Hungry for Revelation - Morning by Morning, May 13, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 13 - Hungry for Revelation

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day. ...

 

"Then (Jesus) said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures" (Luke 24:44-45).

 

After the Day of Your Resurrection and before the Day of Pentecost, You were speaking to Your disciples. You spoke of what had been and what was to come. And You were speaking from the Scriptures of the Word of God -- the Law of Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms. But You were not speaking to them from these Scriptures in general, You were speaking specifically from these Scriptures about You. You were expressing and explaining how what was written was coming to life and being "fulfilled" in You.

 

As they listened in, You "opened their understanding." As they leaned in, You helped them "comprehend the Scriptures." And what You were helping them hear and understand and comprehend was that the Word of God is fulfilled in You. You are the Word of God (John 1:1). You are the Word made Flesh, to come and dwell among us and open up the Word of God to us (John 1:14).

 

In these days for us, between the Day of the Resurrection and the Day of Pentecost, draw me nearer to You, Lord Jesus. With all Your disciples around the world in every tribe and tongue and nation, I am eagerly waiting with expectant faith for the Day of Pentecost soon to come. Like so many around the world, I'm stirred with great desire for a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit in our day.

 

So between now and then, give me greater hunger for Your Word, a deeper thirst for Your Presence. Give me a passionate desire to seek You and see You in the Scriptures of the Word of God all that is written of You. Give me "spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of (You)" (Ephesians 1:17). Then "with the eyes of (my) heart enlightened, (I) may know what is the hope to which (You) have called (me)" in these unprecedented, unfolding days (Ephesians 1:18).

 

With all Your disciples yearning to be awaked and come alive in a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit in these days, open my understanding, that I might comprehend. I open my spirit, that I might receive, all that You desire to pour into me and into Your disciples around the world in the days to come. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you be stirred with great hunger for revelation of Jesus, yearning with expectant faith for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit in the days to come, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

                     

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Sometimes He "Makes" Us Get Into the Boat to Cross Over to the Other Side - Morning by Morning, May 12, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 12 - Sometimes He "Makes" Us Get Into the Boat to Cross Over to the Other Side

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're my Lord and Savior, and I surrender my life and every moment of my day into Your hands --You're nail-scarred hands that remind me every morning of all Your mercy and love for me. ...

 

"Immediately (Jesus) made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, He went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. When He saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, He came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, 'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid!' Then He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded..." (Mark 6:45-51).

 

Your Word says You "made" Your disciples get into the boat to "go on ahead to the other side."

 

You weren't being mean or controlling. You weren't forcing them to do something they didn't want to do, because each one of them already made the choice before this day to let go of the lives they had and take hold of the life You offered to get up and go on and follow You. This was just another step of obedience, just another step of faith, just another step of surrender to keep learning to fully trust You and fully depend upon You to lead them into all You had for them and all You would do through them. You were making disciples of them.

 

So sometimes in Your mercy and love You have to "make" us take the next step. It's the only way we'll ever "go on ahead" to what You have next. You know our nature. We can get too comfortable with how it's always been. We can get too secure in what we think we have now. We can get too resistant to the nudges of Your Spirit and the sensing of Your calling to get up and come on because it's time to go on ahead to the next season of the journey to maturity in Christ.

 

There were some "adverse winds" they were about to encounter. There was some "straining at the oars" that was set before them. There were some scary things Your disciples were about to face. But the scariest thing turned out to be You all along! 

 

You were not a ghost coming to scare them. You were their Savior coming to get them to the other side. So in the midst of their fears and confusion, You once again spoke Your words of spirit and life into their hearts -- Spirit to spirit, Heart to heart, Deep to deep -- saying, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid!"

 

There's so much in this Word You are speaking to me today. I feel like I could preach a sermon right now! But I know I'm the one who needs to hear Your sermon right now. I'm the one who needs to hear Your words of spirit and life in my heart -- Spirit to spirit, Heart to heart, Deep to deep. ...

 

I believe I hear You speaking in my heart, "Don't be afraid. Get in the boat. We're going to the other side. I'll be with you. I'll come and meet you were you are. And as you know by now, I'll never leave you as you are. I'm making you into a faithful disciple who will make many disciples, all in My name and all by the power of My grace." ...

 

Yes, Lord. Yes, my Lord and my Savior. Give me grace to hear Your voice and follow You. Give me courage and grace to get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side into all You have next. Even if You have to "make" me. Because I do trust Your mercy and love for me. And I do trust Your work within me to make me Your disciple -- step by step, morning by morning, day by day, from glory to glory in You.

 

I do notice, as I peak ahead just a moment, that when those disciples of Yours got to the other side, amazing things started to happen! Probably even exceedingly, abundantly more than they could ever ask or imagine!

