Morning by Morning, January 9 - Pursing the Place of Worship
Good morning Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to lead me in the way that leads to life in You today. ...
"You shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, the firstborn of your herds and flocks. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 12:5-7 NKJV).
You called the tribes of Israel to seek a place to worship You. You promised that in that place they would know Your name and experience Your Presence. There they would offer their sacrifices and receive Your blessings to rejoice in all that You are and all that You do on their behalf as the people of God.
And now, each day, You call us to come to You in the place of worship You've prepared for us here in the holy place of our hearts. Our bodies are Your temple, and our lives are our sacrifice (1 Corinthians 6:19). "By the mercies of God, (we) present (our) bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is (our) spiritual worship" (Romans 12:10).
It's here in the place of worship that we offer to You all that we are and all that we have. It's here in the place of worship that we fully acknowledge that You are the Source of every good thing we have in our lives (James 1:17). And it's here in the place of worship that we are forever changed into Your image--moment by moment, face to face, from the inside out, from glory to glory. "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
So here I am to worship. Not just first thing in my morning, here at the beginning of my day, but throughout the moments of my day may I never leave this place of worship--here where deep calls to Deep and where I abide in You as You abide in me (Psalm 42:7; John 15:4). May I continue to pursue You and worship You in spirit and truth--my spirit passionately seeking, humbly honoring, and fully embracing Your Spirit--for "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Here in this place of worship I'll experience You and receive all You've prepared for me, as I freely and whole-heartedly surrender all that I am and all that I have completely to You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Friend, I pray you experience the Presence and blessings of God throughout the moments of your day as You passionately pursue the place of worship He's prepared for you in your heart, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of me. God bless you, my friend!
(From a time of deep worship while I was teaching at a spiritual retreat in
The Philippines several years ago)
Friends, I welcome you to join with me in a daily journey of passionate, pursuing prayer through my 365 Day Prayer Devotional, Morning by Morning, Second Edition, for a deeply intimate and personal journey of prayer each day.
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
