Morning by Morning, November 9 - "Fruit that Will Last"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Vine and I am one of Your branches. Let Your light and life and love flow through me today, as I abide in You and You abide in me (John 15:5). ...
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.... I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another" (John 15:12-17).
I come to You to begin my day in the communion of prayer. I look to You; I seek Your face; I listen for Your voice; I wait in the silence of surrender to Your leading; and I rest in Your Presence. Here in the heart of my innermost being, here in the depth of my spirit where deep calls to Deep, I'm embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. This is where You anoint me and empower me to go out into my day to "go and bear fruit, fruit that will last."
"Fruit that will last" must be an expression of Your love. This is not the world's love; this is Your love -- "the love of Christ" (Romans 8:35). "For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them" (2 Corinthians 5:14). This is a love that urges me on to lay down my life for You, my Friend, and to lay down my life for the sake those You love through me.
This is the power of Your love that changes my world. This is the power of Your love that's backed up by the authority of Your name when I ask my Father to love through me with the love of Christ. And this is the power of Your love that bears much fruit -- "fruit that will last."
Lord, I want my fruit to last. I want my life to matter. I want to know I make a difference in the moments of my day, instead of wasting my time, just going through the motions, just spinning my wheels, just living for myself and nothing that really matters.
So empower me to love. Show me how to take the opportunities that come to lay down my life for You and for the sake of the ones You'll love through me today. I want to "know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that (I) may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). And in "all the fullness of God" -- because I'm abiding in You and You're abiding in me -- may my life bear "fruit that will last" today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, I pray you will bear much fruit today -- "fruit that will last" -- as you abide in Christ, as you're empowered to love, as you're "filled with all the fullness of God," in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Register for the Healing Academy. Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today: Healing Academy
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Comments
James 2:23 Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
Job 22:21 Make up thy friendship now with Him, and thou shalt have peace; thereby good shall come unto thee. (Jubilee Bible 2000)
Job 29:4
NIV God's intimate friendship blessed my house.
NLT God's friendship was felt in my home.
Ps 25:14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant. ESV
Eph 1:14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him. NLT
Gal 5:22, 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. NIV
2 Thess 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.