Morning by Morning, December 3 - Draw Near in Deeper Intimacy with God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for You (Psalm 42:1). So I begin my day, pursuing Your Presence. ...
"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
Out of Your love for me and by Your grace for me, You invite me to draw near to You. And I do sense that stirring in my spirit to draw near to You, to draw nearer to You.
It's true that You're always with me (Matthew 28:20). It's true that You never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). It's true that no one can ever snatch me out of Your hand (John 10:28). And it's true that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord (Romans 8:38-39). And at the same time, it's also true that You invite me to draw near to You -- to draw nearer still, to pursue a place of even deeper intimacy.
Lord, how do I do that? How do I draw nearer to You? How do I pursue a place of even deeper intimacy with You? ...
As I watch and wait, as I listen and linger in Your Presence, I believe I hear You saying in my heart: "Seek Me and You will find Me. Seek Me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. Take time for Me. Come away with Me. Set aside your distractions. Close out the world for time away with Me alone. It's not a burden, but a joy. It's not an obligation, but an invitation. You were created for this. You were created for Me. Give yourself to Me and I will give Myself to you. Then your spirit will be in-tune with My Spirit and your heart will align with My Heart. That's how I lift you up into My embrace. You will sense the weightiness of My Presence and the freedom of My Spirit. Give yourself to Me and I will give Myself to you." ...
Yes, Lord. What comes to mind as I ponder Your words is the Scripture Story of the dedication of the temple when Your glory filled the temple and the priest couldn't even stand in Your Presence. "A cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of Lord" (1 Kings 8:10-11). In Christ, my heart is now Your house and my body is now Your temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Cloud of Your Glory is Your Holy Spirit within me (Isaiah 6:1; Ephesians 5:18).
Come, Holy Spirit. Come fill Your heart and Your temple with Your manifest Presence. My Father God, in the name of Jesus my Lord and Savior, I seek You, I draw near to You, I give myself to You, I pursue a place of deeper intimacy with You. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, I want to "be filled with all the fullness of God" and more deeply embrace the ever-abiding Presence of God (Ephesians 3:19; John 15:4). I hunger and thirst for this, for I was created for this! (Matthew 5:6) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you draw near to deeper intimacy with God, as the Glory Cloud of the manifest Presence of God fills His temple in your heart, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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