Constant Point of Reference 1-29-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I speak out Your name, I wait and listen down deep in my spirit for the comfort and security of hearing You speak out mine. … "I called on You name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; You heard my plea, 'Do not close Your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!' You came near when I called on You; You said, 'Do not fear!' " (Lamentations 3:55-57). As I journey every moment of every day through the time and space of this earthly realm, through the uncertainties and events far beyond my control, You are my constant point of reference. With You by side and with Your Spirit in my heart, I am never lost. You are the one thing I can always count on. In the depth of every pit, You are there. In the darkness of every fear, You are there. There is nowhere I can go and nothing I can go through, where You are not there with me as I call out to You. So I will not fear tomorrow, nor fret about today. It seems lately every morning, the old song from the Your steady Word moves in my mind and stirs in my spirit to begin each day: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:21-25). Yes, Lord. I wait for You; I seek You; I put all my hope and trust in You. No matter what I go through, I know that I know that I know You will never leave me nor forsake me. In You and with You, there will always come a dawn of a new day at the end of every night of darkness; there will always be a light at the end of every tunnel; there will always be a steady rock of refuge through every storm. That's what Your Word says (Matthew 6:25-34; Hebrews 13:4-6; and so many others). And I choose to believe You and take You at Your Word. "It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:26). You are my certain Savior and my steadfast Friend. So "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer (my) foot to be moved; He that keepeth (me) will not slumber…. The Lord shall preserve (my) going out and (my) coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8, KJV). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Jesus, Friend of Sinners and Sinless One 1-28-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Friend of sinners, face of God, King of glory, Christ of nations, come into every moment of my day, every area of my life, and every place of my world. … "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children" (Luke 7:33-35). Everyone tries to put You in box. They want to worship the image of God they have hewn with their own hands and carved in their own image of who they think You should be. Forgive me when I have done the same. But You Are Who You Are. As You said to Moses, "I Am Who I Am" (Exodus 3:14). And we are to have no other gods before You, the One True God (Exodus 20:3). How arrogant of us, as Your created, to tell You, our Creator, who You are and how You should be? Your name and Your nature tell us You will not be defined by those You have created, no matter how much You love us and want to be near us. You do not change to fit our philosophies or sensibilities; You do not change to appease our sense of political correctness or social tolerance. "For I the Lord do not change" (Malachi 3:6). And You, the Lord God Almighty, have chosen in Your sovereignty and divine purpose to reveal Yourself to humanity in nature of the Son of Man and in the nature of the Son of God through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord -- "the Image of the invisible God" (Colossian 1:15). When we see You, Lord Jesus, we see the Father. As You said, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). And when we welcome You into our hearts and into our lives, we welcome the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son to come abide within us (John 14:20). So open the eyes of my heart to see You and worship You as You truly are, not as who I would like You to be or think You should be to satisfy my sense of Your image. Give me the humility to know that You will always be just exactly Who You have always been. "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). And give me grace to be conformed to Your nature, more and more every day (Romans 8:29). You are my Savior, but You are also my model for life in this world, as I yield to Your example and Your leading as my one and only Lord. "And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:14-17). Lord, let me be more like You in this world every day. Let me be a friend of sinners, but growing in my freedom from sin and growing by Your grace into the nature and love of the Sinless One. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Created for the Purpose of Love 1-27-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In simplicity and sincerity, I look to You and call on Your name, then watch and wait in the silence of surrender before You. … "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands" (Psalm 138:8). Lord, I believe You created the heavens and the earth. I believe You created me and every person with purpose, calling, and destiny You long to fulfill. I believe "it was You who formed my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-14). And I believe You love me and will never forsake me, even when I sin or rebel or resist or fail or fall from the fullness of Your will for my life. You have a way of redeeming all things and even causing those things to work together for good for me and for all those who keep turning to You and trusting You and loving You through it all, as best as we can and all by Your grace, according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). But Lord, sometimes I just need to ask, "What is Your purpose for me? What is it that You long to fulfill through my life?" As I watch and wait, in the simplicity and sincerity of the silence of surrender before You, it seems I hear You say, "… My son, my child, whom I have created and made, I created you to love Me; I created you to know Me and receive My love for you." But Lord, why did You need me? It seems You have centuries full of people to love and to love You. Why did You need me, if You even need me, or want me to be just one more? "My son, it would not be the same without you. You and each one of My children are vastly, almost infinitely, different from one another. Each one is fearfully, wonderfully, uniquely made. So because of who you are, because of who I created you to be, there are ways that I can express My love to you and express My love through you that I cannot do through any other soul I have ever created. And there are ways that only you can express your love for Me. It wouldn't be the same without you." Yes, Lord. Just filter out any of that that was not You, but let all that was of You settle deep down into my soul. Maybe even as I asked the question, I was thinking about what I would do with my life, or better, what You would do with my life. But Your answer and the priority of Your focus seems to be much more on who I am than what I will do. As someone has said, You see us much more as "human beings" rather than "human doings," though that's not how we tend to see and judge ourselves and the significance of our lives. But these big picture questions that seem to rise up from time to time, seeking Your big picture answers, always seem to come back to this simple truth in one way or the other -- You are love, and You created us for a relationship of love with You and with one another. Everything else is just the working out of the details and fulfillment of that great purpose. "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:7-12). Thank You, Lord, for reminding me of Your big picture and Your big purpose for my life. Give me grace to love You and love others today and every day, as no one else can. So as I begin this day, I lift up my eyes and open up my spirit to You, my Creator, my Savior, and my Lord. "I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me…. God will send forth His steadfast love and His faithfulness" (Psalm 57:2-3). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute OnLine at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Red Letter Retreat 1-26-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I awaken to begin my walk with You today. … "Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!' " (Mark 9:7). I went away to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina for the weekend with some friends I've known and some new friends I just met. Judge Tim Philpot of Fishhook International Ministries called it a "red letter retreat" and led us to look only to the red letter words of Jesus in our Bibles. We listened to Your words in Scripture, every time You mentioned "the heart," and then took time to listen for Your voice about our hearts in prayer. Through the many passages of the Gospels, You spoke of our hearts often: "Do not let your hearts be troubled;" "Blessed are the pure in heart;" "What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart;" "Believe in your heart;" "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart;" "Love one another deeply from the heart;" "Do the will of God from the heart;" and so many others. No wonder we have the phrase, "the heart of the matter," because our hearts seem to be at the center of Your focus and the target of Your message. It's in our hearts that You sow Your seeds of truth and life and love (Matthew 13:19-23). If you can change our hearts, You can change our lives. As our hearts go, so go our souls. I kept thinking of the worship song, "Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul. Come have Your way in me." I hear You calling me by Your Spirit and by Your Word, "My child, give Me your heart and let your eyes delight in My ways" (Proverbs 23:26). It's only by Your grace and the moving of Your Spirit that I can desire this or even know to do this. But I thank You that I never have to be without Your grace or Your Spirit, speaking Your red letter words of life into my spirit. And by Your grace, I give You my heart today and every day. Lord, have Your way in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays I'm thankful for my friends at Fishhook International Ministries ( www.fishhook.org ) who have partnered with us several times to send me as an evangelist and teacher to India to join with Ghuna Kumar and his Gospel Friends ministry. Bob and Doris McCray of our ministry are there now teaching on intercessory prayer and the prophetic destiny of Israel and the Church in the end times. Consider signing up for Ghuna Kumar's Sunday Scripture at www.gospelfriends.injesus.com Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute OnLine at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Look to Him and Be Radiant" 1-23-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me wait and listen so I can follow where You lead. … "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to Him and be radiant; so your faces will never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Psalm 34:4-7). You answer those who seek You. You deliver those who believe You. You save those who humble themselves to admit their need of You. