Thursday, December 31, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 31 - New Years Revelation

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name, open up Your Word, and listen in for the leading of Your Spirit.  ...
 
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:3-6).
 
It's New Years Eve. And there's much anticipation in the air of what is to be, as we move out of the old and into the new. In prophetic circles we often hear words filled with expectancy of what is to come -- "You're about to enter into a season..." or "You will begin to..." or "I see you becoming..." And I thank You for every word of edification and comfort and exhortation You've ever spoken into my spirit through Your children (1 Corinthians 14:3). But what I hear in my heart this morning speaks more of what has already come. Instead of a New Years resolution, I'm sensing a New Year's revelation, embracing one of Your eternal truths more deeply than before.
 
It seems I hear You speaking in my heart:  "My son, look and see who I am in you now. Look and see what I have done in you and for you already. Live into the fullness of who you are, whom I have created you to be."
 
Yes, Lord. Father God, Your Word says You have already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). It's already true; it's already mine; it's already a part of who I am "in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). In the realm of "the heavenly places," all that will ever be is already true. It's always, ever-present before You, without limitation of time and space in that spiritual dimension. And now by faith, You invite me to embrace all You've already done "in the heavenly places" here "in the earthly places" of my everyday life, that I live out morning by morning and day by day in the chronological unfolding of time, so that Your will is done and Your kingdom comes here on earth, here in me, as it is in heaven, as it already is "in the heavenly places."
 
This New Year, by the power of the grace of God, may I become fully alive to all You've already done in me. You are "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). And at the same time, You are in me, "since the Spirit of God dwells in (me)" (Romans 8:9). As I come to the end of this year's journey of prayer and look forward to beginning the next, may I fully embrace all You already are in me -- "the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will fully embrace and passionately live into all the Lord has already done and already is in you this year, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! Happy New Year!
 
     



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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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 30 - Dedicated as Holy to the Lord
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me deeply into the communion of prayer, as I begin my day seeking Your face.  ...
 
"When the time came for the their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought (Jesus) up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it was written in the law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons'" (Luke 2:22-24).
 
Under the law of the Old Covenant, the firstborn was dedicated and set apart to the priesthood of God. The living sacrifice of the firstborn was a life given over completely to service of God above all else. And now, under the New Covenant in Christ, we are all the firstborn of God. Jesus was "the firstborn among many" (Romans 8:29 NLT). 
 
Through Christ, each one of us is "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1). Each one of us is set apart, holy to the Lord, wholly surrendered to Him as "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that (we) may proclaim the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV). And each one us holds the inheritance and birthright of the chosen children of God -- "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
 
Father God, in the name of Jesus, I offer my life as a living sacrifice to You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, as You set me apart as "holy to the Lord," wholly surrendered to You. I embrace my inheritance as a child of God, an heir of God, a priest of God to proclaim the praises of the One who call me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



May you completely embrace the fullness of your inheritance and your calling as a child of God, a firstborn in Christ, dedicated and holy to the Lord, wholly surrendered to Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
    



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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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 29 - They Called Him "Jesus"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, I worship You and welcome You here in my heart and every moment of this day.  ...
 
"After eight days has passed, it was time to circumcise the Child; and He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).
 
Jesus was given the name chosen by God the Father. His name expressed His nature, His identity, His destiny. Jesus, the Son of God -- Yeshua in Hebrew, Iesous in Greek -- means the Salvation of God. As the angel told Joseph concerning the Child in Mary's womb, "she will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
 
Through Jesus, God saves us, heals us, and delivers us into the forgiveness and freedom and future we have in Christ. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is not other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The name of Jesus is "that name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV).
 
Lord Jesus, I bow my knees and open my heart to speak Your name and confess You as Lord. Be Lord of my thoughts and desires, Lord of my identity and destiny, Lord of my hopes and dreams, Lord of my relationships and fellowships, Lord of my provision and protection, Lord of my ministry and vocation, Lord of my gifts and calling, Lord of every dimension of my spirit and soul and body, Lord of every aspect of my life. All that I am and all that I have, I entrust to Your Lordship of my life. "(My) help is in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 124:8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



May Jesus be Lord of every area of your life, as you call on His name and trust in Him as the Salvation of God, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
   

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, my friend! Be filled with the joy of the Spirit of Christ and blessed with the favor of the blessings of God!