 

"When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized (Jesus) and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. And wherever He went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were healed!" (Mark 6:53-56)

 

Praise God! But that sounds like a sermon for another day. Today, just help me get into that boat. ...

 

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you hear in your heart the words of spirit and life of Jesus speaking Spirit to spirit, Heart to heart, Deep to deep, to give you courage to get into the boat, to follow Him, to cross over to the other side into all He has for you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

                  

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Worship the One Who Wears the Crown and Holds the Key! - Morning by Morning, May 11, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 11 - Worship the One Who Wears the Crown and Holds the Key!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. From praise to worship to deeply abiding intimacy with You, I want to come close and hear what's on Your heart and follow where Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of the Holy One, the True One,

who has the key of David,

who opens and no one will shut,

who shuts and no one opens:

 

I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet have kept My word and have not denied My name.... Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches" (Revelation 3:7-13).

 

Like the church in Philadelphia in the days You spoke Your words of Revelation to John, let us be faithful to keep Your word and never deny Your name. Even when it seems we've had little power in the face of all that's come against us, even when it seems it's increasingly harder to stand firm in Your Word without compromise and in faith, give us courage to be faithful, give us power to persevere.

 

There's great promise for those who overcome in the power and authority of Your name (v. 12). There's great victory over the kingdom of darkness that would seek to overwhelm us and force us to bow down to it and the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil (v. 9). But in the face of it all, You encourage us hold fast and stand firm: "Because you have kept My word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown!" (v. 10-11).

 

Right now, corona wants to wear the crown. In the next wave of darkness to come, something else will want to wear the crown. But You are the One who wears the Crown! You are the King of kings and Lord of lords! You are the King of glory! You are the King who holds the Key to the of David, the Key of the Kingdom of God! You are the One who is sovereign over all! And You are the One who will have the final say and the last word over all we go through in our world until the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ!

 

Lord Jesus, we crown You with many crowns! We crown You Lord of All! In the authority of Your Word and the power of Your name shut the doors of darkness and open the doors of Heaven in this hour! By the power of Your grace, You'll provide all the power we need! And by the power of Your grace will hold fast, we will overcome, we will keep Your word with patient endurance and victorious faith! And the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!

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

My friend, may you be encouraged and empowered hold fast and stand firm, to rise up and overcome, as you worship the One who wears the crown and holds the key of the Kingdom of God, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

      

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Think on These Things" - Morning by Morning, May 8, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 8 - "Think on These Things"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and the foundation of my day. ...

 

As I listen for Your leading, I hear in my heart, "Think on these things." ...

 

Yes, Lord. Of course Your Word comes to mind from the old King James Version:  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

 

What I sense You are saying is that I should take time to be intentional about the good things that are going on around me, even going on within me. To thank You and praise You for these good things -- these things that are true and honest and just and pure and lovely and of good report. 

 

Even if there are bad things and hard things going on, whether around me or even within me, I'm not to ignore those things, hide from those things, or play like those things aren't there or don't matter. No, but at the same time, I'm not to allow those things to control me or define me or steal my joy or take my peace or crush my hope. I'm to bring those things to You and lay them before You and release them to You. I'm to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" and then turn my thoughts back to You and "whatsoever things are true...." (2 Corinthians 10:5).

 

Your Word cautions us of the spiritual principal that "as (someone) thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). What we give our thoughts over to begin to define who we are. They begin to define what we do, how we respond. They influence our emotional health, our physical health, our spiritual health.

 

So by the power of Your grace, I choose to take captive the bad thoughts and bring them into the obedience by submitting them to Christ -- to the name that is above every name, to the truth that is above every lie, to the good plan of God to bring good things out of every bad situation (Philippians 2:9). So then I'm free to "think on these things" that You have set before Me, that You are doing within me, that You are doing in my world around me, despite all the bad things we may be enduring.  

 

By the power of Your grace, I will "think on these things" and give You praise! I will "think on these things" and become the things You are causing me to think in my heart that are true and honest and just and pure and lovely and of good report -- not any of it by what I have done, but all by what You have done and are doing in me. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My friend, may you be empowered by the Spirit of God who is working in you to give you all the desire and power you need to please Him, as you think on the good things He has set before and He is doing within you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     

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"I Will Guide and I Will Provide." - Morning by Morning, May 7, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 7 - "I Will Guide and I Will Provide."

 

Good Morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading, for Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:27). ...

 

"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.' So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.' As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, 'Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.' But she said, 'As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.' Elijah said to her, 'Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jar of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.' She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:8-16).

 

Father, You didn't sent Elijah to steal the last meal from this lady and her son. All that he said to her, he spoke "according to the word of the Lord that (You) spoke by Elijah" (v. 16). He was there because You sent him there. He was there because she needed hope in her heart, food in her belly, and security for her family.

 

But You didn't sent Elijah with a hand out. You sent Elijah with an opportunity for her to stretch her hand out -- to take what she had and give it to You. You took it and You multiplied it. The jar of meal was not emptied and the jug of oil did not fail. You were saying to her, "I will guide and I will provide."

