Morning by Morning, April 22 - To Know, Hear and Follow God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, as I begin my day in consciously deliberate communion in prayer with You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.... Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.... I am the good shepherd...." (John 10:2-11)
Lord Jesus, You are the gate of life. You are the good shepherd of all who know You and hear You and follow You. We are Your sheep, entrusted to Your care, desperately dependent upon You alone. We are Your own, just as You said: "I am the good shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father" (v. 14-15).
But we cannot follow You unless we hear You; and we cannot hear You unless we know You. As we know You as our shepherd, we'll not be led astray by a stranger (v. 5). So Lord, how do we truly know You?
It seems I hear You say, "My son, You know Me as you spend time with Me. I am always with you; I never leave you and never forsake you. But you must also spend time listening for Me, learning to hear My voice. And even those who listen often and know Me well must always continue to press in more closely and learn to listen more carefully. All of this is to be treasure to you, part of the joy of the journey with Me."
Yes, Lord. Let my time with You be a priority of my day and a place of primacy in my life. Even though You are with me always, throughout all the moments of my day, every day of my life, I also need to take time to deliberately, consciously seek Your face and listen for Your voice. I need to highly esteem this priceless treasure You've given me to hear Your voice as a child of God on my journey of faith. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
