Friday, May 29, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 29 - Our Only, but Certain Hope

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You guide my steps through the moments of my day.  ...

"Remember Your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles" (Psalm 119:49-50 NLT).

Flash floods and torrential rains, raging winds and waters have rolled across the land in waves this past week. Our hearts are broken in grief and lifted up in prayer for those swept away in the waters of flooded rivers and for those left facing the devastation left behind.

But You are with us. You never leave us nor forsake us. You promise us to hold on to us and guide us through whatever devastation we face in this broken, fallen world, not yet fully redeemed and restored as it will be one day (Acts 3:21).

Your Word warns us there will be troubles and trials we'll have to face, but also encourages us that we'll never have to face them alone:  "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk though fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... Do not be afraid, for I am with you... I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior" (Isaiah 43:3-11).

As we go through the waters and rivers and fires, through all the troubles and trials of this world, give us grace to hold on to You and give us grace to remember You never let go of us. "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:8). "For He will conceal me there when trouble come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me" (Psalm 27:5-6).

No matter what troubles come, no matter what devastation we face, they will not have the last word if we continue to look to You and Your Word. You are the Living Word who takes hold of our broken, hurting hearts to always bring us through whatever we endure until that day comes when "sorrow and mourning will disappear" and we are "filled with joy and gladness" (Isaiah 35:10). I

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today no our worries about tomorrow -- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below -- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39). 

That's the promise we have. That's our only, but certain hope. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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


I pray you will hold on to our only, but certain Hope, through whatever storms you encounter and endure, always remembering the One who never lets go of you, in Jesus' name.  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 
Friends, please join with me to continue to pray for the families devastated by these recent flash floods in South Texas, including those whose loved ones have not yet been recovered. Thank you and God bless you!

 


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, May 28, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 28 - The Nature of Christ by the Power of the Spirit in the Will of the Father

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, I welcome You into my spirit, soul, and body, as You make me more like You today (1 Thessalonians 5:23).  ...

"My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, I wish I were present with you know and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you" (Galatians 4:19-20).

You came into Paul's life and radically changed his heart. Then You gave him a heart for Your people -- a father's heart to see the nature of Christ formed in Your sons and daughters, even like a mother's heart that travailed in the pangs of childbirth until it was done.

That's an expression of Your heart for us. That's an expression of Your Father heart of God to see nature of Christ formed in each of us by the power and the grace of the Holy Spirit at work within us. Only You can do it; and You only do it in the hearts of those who've opened their hearts to You, "for it is God who is at work in (us), enabling (us) both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). 

It's an expression of Your love for us and Your will for us that we can welcome Your Spirit to be at work within us to make us more like You each day. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:4-5). Thank You, Lord, that in the power of Your grace, we are "strengthened in (our) inner being with power through (Your) Spirit, that Christ may dwell in (our) hearts through faith, as (we) are being rooted and grounded in love" (Ephesians 3:16-17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray that according to the will of the Father, the Holy Spirit will form the nature of Christ in you, more and more every day, as you are being rooted and grounded in the love of God, 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, May 27, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 27 - Both Faithful and Fulfilled

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You first as I seek to begin the moments of my day in trusting faith and humble submission to You, my God -- embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit.  ...

"See, I am coming soon; My reward is with Me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13).

Lord, let my work be a reflection of my heart. And let my heart be a reflection of my faith and trust in You as my Lord and Savior. Let the moments of my life make a difference, not wasted in selfishness or squandered away on the things that don't matter. 

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been build on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

One day soon, You will come again. And I thank You that I'm saved because You are in my heart. Words can't express the joy of the assurance of salvation in Christ. And at the same time, I don't ever want to settle for merely living like a survivor, just barely saved from the fires of hell (Jude 1:23). No, I want to live like a son, living into the fullness of my inheritance as a child of God, filled with the Spirit of God, living my life for the glory of God. "For all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:10). As You said long ago, "The Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay everyone for what has been done" (Matthew 16:27).

We're saved through faith alone, by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8). And as I grow in my faith, I grow in my desire to seek You and please You and live my life for You (2 Peter 3:18). As I do, it doesn't make me more saved or make me more loved. But I do find it makes me more fulfilled (Philippians 1:9-11). "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

In some of his final words at the end of his life on this earth, the Apostle Paul said, "As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only me but also to all who have longed for His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Lord Jesus, I long for Your appearing. And though I believe have many more good fights of the faith to fight between today and the Day of the Lord, I want every day to count. I want to seek You first and Your kingdom and Your righteousness, with all my heart, as best as I can, and all by Your grace (Matthew 6:33). And like Paul and all those who put all their hope and faith fully in You alone as Lord and Savior, I want to be able to say, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is not longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now life 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). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray you will be faithful and fulfilled, all by the power and the grace of God at work within you to make you more like Jesus each day, 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, May 26, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 26 - Good Morning, Lord Jesus

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open wide my heart and welcome You into my day.  You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit; come be One within me today and every day.  ...