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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Monday, December 28, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 28 - The Empty Manger -- Christ is Born and Lives in Me!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the communion of prayer, I want to start my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John 5:1).
 
Lord Jesus, You've been born in me, in the manger of my heart. Now live through me in the moments of my day, every day of my life, by the abiding presence of Your Spirit. "(I am) not in the flesh; (I am) in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (me). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in (me), though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (me), He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to (my) mortal body also through His Spirit that dwells in (me)" (Romans 8:9-11). 
 
Just like the empty tomb on Calvary, there's an empty manger in Bethlehem. By the power of the love and grace of God, Christ is born and lives in me -- "the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray the Spirit of Christ fills you afresh every day, that the power of the love and grace of God flows mightily through your life each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
   

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, my friend! Be filled with the joy of the Spirit of Christ and blessed with the favor of the blessings of God!


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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Thursday, December 24, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 24 - Yearning for the Coming of Christ
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and lead me into the center of Your will.  ...
 
"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days" (Hosea 3:3 NKJV).
 
There was a yearning in the hearts of children of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. And there's a yearning the heart of every child ever created for that same coming. We all need Jesus in our hearts.
 
On this Christmas Eve, there's a yearning in the hearts of children around the world for the coming of Christmas morning. They long in joyful anticipation for all that awaits them. It's true for grown-ups as well, all in the traditions of our times. And tonight, candles will be lit and songs will be sung on this holy night when we remember the anticipation of the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas morning. But that yearning and anticipation is just an expression of a much deeper spiritual longing. We were created to long for the coming of Christ -- here in our hearts, here in our world.
 
Father God, awaken that yearning for Christ in my heart again. Stir up a deeper spiritual longing with joyful anticipation of all that awaits me in my spiritual journey in Christ. Come, Holy Spirit. On this Christmas Eve, focus my thoughts and desires of my heart to Jesus the Christ -- the Messiah of Israel and Lord of all. O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



May the Holy Spirit stir in your heart and focus your thoughts on Jesus the Christ, with an awakening of spiritual hunger for the One you were created to seek and embrace, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
  


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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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 23 - Treasure and Ponder the Word of the Lord
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Glory to God in the highest. Be glorified here in my heart.  ...
 
"But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).
 
The angel Gabriel told Mary she had found favor with God (v. 1:30). He spoke to her of her calling and destiny, that she would give birth to a Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit in her womb, whom she would name Jesus, the Savior of all the world (v. 1:31). 
 
Now it was all happening. The story of her life and the plans of God were all unfolding. She "believed that there would be a fulfillment of hat was spoken to her by the Lord" (v. 1:45). And with every day and every encounter, she treasured every word and pondered the meaning and purpose of every experience in her unfolding story of God's plans through her life.
 
Lord, help me take time to remember the words You spoken to my spirit and ponder them in my heart. Give me faith to believe Your word and Your plans for my life. Every day may not be filled with extraordinary miracles and angelic encounters, but every day is a step in the journey of faith You've chosen for me.
 
"In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hop on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory. In Him, (we) also, when (we) had heard the word of truth, the gospel of (our) salvation, and had believed in Him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:11-14).
 
Speak Your word to my spirit today, I pray. In faith and wonder, give me the wisdom and grace to treasure them and ponder them in my heart. And in obedience and anticipation, may I respond with trusting faith like Mary, "Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to (Your) word" (Luke 1:38). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will treasure and ponder the word of the Lord in your heart, as the purposes and plans of God are fulfilled in the unfolding story of your life, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
  


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 22 - Go and See!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my soul awaken as I speak out Your name and lift up my heart in the communion of prayer with You, Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in a manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about the Child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them" (Luke 2:15-18).
 
