Morning by Morning, December 11 - Preparing the Way of the Lord "with the Spirit and Power of Elijah"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin my day centered in You and Your Word and Your Spirit. ...

 

"The angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before Him, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord'" (Luke 1:13-17).

 

Before Jesus was conceived and born, John would be conceived and born. Before Jesus would begin His ministry, John would begin his ministry. Just as the angel proclaimed to his father Zechariah, John's ministry would be to prepare the way of the Lord, "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

 

Jesus affirmed that John had the spirit of Elijah (Matthew 17:11-13). He moved with authority in the call to repentance (Matthew 3:1-2). John moved "with the spirit and power of Elijah" in the first level of fulfillment of the prophecy of the last words of the last book of the Old Testament:  "Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of fathers to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6). 

 

John prepared the way of the Lord for the first coming of Christ. And in the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy, You will send forth a people "with the spirit and power of Elijah" to prepare the way of the Lord, "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" before the second coming of Christ. You will turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the children to their fathers in repentance and love. And in repentance and love, You will turn the hearts of the children of God back to the heart of our Father God. You will bring reconciliation, healing, and honor among generations and among the people of God. You will make ready the Body and the Bride of Christ, to display Your glory through Your people in this world (Revelation 19:6-8).

 

Fill us now with Your Holy Spirit, Lord! (Ephesians 5:18) Anoint us now "with the spirit and power of Elijah" to prepare the way of the Lord -- first in our hearts and here in our world!

 

Father God, You are sending Your Holy Spirt to prepare a Bride for Jesus -- "a people prepared for Lord." This is the Spirit of Revival!

 

Let us be a people of this earth who have the character of Jesus in our hearts and the authority of the name of Jesus in our words. Grow us up "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a prefect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

 

As You turn our hearts back to You and to one another in unity, reconciliation, and love, let the curse upon on the land of our generations be broken and the blessings of God abound! "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready!" (Revelation 19:6-7) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit to prepare the way of the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah in our generation, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

       

Thank you for joining with me on this daily journey of prayer. I write these from my morning prayer time most every day and send them out right away. If you would like to have a collection of these as a 365 Day Prayer Journal for you or a friend, please order a copy today. God bless you!

 

Click Here to Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, December 10 - Encountering God at the Altar of Incense

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In my morning communion of prayer, I seek Your face and listen for Your voice -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to (Zechariah) an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord...." (Luke 1:10-15).

 

When Zechariah had his supernatural encounter with the angel of the Lord he was praying and he was surrounded by people who were praying. The angel spoke to him from beside the altar of incense, which speaks of the place of surrender and prayer, offering our lives in surrender and faith to be lifted up with our prayers and praise as a fragrant offering to You.

 

In the place of prayer and praise, we encounter You. In the place of prayer and praise, we hear Your word, we receive encouragement and direction, and we find comfort and joy to know that You hear our prayers and see our hearts and have a plan for our lives.

 

And there's something powerful about being surrounded by people of prayer -- praying with us, praying for us. Prayer and praise prepare and atmosphere for supernatural encounters. And though we may be terrified in the fear of the Lord when we actually encounter You through the means You choose to convey Your word and Your will, You are quick to calm our fears and steady our hearts to know we have nothing to fear if we'll only trust and believe in You.

 

I lift up my prayers and praise like incense before You today. I thank for all those who pray with me and for me with expectant faith, offering our lives as living sacrifices before You. May our prayers be a pleasing aroma and fragrant offering to You from the holy place of our hearts, where we encounter Your Presence. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you encounter God at the altar of incense, lifting up your prayers and praise to the Lord as a pleasing aroma and fragrant offering, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

        

Thank you for joining with me on this daily journey of prayer. I write these from my morning prayer time most every day and send them out right away. If you would like to have a collection of these as a 365 Day Prayer Journal for you or a friend, please order a copy today. God bless you!

 

Click Here to Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, December 9 - "One Day"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in the paths of Your righteousness today. ...

 

"When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple... While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar...." (Luke 1:5-11 NLT).

 

The story of the birth of Jesus is interwoven with the story of the birth of John the Baptist. Just as angelic, supernatural, miraculous events in the moving of the Holy Spirit surrounded the lives of Joseph and Mary in preparation for the birth of Jesus, it's the same for the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth in preparation for the birth of John.

 

"One day" the angel of the Lord showed up in Zechariah's life. He had been serving God, careful in obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness. Yet at the same time, we sense the heart and disappointment in his heart as he went about his life -- he and Elizabeth "had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old."

 

Their high hopes for a family with children were now "very old." Perhaps their disappointed expectations that by serving God and being good everything would go well were now "very old." And now their physical capacity to bring forth life to carry on their family line was "very old."

 

Yet at the same time, You are the God who makes all things new! (Revelation 21:5) You are the God who shows up "one day." And in "one day" You can change everything! One word from You, one moment in Your Presence, one encounter with Your supernatural provision can change it all in the twinkling of an eye!

