Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Friday, August 16, 2019

Morning by Morning, August 16 - True Faith, Lived-out in the Spirit of Love

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name and everything I'll encounter today! (Philippians 2:8-11) So I declare the authority and power of Your name over my day and every dimension of my life, to begin my day well and to begin my day with You! ...

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your Vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and He will say, Here I am!" (Isaiah 58:6-9)

Fasting and prayer without faithfully living it out in love is just religious and empty. Worship and praise without joyfully being about the Father's business with a willing heart is just offering up empty words that fall flat and never reach Your throne or Your heart.

We have salvation through faith in You alone, not by our works or anything we do, no matter how righteously religious or socially good (Ephesians 2:8-9). But You've saved us to display Your love and grace through us. You've given us faith to put it to action; You've given us grace to be full of grace for others; You've given us Your heart full of Your Spirit to express Your heart to all who are weary and waiting to know the One who sees them and loves them and comes to save them, whether they know it or not. That's a measure of what Your Word means when You say, "the only thing that counts is faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). That's a measure of what Your Word means when You say, "Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead" (James 2:23).

The Body of Christ without the Spirit of Christ is dead (Romans 8:9). And faith spoken in words alone or acted out in religious ritual without the power and love of the Living God touching and changing everything around us as it flows through us is dead. "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us -- and we also ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.... We obey His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He commanded us. All who obey His commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us" (1 John 3:16-24).

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me up and pour me out. Let the life and love of the Living God flow through me today in the power and authority of the name of Jesus and in the mercy and grace of my Father's heart. Then we will see Your light break forth like the dawn and Your healing love spring up quickly! When we call, You will answer! When we cry for help, You will say, Here I AM! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Love, fill your heart and flow out of your hands, your words, your prayers, and every dimension of your life in true faith, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Ministry in Honduras

Praying for my wife, Rocio, and the team from our ministry this week (Laura and Milagros) in Honduras-ministering the healing love of God to young girls recently rescued from the trauma and terror of sex trafficking by the Casa de Ester ministry. They are having prayer ministry times for the girls and helping equip the staff and leaders for healing and deliverance prayer ministry. So proud of them! Please join with me in prayer for them all.