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). Heaven pours out provision for those who acknowledge their treasure is not of this earth. Heaven sends forth mighty protection for those who declare their safety and security is not in human might. "O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in Him;" for by looking to You and trusting in You, we "have no want" and "lack no good thing" (Psalm 34:8-10). When I look to You, I am radiant, because then I see You looking at me. You're not so far off that You can't see me; You're not looking so far off that You can't see my need. The truth is You're very near, looking at me, and seeing my every need. When I look up to the heavens and not below to the earth, when I "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God," You remind me that my "life is hidden with Christ in God" and that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I "will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4). That's how I look to You "and be radiant" -- radiant with the certain knowledge of Your abiding Presence and constant attention. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end" (Lamentations 3:22). In the light of the glory of Your face, always turned to me and each one of Your children, I remember that "I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied…. And my God will fully satisfy every need of (mine) according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever" (Philippians 4:18-20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, here is a wonderful invitation for one day retreats for women of faith from Laura Beach, a Spiritual Director with our ministry: For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit… Isaiah 44:3 You are invited to day retreats of spiritual refreshment for women of faith scheduled throughout 2009. These beautiful days of renewal and healing for women on the front line of prayer and ministry are led by Laura Beach in association with Messiah Ministries. The next retreat will be February 16 at Mountjoy Place in Lexington, Kentucky. Contact Laura Beach at LauraBBeach@insightbb.com for more details and a list of all the spiritual refreshment dates for 2009. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Enduring Faith 1-22-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart and steady my soul with the peace of Your Presence, as I deliberately, intentionally begin my day with You. … "The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned … because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Romans 14:22-23). Lord, keep me rooted and grounded in the ways of Your will, the truth of Your Word, and the life of Your Spirit. Keep me firm in the faith You have imparted and grown in me. Keep me steady and secure in trusting surrender and willing submission to the guiding principles of Your Word as my authority. Give me grace to hold fast to the convictions You have seared into my soul and the courage to stand against the winds of culture or popular opinions of the times that do not proceed from faith in You. According to Your spiritual principles, my faith will determine my destiny. As you said to the blind men who chose to put their hope and trust in You, "According to your faith let it be done to you" (Matthew 9:29). What is settled in my heart as right and true will determine my convictions and direct my actions. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). So by Your grace, I ask You to form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. In faith, I have chosen to "live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20). So each day, I ask You to help me live and act from that faith. There will come a time when faith will not be easy. So form Your faith thoroughly in me now. Let the roots of Your righteousness keep growing deep while there is time so I can withstand the storms to come. "But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name" (Luke 21:12). Even this You will redeem for Your glory and Your purposes for those who stand firm in the faith by the grace of God. "This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict" (Luke 21:13-15). Now is the time to let You build my faith. Now is the time to learn to hear Your voice. Now is the time to get settled in what I believe, what I know is right, what I'm willing to live for, and what I'm willing to die for. By Your grace, I want to believe You. And by Your grace, I want to be willing to live or die for You. "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of My name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls" (Luke 21:16-18). Let my faith endure all that may come in the days ahead. "But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13). Lord, only You can give me that kind of enduring faith. And by Your grace I know now You will give me all the faith I need then. "May (I) be made strong with all the strength that comes from (Your) glorious power, and may (I) be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled (me) to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Colossians 1:11-12). "The saying is sure: If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful -- for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:11-13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, here is a wonderful invitation for one day retreats for women of faith from Laura Beach, a Spiritual Director with our ministry: For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit… Isaiah 44:3 You are invited to day retreats of spiritual refreshment for women of faith scheduled throughout 2009. These beautiful days of renewal and healing for women on the front line of prayer and ministry are led by Laura Beach in association with Messiah Ministries. The next retreat will be February 16 at Mountjoy Place in Lexington, Kentucky. Contact Laura Beach at LauraBBeach@insightbb.com for more details and a list of all the spiritual refreshment dates for 2009. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Presidential Proclamation -- "Hope and Virtue" with "God's Grace Upon Us" 1-21-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My hope is in You, Lord. I will neither fear nor fail, by the power of Your Spirit and the provision of Your grace. … "Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in You" (Psalm 33:18-33). Our nation's new President, Barack Obama, took his oath of office on the well-worn Bible of President Abraham Lincoln yesterday, and humbly affirmed the only Source of strength to fulfill such an arduous task with his prayer, "So help me God." As I watched with the millions who were present -- my friend Tammy from Texas sent me her cell phone picture during the inauguration, not far in front of the President -- and the millions who watched with me from around the world, I was pleased to see Him speak often of the need for our humility and the need of Your grace if our hope and destiny as a nation is to be fulfilled: "On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord…. We remain young as a nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness…. For as much as government can do and must do, it is the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies…. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny…. In the year of America's birth … the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people: 'Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive … that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).' America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. God bless you and God bless the United States of America." Yes, Lord. May You bless us as we honor You (1 Samuel 2:30). Let us honor life as we honor the Source of all life. Let us honor truth as we honor the One who is the Truth. Let this be more than words. Let this be our faith and determination, by Your grace and in Your power, to be the people You created us to be. In the freedom and destiny that is only possible because of the grace and love of God displayed for all eternity through the cross and blood of Christ, let us honor You and fear You as a nation whose hope and virtue is in Your steadfast love alone (Romans 15:13). In humility and faith, we declare You are our Hope, our Help, and our Shield. "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him' " (Lamentations 3:21-24). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, an Invitation to join with us in ministry as an Isaiah 35 Streams in the Desert covenant partner this year is included below. We look forward to praying for you and updating you on all the Lord is doing through your prayers and provision of a steady stream for Messiah Ministries, which is much needed this year. Thank you and God bless you, exceedingly abundantly more than you can ever ask or imagine! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com

