4 Steps to Enter the Glory Realm

How do you unlock supernatural glory in your life?

The key is simple: serve others. The gift of serving unlocks supernatural activity into every area of your life. When we examine the lives of two great men of God—Elijah the prophet and, Elisha, his student—we can see this truth manifest.

When we think of the ministry of Elijah, what often comes to mind is all of the opposition he endured and overcame throughout his ministry. For example, the false prophets of Jezebel—a wicked goddess—were no match for Elijah’s faith in God. When we study Elijah’s ministry, we can come to understand the boldness he imparted into the life of Elisha.

On their journey together, Elijah first took Elisha to Gilgal. The meaning of Gilgal is “turning point.” Elisha was a young prophet with stars in his eyes. He thought he understood all there was to know about the ministry of the prophet and about receiving Elijah’s mantle. He thought he knew how he was going to be promoted into the role of Elijah as a great prophet, but Elijah had something to teach his young student about obeying God. So, they went to Gilgal—the turning point.

Before Elijah was supernaturally taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind, he faced many challenges. And, through them all, Elisha stayed by his side. Let’s follow along in the Bible’s story as told in 2 Kings:

And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.

Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?”

And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.

Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?”

So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:1-9).

Elisha was faced with a decision. He had to make up his mind about going with Elijah or staying back as he told him to do. He had to choose between what Elijah was telling him to do and what Elisha believed God had assigned to him.

There comes a moment in every believer’s life when—like Elisha—they have to decide whether they will seek God and obey His instructions or not. Elijah wanted to know how hungry Elisha was for God’s glory. How hungry are you for the anointing? Will you disregard and disobey God? Your decision will set you on a course that will either result in abundance or darkness.

You have a call on your life. The gifts to enable the fulfillment of this call have been assigned to you. And you have to come to a moment when you decide. Am I going to obey the Lord or am I going to listen to the enemy? Whatever God asks of you, do it with the most respect, humility, and honor.

The Four Stages of Entering the Glory Realm

Stage One: Faith

Elijah told Elisha to stay in Gilgal—the turning point—while he went on to Bethel. Elisha had a decision to make. When you are faced with a decision, don’t contemplate or second guess what God wants you to do. Step out on the realms of faith and believe God. Faith causes miracles. Faith is a magnetic force that bring miracles to you, but you have to step out into the realm of faith. When you see faith moving, move with it.

God is waiting for you to obey His voice. At the turning point, Elisha learned to follow in the footsteps of the prophet of God, Elijah, and to serve him. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. Many times, your miracle comes when you are helping someone else. Many times, when you pray for somebody, your prayer is also heard. When you help someone else, God helps you.

Stage Two: Persistence

The second place Elijah taught Elisha was Bethel, meaning the House of God or the House of Bread. This is where Elisha learned about revelation. During the second stage of entering the glory realm, Elisha learned how to be persistent and determined. People tried to discourage him from staying with Elijah, reminding him that Elijah would soon be taken away.

If you have a mentor who is aligned with God’s Word and you serve that person, that person’s gift can come onto you if the Holy Spirit allows it. Your mentor’s gift unlocks the heavenly realms and the supernatural gift in you. So, keep serving and do it unto the Lord. Matthew 6 is loaded with godly principles for this kind of service. Whatever you do, do it unto the Lord secretly, and He will reward you openly.

Elijah and Elisha went to Bethel—the House of God, the place of vision and the place of bread. The House of God is where you’re taught the Word of God. The Bible tells us about the value of going to church in Hebrews: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). We need our faith to be encouraged. We need our spirits to be encouraged. And the House of God is where that happens. When you hear a testimony from someone who was blessed by the Lord, it builds your faith. When you are settled in a house of God, you become rooted, stable, unable to be tossed about by present circumstances.

So, the second stage to unlocking the supernatural that Elisha discovered is being persistent in finding a house of God where you can be taught the Word of God. There, you can discover Him more deeply, developing your understanding until you are sent out. Whatever assignment is on your life, God will reveal it to you, oftentimes through a leader, pastor, or mentor. Gifts are assigned to every believer on planet Earth. And God is waiting for you to get established in a House of God, learn His Word, and grow in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ by meditating on His Word day and night.

Bethel can also be understood as the intimate place of connection with God, like your prayer closet. This second stage is all about seeking God and dedicating yourself to Him like Elisha did to Elijah. Invest yourself in the realm of prayer. Get in conversation with God. Tell him, as Elisha told Elijah, “I will not leave You, Lord. As long as my body lives here on earth, I will not leave You. As long as I’m still alive, I will not leave Your side. I’m not going to take my eyes off You. I desire only You, Lord. I want You in my life always.” If your desire is for God’s anointing, you can tap into His glory with persistent commitment.

When you pursue the anointing with all your heart, you will go through these first two stages: in Gilgal you will make up your mind not to listen to the lies of the devil or think about your past mistakes. And, then, you will declare at Bethel, “I’m going to go for it. I’m going to attend a house of God where I will be rooted and grounded in the things of God. I’m going to be taught. I’m going to be developed so I can grow in character with integrity so when somebody sees my life, they will see a reflection of God.”

You have to be determined and persistent as never before. If you really want God’s blessing and anointing, you will hunger and thirst after it. David said, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Psalm 42:1-2). You have to have a thirst and a hunger. I tell evangelists and pastors, “If you want a real move of God, you have to have an appetite for it.” The glory will never manifest if you don’t have an appetite for the glory. If you have an appetite for the glory, I promise you, God will come down in the form of a pillar of fire or a cloud by day. Some way or another, God’s going to reveal who He is, His nature, and His purpose in your life.

Stage Three: Warfare

When Elijah and Elisha traveled to Jericho, Elisha learned a crucial lesson about the third stage of entering the glory realm: spiritual warfare. He had to learn strategies for facing and overcoming demonic powers. Spiritual warfare comes in all shapes and sizes, but protecting your spiritual atmosphere is of the utmost importance.

The company you keep influences your spiritual atmosphere greatly, helping to determine the outcome of your destiny. Because of this, it is very important to be intentional with who you are surrounding yourself with and who you allow to speak into your life. Joseph learned this the hard way when he acted outside of God’s timing and shared his dream with his brothers. He allowed their doubt to influence him, and this caused him to go through many trials that he could have otherwise avoided. In other words, only allow righteous, godly people to become close friends and/or associates. Do they have your same spiritual outlook? Do they respect your heart? Can you share your dreams with them?

Elisha had a lesson to learn about maintaining his own spiritual atmosphere through spiritual warfare. Elijah instructed Elisha, explaining about the spirit realm in a way that may have sounded something like, “I know you’re young and you want to learn about God and you’re eager and you’re excited—but beyond your excitement, the anointing is so precious that it can bless your life or it can destroy your life. You can walk prematurely, and it can destroy your life. You can get ahead of God’s timing and you can abort your destiny. You can get spiritual burnout and throw your hands up.” Elisha was going to have to learn about spiritual warfare on the road to Jericho if he was going to sustain the call on his life.

When most believers think about Jericho, Joshua and Israel’s army marching around the walls of Jericho comes to mind (see Joshua 6). The significance of this story is that the Lord gave Joshua a strategy that taught him and the people of Israel how to be still. There are times when you don’t need to say anything, just follow God’s instructions. So many times, we want to speak out when what we really need to say is nothing; be silent and let God fight the battle instead of fighting it ourselves.

Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout” (Joshua 6:10).

Learning to be victorious in spiritual warfare is the third stage. Jericho and its impenetrable walls represent warfare. You can tell the level of the anointing on a person’s life by the warfare that the person has experienced. Often, though, it’s not obvious because the battles they faced happened in private—between the enemy and the Spirit-filled person. In other words, when you look at a person’s ministry, life, and the anointing that he or she carries, ask yourself what this person may have gone through that you don’t know about. My mentor Brother Schambach told me, “In order to walk in our footsteps, what are you willing to go through?”

Many are quick to want a double portion of someone else’s anointing without knowing that they are also asking for double warfare. Are you willing to go through double the trouble? The anointing will cost you everything. That is what Elijah was trying to explain to Elisha. In essence, he was telling his young student, “I know you’re excited now, but there’s going to come a time when you’re not going to be excited. You’re going to face witches. You’re going to face warfare. You’re going to face demonic powers. You’re going to see demonic strongholds. You’re going to feel like satan is snapping at your heels. When all hell is coming against you, can you remain standing to be blessed?”

I’ll never forgot a private moment in one of the biggest ministries I’ve served. After a successful meeting, packed with people, I was in a back room and saw one of my mentors crying like a baby. I said, “Man, you just got to minister to thousands of people…miracles happened.” His response has stayed with my all the years. He said, “Tracy, never get caught up in the crowds. Stay with the crowd. I wonder how many thousands really got ahold of the message. Maybe between one and five people out of thousands truly caught the revelation of the glory of God.” Then, he said, “Tracy, what the churches want now is entertainment. But what God is looking for are true vessels He can operate His glory through in order to manifest His purpose.”