The shepherds couldn't wait to go and see what God had done! They "went with haste" to see what was said. The word of the Lord, spoken through the angel of the Lord, who broke into their loneliness of life "living in the fields" changed their fear to faith and they said, "Let's go now" and see! (v. 8)
 
And when they had seen the Child who brought such "good news of great joy for all the people," they couldn't wait to go spread the word (v. 10). "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen" (v. 20).
 
As I read the words of the Christmas story again this season, awaken my soul again with the excitement of faith. Stir up my spirit to go share all You've done for me. Forgive me for holding back the good news of great joy that turns fear to faith and loneliness to praise. And let the ones who are amazed at all You have done be excited to go and see this God who longs to bring that same good news and great joy into their lives. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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



I pray the Holy Spirit will awaken your soul with an an excitement of faith and a passion to tell all the God of good news and great joy has done for you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
  


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Monday, December 21, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 21 - Good News of Great Joy!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look and listen for Your leading, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you:  you will find a Child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!'" (Luke 2:8-14)
 
There's "great joy" because there's "good news."  This is the "good news of great joy" for all people. We have a Savior who loves us and saves us, who comes to live with us and abide within us. We have a Father in heaven, who sent us His Son here on earth, whose name is Jesus, to live here in our hearts by the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
 
And whenever our world seems dark or our journey seems hard, we can always look up and sing "Glory to God!" When we look up to You, we can have peace in our hearts and good will toward men. When we worship our Savior and remember the good news of all You have done, Your Spirit fills our hearts with the great joy that nothing in this world can ever take away. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you experience the good news of great joy in your spirit every day that only comes from Jesus, our Savior, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
  


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 17 - Emmanuel -- God With Us
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for the leading of Your voice -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us'" (Matthew 1:22-23).
 
You are Emmanuel -- not just God in Heaven, not just God who looks down upon us or watches over us, not just God who created us and expects us to obey Him as He commands us, not just God who dwells far above us or far away from us or far in the future from us where we may see Him some day if we're good enough, submissive enough, or faithful enough for Him to accept us -- You are God with us. You are Emmanuel.
 
Lord, help me know more what that means. Help me embrace and experience all that means. You are in Heaven, but You're also here on Earth. You have created us, but You're also continuing to create us and encourage us to be all You've created us to be. You do expect us to obey You, but You also invite to welcome Your Spirit within us so that we desire to obey You and trust You that You know what's best for us and how best to fulfill us. You are the God of the future where we'll experience You one day in ways we can only imagine now, but You're also with us now in every moment of our days, just as present with us today as You will be on that day we see You face to face. You are God with us. You are Emmanuel.
 
So in the words of the ancient Christmas hymn, we sing to You, "O come, O come, Emmanuel." But even as we cry out for You to come, we can know that You are here. "Rejoice! Rejoice!" for our God is Emmanuel. "Rejoice! Rejoice!" for our God is with us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will embrace and experience the presence and power of our God who is Emmanuel, our God who is with us, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
  


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 16 - "Whoever Believes"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day and every day knowing I'm embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:1-5 NKJV)
 
I believe in God, my Father, Creator of heaven and earth. And I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, both fully God and fully man. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the promise of my Father who brings the love and life of God into my heart through Jesus Christ every moment of every day. 
 
I believe I'm loved by God as a child of God, created and called to love God and love others as an expression and personification of the love of God through my life in this world. That's the faith that overcomes this world. And that the power that transforms this world, that the kingdom of God may come, that the will of God may be done, here on earth as it is in heaven -- through my life and the lives of all who believe.
 
In this season of celebration of the birth of Christ, I celebrate the love of God breaking into our world, like a great light bursting into the darkness, to awaken every heart with faith to believe in the God who is love and loves every one of us (1 John 4:8). "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). That's what makes Christmas merry to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will be filled with faith to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that the love of God may flow through your life to overcome and transform the world around you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
 
 


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 15 - Prophetic Alignment
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. O Lord, my God -- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- I worship You in spirit and truth, as I welcome You into my thoughts and desires.  ...
 
"In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.... All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He was to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a Child" (Luke 2:1-6).
 