As I wait on You in the silence of surrender, listening for the leading of Your Holy Spirit, I hear You writing a new song of surrender and trust in my heart. ...

Good morning, Lord Jesus
Good morning, my King
You are my Savior
My Lord and my Friend

I welcome Your Spirit
Abiding in me
Make me more like You
Holy and free

You are my Father
Creator of all
You give my life purpose
As I answer Your call

Take me by the heart now
Lead me by Your hand
Send me where You will, Lord
In You I will stand

I am in You
And You in me
I am in You 
And You are in me

You are my Vine
And I am Your branch
You are my Vine
And I am Your branch

Let my life bear
The fruit of Your love
Yes, let my life bear
The fruit of Your love

Good morning, my Lord
Good morning, my King
I am Your child
And You are my Everything

Yes, Lord. O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I embrace this gift of the certainty and assurance of Your love and Your grace for me each day. 

"Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. All who obey His commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us" (1 John 3:21-24).

By the grace of God, I trust You, Lord. And by the grace of God, give me the desire and the power to obey You, Lord, as Your Spirit abides in me. I want to have that boldness before You and that intimacy with You that Your Word invites me to embrace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will embrace the boldness before God and intimacy with Him that He desires for you each day with every dimension of His Being -- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- in Jesus' name.  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


 
Orders for my Devotional Book
can be made at 

 Morning by Morning, A Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays
A 365 Day Devotional with One Year's Worth of My Morning Prayers 
 to start each day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and 
 filled with the Holy Spirit


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, May 25, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 25 - Memorial Day Prayer

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in my heart and my world today.  ...

"Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your home.... Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us" (Nehemiah 4:14-20).

On this Memorial Day in America, I want to remember the men and women who heard the sound of the trumpet in their hearts to stand and fight for our nation. I thank them and honor them and remember them for their sacrifice and for their service. And I thank You for fighting for us and through them that we might have the security and freedom You desire for every nation.

God bless America. And God bless the men and women who have loved her and fought for her. May she continue to turn to You with a repentant heart, humble faith, and courageous boldness to be and to do all You've destined for her -- only by the power of Your grace, as a nation under God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you remember our great and awesome God and those He has empowered and guided to fight for you and the freedom you have, in Jesus' name.  Please pray the same for me. I join with you to remember those who are on your heart. 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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Friday, May 22, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 22 - Day of Passionate, Personal Pentecost

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek to be more like You today.  ...

"When the day of Pentecost had fully come, there were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4 NJKV).

On both the Jewish calendar and the Christian calendar, the day of Pentecost will come this Sunday. And at the same time, You desire every day to be the day of passionate, personal Pentecost for us. You call us all to wholly surrender to Your power and authority in our lives, that Your Holy Spirit may come like rushing mighty wind to fill the whole house of our hearts.

Let the wind blow! Let the fire fall! Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today! Baptize me, saturate me, immerse me in Your Holy Spirit and Your holy fire. Blow the cobwebs off my spirit. Burn the chaff out of my soul. Speak life to my weary bones. I want to be fully alive, fully on fire. I want to take my place in this great move of Your Holy Spirit for the great harvest You promised at the end of the age (Matthew 13:39).

Don't leave me out! Don't leave me behind! I want to be part of Your exceedingly great army of the kingdom of God advancing to the ends of the earth until the whole earth is "filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). I want to be part of the move of Your Spirit in the hearts of Your people wholly surrendered to You "turning the world upside down" in my generation! (Acts 17:6)  Let the day of my passionate, personal Pentecost fully come in me! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray you will continually experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit filling you and baptizing you in passionate, personal Pentecost, as you wholly surrender to the Lord awakening you to the fullness of His life through you, in Jesus' name.  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
  
 

New Book!
Friends, I'm excited to now have available from our publisher the updated edition of my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- with endorsements from Max Lucado, Andy Reese, and Randy Clark!

"Tommy Hays has spent a lifetime studying the place of prayer in inner healing. I have personally benefitted from his teaching, writing and encouragement. This book gathers a wealth of helpful insights and experiences into one volume. I am honored to have it on my shelf and honored to call Tommy my friend."

