Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays: "Courage of Conviction"

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

"Courage of Conviction" - January 13, 2021

Morning by Morning, January 13 - "Courage of Conviction"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading, as I begin my day centered in You -- grounded in Your Word and following Your Spirit. ...

As soon as I settle into my place of prayer this morning, I hear in my heart: "Courage of conviction." ...

Yes, Lord. Give me "courage of conviction." Show me what this means for me today. ...

As I wait, I sense this prayer rising up in my heart:

Let it be the "courage" You supply and the "conviction" You supply. Not a courage I try to muster up, but a courage You form in my spirit to stand firm in the conviction You've placed in my heart. Not a conviction to what I may think is right in my own eyes or anybody else's eyes, but the conviction of what You say is right and lived out in the way You say is right.

By the power of Your grace, let me be courageous in my convictions, bold in my faith, and fearless in the spiritual battles that are set before me. Let me be part of this generation of the Body and Bride of Christ You're raising up and sending forth -- even more bold, even more courageous than any of the faithful generations of the past -- that we may fully accomplish all that's set before us now.

I believe Your Spirit is now bringing to mind Your Word about this kind of "courage of conviction" and the Source of our courage and the Source of our conviction:

"When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them: 'I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has told me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan.' The Lord your God Himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the Lord promised. The Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. The Lord will give them over to you and you shall deal with them in full accord with the command that I have given to you. Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.'

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: 'Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed'" (Deuteronomy 31:1-6).

As we go forward at Your command, as You put us in possession of all You've set forth for Your people in this season, our battle is not against people, not against property, not against political parties or propaganda machines. At it's source, it's against the spiritual forces of this present darkness. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

All the battles in the physical realm in the Old Covenant back then speak to us of the spiritual principles of our spiritual battles in the spiritual realm we're fighting now under the New Covenant. "Now these things happened to them as examples, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come" (1 Corinthians 10:11).

In our present battles against this present darkness, we fight in the spirit with the spiritual weapons You've placed in our hands and the "courage of conviction" You've placed in our hearts. "For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have Divine Power to demolish strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

May we be found faithful in our generation that's been called up for duty at this hour to fight our battles against this present darkness. By the grace of God, may I have the honor and the "courage of conviction" to be one of those, one of Yours, who are found faithful to be obedient to advance and take possession of all You've set before us. No surrender. No retreat. "Strong and very courageous" (Joshua 1:7), with Your "courage of conviction" in my spirit and in the spirit of all You've called to stand firm in our faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be stirred in your spirit with the "courage of conviction" the Lord Himself has place there -- His courage and His conviction -- and be faithful to live it out by His grace and in His way, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend!