The Glory of God is an Atmosphere: Five Keys to Cultivating Heaven on Earth

By Bishop Gregory Toussaint | August 27, 2025

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt a shift in the atmosphere? Perhaps it was a sense of peace that washed over you, a wave of joy that lifted your spirits, or conversely, a feeling of tension that made you want to turn and leave. We've all experienced the power of atmosphere, the invisible yet palpable energy that surrounds us. But what if I told you that you, as a believer, have the power to carry and cultivate an atmosphere of heaven wherever you go? This is the transformative power of the glory of God.

The glory of God is a multifaceted concept that encompasses His presence, power, and character. It is an atmosphere that surrounds Him and a tangible manifestation of His divine essence. When we talk about the glory of God, we are discussing His holy presence, His divine power, and the visible manifestation of His attributes. The glory of God is not merely a theological concept; it is a spiritual reality that transforms lives and brings heaven to earth.

Just as the earth is enveloped in an atmosphere of air, heaven is saturated with an atmosphere of glory. The same way that air fills the earth, glory fills the heavens. This is why the Bible often refers to heaven simply as "glory." In Psalm 73:24, the psalmist declares, "You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me in glory." When the Bible says "receive me in glory," it means "receive me in heaven." Heaven is called glory because glory is its atmosphere.

When you are a glory carrier, a believer who carries the glory of God, there is a certain atmosphere that you develop around you. When you walk into a place, the atmosphere of heaven walks into that place. If there was confusion, your presence brings clarity. If there was division, your presence brings peace. If there was hatred, your presence brings joy. If there is stress, your presence brings tranquility.

As believers who carry the glory of God, we must be aware of the energy we give and the atmosphere we release. Some people bring tension and stress when they enter a room. But there are others who, when they walk into a place, even if everybody is mad, suddenly the entire atmosphere changes because they carry the atmosphere of heaven.

So how do we develop this glorious atmosphere? How do we become carriers of heaven's atmosphere? Five essential keys that will help us cultivate and carry the atmosphere of heaven.

1. Worship: The Sound of Heaven (Isaiah 6:2)

The first key to cultivating an atmosphere of glory is worship. Every time someone had an opportunity to see God in His glory, one of the very first things that caught their attention was the atmosphere of worship. In Isaiah 6, the prophet describes his vision: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two wings they covered their feet, and with two wings they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'"

When Isaiah had a vision of glory, he also had a vision of worship. The seraphim, beings who exist in the constant presence of God, are consumed with worship. Their existence is a perpetual declaration of God's holiness and glory. This tells us that to be close to God is to be in a state of worship.

If you are going to carry the glory of God in your life, worship has to be something that you develop. The Word of God says that He inhabits the praises of His people. Another translation says He enthrones the praises of His people. In other words, once we start praising the Lord, our praise becomes a throne, and the Lord descends and sits on that praise. In that presence, the manifested glory of God, the atmosphere of heaven, is released.

But remember, worship is something that you are before you do it. You are a worshipper first, and then you worship. Romans 12:1 tells us to "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship." Your first service is not something that you do; service is not something you attend. Service is something that you are. It is your life first that is worship unto the Lord. When your life is worship, and then you begin to worship, the presence of God comes down.

2. Peace: The Foundation of Glory (Luke 19:38)

The second key to having an atmosphere of glory around you is peace. Luke 19:38 records the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Notice the connection between peace and glory; they are mentioned together. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest are talking about the same place. The glory goes hand in hand with peace.

This means that if you're going to carry an atmosphere of glory, you have to love peace. You have to value peace. You have to cherish peace. You have to develop an atmosphere of peace around you. There are unnecessary disputes, unnecessary fights, unnecessary confrontations—don't get involved in these things because a lack of peace drives away the presence of God, whereas peace attracts the presence of God.

When you want to carry the atmosphere of heaven and someone starts an argument, you simply say, "Peace. God bless you," because you're carrying something too important, too precious, too glorious to lose your peace over what someone else does. You keep the glory of God in your life.

Peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of God's shalom, a wholeness, a completeness that comes from being in right relationship with God. The world seeks peace through negotiation and compromise, but the peace of God is a gift that transcends understanding. It is a peace that can be experienced in the midst of a storm, a calm that defies circumstances.

3. Joy: The Expression of Glory (Psalm 149:5)

The third key that will help you carry the glory of God is joy. Psalm 149:5 says, "Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds." The saints are joyful in glory. Joy is not just a result of glory; it is a characteristic of it. One of the characteristics of glory is not only peace but also joy. The atmosphere of heaven is an atmosphere of joy.

Joy is not something that you get as a result of your circumstances. Joy is a decision that you make every day. "This is the day that the Lord has made, and I've made up my mind—I will rejoice." Every time you get out of bed, as soon as you get up, you declare, "This is the day that the Lord has made, and I've made up my mind. No matter what happens today, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I've already made up my mind." Joy is a choice. It is not based on your circumstances; it is based on your relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul exemplifies this principle perfectly. He was in prison under the worst of circumstances. In those days, prison was not like modern facilities with gyms, cable television, and libraries. When you were put in jail, you were put in a dungeon, in a hole—a place where there was no food, nothing to drink, where hardly anybody visited you. If your family didn't bring food, you went without food for days.

But Paul found himself in such a situation: no food, no drink, hardly any visitors. Yet even in that situation, he had made up his mind that in his dungeon, he would be glad. He decided to be joyful. He was so joyful that he was able to write in a letter, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" He was in jail telling those outside, "Rejoice, I say again, rejoice."

4. Cleanliness: The Prerequisite for Glory (Exodus 30:20)

The fourth key to carrying the glory of God is cleanliness. This may seem strange, but it is a principle woven throughout Scripture. The God we serve is not only holy but also clean. The old proverb "cleanliness is next to godliness" may not be in the Bible, but the principle behind it certainly is. Cleanliness is a form of godliness.

In the Old Testament tabernacle, there were specific requirements for cleanliness before entering God's presence. In the outer court, there were two things: the brazen altar for offering sacrifices for sin, and the brazen laver for washing. When a priest was going to enter the presence of God, before he got to the holy place or the holy of holies, he would ask forgiveness for his sins and then take a shower at the brazen laver.

Exodus 30:20 states: "When they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die." If a priest walked into the presence of God with a foul odor, having spent a whole day in the desert sweating, the Lord said he would not come out alive.

This means that if you're going to carry the glory of God, it's not enough to pray, worship, and fast. You also need to take a shower, wear deodorant, and brush your teeth when you wake up in the morning. Personal hygiene is essential to carry the glory of God.

Not only did people have to be clean when meeting with God, but their clothes had to be clean, too. In Exodus 19:10, when the children of Israel were going to meet with God for the first time on Mount Sinai and His glory was going to come down, God said, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes." The consecration involved washing their clothes.

We have a false conception today that God sees our hearts, and it doesn't really matter what we wear. But it matters because what you wear is a reflection of your heart. When you're coming into the presence of God to worship Him, make sure the clothes you wear are prepared ahead of time. It reflects respect for God, love for God, and honor for God.

When you're carrying the glory of God, your environment has to be clean, your house, your closet, your room, your kitchen, the trunk of your car. Deuteronomy 23:13-14 gives instructions to soldiers going to war about keeping their camp clean because "the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you."

5. Order: The Structure of Glory (John 20:6-7)

The fifth and final key to carrying the glory of God is order. When you are carrying the glory of God, not only do you cultivate personal cleanliness and environmental cleanliness, but you also put things in order. You have to have a life of order.

One of the most interesting passages in the Bible concerns the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After spending three days in the lowest place of the earth, Jesus resurrected in glory with a glorified body. John 20:6-7 describes what Peter found when he entered the tomb: "Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen."

The morning of the resurrection, before Jesus came out of the grave, He took the time to fold the linen that He had with Him. Jesus took His time to fold His clothes and put them in place before He walked out. After three days of fasting, after three days in the belly of the earth, He came out, but before He did, He took the time to fold His garments. Why? Because the God we serve is a God of order.

When God created the world, in the beginning, the heavens and the earth were formless and void; it was a mess, a state of chaos. But God brought order. He separated the water from the earth, the water below from the water above. He separated the day from the night, giving each twelve hours. God brings order.