Max Lucado


"Tommy Hays combines a lawyer's keen logic with a spiritual intuition to bring inner healing to a practical, effective and applied level. His proven techniques have been used in hundreds of ministry settings and can serve as simple yet profound tools in the hands of even the novice minister."

Andy Reese


 
"Free to Be Like Jesus will take you on a journey to learn more about the inner healing ministry. This book has many foundational spiritual truths and will help you if you want more healing in your own life, or if you want more tools to assist you in your inner healing ministry."

Randy Clark

 
Now available for orders through 
Messiah Ministries or Rapha God Ministries.


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!
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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 21 - Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Holy Fire

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to start my day seeking Your face, listening for Your voice, and following Your leading here in the communion of prayer.  ...

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, 'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.' " ... (John said), 'I baptize you with water for repentance, but One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into the granary; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire' " (Matthew 3:1-12).

My heavenly Father, let my heart be prepared for the way of the Lord. Come have Your way in me. Make my paths straight. Make my heart right. Let me fully embrace the mercy and power of Your grace in the fullness of Your love as a child of God, forgiven and free through the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9). I want all that You have for me, with nothing separating me from the fullness of Your holy Presence.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus -- not just in the clouds of heaven at the sound of the trumpet one day, but also here in my heart everyday. "Baptize (me) with the Holy Spirit and fire." Burn "the chaff" out of me with Your "unquenchable fire." Give me courage to embrace the fiery flame of Your holy Presence in every area of my life.

Come, Holy Spirit. I want to be cleansed and purified from everything that would hold me back from the intimacy You desire in my relationship with You, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  "Who will ascend the hill of the Lord? And who will stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:3-6).

Holy Spirit, baptize me with Your holy fire. "Sanctify (me) entirely" in "spirit and soul and body" that I may be "sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls (me) is faithful, and (You) will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Set me ablaze with a passion to "love the Lord (my) God with all (my) heart, and with all (my) soul, and with all (my) mind, and with all (my) strength ... (and to) "love (my) neighbor as (myself)" -- as best as I can and all by Your grace in the power of Your Spirit (Mark 12:30-31). Set me ablaze with the confidence to know my identity and fulfill my destiny as the child of God that I am (Romans 8:16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


As we approach the day of Pentecost, I pray the Holy Spirit will prepare the way of the Lord in your heart to be continually baptized with the Holy Spirit and His holy fire, embracing the promise of the Father empowering you to be a faithful witness of Jesus everywhere He sends you each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
  
 

New Book!
Friends, I'm excited to now have available from our publisher the updated edition of my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- with endorsements from Max Lucado, Andy Reese, and Randy Clark!

"Tommy Hays has spent a lifetime studying the place of prayer in inner healing. I have personally benefitted from his teaching, writing and encouragement. This book gathers a wealth of helpful insights and experiences into one volume. I am honored to have it on my shelf and honored to call Tommy my friend."

Max Lucado



"Tommy Hays combines a lawyer's keen logic with a spiritual intuition to bring inner healing to a practical, effective and applied level. His proven techniques have been used in hundreds of ministry settings and can serve as simple yet profound tools in the hands of even the novice minister."

Andy Reese



"Free to Be Like Jesus will take you on a journey to learn more about the inner healing ministry. This book has many foundational spiritual truths and will help you if you want more healing in your own life, or if you want more tools to assist you in your inner healing ministry."

Randy Clark

 
Now available for orders through 
Messiah Ministries or Rapha God Ministries.


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!

Posted by at

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 20 - Preparing for Pentecost

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and welcome You into my heart and into my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' He said, 'is what you have heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth' " (Acts 1:4-8).

This year the day Christians and Jews will celebrate Pentecost on the same day, this coming Sunday of May 24, 2015. It's the celebration of Shavuot that marks fifty days after Passover, with offering of the first fruits of the harvest (Leviticus 23:16). In our day, Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and Jews celebrate the giving of the law to Moses. So prophetically from the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, it's a day of celebrating both the Word and the Spirit. And it's a day of rejoicing in the first fruits of the great harvest to come at the end of the age, while embracing the grace of God that already we have the living Word and the living Spirit within us today (Romans 8:9).

Lord Jesus, just before You ascended to Heaven from the Mount of Olives with all your disciples looking into the sky, You told them to wait for the promise of the Father, for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They knew You personally in their relationship of faith and they believed in Your resurrection as the Son of God. But there was more. You commanded them to wait for more.

