Tearing Open a Closed Heaven

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence — as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil — to make your name known” (Isa. 64:1-2, NRSV).

Yesterday we discussed the difference between living under an open heaven, and living under a closed one. If you are already fully surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, praise the Lord! According to Deuteronomy 28:12, you are even now in position for open heavens over your life.

However, what if, upon the Holy Spirit’s examining, you realize that there are unsurrendered areas of your life that may have closed off or hindered the full flow of God’s blessings to you? Isaiah 64 addresses exactly that question. The Father is so good, offering us hope for a better way.

In this chapter, Isaiah is crying out to God on behalf of his people, expressing remorse for their disobedience.  They are experiencing a bronze heaven over their heads, off of which their prayers bounce and fall back to earth. He fully understands that this has come to pass as a direct result of the people ignoring God’s voice and going their own way.

Isaiah knows that God is a merciful God, responding to the cries of His children. So he humbles himself and prays, “Please, Lord, don’t leave the heavens closed off any longer! Please tear them open over us! Please come down and meet us where we are! Your presence is exceedingly powerful; it will cause the mountains to shake, and set our spirits on fire with blazing flames!”

This prayer is in the Bible because the Father intends to answer it. If we will recognize the unwillingness that has been present in our souls and ask God to give us a new heart and a new spirit, He will respond! “‘It will come about in that day that I will respond,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth” (Hos. 2:21, NASB). He will respond to us. As soon as we cry out, He will begin a deep, transformational work in our hearts.

This, in turn will be a catalyst for the heavens over our heads to respond to our thirsty hearts crying out for His rain of blessing. He will indeed rend the heavens and encounter us right where we are. He will kindle a new, all-consuming fire within us. He will come!

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Have you ever experienced God rending the heavens for you, opening up to you what you previously could not access?