 

It's still true for us in the "famine" and "plague" of our day. We're tempted to give in to worry and fear and anxiety about our needs for provision and security. We're tempted to give in to confusion about our next steps and the choices set before us. And You say to us, "I will guide and I will provide."

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Let us hear the word of the Lord in our hearts. Let us trust You in faith and follow You in obedience -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. We may think we have nothing left, but we have You. We may think there's no way to come through what we're facing now, but You are the Way.

 

Show us how to stretch out our hands to offer what we have -- love, hope, encouragement, an offer of help, a smile (even if we have to lift up our face mask for a moment for somebody to see it). As we stretch out our hands, show us how to lift up our hearts to You, to lift up our faith in You, and trust You to guide and to provide. Just like You always have. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be encouraged in the Lord, listening for His leading, trusting Him to guide and to provide for all you need and all He desires to do through you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

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"Good Morning, Lord Jesus..." - Morning by Morning, May 6, 2020

Morning by Morning, May 6 -- "Good Morning, Lord Jesus..."

Good morning, Lord Jesus. ... 

For about fifteen years, I've spoken those words first in my morning prayer and written those words first in my prayer journal to begin my day. Those are the words that came to me first that first morning when You called me to this "morning by morning" journey those many years ago.

It became my way of beginning my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. It became my way of seeking You first and Your Kingdom and Your righteousness, before anything else, so that You would have First Place in my day and First Place in my life. And the journey has continued -- morning by morning, day by day, season by season -- through this increasingly intimate and deeply personal season of my life.

Some call it contemplative prayer or centering prayer or listening prayer or prayer of silence and surrender to watch and wait for the leading of the Lord. Whatever it's called, it's been such a tender way of Your Holy Spirit moving in my human spirit to come awake and come away with You, to come up higher with You into this high and holy place of Your Presence -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.

You gave me the name for my daily prayer journey of "Morning by Morning" from the words You spoke through the prophet Jeremiah in the midst of a difficult and challenging season of his life and in the lives of those he was called to serve and to love, as he shared Your words of encouragement and hope:

"But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
   'therefore I will hope in Him.'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
    to the soul that seeks Him.

It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord"

    (Lamentations 3:21-26).

I thank You, Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- that Your mercies are new every morning and never come to an end. That Your love is steadfast and never ceases. That You are good to those who wait for You, who seek You, who wait quietly before You in the silence of surrender to let You speak what's on Your heart and let You lead down the path You've chosen into the fullness of our salvation and the depths of Your Presence. 

Then sometime soon along the way, whether exactly the first day or not I don't really remember now, I believe I sensed the prompting of Your Spirit to share these morning prayers from my journal. The thought was that my prayer could come into agreement with others who were praying, and that together we could begin our day embraced by our Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. And though it's not been for everyone, and for some just for a season, I've had great joy in knowing that many have been encouraged and comforted, even awaked into a deeper desire for intimacy with You in every dimension of Your Being as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as we surrender every dimension our being to You from our "spirit and soul and body" in worship and prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

"The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
    the weary with a word.
Morning by morning He wakens --
    wakens my ear
    to listen as those who are taught"

    (Isaiah 50:4).

But no matter how this journey began or how it has grown and developed along the way, I do thank You that this has been a deeply honest and intimate journey with You. I feel like I could face just about anything I may have to endure on my journey to maturity in You as You seek to make me more like You each day, as long as I have a lifeline of prayer and deep communion of personal relationship with You, where deep calls to Deep, heart to Heart, and spirit to Spirit, morning by morning.

In Ezekiel's vision of the spiritual temple where the living waters would flow, he spoke of the sacrifice to be made morning by morning:

"He shall provide a lamb, a yearling, without blemish, for a burnt offering to the Lord daily; morning by morning he shall provide it. And he shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning regularly, one-sixth of an ephah, and one-third of a hin of oil to moisten the choice flour, as a grain offering to the Lord; this is the ordinance for all time. Thus the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, as a regular burnt offering" (Ezekiel 46:13-15).

You are the Lamb. And You are the High Priest who has made the offering of Your life for each one of us, that we could draw near to You, that we could embrace the gift of Your steadfast love and Your tender mercies that never come to end, that are new for us every morning. So I offer these morning prayers to You as my spiritual act of worship in trusting surrender of my life to Yours, of every dimension of my being to every Dimension of Your Being (Romans 12:1). Lord, let Your Living Waters flow into me and flow out of me -- along with all Your children who seek You and wait upon You and offer their lives as a living sacrifice to You -- to bring Your life into our world "morning by morning" every day and every way You desire (Ezekiel 47:1-12). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be begin and live into every day embraced by our Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit, to let the love and life of God flow through you and make a difference in your world, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

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