Morning by Morning, January 12 - To Be a Disciple of Jesus Good morning, Lord Jesus. You take the lead, as I wait and listen here in the embrace of Your Presence. ... “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels’” (Luke 9:23-26). You said to Your first disciples the same thing You say to all who would be Your disciples. For those who would follow in Your steps, there would be three steps: 1. “Deny himself;” 2. “Take up his cross daily;” and 3. “Follow Me.” That’s not what it takes to be saved -- salvation is by grace through faith in You (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:9). But that is what it takes to be Your disciple, by Your very Words. So by the power of Your grace -- morning by morning, day by day, moment by moment, step by step -- help me make these choices. Give me grace to “deny (myself)” -- to put You first, to surrender to Your plans for my life, to submit to Your will rather than insisting on my own, to allow You to form Your thoughts in my mind, Your desires in my heart, put Your words in my mouth, as I yield my life to Your life within me, so that I can say, “(I) have died, and (my) life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1). Give me grace to “take up (my) cross daily” -- thanking You for all You’ve done for me that I could never do for myself, but then also actively embracing Your crucifixion of my flesh, pruning the branches that bear no fruit, stripping away the things in me that are not yet like You, as You daily sanctify my soul in my mind, will, and emotions to make me more like You each day so that I can say, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Give me grace to “follow (You) -- taking time with You from my first moments of the morning and then throughout all the moments of my day to pursue Your Presence, to listen for Your leading, to yield to Your direction and Your correction, to hear the voice of Your Spirit saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” to embrace the fear of the Lord rather than the fear of man in making my choices and taking my stands and expressing my heart that’s been filled with Your Spirit, speaking the truth in love, not just truth and not just love, but speaking the truth in love, so that I can say, I “abide in (You), and (You) abide in (me)” (John 15:4). As Your disciples, we are to follow in Your steps every day -- not just the first step, not just the first day of a one-time choice that gave us salvation, but an every day journey to leads to our total transformation into Your character, that You can trust us with Your authority to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). “For to this (we) have been called, because Christ also suffered for (us), leaving (us) an Example, so that (we) might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Embracing the power of Your grace at work within me, I choose to be Your disciple this day and may I keep choosing every day to deny myself, to take up my cross daily, and to follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you embrace the power of God's grace at work within you to choose to be a disciple of Jesus as you walk in His steps every day, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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