Monday, December 16, 2019

Morning by Morning, December 16 - "Favored One" Like Mary
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and listen for Your voice to begin my day embraced by My Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
 
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.' But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to here, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God...'" (Luke 1:26-30).
 
Mary "found favor with God." What does that mean, Lord? ...
 
Does it mean she earned it? Does it mean she was worthy of it? Does it mean she was sinless or perfect or worthy of worship herself? What does it mean for Mary? And what does it mean for me? ...
 
As I ponder my question like Mary pondered her greeting, some Scriptures come to mind:  "The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).
 
What did You see when You saw Mary's heart?  ...
 
I think You saw the heart of one who knew they needed a Savior. She sang out, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!" (Luke 1:47). And I think You saw the heart of one who was quick to rejoice in the One who saves us. I think You saw the heart of one who was humble in Your sight, saying, "He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant" (Luke 1:48). I think You say the heart of one who was thankful and appreciative, not taking anything for granted, but giving You praise in all things, declaring, "The Mighty One has done great things for me and Holy is His name!" (Luke 1:49) And I think You say the heart of one who would be seek to be faithful to You and Your word and Your calling upon her life, responding from her heart, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
 
You're the God "who searches our hearts" (Romans 8:27). You're the God who knows our thoughts (Luke 5:22). "O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who sees the mind and the heart" (Jeremiah 20:12). You see the end of the beginning and the beginning from the end; You see every desire of our heart, every thought of our mind, and every choice we'll make, even as You give us the freedom to make those choices that flow out of our hearts and minds (Isaiah 46:10).
 
So for Mary and for me and for all Your sons and daughters of God who are called by Your name, we don't earn Your favor or Your grace -- it is the free gift of God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:9). And at the same time, we are called to be "found faithful" just as we are blessed to be those who have "found favor" (1 Corinthians 4:2). We can't deserve it; we can't earn it -- that only comes by the power of Your grace and the Presence of Your Spirit at work within each one of us -- "For God is working in (us), giving (us) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
 
Lord, I want to be "found faithful" as one who has "found favor" in You. By the power of Your grace, give me the desire and the power to do what pleases You -- with humility, thankfulness, faithfulness, obedience, and praise -- just like Mary. "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you be favored by God, found faithful in Him by the power and grace of His Spirit alive and at work within you, 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 the same morning -- real prayers, expressed and shared in real time from my spiritual life. If you would like to have a collection of these as a 365 Day Prayer Devotional for you or a friend, please order a copy today. God bless you!

 



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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Friday, December 13, 2019

Morning by Morning, December 13 - The Presence and Power of God, Even in the Seasons of Seclusion
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Heart to Heart, spirit to Spirit, deep to Deep, I turn to You and welcome You in to every moment of my day. ...
 
"After those days (Zechariah's) wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 'This is what the Lord has done for me when He looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I endured among my people'" (Luke 1:24-25).
 
Elizabeth knew the God of miracles had burst into her life to conceive the life of an anointed son in her barren womb. She knew the favor of God had come upon her, even as she still endured the shame and reproach from the people that had come upon her during all the long years of her barrenness. Even so, she "remained in seclusion."
 
Maybe her seclusion came out of a measure of doubt -- choosing to believe this miracle of God, but at the same time just needing to carry this child and feel it move for a few months just to make sure her miracle was real and would last. Maybe her seclusion came out of a measure of shame -- thanking God for all He had done but also afraid of all the people would say, maybe even mocking her with ridicule and laughing her to scorn for her faith in such a foolish thing to believe she had conceived a child, when, after all, surely she had been under the curse of God rather than the favor of God. Or maybe her seclusion came out of a measure of trust -- choosing to trust the timing of God, the God who takes time to bring to pass His promises all in His way, all in His grace, all in His time. There would come a time --in the fullness of time -- when Elizabeth, Zechariah, and all the people would look and see what God had done, when this anointed son would begin his ministry to prepare the way of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, just like the angel Gabriel had said at the command of the Lord (Luke 1:14-17).
 
Lord, give me grace in the seasons of seclusion. Give grace to wait on You, to rest in You, to yield to Your timing and trust in Your ways. Give me grace to see Your Presence and power even in the seasons of seclusion.
 
Even the seasons of seclusion are not seasons apart from You. It was during her seclusion that Elizabeth had one of the most powerful spiritual encounters of her life. Her young relative named Mary would come to see her in her place of seclusion -- almost as if to remind her that though she was hidden away from the world for a season, she was not hidden away from God (Luke 1:36). The miraculous child in Elizabeth's womb would leap with joy in the presence of the miraculous Child in Mary's womb, as "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:39-45). In her great joy, she celebrated the faith and favor of both of these women who trusted the God of miracles in His timing and His ways, shouting, "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord!" (Luke 1:45)
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me afresh today with joy in the goodness of God. It may not always be in my timing and in the way I would choose, but You're the God of miracles who rolls away all reproach and shame and fear to give me the grace to keep trusting in You and Your promises for me. Through every season, Your Presence and Your power are with me, Your favor is upon me, You've never forgotten me and never forsaken me, for I am a child of God. Every word written of me in Your Book of Life will be fulfilled -- all for Your glory, all in Your time, and all in Your way. 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 today, no matter what season you're in, trusting in the God of miracles to bring to pass every word He's written of you in His Book of Life, 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 the same morning -- real prayers, expressed and shared in real time from my spiritual life. If you would like to have a collection of these as a 365 Day Prayer Devotional for you or a friend, please order a copy today. God bless you!

 



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!
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Thursday, December 12, 2019

Morning by Morning, December 12 - No Doubting, Mumbling Words
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of Kings, Lord of Glory, You are worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. I glorify You, honor You, and praise You as I begin my day speaking Your name and listening for Your voice. ...
 
"Zechariah said to the angel, 'How will I know that this is so (that my wife and I will have a son as you said)? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.' The angel replied, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur'" (Luke 1:18-20).
 
Words matter. Whether words of faith or words of doubt, words matter. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21). As You said, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:37). 
 
So You call us to speak words of spirit and life in faith, not wavering with doubt, as we listen to hear Your heart so that what we speak in faith will come to pass in its time, according to Your will. "Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if do not doubt in your heart but believe what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours'" (Mark 11:22-24). These are Your red-letter words right out of the written Word of God. So these words are true and they can be trusted -- "Every word of God proves true" (Proverbs 30:5).
 
The words coming out of Zechariah's mouth were not words of faith, not words of spirit and life. They were words of doubt and death. So the angel Gabriel shut his mouth! Before Zechariah could utter another mumbling word, he received the gift of the mercy of God to be silent in his foolishness and faithlessness. His doubting words would not interfere with the faithful promises of God. And in its time, the word of the Lord spoken to Zechariah through Gabriel did come to pass, just as he said and just as You willed. "The time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.... (Zechariah) asked for a writing tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God!" (Luke 1:57-64).
 
Lord, in Your mercy, shut my mouth from uttering mumbling words of doubt and unbelief. Sanctify my tongue and my faith to speak the word and will of God in words of spirit and life. Help me hear what You're saying in prayer and speak what You're saying in obedience, not doubting in my heart but believing what I say with expectant faith to see it come to pass, all in its time and all by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Let my mouth be opened and my tongue freed to speak and praise my God! Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you speak words of spirit and life that flow out of your times of prayer and communion with God to hear His voice and share His heart, 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!

 



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!

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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

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!

 



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!

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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

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!

 



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!

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