Caesar had no idea his choices and commands were fulfilling intricate details of Messianic prophecy -- that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), that He would be from Galilee (Isaiah 9:1), that He would be descended from David (Isaiah 9:7), that He would be of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10), that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), that He would come as a Child who was destined to be King and Lord of all as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace to ultimately establish the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven in eternal righteousness, peace, and joy (Isaiah 9:6-7).
 
And as Mary and Joseph chose to make their way to Bethlehem, they were fulfilling those same prophecies. Mary was expecting a Child and God was preparing a Savior -- all "in the fullness of time" (Galatians 4:4). In the both the sovereignty of God and the freedom of will, human choices and Divine plans converge in prophetic alignment for eternal purposes.
 
Strategically align me with Your prophetic promises for Your Divine purposes. Give me expectant faith for all Your desire to birth in me. No matter what choices I make or what choices are made for me by those who affect me and influence me, give me the peace to know You are at work in it all to fulfill Your purposes and plans (Romans 8:28). "The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established" (Proverbs 19:21). 
 
Every Word of Scripture will be fulfilled (Matthew 5:18).  And so will every word of God spoken over my life (Isaiah 55:11). You're always faithful to watch over Your word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). By the power of the grace of God, may I be faithful to believe it and obey it, being in alignment with it for all Your purposes through my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will be in prophetic alignment for every Divine purpose though your life, filled expectant faith for all the Holy Spirit is birthing in you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
 
 


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 14 - Filled with the Spirit for the Birth of Christ
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start my day right -- with You right in the center of my morning and every moment of my day.  ...
 
"Then (John's) father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:  "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has looked favorably on His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty Savior for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from old.... And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.' The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel" (Luke 1:67-80).
 
Just before Your birth on this earth as the mighty Savior and awaited Messiah, it seems everyone who would be part of the story of Christ was being "filled with the Holy Spirit" -- Mary (v. 35), Elizabeth (v. 41), John (v. 15), and Zechariah (v. 67). In excited anticipation of great joy, they found themselves laughing and leaping and speaking of the mercy and salvation of God through Jesus Christ.
 
Lord, in this Christmas season, let it be true in our hearts as well. Despite all the darkness in the world around us and all the troubles of these challenging times, fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit each day. Let nothing steal away the joy and gladness of our hearts that are forever wide open in wonderment to welcome You as Savior and Lord in Your mercy and grace. Let Your dawn from on high break upon us anew every morning. And let there be laughing and leaping, with much sharing of the hope that's always in the hearts of all who believe. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be filled with the Holy Spirit afresh every day, as the dawn from on high breaks upon you each morning with Jesus Christ in your heart, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
 
 
 


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Friday, December 11, 2015

Morning by Morning, December 11 - Blessed When We Believe
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. O come let us adore You, Christ the Lord.  ...
 
"After those days (Zechariah's) wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 'This is what the Lord has done for me when He looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.... In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord" (Luke 1:24-45).
 
We are blessed when we believe. Elizabeth believed and Mary believed. They were "filled with the Holy Spirit" and both of the sons in their wombs -- John and Jesus -- were full of joy in the unfolding fulfillment of the promises and plans of the Lord through their lives (v. 41).
 
At the fulfillment of Your word, both Elizabeth and Mary were freed from the feelings of disgrace from their past. Elizabeth had felt disgraced from the barrenness of her womb and no doubt Mary had felt disgraced from the doubts about the life of the child growing in her womb. But in the fullness of time and in fulfillment of Your word, You set them from deep disgrace and blessed them highest honor.
 
In that moment when the child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy at the presence of the Child in Mary's womb, Mary couldn't contain her praise:  "And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name!" (Luke 1:46-49)
 
And in the at moment, perhaps Elizabeth sensed a measure of the fulfillment of Your prophetic word through Isaiah:  "Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.... Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more!" (Isaiah 54:1-4)
 
When we choose to believe, You change our shame into praise and our sorrow to joy. You redeem every place of our disgrace into a place of honor. The Mighty One does great things for us! (Luke 1:49) "For nothing for will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:35). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray the Lord will change every place of shame into praise and sorrow to joy, as you believe in Him and the blessing of His plans for you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
 
 
 


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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