Someone carrying the glory of God has to have order in their life. When you wake up in the morning, make your bed. Fix your bed. It's a reflection of order, a manifestation of the glory. Fix your closet. Don't just throw your clothes all over the floor. Take time to put your clothes in their place. When you make your bed, you're manifesting the glory. When you're fixing your closet, you are manifesting glory. When you're washing the dishes, that's manifesting the glory.

The glory of God is an atmosphere, but for that atmosphere to manifest, it's not enough for us to worship, pray, be peaceful, and joyful. All of that is great, but cleanliness helps that glory to manifest. Order helps that glory to manifest. When you walk into a place and find everything in its place, there is something about it.

Living as Glory Carriers

Understanding these five keys is one thing; implementing them is another. It requires conscious and consistent effort to cultivate these habits in our daily lives. It is a journey, not a destination. There will be days when we fail, when we choose strife over peace, or when we allow chaos to creep back into our lives. But the beauty of God's grace is that we can always begin again.

Start small. Pick one area to focus on this week. It may be making your bed every morning or choosing to respond with a soft answer when provoked. As you take these small steps of obedience, you will begin to see a change in the atmosphere of your life. You will start to experience the peace and joy that comes from living in alignment with God's will, and you will become a more effective carrier of His glory.

Let us be a people who are not content with a mundane, earthly existence. Let us be a people who long for the atmosphere of heaven to invade our lives, our homes, and our churches. Let us be a people who are so filled with the glory of God that we cannot help but radiate His love and light to a world that is desperately in need of it.

The call is clear: become carriers of the atmosphere of heaven. Through worship, peace, joy, cleanliness, and order, we can transform not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us. When we walk into a room, let the atmosphere of heaven walk in with us. 

May God bless you as you embark on this journey of becoming a glory carrier, bringing the atmosphere of heaven to earth through your transformed life.

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. The sermon emphasizes that the glory of God is an atmosphere we carry. How has your understanding of "atmosphere" changed after reading this post, and in what ways do you believe your presence impacts the atmosphere of the places you enter?

2. Worship is presented as both an activity and a lifestyle. What practical steps can you take this week to cultivate a more consistent lifestyle of worship, beyond just singing songs?

3. Peace is described as the "shalom of God" and a foundation for glory. In what specific areas of your life do you need to choose peace intentionally, and how might this choice attract God's glory?

4. The post highlights that joy is a choice, not dependent on circumstances. Can you share a personal experience where you chose joy despite difficult circumstances, and what was the outcome?

5. Cleanliness and order are presented as prerequisites for glory. What is one small, tangible step you can take this week to bring more cleanliness or order into your personal space or daily routine, and how do you anticipate this might impact your spiritual life?

Carrying Heaven on Earth

In this powerful teaching, we continue our series on the Glory of God. We've discovered that His glory is not only a motive, a presence, and a lifestyle, but also an atmosphere. Just as the earth has an atmosphere of air, heaven has an atmosphere called glory. When you carry the glory of God, you carry the atmosphere of heaven wherever you go. Confusion turns into clarity, division into peace, hatred into love, and stress into tranquility.

Secrets of God's Glory | Cleanliness and Holiness

While we often think of glory in purely spiritual terms like worship, peace, and holiness, God also calls us to reflect His nature through cleanliness and holiness in our daily lives. From the tabernacle in Exodus to the priesthood's preparation, the Bible shows us that entering God's presence required both forgiveness of sins and physical cleansing. Cleanliness is not just about outward appearance; it's a reflection of godliness and a heart prepared to host the glory of God.

Order: A Keys to Hosting God's Glory

In this powerful message, we discover a truth that many of us overlook: order is essential for the glory of God to be fully manifested. Worship, prayer, peace, and joy are vital, but without order, the atmosphere of heaven cannot fully rest upon us. Scripture calls demons "unclean spirits," showing us that dirtiness attracts darkness, while cleanliness attracts the Holy Spirit. Whether it's in our homes, churches, or personal lives, order creates an atmosphere where God's presence dwells.