Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Monday, December 11, 2017

Morning by Morning, December 11 - Favored One of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Centered in Your Presence, grounded in Your Word, I wait to follow Your leading on my journey of faith in prayer with You today. ...

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.... Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you will name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end'" (Luke 1:26-33).

Mary was a "favored one" -- she had "found favor with God." And how was she favored? As the angel Gabriel confirmed to her, the Lord was with her. The Lord had chosen her and called her, empowered and anointed her to know her identity and fulfill her destiny.

Though Mary didn't understand at the beginning all it would involve and all it would mean, by faith and obedience, she said Yes. Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (v. 38).

Like Mary, we are chosen and we are called. We are favored with the Presence of God who is with us. And like Mary, we are empowered to know our identity and fulfill our destiny, as the Holy Spirit comes upon us and the power of the Most High overshadows us (v. 35). In Christ, we are "filled with the Spirit" -- the same Spirit the conceived Christ in Mary's womb and favored Mary with the Presence of God (Ephesians 5:18).

None of us will carry the Son of God in our womb, but all of us who will say with Mary "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" will carry "the Spirit of Christ" in our hearts (Romans 8:9). Like Mary, we won't understand from the beginning all it will involve and all it will mean for us, but You invite us to trust Your heart and embrace Your word to "walk by faith" and obedience as favored ones of God (2 Corinthians 5:7).

With the favor of Your Presence, we have nothing to fear, but only our identity and destiny in Christ to embrace. "In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory!" (Ephesians 1:11-12) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friend, I pray you embrace your identity and destiny as a child of God by the anointing and presence of Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ in you, favored one of the Most High God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you, my friend!

My friend, I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer

Morning by Morning -- Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

www.amazon.com/MorningByMorning-SecondEdition