Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Monday, March 09, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 9 - Prophetic Insight and Apostolic Execution

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to make me more like You today. ...

"Elisha said to (King Joash), 'Take a bow and arrows;' so he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, 'Draw the bow;' and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. Then he said, 'Open the window eastward;' and he opened it. Elisha said, 'Shoot;' and he shot. Then he said, 'The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them'" (2 Kings 13:15-17).

The prophet, Elisha, speaks to us today of prophetic ministry. The king, Joash, speaks to us today of apostolic ministry. "Together, we are (Your) house, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord" (Ephesians 2:20-21).

We need both prophetic insight and apostolic execution to be the house of God, the temple of the Lord, as the body and bride of Christ on this earth in our day. Elisha heard the word of the Lord and spoke it to Joash. Joash acted in response to the prophetic word with apostolic execution. At the battle of Aphek, there would be victory over the Arameans -- the Lord's victory, through the Lord's people, established ahead of time through prophetic insight and apostolic execution.

Lord, teach us how to recognize and operate in the gifts and calling You've given us for the building of Your church and the advancing of Your kingdom. Teach us how to trust one another and join with one another in the unity of Your Holy Spirit, as we grow up in the maturity of Christ. Deliver us from our insecurities, jealousies, fears, and mistrust, as You develop within us Your character, confidence, humility, and love. Then we will rightly display Your nature with Your authority to rightly represent Your heart and make Your name known to our world.

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT).

With prophetic insight and apostolic execution, along with evangelistic zeal, pastoral care, and authoritative teaching -- all grounded in Your Word and infused with Your Spirit -- we will be the body and bride of Christ You'll called us to be. You're making us one with You and one with each other, "so that the world will believe" (John 17:21 NLT). "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Then "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea!" (Habakkuk 2:14) Then "this Good News of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come!" (Matthew 24:14) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you recognize and grow in your gifts and calling, growing in unity and maturity to the full measure of the stature of Christ, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!