Morning by Morning, August 14 - "Abundantly Prosperous"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I settle in to my prayer chair for my time of communion with You, help me start my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. I'm listening now for Your leading. ...
"The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes that are written in the Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 30:9-10).
You "take delight" in prospering Your children in every area of our lives. So You're always inviting us to "return to the Lord (our) God ... and obey (Your) voice" (Deuteronomy 30:3). And You're always reminding us that You're never far from us to lead and guide by the wisdom of Your word, promising us, "the word is very near (us). It is in (our) mouth and in (our) heart, so that we can do it" (Deuteronomy 30:14).
Some would say these old-fashioned, archaic, religious ideas about returning and repentance, about receiving blessings and bearing fruit through obedience and faithfulness, are all just Old Testament rules of judgment and law, not New Testament principles of mercy and love. But You said in the "red letters" of Your personal words: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:8-14).
It's all because of Your grace that I can obey. It's all because You've written Your law on my heart that I can love. It's all because Your Word and Your Spirit are very near to me -- right here in my mouth and right here in my heart -- that I can be Your disciple. And it's all because my Father loves me in all the mercy and grace of God, just as the Father loved the Son, that I can be Your faithful friend who does what You command and Your beloved child who receives all the abundant blessings You delight in prospering me with. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments" (1 John 5:3). "Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us" (1 John 3:24). "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
Put Your law of love in my heart and give me grace to obey it and live it by the power of Your Spirit. By the power of Your grace at work within me, may I live my life in You "obedient from the heart" (Romans 6:7). And may You delight in prospering me abundantly according all Your good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My friend, may you be abundantly prosperous in all you are and all you do, with God's Word and God's Spirit abiding in you to live obedient to Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Thank you for joining with me on this journey of prayer -- Morning by Morning! 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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