-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/

2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Isaiah 35 -- Streams in the Desert "For waters shall break forth in the wilderness

and streams in the desert"

—Isaiah 35:6

Dear Friend, Thank you for your friendship and relationship with me and our ministry. These are exciting days in the Kingdom of God! We are thrilled with all the Lord seems to be doing in the life of Messiah Ministries. He has called us to do our part in our generation to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free, to prepare the way of the Lord and minister the healing love of God. Thank you for every way you have been a part of fulfilling our calling and vision. Though doors of opportunity for ministry continue to open wide and we continue to work hard in the strength of the Lord to fulfill the vision He has given us, this economic desert season is causing us to be even more desperately dependent upon the Lord alone in faith for all our provision. In seeking His wisdom and answers in prayer, we believe He gave us a strategy for our ministry finances in this wilderness time -- Isaiah 35 Streams. In humility and faith, we are inviting you to partner with us in ministry, spiritually and financially, by contributing $35 a month to the work of the Kingdom through Messiah Ministries this year. We believe the Lord has shown us this will provide "a steady stream" of His provision through these desert days. We praise God for His faithfulness! And we thank God for you, as you join with us as a significant part of His provision for His ministry for the glory of His name and His Kingdom. Please prayerfully consider our invitation. And if this stirs in your spirit with joy to join us as the Lord's answers to our prayers, please covenant with us this year to be a part of Isaiah 35 Streams. I will be very glad to talk with you about this or describe more of our vision and calling in ministry. I pray you see our ministry as good soil in which to sow your seed for God's harvest. May the Lord bless you and pour out His exceedingly abundant blessings and provision for you this year -- "... A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap ..." (Luke 6:38). In the Love of Jesus,

Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org All contributions, of any amount, are very welcome, tax deductible, and greatly appreciated. We've had a very positive response already. Praise God!

In answer to questions that have come, here are some ways to consider joining with us as the Lord's Streams in the Desert for steady provision: 1) You can Click Here to contribute on-line at our shopping cart or go to: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

2) You can let us get you set up for automatic withdraw by sending a note to Marilyn Walker at dirofministries@aol.com or calling her cell at 859-317-1591

3) You can send in a check for "Messiah Ministries" to our office at:

Messiah Ministries

2800 Tates Creek Rd.

Lexington, KY 40502

859-422-1794

4) You can set up an account on-line and contribute to "Messiah Ministries" and other ministries or churches through the Kentucky Christian Foundation ( http://www.kentuckychristianfoundation.org/ ). They can also help with any stock or asset transfers, as well as planned or long-term giving. Please let me know any way I can help or answer questions. Please feel free to introduce me to come have a conversation with anyone who may be interested. Thank you and God bless you!

Tommy Hays Founder and Executive Director Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Presidential Oath and Prayer -- "So Help Me God." 1-20-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to You. All who are in authority are subject to Your authority and positioned there by Your authority for Your purposes (Romans 13:1). And by Your grace, I willingly submit in trusting surrender to Your authority in my life today. … "As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor" (1 Peter 2:13-17). Yesterday our nation honored with national pride our beloved Baptist preacher and civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With weapons of courage and the power of words, he fought for freedom in America. He fought for the hope and the dream that one day we would live out the faith of our declaration that "all men are created equal," that our children "will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," that in this "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh see it together." He fought to hold on to the hope and pursue the dream that "with this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope" and "with this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day." Full of this faith and hope, he prophetically declared: "This will be the day when all God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, 'My country, 'tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of Thy pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation this must be true. So let freedom ring …." And today, our nation will honor Rev. Dr. King's dream and hope and faith, as we inaugurate the first black President of the United States of America. As Barack Obama takes his oath to "faithfully execute the office of President of the United States" and to "protect, preserve, and defend the Constitution of the United States," he will follow in the tradition of the Presidents before him who humbly called upon Your power and authority as their Source of strength to fulfill the task, declaring "So help me God." With one hand lifted to You and one hand on President Abraham Lincoln's Bible, may President Obama resolve to be a servant of God that we may live as free people. May he honor and fear God so that we may honor him as the leader of our nation that has come so far in freedom today. Let us be the great nation Rev. Dr. King hoped and prayed we would one day become. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). Today, as one nation, praying as one for Your leading and blessing of our President, we celebrate the fruit of freedom, hanging bountifully on this tree of life. As Dr. King preached and praised, "Thank God, Almighty, we are free at last." By Your grace, in prayerful support of our President, we will honor You as a nation -- "So help us God." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Isaiah 35 Streams in the Desert -- God's Provision for Messiah Ministries

