Morning by Morning, January 1 - First Place from the First Day
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit. And in the mystery of faith and the mercy of grace, You desire to be one with me as I keep giving myself to You, just as Your Word promises that "anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). ...
Here on this first morning of this New Year, I sense a strong moving in my spirit to look to You first, to listen for You first, to put You first before any other -- before any other thing, any other person, any other desire. Before my breakfast, before my shower -- even before my first cup of coffee -- at least this day, this first day, I put You first above all else and before any other. I want to give You first place from the first day.
You deserve it. You are worthy of it. You are worthy of it all; You are worthy of my all. In the words of Your First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
But even in this "Famous First" of Your "Big Ten," I perceive in my spirit Your Father Heart of God that calls me to put You first because, in at least one sense, You put me first -- "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). My love for You comes out of Your love for me. I love You first because You first loved me.
My honor of You, my reverence of You, my worship of You, my priority of You is all ultimately grounded in Your love for me and the response of my love for You. As selfish as it seems, I worship the One who loves me so much. I worship no other because there is no other who loves me so much.
And it's Your love that compels me to obedience. "For the love of God is this, that we obey His Commandments" (1 John 5:3). As You made clear in the "red letter words" of Your Word: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.... They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me; and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them.... Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them" (John 14:15-23).
The more I perceive and receive Your love for me, the more I love You and want to obey You, the more I want to have no other gods before You.
Teach me more about this, this year. Lead me more into deeper surrender, deeper love, deeper obedience, as You empower me to place You in the place You deserve -- First Place in my life and First Place form the first day of this New Year. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you turn Your heart to the One who deserves First Place from the First Day of this New Year, in Jesus' name! And may the blessings of the Lord overtake you as the love of the Lord overflows in you and through you! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Morning by Morning, Daily Devotional Book. One's year's worth of a selection of my daily prayer devotionals -- written fresh every morning from the communion of prayer to begin your day embraced by your Father, centered in Jesus, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Join me on the journey and share this with a friend who's longing for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.
Register for the Healing Academy.
Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today: Healing Academy
Keynote Speaker in Shropshire, England for March Conference "Release for the Captives!"
Friends, I'm excited to be invited as Keynote Speaker this year for the European Conference of the Holy Spirit through Aldersgate Renewal Ministries in Shropshire, England in March. The theme this year is "Release for the Captives!" Come join us!
Register: European Conference on the Holy Spirit
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!