So, don’t be discouraged when you see warfare break out. Nobody wants to go through warfare, but it comes along with the anointing. It squeezes you. But the more God squeezes you, the more of the old flows out and away and the His anointing fills you. Warfare is an indication that you have a promotion within reach. In other words, your past victories are signs that you have not only survived, but you’re ready for revival.

The army of Joshua marched around the walls of Jericho silently, according to God’s command. But, when Joshua gave the order to shout, the walls—the strongholds—came tumbling down! God’s instructions contain strategy to overcome the opposition and experience victory. Even Jesus knew that God’s will was the only way to fulfill His mandate on the earth. And, Jesus knew that God’s anointing and gifts followed from serving. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The key to accessing spiritual glory in your life is to serve others—like Christ—with compassion and dedication. When you serve as Jesus Christ served, you will experience success as well as warfare. You will have to fight like never before.

When you go through spiritual warfare, remember that you’ve been prepared by the Holy Spirit. Nothing will take you off-guard unless you are not seeking the Lord and not praying. If you pray and seek God daily, I promise you, He’ll show you the snares and traps of the enemy. And even when you do fall into an enemy’s trap, you can get back on your feet, tell the devil he’s a liar, and claim victory in the name of Jesus.

The walls of Jericho tumbled down because Joshua listened for and obeyed the Lord. What walls do you have in your life that you want to tumble down and be destroyed? They will fall when you begin obeying God and serving others. The walls may be financial trouble, family matters, children, your job, whatever the case may be you can overcome each one. Anytime you experience opposition, it’s an indication that a breakthrough is within reach. Whenever you see the devil causing chaos, go ahead and give God praise because He’s getting ready to give you a breakthrough. God wants to calm the troubles waters in your soul. Serving unlocks the supernatural glory in your personal life and reveals keys for you to tap into the glory of God.

Stage Four: Deliverance and Double Portion

Then Elijah said to him [Elisha], “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:6-9).

Elijah told Elisha to remain where he was while he went on to the River Jordan, testing his commitment again. Elisha confirmed that he would not leave Elijah—he would travel with him again, this time to Jordan. First, Elijah delivered them from harm by using his mantle—his anointing—to cause the water to part so they could cross the river. Then, Elisha told his mentor that he would like a double portion of his anointing. At this fourth and final stage of entering the glory realm, we need to reconfirm our commitment to our Father in Heaven. In turn, He will deliver us and give us a double portion of the anointing to empower the life He designed for each of us.

Not only did Elijah and Elisha have a life-changing moment at the Jordan River, that same river is also where Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Holy Spirit had a powerful encounter:

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:7-8).

Jesus lifted up His eyes after being baptized in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove. God was saying in essence, “My Son is going to carry out the hardest task. He’s going to be crucified. He’s going to be rejected even by His own people. He’s going to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, and then to the Cross on Calvary to save humankind from themselves. To redeem them one by one.”

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34).

This is a powerful statement. God already knows your end before you even start, just like He knew His Son was going to become the supreme Sacrifice for all humankind so that our sins would be forgiven. He said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” He was already pleased with Jesus before He ever rode into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna, before He performed any miracles, before He even went to Gethsemane and was crucified.

Going to Jordan—the place of deliverance—reminds me of Elisha and Naaman, who had leprosy.

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” …Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean (2 Kings 5:1-14).

When we, in our arrogance, take our eyes off God and think we know better, we will not be healed. Our job is to be a person God can use to serve and help others and to thank Him for whomever He uses to help us. God is the one who does the miracles, not us. If we are experiencing the supernatural, we need to remember that God is flowing through us. We can be replaced, but He can’t. The moment we think we cannot be replaced is the moment we have stepped into pride and arrogance. The greater the platform we have, the more important it is for us to remain humble. The Bible says the greatest servant among you all shall be the servant of all (see Matt. 23:11). If Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, how much more shall we stay humble?

Elisha was at the final stage of tapping into the glory realm and seeing a double portion anointing manifest on his life. But, before Elijah was taken up to Heaven in the whirlwind, Elisha had to be delivered of anything and everything that might have held him back from being the servant of God he needs to be to receive the anointing. This is true for all of us. Before we can receive the double portion of anointing, we have to be delivered.