Isaiah 35 -- Streams in the Desert "For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert" — Isaiah 35:6 Dear Friend, Thank you for your friendship and relationship with me and our ministry. These are exciting days in the Kingdom of God! We are thrilled with all the Lord seems to be doing in the life of Messiah Ministries. He has called us to do our part in our generation to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free, to prepare the way of the Lord and minister the healing love of God. Thank you for every way you have been a part of fulfilling our calling and vision. Though doors of opportunity for ministry continue to open wide and we continue to work hard in the strength of the Lord to fulfill the vision He has given us, this economic desert season is causing us to be even more desperately dependent upon the Lord alone in faith for all our provision. In seeking His wisdom and answers in prayer, we believe He gave us a strategy for our ministry finances in this wilderness time -- Isaiah 35 Streams. In humility and faith, we are inviting you to partner with us in ministry, spiritually and financially, by contributing $35 a month to the work of the Kingdom through Messiah Ministries this year. We believe the Lord has shown us this will provide "a steady stream" of His provision through these desert days. We praise God for His faithfulness! And we thank God for you, as you join with us as a significant part of His provision for His ministry for the glory of His name and His Kingdom. Please prayerfully consider our invitation. And if this stirs in your spirit with joy to join us as the Lord's answers to our prayers, please covenant with us this year to be a part of Isaiah 35 Streams. I will be very glad to talk with you about this or describe more of our vision and calling in ministry. I pray you see our ministry as good soil in which to sow your seed for God's harvest. May the Lord bless you and pour out His exceedingly abundant blessings and provision for you this year -- "... A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap ..." (Luke 6:38). In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org All contributions, of any amount, are very welcome, tax deductible, and greatly appreciated. We've had a very positive response already. Praise God! In answer to questions that have come, here are some ways to consider joining with us as the Lord's Streams in the Desert for steady provision: 1) You can Click Here to contribute on-line at our shopping cart or go to: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org 2) You can let us get you set up for automatic withdraw by sending a note to Marilyn Walker at dirofministries@aol.com or calling her cell at 859-317-1591 3) You can send in a check for "Messiah Ministries" to our office at: Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, KY 40502 859-422-1794 4) You can set up an account on-line and contribute to "Messiah Ministries" and other ministries or churches through the Kentucky Christian Foundation ( www.kentuckychristianfoundation.org ). They can also help with any stock or asset transfers, as well as planned or long-term giving. Please let me know any way I can help or answer questions. Please feel free to introduce me to come have a conversation with anyone who may be interested. Thank you and God bless you, Tommy Hays Founder and Executive Director Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org

Spiritually Exhilarated 1-19-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. … "For I am longing to see you so that I may share some spiritual gift to strengthen you -- or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine" (Romans 1:11-12). In the day or two following our intensive Schools of Spiritual Ministry, I always feel physically exhausted and spiritually exhilarated. Somehow I can be so tired in my body I can't wait to close my eyes, but so excited in my spirit I can hardly get to sleep. These past few days, we've been passionately pursuing You in worship and prayer, teaching and ministry, fellowship and encouragement. You've poured into me as much as You've poured out of me. Together with those You sent from diverse places, backgrounds, and gifts, You have strengthened us and encouraged us through one another in the faith and gifts of God You have shared and imparted, one to another. And none of us will ever be the same. "Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding" (Romans 14:19). These are some of my favorite times of all You allow me to experience in the journey of faith and ministry with You. My soul is now more deeply at peace and my spirit is now more completely on fire than ever before, having given and received, one from another, as Your Spirit has willed. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…. All of these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses" (1 Corinthians 12:3-11). In the thick glory of Your Presence, we saw physical and emotional healing, we experienced tears and laughter, peace and joy, in a deep bond of the Spirit with You and with one another. And as I wake this morning to begin a new day, looking forward to seeing how my life and my journey has been changed by such an outpouring of Your Spirit, I find myself celebrating with contentment in what You've done and, at the same time, hungering and thirsting for more. "But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise Your righteousness, Yours alone" (Psalm 71:14-16). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! the 3rd Friday of each month, our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise, and Healing Worship. Come drink deeply of the Living Waters and be refreshed and renewed in the Presence and freedom of the Holy Spirit. 7 PM in the Chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY. All are welcome! Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line or go to our shopping cart at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Multiplied Power of Agreement 1-15-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of heaven and earth, be Lord of my life today. … "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments…. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you…. I shall set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people" (Leviticus 26:1-12, NKJV). You call us to obedience to Your Word so that no sin can separate us from Your Spirit. You call us to faith so that we will not be controlled by fear. You call us to unity so that You can multiply Your power being released through Your people when we are united in agreement with You and one another in Your purposes. Obedience, faith, and unity are means of Your grace to bring peace and joy to our souls and to our land. Whether under the law of the Old Covenant or the grace of the New Covenant, this these principles have never changed. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:10-11). Our enemies are not flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of darkness that come to steal and kill and destroy (Ephesians 6:12; John 10:10). But darkness cannot overcome the light -- the light of the glory of God dwelling in us by Your Spirit as we abide in Your Word. As we unite in the agreement of prayer and purpose, worship and warfare, intimacy and intensity, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him…. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly" (Psalm 68:1-3, NKJV). Then we shall increase. Then we shall be fruitful and multiply, unhindered by the enemy of our souls and confirmed in the everlasting covenant of our God. So in agreement with You and Your people who seek Your face and walk in Your grace, let God arise in us, let the light of Your glory rise among us and explode in Your power through us today. Let us agree with You and one another in Your name, and see the multiplied power of God made manifest through Your mighty Presence in our lives (Matthew 18:19-20).Let Your enemies be scattered and Your name be exalted. And we will rejoice and be glad. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we're off to a great start in our 4 Day Intensive School of Spiritual Ministry this week! Please keep us in your prayers as the Lord empties us of ourselves and fills us with Him, empowering us for the work for His ministry and the glory of His name. The Lord has sent students hungry for more of Him from several states and even from the county of Estonia! Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 1/16, our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise, and Healing Worship. Jeff Green will be leading worship and I will be leading in prayer this month. Come drink deeply of the Living Waters and be refreshed and renewed in the Presence and freedom of the Holy Spirit. 7 PM in the Chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY. All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line or go to our shopping cart at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Daddy's Here" 1-14-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name as my first word today. I open up my heart to You as my first choice today. I receive the embrace of Your Holy Spirit drawing me into the arms of my heavenly Father as my first emotion today. In the grace of Your love, peace, joy, and Presence, this will be a good day. … "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God!' (Isaiah 35:4). Somehow in Your sovereignty, wisdom, and divine purposes, You have blessed me and entrusted to me the lives of my five beautiful children -- Elizabeth, Zachary, Madison, Elijah, and Josiah. And throughout the broad range of their ages from twenty to two, and throughout the broad range of the experiences of our journey of life together, I've learned some of the most powerful words I can ever speak into their spirits -- "Daddy's here." Whether they are stressing and studying for a college exam or screaming and crying in their crib from a bad dream, we've all come to know the power of those words -- "Daddy's here." I learned that from You. You're my Daddy. And You are always here. You are my Father God, my Abba, my Daddy. "And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' (Galatians 4:6). And when I get worried or weary, confused or condemned, anxious or afraid, I know the power of those words -- "Daddy's here." That's Your way of saying to me, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God!" That's Your way of saying to me, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I Am the Lord your God…. Because you are precious in My sight, and honored, and I love you…. Do not fear for I Am with you" (Isaiah 43:1-5). That's Your way of saying to me, "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). So today and every day, from the depths of my sprit to Your Spirit, from deep calling unto Deep, I cry out, "Abba! Father! Daddy, where are You! Daddy, come here!" And I hear by faith, by the still small Voice of Your Spirit deep down inside, saying gently and firmly in the Father heart of God, "Do not fear. Daddy's here." Yes, Lord, You are. So Yes, Lord, I won't. "The Lord is my helper (and my Daddy); I will not be afraid" (Hebrews 13:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays If you've been considering coming to our School of Spiritual Ministry this week, you and still register. Full Scholarships are available to cover the cost as needed to that all can come be equipped and prepared for prayer ministry if you are being called to this in any way. This time, we will be holding our classes at First Alliance Church, 2201 Old Higbee Mill Rd, Lexington, KY ( www.faclex.com ). Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 1/16, our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise, and Healing Worship. Jeff Green will be leading worship and I will be leading in prayer this month. Come drink deeply of the Living Waters and be refreshed and renewed in the Presence and freedom of the Holy Spirit. 7 PM in the Chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY. All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line or go to our shopping cart at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Isaiah 35 Streams -- For the Friends of Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries

