Morning by Morning, July 12 - Travailing Prayer that “Christ Be Formed in You”
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, for Your name is above every name (Philippians 2:9) and Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:3). ...
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).
The Apostle Paul’s prayer and passion for Your disciples at Galatia was so intense it was like the travail of birth pangs. I’ve never given birth, but I’ve seen it five times. My job was to help with the coaching of the breathing, which seemed kind of like trying to put out a raging inferno with a water pistol. I can’t even imagine going through that kind of intensity, like women experience around this planet every day. Intense, out-of-control pressure and pain, wave after wave, increasing in intensity and trauma until the miraculous release and relief of birth. I praise God that I am a man!
(I have had three kidney stones, which a doctor expressed once that it’s a comparable experience to child birth, but I have found this comment to be unwelcome and unwise to share with those who have experienced the real thing! Someone else has said it’s more like trying to stretch your bottom lip up over your head. Once again, I praise God that I am a man!)
But this morning, I’m thanking You for those who have travailed in prayer for me -- for my salvation, for my healing and freedom in Christ, for my provision and fulfilment of my purpose. But most of all, I’m thanking You for those who travailed in prayer for Christ to be formed in me -- for Your character to be formed into my character, for Your thoughts to be formed into my thoughts, for Your desires to be formed into my desires, for Your ways to be formed into my ways.
Salvation, healing, freedom, identity, destiny -- they are all crucial and critical; but ultimately, You’ve created me and called me to be conformed into the image of the Son of God, as I go through the journey of my life in this limited time I have on this side of heaven and this season of eternity (Romans 8:29 and 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). “For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). As You are, so am I to become (1 John 4:17; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:16).
Of course, I can’t do any of that on my own. Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). You have to give me both the desire and the power to grow in grace and be conformed in Your character by Your Spirit at work in my mind and my heart to make me more like You each day (Philippians 2:13).
So I desperately need those desperate, travailing prayers of those You’ve called by Your Spirit to persevere in intense intercession for me like a fiercely loving mother in the pangs of birth for her child. Some of their faces are coming to mind right now. And I don’t have words to express how thankful I am to You and to them. And at the same time, I’m humbly aware there are many others who pray for me in ways I can’t imagine and can never earn and never repay, who are moved by Your Spirit to press in and pray through on my behalf. The same is true for every one of Your children, because that’s an expression of the Father heart of God.
Lord, give me the grace to do the same -- to pray with intensity and purpose for those You’ve placed on my heart and for those entrusted to my care, even for every one of those who read these words I try to express from Your heart to mine, morning by morning each day. Freely I’ve received; freely may I give (Matthew 10:8). By the power of Your grace at work within me, may I sow what I have reaped, that I may reap what I have sown, all because of what You’ve sown into me through the travailing prayers of so many who accepted Your invitation and obeyed Your leading (Galatians 6:7-9). Great is their reward (Matthew 6:6). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you embrace the gift of God of the character of Christ being formed in you through the trailing prayers of those the Lord has called and empowered to pray for you; and my you do the same as His Spirit leads you and moves you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
412 S. Adams Street #148
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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