Sacrifice of Surrender 3-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your name be the first word I speak today. Let Your praise be the first emotions of my soul today. ... "Through Him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Hebrews 13:15-16). To sacrifice is to surrender -- to give up something I have. To pray is to sacrifice my time. To praise is to sacrifice my attention. To fast is to sacrifice my food. As David said, "I will not offer sacrifices to the Lord that cost me nothing" (from 1 Chronicles 21:24). But the ultimate sacrifice is not only to surrender what I have, but to surrender who I am. It is to surrender my life to You more deeply and more completely each day. That's when the praise of Your name on my lips becomes the substance of Your nature in my soul. And it will cost something -- everything I am. Give me the courage to keeping trusting You and praising You as I keep surrendering to You my life a little more each day. This is the sacrifice "pleasing to God." 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com