Isaiah 35 Streams in the Desert

"For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert" --Isaiah 35:6

Dear Friend, Thank you for your friendship and relationship with me and our ministry. These are exciting days in the Kingdom of God! We are thrilled with all the Lord seems to be doing in the life of Messiah Ministries. He has called us to do our part in our generation to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free, to prepare the way of the Lord and minister the healing love of God. Thank you for every way you have been a part of fulfilling our calling and vision. Though doors of opportunity for ministry continue to open wide and we continue to work hard in the strength of the Lord to fulfill the vision He has given us, this economic desert season is causing us to be even more desperately dependent upon the Lord alone in faith for all our provision. In seeking His wisdom and answers in prayer, we believe He gave us a strategy for our ministry finances in this wilderness time -- Isaiah 35 Streams. In humility and faith, we are inviting you to partner with us in ministry, spiritually and financially, by contributing $35 a month to the work of the Kingdom through Messiah Ministries this year. We believe the Lord has shown us this will provide "a steady stream" of His provision through these desert days. We praise God for His faithfulness! And we thank God for you, as you join with us as a significant part of His provision for His ministry for the glory of His name and His Kingdom. Please prayerfully consider our invitation. And if this stirs in your spirit with joy to join us as the Lord's answers to our prayers, please covenant with us this year to be a part of Isaiah 35 Streams. I will be very glad to talk with you about this or describe more of our vision and calling in ministry. I pray you see our ministry as good soil in which to sow your seed for God's harvest. May the Lord bless you and pour out His exceedingly abundant blessings and provision for you this year -- "... A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap ..." (Luke 6:38). In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org 859-422-1794 (All contributions, of any amount, are very welcome, tax deductible, and greatly appreciated)