They were never meant to go to work for the kingdom of God in their witness of faith without the power of the kingdom of God at work within them. Though they had great faith, though they had a personal relationship with You as Lord and Savior, You told them they needed more. You told them they needed to wait. They needed to wait to be empowered by Your Holy Spirit, to be baptized, saturated, immersed, and filled to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. You said, "See, I am sending upon you what My Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).

Your first disciples were to wait with hungry hearts and expectant faith for their baptism with Your Holy Spirit. And so are we. We need You and we need Your power at work within us to be Your witnesses wherever You send us -- whether across the street or to the ends of the earth. We need to be baptized, saturated, immersed, and filled to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit, clothed with Your power from on high. We are to be the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, continuing the ministry of Christ in this hurting, broken, and fallen world.

So as we prepare our hearts for the coming celebration of the Day of Pentecost, let us open wide our hearts every day for the coming of Your Holy Spirit. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus. I embrace Your promise, my Heavenly Father. Come, Holy Spirit of the Living God. Baptize me afresh today and everyday with Your power from on high. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will embrace the promise of the Father and be baptized with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to be a witness of Jesus everywhere He sends you each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 
Friends, sorry to just be sending out my morning prayer. I was running a little behind this morning. God bless and thanks for joining with me in this daily journ!
  
 



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!
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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 19 - Glorious Adventure

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Lord of my life, Lord of my day, Lord of all.  ...

"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2).

You know all things. You see the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. All time and space, every moment and choice of every life, throughout all eternity is always present before You. And You invite us into the adventure of discovering Your truth of our Creator and Your creation.

You don't reveal everything to us in a moment. As someone has said, we probably couldn't handle the truth if we all knew all truth all at once. So it's an unfolding story and a glorious adventure. It's a journey of faith where we don't see the end from the beginning but we learn to trust the One who does.

As we seek You, we will find You (Jeremiah 29:13). Part of our inheritance and privileges as children of God, as both priests and kings in the kingdom of our God, is the glory of the adventure of searching for all You've set before us. You said, "Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3).

So I seek You today, O Lord my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I'm excited to see what You'll reveal to me today on this glorious adventure and unfolding story of my journey of faith with You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray you will be filled with excitement for the glorious adventure to discover what the Lord will reveal to You today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


 

Friends, thank you so much for your prayers for us this past weekend for our Rapha God Ministries retreat with all our teams of about forty-five prayer minsters getting together at Mo Ranch. We had glorious adventures with God and one another. I even rode the zip-line upside down (not by choice) which was quite an adventure! And the sun came out at all the best times. I pray the same for you in your adventures. God bless you!



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!
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Friday, May 15, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 15 - Storms and Rain Can't Beat Down Our Hope

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Good Shepherd and I want to listen for Your voice and wait for the leading of Your Spirit.  ...

It seems I hear You say in my heart, "Come, follow Me through the storms, trust in Me through the rains. You can rest in Me, as I join in this adventure with you."

Yes, Lord. As You said long ago:  "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock" (Matthew 7:24-25).

For several days the storms have come, the rains have fallen, and the wind has blown. And today all our prayer ministers be travelling out to our ministry retreat for two days of bonding together, getting to know one another, and growing spiritually together. We've made plans for lots of fun together too, with water games and barbeque at the river, kingdom treasure hunts, mission possible, horseshoe throwing, campfire talks, s'mores, outdoor worship, and the pajama party with a bedtime story. Much of that is supposed to be outside in the beautiful spring sunrises, sunsets, and sunny days of the sunny Texas hill country at Mo Ranch. But I guess now we'll be having our little adventure without the sun part.

It's a good thing that we'll still have "the sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2). Fun in the sun is nice but not required. "Our hope is built on nothing less that Jesus Christ and righteousness." The storms and the rains will come and go, but our faith will remain. I'll be resting in You, as You come and join in this adventure with us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you rest in Jesus, steadfast in your faith in Him, as He comes alongside you in every adventure through whatever storms and rain may ever come. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


 

Friends, please keep us in prayer this weekend for our Rapha God Ministries retreat with all our teams of about forty-five prayer minsters getting together at Mo Ranch. May the joy of the Lord be our strength and yours too. God bless you!



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!
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Thursday, May 14, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 14 - Embrace the Spirit of Truth

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Lead me in Your way, teach me Your truth, fill me with Your life today.  ...

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him because He abides with you, and He will be in you" (John 14:15-17).

Spirit of Truth, Spirit of the One who is the Truth, set me free from deception and confusion, from complacency and compromise. Re-sensitize my spirit and my discernment of conscience to Your conviction of what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong, what is holy and what is profane, what is good and what is evil.