 

Yes, You're the God who gives us grace to persevere in the long journey of daily life -- day by day, moment by moment, morning by morning. Even life in the Spirit is more of a marathon than a sprint. But You're also the God who gives us grace to encounter You in the sudden moments when everything changes in a minute. "One day" in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). And "one day" in Your Presence can make all the difference in our world.

 

"One day" You made a difference in Zechariah and Elizabeth's world -- Elizabeth bore a son and they named him John and he prepared the way of the Lord. "One day" You made a difference in Joseph and Mary's world -- Mary bore a Son and they named Him Jesus and He came as Savior of the World and Lord of All. And "one day" You can make a difference in our world -- when "one day" we encounter You in a way that changes everything in a moment and we birth what Your Holy Spirit has conceived in the hearts of every one of us. 

 

I'm thankful and grateful for all the other days, for every day, that I get to live with the deep and abiding peace of the assurance of my salvation. Yet at the same time, I'm also believing You've put it in my heart to pray for a day of a supernatural, life-changing encounter with You. As You invite us to pray, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). And as You promise to respond, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). Give me grace to believe with expectant faith for that "one day" of my encounter with You to come. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you believe with expectant faith for the day of your supernatural encounter with the Living God, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, December 6 - O Little Town of Bethlehem

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call on Your name and listen for Your voice to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ...

 

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a Ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past will come from you on My behalf" (Micah 5:2 NLT).

 

Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Micah prophesied the place of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. What a precise prophecy! What an unexpected prophecy! The Messiah of Israel and Savior of All would be born in "a small village" and not a significant city, in a simple manger and not an extravagant mansion. And Your Word went forth and came to pass, just as You said.

 

Yes, this Child to be born as "Ruler of Israel" with "origins in the distant past" would be none other than God Himself, humbling Himself in the likeness of human flesh and blood -- Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23 fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, also spoken seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus).

 

Your precise prophecies fulfilled in Christ are one of the ways we know the Bible is true as the very Word of God. All time and space is ever present before You. Only You can know and declare the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. "Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish" (Isaiah 46:10). In fact, You are "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" so that all time and space, all that was and is and is to come, is completely in Your hands (Revelation 22:13).

 

You took the humble place of Bethlehem and lifted it up so that all the world knows it's name. And as Immanuel, born in Bethlehem, You humbled Yourself to born in the womb of a woman in the likeness of human flesh and blood to life a sinless life and die a Savior's death, that one day all the world will bow its knee at Your name lifted high above every name (Philippians 2:6-11). And You invited us into that same spirit of humility (Philippians 2:5), that as we humble ourselves in Your sight, You will lift us up, secure in our identity to live out our destiny in You (James 4:10). 

 

You chose Bethlehem for the place of the birth of Christ. And You've chosen every heart for the place of the birth of Christ in us (John 3:16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My friend, may you believe and know the Bible is true and that every precise prophecy sent forth as the word of God for your life will be fulfilled by the One who declares the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, December 5 - "Eagerly Waiting for the Messiah"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading and resting in Your Presence to begin my day in the communion of prayer with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"At the time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah" (Luke 2:25-26 NLT).

 

Simeon was full of expectant faith. He was "eagerly waiting for the Messiah." He knew the Written Word of the Scriptures that spoke of the One who would come as God's anointed Son to be the Salvation of Israel and a Light to the nations (Isaiah 9:6; 42:1; 61:1-3 and many more). But he also knew the prophetic word that had been spoken into his spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. 

 

Simeon held on in expectant faith and pressed through in persistent prayer all through the years, by the Word and by the Spirit. And then the day finally came when his prayers were answered and his prophecy was fulfilled. Before he died, he not only saw the Messiah with his eyes but embraced the Messiah in his arms. "That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the Child in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord, now let Your servant die in peace, as You have promised. I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people. He is a Light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the Glory of your people Israel!'" (Luke 2:27-32)

 

As we "eagerly wait for the Messiah" in this season of preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ, remind us of Your written Word and prophetic words to each one of us. Give us the grace of expectant faith and persevering prayer to see Your promises and purposes fulfilled in us.

 

Lord Jesus, You are the Anointed One of God -- "Messiah" or Mashiach in the Hebrew of the Old Testament Prophecies of Your coming and "Christ" or Christos in the Greek of the New Testament fulfilment of those Prophecies. You are the Light of the World and the Savior of All. You rewarded Simeon for his faith as he embraced You in his arms, and You reward us for our faith as we embrace You in our hearts. I welcome You with expectant faith into my heart today, and I join in prayer for many souls throughout our world to embrace you in their hearts this Christmas season. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be stirred your spirit to eagerly wait for the Messiah with expectant faith and persevering prayer, to embrace Him in your heart and see God's written Word and prophetic promises fulfilled in your life, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!