Trusting the Potter's Hands 1-13-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Great are You, Lord, and greatly to be praised. I speak out Your name and trust in Your grace, as I begin my day with You. … "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). What is clay, but water and sand? What are we, but jars of clay? Yet You created the sand of our bodies and the water of our souls and breathed into us the breathe of Your Spirit. By the work of Your hands and the power of Your Word which spoke each of us into existence, we become living souls (Genesis 2:7). Though we are but dust, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). Then, in Christ, You fill us with the fullness of Your power for life to live out Your purpose for each of us, so that "we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). There are times when our jars of clay become brittle and hard, stiff and resistant. And in You mercy, You must break us in order to reshape us. But even then, You hand of grace and heart of mercy never leave us or forsake us. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). As we entrust our brokenness to You, You gather up our pieces in Your hands of mercy, soak them in the water of Your words of life, shape them again into something new for the next season of our calling, and breath into us again the fresh life of Your Spirit. "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). Even in the night as we sleep, You hold us and shape us with Your potter's hands and Your Father's heart. You prepare us for our purpose in the coming day and the next season. Lord, keep soaking me and shaping me. Even keep breaking me and reshaping me. I want to be fully prepared and positioned, aligned and empowered, for ever day and season to come. You've shown Yourself so faithful and worthy of my trust in so many ways. So as You break me and shape me, thank You for letting me feel and remember the nail scars of Your love sealed forever in my Potter's hands. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays If you've been considering coming to our School of Spiritual Ministry this week, you and still register. Full Scholarships are available to cover the cost as needed to that all can come be equipped and prepared for prayer ministry if you are being called to this in any way. This time, we will be holding our classes at First Alliance Church, 2201 Old Higbee Mill Rd, Lexington, KY ( www.faclex.com ). Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 1/16, our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise, and Healing Worship. Jeff Green will be leading worship and I will be leading in prayer this month. Come drink deeply of the Living Waters and be refreshed and renewed in the Presence and freedom of the Holy Spirit. 7 PM in the Chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY. All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Tremble, Shake, and Quake in the Coming Presence of God Morning by Morning, Monday 1-12-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Manifestation of the Love and Grace and Power of God. One with our Father, You are the Manifestation of the Father Heart of God. One with the Holy Spirit, You are the Manifestation of the Glory of Your Presence living Your life through me and all who believe and follow You. Come Holy Spirit, come live the life of Christ to the glory of the Father through me today. … "O that You would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at Your Presence -- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil -- to make Your name known to Your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at Your Presence! When You did awesome deeds that we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your Presence!" (Isaiah 64:1-3). For days now, You've been waking me in the early morning hours before dawn, trembling and shaking with a sense of surges of Your Presence. You've been stirring me to arise in prayer, praise, and proclamation with Your heart of compassion for the people of my family and my community. What You're doing in me is a picture and declaration of what I believe You are doing in our land. All that can be shaken, will be shaken, so that only "what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming Fire" (Hebrews 12:26-29). And by Your grace, You empowered me to lead our Strategic Prayer Summit this weekend, as You wove together a tapestry of worship and prayer for the cleansing of our land and awakening of our destiny as the body of Christ in our generation. You brought us together in the unity of Your Spirit from the diverse tribes and tongues of the streams of Your body in our city as You command Your blessing (Psalm 133:1-3). You poured out a continuing flow of Your Word and Your Spirit to us through songs and prayers, voices of many people like many waters, merging into a river of life being released through our land. You keep reminding us of the revelation of Your simple but powerful keys to revival -- humility and hunger. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled" (Luke 6:21). As we humble ourselves by looking to You and not ourselves, praying Your promises and not our problems, choosing to live each day desperately dependent upon the power of Your grace alone for our every breath and our every need, You lift us up into Your heavenly Presence. As we hunger and thirst for more of You, burning with a passion to experience Your Presence and power to change us into Your image, You fill us with "all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). O, that You would rend open the heavens and come down. O, that You would rend open our hearts and come in. You've given us mighty faith to believe that You have! You've given us mighty faith to know that You are literally changing the spiritual atmosphere of our land. You are the God "who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4). As we have waited on You in the watches of the night and the communion of prayer, as we've waited on You to be indued with Your power from on high, You have been working to release Your word and Your will in us. Your holy fire is kindled. The water of Your Word You've poured into our spirits is rising to a boil. Your name will be known through the transformed nature of Your people, walking in Your compassion and love throughout our land, full of faith and full of Fire (John 13:35). Let us and all the people of our land tremble and quake in the glory of Your manifest Presence and the power of Your love and grace being released. Let the spiritual forces and every stronghold of darkness come down as the light of glory rises up from the heart of worship and prayer of Your people. "When You did awesome deeds we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your Presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen and any God besides You, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:3-4). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for standing with us in prayer for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit we led this weekend. Words can't describe it. But my friend Ken Lawson came and photographed it, so you can see a few glimpses here: http://www.kblawson.com/lexsummit/index.html Also my friend John Hendershot came and videotaped it, so we will have that soon as well. May the Lord do in your city all that He has done in ours and more also in these exciting days of a great revival of His Presence in our hearts and our land. And I thank all of those who have been praying with me for these first ten days of January as an offering of first fruits of this new year to the Lord. May you reap an abundant harvest for the glory of God's kingdom. Our Prayer Summit was also part of the 31 Days of January Prayer Focus for Revival in Kentucky. I'm attaching the Prayer Directives for the 24 hour Prayer Watches being carried out in all 120 Counties this month ( http://www.one27hop.com/blogs.html ). These could be easily adapted for your community and region to prayer, praise, and proclamation to prepare the way of the Lord in Your land. Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line

Growing in Knowing You 1-8-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I know You as my Father, my Brother, and my Friend. I know You as holy and perfect, yet close and intimate. I know You as King and Lord, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I know You in many diverse ways of Your indescribable, infinite glory; and I long to know You more. … "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power for us who believe, according to the working of His great power" (Ephesians 1:17-19). As I come to know You, as I keep growing in knowing You, Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation keeps opening the eyes of my heart to know You even more. It's all about knowing You -- relationship with You, communion with You, intimacy with You. And with every revelation of Your goodness and greatness, You give me wisdom to entrust more of me to more of You. Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is the hope to which You have called me. This is the immeasurable greatness of Your power. These are the riches of my glorious inheritance. Growing in knowing You is the most important thing in my life. Growing in knowing You is the very purpose of my life in this age. "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). As I grow, I come know how much You love me. And I come to know how much You long for me to know just how much You really do love me. And knowing that, I can't help but love You and trust You even more. This is "the working of (Your) great power" (Ephesians 1:19). Your love is Your power; and no one can truly come to know You as You truly are without coming to know the power of Your love. "Whoever does not love, does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friday, January 9th from 6am to 6am, we are hosting a 24 hour prayer and worship vigil at Church of the Savior to join with Kentucky Prayer Focus' 31 days of Prayer for Revival. This also part of the preparation for our Strategic Prayer Summit this weekend. All 120 Counties of Kentucky are being covered in prayer every day throughout the state at different prayer sites. Come join us on January 9th. Send me a note if you or your prayer group would like to be involved, either remotely or personally with us: MessiahMin@aol.com Prayer Directives are attached. For my friends in Kentucky, please come join us for our 2nd Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit set for January 9-10, 2009, hosted at Church of the Savior. Flyer is Attached. Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night of the Prayer Summit to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ). Margaret Therkelsen, Tom Monroe, David Fultz, Tommy Green, Bob Hale, Rob Poindexter, Mark MacDonald, Laura Beach and other citywide prayer leaders will be speaking and leading in prayer as well throughout the weekend. Please spread the word! Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line

