Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Friday, April 22, 2016

Morning by Morning, April 22 - Outpouring

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You first, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Speak to my heart and guide my thoughts as I seek to entrust my life and this day completely to You. ...

As soon as I begin to pray this morning, I hear in my heart the word "Outpouring." ...

Yes, Lord. I'm listening. What are You speaking? ...

It seems I hear You saying, "I am pouring out My Spirit upon your heart, upon your city, upon your land. I am opening the windows of My heaven and pouring out a great measure of My Spirit. Like a cleansing rain that washes away the impurities and the allergens in the air, I am cleansing the hearts of My people and washing away the impurities of their souls. For all who would open wide their hearts to Me, I am opening wide My heavens to them." ...

Yes, Lord. I want to be one who is opening wide my heart to You. Show me how to do that. Empower me by Your grace to do that.

I believe I hear You saying, "You open wide your heart when you seek Me first, when you don't hold back, when you willingly and passionately choose to welcome Me into the beginning and every moment of your day, when you worship Me in spirit and truth."

Yes, Lord. "The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).

Worship welcomes Your Spirit. As we pour out our hearts to You, You pour out Your Spirit upon us -- upon our hearts, upon our city, upon our land. And You cleanse us by the washing of the water of Your word (Ephesians 5:26). You fill us with Your Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Come, Holy Spirit. Stir in our spirits to worship our Father, worshiping our Savior, in spirit and truth, letting You cleanse our souls and awaken our hearts with fresh passion to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength" (Mark 12:30). Father God, in the name of Jesus, would You "open the windows of heaven for (us) and pour down for (us) an overflowing blessing" of Your Presence in every dimension of our lives (Malachi 3:10).

In a deeper measure than we've ever experienced in our hearts, in our city, and in our land, would You continue to fulfill the promise of Your Word: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream visions. Even upon My slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:17-21 and Joel 2:28-32).

Father, I come into agreement in prayer with everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, with everyone who passionately cries out to You to worship You in spirit and truth, with everyone who welcomes You into every moment of their days, with everyone who opens wide their hearts to embrace Your Presence, Your power, Your grace, and Your love. I agree with every prayer for a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit in our hearts and our city and our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

"O that You would tear open the heavens and come down!" (Isaiah 64:1) O that You would revive us and awaken us, that the kingdom of heaven would rise up from within us! (Ephesians 5:14) In this mighty outpouring of Your Spirit, may we passionately, persistently pursue our identity and our destiny as the pure and holy and passionate Bride and Body of Christ You've created us to be and longed for us to become! (Ephesians 5:27)

Lord, let it be so -- here on earth -- here in our hearts, in our city, in our land -- as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). By the power and the grace of God, "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea!" (Habakkuk 2:14) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray for a fresh and mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon your heart, your city, and your land! May the Lord open His heavens over you and rise up by His Holy Spirit within you to be all He created you to be and longs for you to become, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!