"Direct Your Mind" 7-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my thoughts and the focus of my prayer as I begin this new day with You. With my spirit, soul, and body, I give entrust every dimension of my being into every dimension of Your Being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way" (Proverbs 23:19). Sometimes sleep eludes my grasp and the weight of worry tries to steal my peace and snuff out my joy. Sometimes my mind is flooded with thoughts of discouragement, disappointment, frustration, and anger at how all things are not as they should be in my life and the lives of those around me. But I soon realize You are not the author of those thoughts, as You remind me that Your words for me are truth and life, healing and freedom, redemption and mercy. Even Your words of correction are Your words of love, sometimes bringing conviction but never bringing condemnation (Hebrews 12:5-6). Rather than foolishly allow destructive thoughts to linger and poison my soul, Your Holy Spirit rises with wisdom to prompt me to pray and direct my mind in the way that leads to life and peace in the embrace of Your arms. You move me to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" in this war zone of the mind (2 Corinthians 10:5). You give me grace to choose to direct my mind to You or choose to allow my mind to be directed away from You. You give me grace to take these thoughts captive or my pride can resist Your grace and allow these thoughts to take me captive. I can choose to come into agreement with the One who is the way, the truth, and the life or choose to come into agreement with the one who is "the father of lies" (John 8:44). The choice is mine to be active in resistance or passive in defeat (James 4:7; Ephesians 6:11). So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to hear Your voice, my Father, to be wise, and direct my mind in Your way. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join Laura Beach and me if you can for the overnight spiritual retreat we are leading August 2-3, 2008 near Lancaster, Kentucky, in the country just south of Lexington -- "The Shepherd's Pen" -- Come away with the Good Shepherd to learn to hear His voice and be comforted in His embrace. Please contact Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries, for more details and registration (859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com). Join us for The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry led by Tommy Hays July 24-26, 2008 (Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Prayer Ministry to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of our Father). No fee, but suggested donation of $75.00.CHILD CARE AVAILABLE - Please contact Marilyn Walker for more information (859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com) Note from Bob & Doris McCray of our ministry about prayer for Israel: Ezra International is coming to Lexington August 6-10 and will be available to pastors and churches for evening and Sunday services. Ezra's ministry is to help fulfill Bible prophecy in helping rescue and return oppressed Jewish people from the former Soviet Union to their promised land of Israel. This Saturday, July 12th, we will meet at 10 a.m. at the Baptist Church at Andover 3330 Todds Road to plan/pray for Ezra's weekend in Lexington. All are welcome. Info and video at: www.ezrausa.org or Bob and Doris McCray at bndmccray@windstream.net or 859 273-0137 Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com