Patient and Eager for the Coming of the Lord 1-6-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. One thing, above all other things, I desire -- to seek Your face and behold Your glory. Draw me more deeply into You, as I welcome You more deeply into me. … "Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crops from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near" (James 5:7-8). By Your grace, I will be patient. By Your grace, I will strengthen my heart. By Your grace, I will patiently wait and eagerly watch for Your coming. One day near, all the earth will behold Your glory. At the same time, what is "near" to You may require much patience from me. "But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day" (2 Peter 3:8). To endure each day that seems like a thousand years to me, I need Your Spirit to strengthen my heart and steady my soul, while keeping me vigilant and ready for the day of Your coming (Revelation 19:7). So every day, I must look up in worship to behold You coming in glory into every area of my life. Every day, I must open up in the communion of prayer to welcome You into every area my soul. Every day, I need You to soak me in the early rains that water the things You have birthed in me but are still hidden as seeds beneath the soil. And every day, I need You to soak me in the latter rains that water the things You are growing up into maturity of the harvest in me -- "first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain" (Mark 4:28). In the water of Your Word and the rains of Your Spirit, I can patiently wait as I eagerly watch, strengthened in my heart by Your daily coming, drawing nearer to me, drawing deeper in me every day. I can longingly listen for Your still, small voice speaking to my spirit, "Surely, I Am coming soon" (Revelations 22:20). Come, Lord Jesus, come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays For my friends in Kentucky, please come join us for our 2nd Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit This Weekend January 9-10, 2009, hosted at Church of the Savior. Please spread the word! Send a note for the flyer: MessiahMin@aol.com Friday, January 9th from 6am to 6am, we are hosting a 24 hour prayer and worship vigil at Church of the Savior to join with Kentucky Prayer Focus' 31 days of Prayer for Revival. This also part of the preparation for our Prayer Summit. All 120 Counties of Kentucky are being covered in prayer every day throughout the state at different prayer sites. Come join us on January 9th. Send me a note if you or your prayer group would like to be involved, either remotely or personally with us: MessiahMin@aol.com Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night of the Prayer Summit to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ). Margaret Therkelsen, Tom Monroe, David Fultz, Tommy Green, Bob Hale, Rob Poindexter, Mark MacDonald, Laura Beach and other citywide prayer leaders will be speaking and leading in prayer as well throughout the weekend. Please spread the word! Jan 5-8, come join us at Cornerstone International House of Prayer (CI-HoP) in Wilmore, Kentucky for harp and bowl worship and prayer leading for the Prayer Summit( http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/prayer/ ) Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line

All Authority and In Control 1-5-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are Lord of all, in control of all. And I entrust complete control to Your Lordship in all of my life, as best as I can, all by the power of Your grace. … "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to Me' " (Matthew 28:18). All things are moving forward toward their intended destination. And even if, in the freedom of will that a relationship of true love requires, many decisions are made that You never intended, You are still in control. You are still in authority. You are still at work in it all, moving all things forward, causing all things to work together for good, according to You ultimate will. Let me not become frustrated, bitter, angry, or afraid by the things I see that cannot be Your will in a broken, fallen world. But let what I see lead me to seek Your face, to know Your heart, to hear Your voice, and to pray the prayers that Your Spirit moves in my spirit to pray until those things yield to Your authority. In the end, all enemies of Your will, all rulers and powers in resistance to Your authority must yield and bow to Your eternal purposes. "Then comes the end, when (the Lord Jesus Christ) hands over the kingdoms to God the Father, after He has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). And in the end, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). Lord Jesus, move forward in me. Move me to move forward in You. Crush all of my resistance under Your feet. Crush fear and worry, doubt and unbelief, pride and rebellion, insecurity and selfish control, bitterness and resentment, and all other things seeking to rule in powers self-will rather bow in humility and faith before You. As You do this in me, I join in prayer that You do this in all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth to the glory of God my Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays For my friends in Kentucky, please come join us for our 2nd Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit set for January 9-10, 2009, hosted at Church of the Savior. Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night of the Prayer Summit to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ). Margaret Therkelsen, Tom Monroe, David Fultz, Tommy Green, Bob Hale, Rob Poindexter, Mark MacDonald, Laura Beach and other citywide prayer leaders will be speaking and leading in prayer as well throughout the weekend. Please spread the word! Friday, January 9th from 6am to 6am, we are hosting a 24 hour prayer and worship vigil at Church of the Savior to join with Kentucky Prayer Focus' 31 days of Prayer for Revival. All 120 Counties of Kentucky are being covered in prayer every day throughout the state at different prayer sites. Come join us on January 9th. Jan 5-8, come join us at Cornerstone International House of Prayer (CI-HoP) in Wilmore, Kentucky for harp and bowl worship and prayer leading for the Prayer Summit( http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/prayer/ ) Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line

From War to Peace 1-4-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father and Son, come continually abide in me by Your Spirit. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. … "They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan, and they say, 'The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive' " (Psalm 94:4-7). The eyes of the world are again on the land of Israel and the region of the Middle East. Israel is at war with Hamas. And Hamas is sworn to the destruction of Israel. And I know Your heart breaks for the Palestinians and Israelis and all who are victimized and traumatized by all the years of terror, hatred, and senseless destruction. Hamas has showered the homes and cities of men, women, and children with rockets sent to afflict terror and death. The leaders of Israel have decided they no choice but to invade Gaza to destroy Hamas' capacity to launch rockets against their civilian people. And sadly, Gaza is filled with homes and cities of men, women, and children enmeshed with these terrorists who hide and hurl their evil from among the people. I join the Christians who are called by Your name among Palestinians, Israelis, and all the nations of the earth praying for peace, praying for sanity, praying for the salvation of every soul in this broken and bloodied land. War is not Your heart, but at the same time You made it clear that sometimes true peace requires the sword (Matthew 10:34). Just as there is a time for peace, according to Your Word, there is also a time for war (Ecclesiastes 3:8). But Lord, I pray You would end this war as soon as possible to bring a true and lasting peace. I pray You would bring honor and respect for all people of all sides in this region. I pray that the eyes of all would be opened to the One who is the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Lord Jesus, You are the Messiah of Israel and the Christ of all nations. Use even this destruction to open eyes and hearts to You. Use all things -- even the evils and devastations of war -- to work together for good for those who will come to love You and call upon Your name (Romans 8:28). O God of Jacob, You do perceive and Your heart breaks for what You see. You want our hearts to break for what we see as well, to lead us to the place of prayer. And while Your heart breaks, You are also at work in ways we do not see, responding to prayers of Your people around the world we do not hear, moving all things toward the time of eternal peace -- in Israel and in all the world (Revelation 21:1). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I want everyone to understand I do not agree with all that the nation of Israel and its leaders choose to do and how they do it. But I also know that Scripture is very clear in our call to pray for the people of Israel and their prophetic destiny, ultimately leading to full salvation in Christ. "And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.... And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written: 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins' " (Romans 11:23-27). So I will persist in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and for God's blessings of the children of Abraham (Psalm 122:6; Genesis 12:3). I know this is not a popular position, and many will disagree, but I ask for grace for one another as we seek God's truth and presence in our lives together through prayer. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line

