Morning by Morning, January 9 - A Decree for 2023 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your sheep hear Your voice and follow Your leading (John 10:3). So I’m listening for Your leading, as I begin my day deliberately, intentionally looking to You and waiting for You. ... What comes to my heart are the words I believe You gave me this weekend to share with the Online Connect Group Leaders of MorningStar Ministries, gathered from here and several other nations from around the world. I was asked to seek the Holy Spirit for a decree that we could make together in prayer and proclamation at this beginning of 2023 (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 14:3). What I shared with them, I believe also applies to all of us in the Body and Bride of Christ in this year of overcoming challenges with persistent faith and courageous boldness: While praying, I had a vision in my heart of the three Hebrew young men in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, Chapter 3. Nebuchadnezzar had made a decree that all the inhabitants of his kingdom would bow down and worship his golden image, and that whoever would not bow down and worship would be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. But there were three who would not — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They made their own decree back to the king, boldly declaring: “If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, He will deliver us. But if not, be it know to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16). They were thrown into the fiery furnace, but there was Another in the fire with them. They were delivered through the fire so that they did not even smell of smoke. After seeing their witness of faith and boldness of heart, Nebuchadnezzar made another decree: “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him!” (Daniel 3:28) Father God, we decree in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit for the MorningStar Online Connect Group Leaders in 2023: You are our King of Kings and our Lord of Lords! (Revelation 19:16) Whatever fires we face this year — whether from the furnace of the Fire of the Holy Spirit to test us or from the furnace of the fire of the spirit of this world to destroy us; whether in the circumstances of our own hearts or in the hearts of those we’ve been entrusted to serve and to lead — we will not bow down and worship the idols of this world; but we will worship the One True God! “For indeed our God is a Consuming Fire!” (Hebrews 12:29) This Scripture now rises up from my spirit and into my mind from Psalm 24:1-6: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for He has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah” We decree that in 2023 we will ascend the hill of the Lord, we will stand in His holy place, by the grace of God. We will have clean hands and pure hearts, by the Blood of Jesus. We will not lift up our souls to what is false and we will fear no evil, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And we will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from the God of our salvation, for we are sons and daughters of God, manifesting the character of God in boldness and faith, as a witness and testimony to the principalities and powers of this world for the glory of God, being made manifest in us (Ephesians 3:10). The words of an old worship song by Chris Tomlin rise up in my spirit now, as our decree of humility and faith before You: We bow our hearts, we bend our knees; Oh Spirit come make us humble. We turn our eyes from evil things; Oh Lord we cast down our idols. So give us clean hands and give us pure hearts. Let us not lift our souls to another.... Oh God let us be a generation that seeks Who seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob! Lord, let it be so — in our hearts and in 2023! In Jesus’ name we pray and in the authority of the mighty name of Jesus we decree! Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you be empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome every challenge you face with persistent faith and bold courage, as you continue to grow into the spiritual maturity of Christlikeness, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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