Monday, December 19, 2005

Process of Surrender and Sanctification 12-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit afresh this morning. May I decrease as You increase. As I am emptied of self-centeredness, let me be filled with Christ-centeredness -- little by little, layer by layer, degree by degree, morning by morning, and day by day -- in this life-long process of surrender and sanctification. ... "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints" (verse 3:12-13). "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do this" (verse 5:23-24). Yes, Lord. Let me never be satisfied with where I am in my spiritual journey. You are always calling me higher and deeper and closer. You desire to make me more like You each day -- to daily strengthen my heart in holiness. I have so far to go, yet by Your grace, I choose to accept this call again today as You use the circumstances of my life to expose the things remaining in my heart that are not yet like Jesus. But as I look away from myself and look to You, I become more like You as Your Spirit sanctifies my heart "from one degree of glory to another" (1 Corinthians 3:18). This is the work of the Spirit of Christ -- the Spirit who comes to make me more like Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of Holiness who comes to fill me and desires to possess me and conform me in His nature as I welcome Him and embrace Him in this journey of surrender and sanctification. Father, this is the journey You have set before me. This is the purpose of my earthly life -- to conform me into the image of the Son of God by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my spirit and soul and body every day (Romans 8:29). You are faithful and You will do this, as I choose to embrace You by the grace You give me to take up my cross of death to self-centeredness and follow You in this journey of Christ-centeredness by the leading of Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on healing and wholeness through the process of sanctification, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com