Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays: "Seize the Hope"

Wednesday, December 09, 2020

"Seize the Hope" - December 9, 2020

Morning by Morning, December 9 - "Seize the Hope"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in my heart, my thoughts, my words, and my actions as I seek to abide in You and welcome You to abide in me today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"When God made a promise to Abraham, because He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, 'I will surely bless you and multiply you.' And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a Forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:13-20).

Your Word "strongly encourages" us to "seize the hope set before us."

What is it to "seize the hope," Lord? ...

As I wait for Your words, what comes to my heart is this: "To seize the hope is to aggressively take hold of the hope I've put in your heart. Too many are passive in their hope, just as too many are lukewarm in their faith. Faith and hope, like love, are active and not passive, intended to be passionately pursued, not passively received. Just as I command you to "pursue love," to exercise faith, so you are to pursue hope, to "seize the hope" I've set before you." ...

Yes, Lord. Some Scriptures come to mind to confirm Your spoken word by Your Written Word: "Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts" (1 Corinthians 14:1). Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:20). "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12).

So by the power of Your grace at work within me, I choose to "seize the hope (You've) set before (me)." No turning back. No shrinking back. No surrender and no retreat from all I believe You've put in my heart to pray and proclaim, to see and to say, in the authority of Your name and in agreement with Your Word and Your will. Despite the wind and waves of the sea of doubt and unbelief, I choose to seize the hope, to stand firm in the faith, to pursue Your love, and to advance Your kingdom by actively, aggressively trusting in the promises of God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be empowered by the Holy Spirit and filled with the grace of God at work within you to seize the hope the Lord has set before you and stirred up within you, standing firm in the faith and advancing His kingdom through your prayers and proclamations in the authority of His name, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I join with you and so many in prayer for our nation through this challenging time. God bless you, my friend!