Elisha had proceeded through the first three stages: he had faith in God that his mentor would lead him toward the greater realm of glory; he was determined and persistent to stay the course; he claimed victory over spiritual warfare; and now he would experience deliverance and be given a double portion of anointing.

All along, Elijah was teaching the young prophet—about the gifts, the battles, the miracles—and Elisha was accumulating testimonies of God’s power every step of the way. Now, he needed to be delivered. Elijah used his mantle to part the Jordan River so they could leave behind the past and step into the new. Likewise, you need to be set free from any unrighteous ways, manners, and/or habits. When you walk through the waters that God parts with gratitude and humility, you will replace the garment of heaviness and put on the garment of praise.

Elijah led the way for Elisha, acting as his spiritual mentor. God places people around us who will help us steward our destinies. These mentors will encourage us, help us, and push us into receiving our breakthroughs. The mentors, like Elijah, often recognize both the call on our lives as well as God’s timing for us even better than we can on our own. Understanding what season, we’re in is crucial to sustaining God’s will for our lives. We need to be aware of God’s perfect timing.

And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:9-13).

Elijah discovered the final key—his servanthood was rewarded. He may have thought, All that I’ve dedicated my time, my effort, my resources, I’m finally going to see the rewards. I want to encourage you, dear reader, that, like Elisha, your sowing and serving is not in vain. Your tithing, your giving, whatever you have done to promote someone else’s vision—your work was not in vain. The rewards are going to be greater than your trials or the time that you gave. When you continue in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, you’re going to receive His glory.

The apostle Paul said to his mentee, Timothy:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-10).

When we have fought that last battle, God will show us the ultimate glory realm. He will take home all who obeyed Him, believed in Him, spread His gospel, and walked in His ways.

Elisha stayed with Elijah until “he saw him no more” (2 Kings 2:12). The whirlwind had separated them. He saw the miraculous, but didn’t get distracted from God’s call on his life. Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle from the ground and, with it, served the Lord with a double portion of anointing. The greatest lesson Elijah taught Elisha was to keep his eyes on God—not Elijah or even on himself.

Second Kings 2:14 reveals the secret to the heavenly key to access, to unlock the spiritual gifts from the heavenly realm:

Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

That’s the key—he’s not only the God of Elijah, He’s not only Debra’s God, He’s not only Abraham’s God or Esther’s God. He’s your God too! Are you going to pick up the mantle, the anointing God has for you? There’s a mission that He’s called you to accomplish. In obedience and commitment, God will show you want He wants you to do. You may receive a dream or vision, or prophetic word—however He reveals to you, follow through. Go to Jordan, use the keys you’ve gathered and unlock the supernatural gifts for God’s glory. Use these gifts to serve the people around you at work, school, or wherever there is a need. The heavenly gifts are ready to operate in your life as an individual and as a believer in His Church—you will be amazed at what God does through you.

The glory is waiting for an invitation of obedience from you. When you obey God, you automatically open the door of glory. Follow the footsteps that God ordained for you. Serve. And remember, there will be times when others have the spotlight on them and their gifts shine. Your gifts may be in the background, but don’t feel overlooked. God sees everything you do for Him. Keep serving, because your serving will promote you and put you on platforms that will make you marvel. You’ll think, How in the world did I get here? You’re going to be amazed at the things God does through you.

I’m going to pray that a double portion of God’s anointing will come on your life:

Father, in the name of Jesus, we saw through the lives of Elijah and Elisha that Elisha received a double portion of Your anointing because he had faith, was persistent, fought the good fight, and was delivered. I pray that this reader will follow their footsteps as You lead. I pray that Your glory would surround and overwhelm this person today and every day. Now, it’s time that you make up your mind, get in the house of God, and be obedient to the ways of the Lord. You can have power over the devil. You don’t have to be intimidated by demonic powers. Be victorious in spiritual warfare. And remember, friend, anytime spiritual warfare breaks out, it’s just a sign there’s a breakthrough within reach. So, don’t get discouraged, the angels are moving on your behalf.

Go to Jordan; you can find deliverance. Whatever you’ve been going through up to this moment, God’s going to release double blessings for your trouble. I release the anointing on your life. I release the gifts into your life. Be blessed and know that God hears you and will answer you in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

God bless you.

Prayer of Impartation

Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray that through the glory of God you will make yourself known that they will come to a revelation of who the Holy Spirit is and His gifts in their lives. As they carry the glory of God that Your purpose will be made known and that they will pursue it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it (Isaiah 40:5).