Your Word says "the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Your Word warns us of times of deception and confusion, in our hearts and in our land:  "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight... Because they rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 5:20-24 NKJV).

And at the same time, Your Word also always calls us and empowers us to repent, in our hearts and in our land (Isaiah 1:27). "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:  I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.... I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will lead them and repay them with comfort ... Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them. But the wicked are like the tossing sea that cannot keep still; its waters toss up mire and mud. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked" (Isaiah 57:15-21).

Come, Holy Spirit. Come fulfill the promise of Jesus from the heart of the Father:  "When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but will speak whatever He hears, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, because He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine. For this reason I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you... I have said this to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16:13-33)  

Father God, You know what is best for us. You have created us and Your world based upon Your truth. Help us humble ourselves to hear and trust and obey. Empower us to desire Your ways and Your will revealed by Your truth (John 8:38). Help us embrace Your Spirit of Truth.

Lord Jesus, with Your Spirit of our Father abiding in us, "(we) will know the truth, and the truth will make (us) free" (John 8:3). "So if the Son makes (us) free, (we) will be free indeed" (John 8:36). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you embrace the Spirit of Truth, hearing and trusting and obeying the Lord our God by His Holy Spirit abiding always in your heart and in the heart of our land. 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, May 13, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 13 - I Am your All in All

Good morning, Lord Jesus. All I am and all I have all belongs to You, my All in All.  ...

"Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I Am'" (John 8:58).

You are everlasting. You are eternal. You are "the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13). And at the same time, You are always here, always near, always with me (Matthew 28:20). You are I Am (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 43:13; John 17:5, 24; Colossians 1:17; Revelation 1:8).

And You are all I need. Though You are near to me and provide for me through Your people and through Your creation and through so many ways that I don't even know, You are the Source of every good thing I've ever needed. And down deep in my soul, beneath the realm of my own understanding, You're also the Source of every good thing I've ever desired, whether I know it or not. Every good and perfect gift is from You (James 1:17).

You are my "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). You are my "All in All" (1 Corinthians 15:28; Ephesians 1:23).

Lord Jesus, though You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit, in the mystery of Your grace and the intimacy of Your love, You also desire to be One within me (John 17:23). So with all I am and all I have, I commit my heart and my life all to You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you know the Lord, your God, the One who is I Am--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--as your All in All. 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, May 12, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 12 - Abide and Abound, Come Alive and Thrive

Good morning, Lord Jesus.  Son of God, Son of Man, King of Kings, Lord of Lord, thank You for welcoming me -- just as You welcome every soul in this world -- into this deeply personal relationship with You.  ...

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. As the Father loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love" (John 15:5-9).

I do want to abide in You, Lord Jesus. I want You to abide in me. Teach me how to abide and abound, how to come alive and thrive. Teach me and lead me and empower me to keep my branch connected to Your vine, so that the fruit of my life is an expression of the flow of Your love.

So I welcome Your Spirit and I welcome Your Word to abide in me. Spirit to spirit and Heart to heart, let me hear Your voice and follow Your leading. Let the things I ask be an expression of the desires of Your will through my life and through my prayers, so that what I ask will be done for me, as I ask according to Your words abiding in me.

There's still much pruning to be done in my heart, still much burning away of all that is not yet like You. But I believe as I seek You, I will find You. As I keep opening up my heart to You, You'll keep pouring Your heart into me. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). And by the power of Your love and grace, by the Presence of Your Spirit abiding in me, I believe in faith You will have Your harvest of Your good fruit through my life each day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you abide and abound, come alive and thrive, bearing good fruit with the Spirit of Christ and the Word of God abiding in you each day. 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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Monday, May 11, 2015

Morning by Morning, May 11 - "The Friendship of the Lord"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I humble myself to willingly choose to be desperately dependent on You today.  ...

"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep His covenant and His decrees. For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose. They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes His covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:8-14).

I want to be Your follower and Your friend. I want to humble myself in Your sight so You can lift me up into Your presence. I want to admit my sins and failures, my struggles and weaknesses, so You can forgive me and empower me to overcome them. I want You to lead me so I won't get lost or get left out of all You have in Your heart for my life.

You are loving and faithful; You are gracious and forgiving. And You want Your best for me. So I bow down before You and lift up my heart toward You. "My eyes are ever toward (You) ... Turn to me and be gracious to me" -- just as You always have and just as I know You always will (v. 15-16). In the fear of the Lord on my journey of faith, You're my Lord and Savior; but You're also my Father and Friend (John 15:15). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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


May you know the friendship of the Lord on your journey of faith, 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!

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