Growing Up from New Beginnings 1-2-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Apart from You, I can do nothing. And I praise You that I never have to go a day or even a moment apart from You. … "The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed …" (Amos 9:13). Many perceived the year 2008 to be a year of new beginnings, a year of birthing a new season in the Spirit. And I believe that as well. If so, then this year of 2009 will be a year of beginning to grow up into maturity what has been birthed and begun. In the normal course of events, this would take much time through many seasons. But You seem to be accelerating the seasons in our day. And Your Word speaks of an acceleration of all things at the end of days, when it will appear as though the harvest overtakes the planting and maturity overtakes the birthing. If these are those days, Lord give us great grace and wisdom to recognize the season, to do what we see the Father is doing, to speak the words the Father is speaking, and to move with the Spirit the Father is pouring out in Your name. There are some things that will continue to take time. And there will be other things that time will be a luxury we do not have. So let us be prayed up and prepared to follow where You lead us and to go where You send us. We may need to grow up fast in many ways, but if we are abiding in You and You are abiding in us, our growth will be filled with all the grace we need. You are our teacher and example for all things. In the human dimension of Your nature, You were born and then You grew. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52, NKJV). Let us do the same, in Your grace and in Your pace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays In the first 10 days of January 2009, many of us are sensing a call to try to spend as much of these days in fasting, prayer, and worship as we can in the upper room of the presence of the Lord. Cornerstone International House of Prayer (CI-HoP) in Wilmore, Kentucky ( http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/prayer/ ) will be joining with us to host a place for these days of prayer, starting Jan 5th leading up to our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit set for January 9-10, 2009, hosted at Church of the Savior. Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night of the Prayer Summit to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ). Margaret Therkelsen, Tom Monroe, David Fultz, Tommy Green, Bob Hale, Rob Poindexter, Mark MacDonald, Laura Beach and other citywide prayer leaders will be speaking and leading in prayer as well throughout the weekend. Send me a note if you're interested in joining in. And please keep us in prayer and spread the word! Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines.

First Ten Days, Seeking the Glory of His Manifest Presence 1-1-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of this first day of this new year, I offer You the first fruits of my first thoughts. You are the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, and Everything in between (Revelation 22:13). Come again soon to the earth; come again now in me. … "Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up His hands, He blessed them. While He was blessing them, He withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God" (Luke 24:50-53). At the end of Your first coming, You left Your first disciples with great joy, continually in the temple blessing God. Your true temple is "a house of prayer" -- the place of seeking Your face, offering our praise, sacrificing our self will in complete surrender and trusting submission to Your perfect will, entering deeply into the holy communion of Your Holy Spirit through the intimacy of the blessing of prayer (Luke 19:46). This is the place of "great joy" in the deep peace of Your abiding Presence, with our hearts turned to You and to the people of all nations who are on Your heart. "These I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7). Now as we draw nearer each passing year to Your second coming, let us be found in the place of prayer, caught up in the glory cloud of Your manifest Presence on Your holy mountain -- the high place of worship and prayer, continually blessing our God. Those first disciples obeyed Your command to return to Jerusalem after Your ascension into glory. In temple and the upper room where they were staying, "these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:12-14). For the first ten days, they kept pressing in and passionately pursuing You in prayer. And then their lives and the history of the world were changed forever. "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability…. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 'What does this mean?' But others sneered and said, 'They are filled with new wine' " (Acts 2:1-13). But in the boldness and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, Peter arose among the one hundred twenty disciples, who had been seeking the Presence and the glory of God continually in worship and prayer, to declare this was God pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:14-21). This was a new day, a new season of time between the first and second coming of Christ, "before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day" (Acts 2:20). In this season, as Your Spirit filled Your people on the earth to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God through rule and reign of Jesus Christ as Lord, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). This is the heart of the house of prayer -- to worship and bless You continually, as we praise You and pray for the people of all nations to come to know You and call upon Your name. In these first ten days of this new year, draw me into the place of prayer, draw me in the upper room, continually seeking Your face in the temple of my heart, yearning for the Fire to fall. These ten days speak of a tenderness of heart always, continually turned to You. Lord, let this new year be a personal Pentecost for me and for Your church and for the people of all nations. Let us be a people prepared and preparing the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3; Luke 3:4). Let us be a holy people -- forgiven and cleansed, whole and free, by the power of the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world -- burning with the holy passion of a holy bride, longing with eager anticipation for the coming of our Bridegroom and King. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' … The One who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I Am coming soon!' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:17-20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays In the first 10 days of January 2009, many of us are sensing a call to try to spend as much of these days in fasting, prayer, and worship as we can in the upper room of the presence of the Lord. Cornerstone International House of Prayer (CI-HoP) in Wilmore, Kentucky ( http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/prayer/ ) will be joining with us to host a place for these days of prayer, starting Jan 5th leading up to our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit set for January 9-10, 2009, hosted at Church of the Savior. Flyer is Attached. Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night of the Prayer Summit to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ). Margaret Therkelsen, Tom Monroe, David Fultz, Tommy Green, Bob Hale, Rob Poindexter, Mark MacDonald, Laura Beach and other citywide prayer leaders will be speaking and leading in prayer as well throughout the weekend. Send me a note if you're interested in joining in. And please keep us in prayer and spread the word! Please Register Now for our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry (Level I & II) January 14-17, 2009 Registration and Information: ClickHere Equipping and Empowering Spiritual Leaders in Ministry to Proclaim the Kingdom of God, bind up the brokenhearted, and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-Line