celebrate

like when we came to the altar

[Applause]

started shaking

I don’t wanna shoot praise

I want the kind of

just react

[Music]

not afraid any longer

and somebody to let fear know

somebody to live pressure note

that I’m not the same

straight back

[Music]

remember just like Paul and Silas did

that there are moments when you are in

that tight spot that all you have to do

is open your mouth and release the gift

of God that’s down on the inside of you

and it will radically change everything

that’s taking place outside of you can I

get a witness to that transformational

power of God

[Music]

you