"Strive First for the Kingdom of God" 4-1-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are One with the Father and One with the Spirit. And You are One in me through the communion of prayer. ... "But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Teach me how to strive for the kingdom, and at the same time, rest in the King. Teach me how to strive for Your righteousness, and at the same time, trust in Yours alone. I know these are "keys of the kingdom" that You've placed into my hands and want to seal into my heart. Your kingdom does not just passively come, that's why You taught us we have the responsibility to pray for Your kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10). That's why You taught us to strive for the kingdom. It's all by Your grace and according to Your will, but we have a part to play in the sovereignty of Your plan. It seems I hear You say: "My son, to strive for Me and My kingdom is to seek Me with all your heart. Let seeking Me and submitting your will to Mine be your priority and your perspective as best as you can and all by My grace. Then you will have found My kingdom. My kingdom is within you to the very degree you welcome Me as your King." Yes, Lord. Yes, my King. Come in to Your kingdom within me. "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). Trusting in You and resting in You power, I choose by Your grace to strive for Your kingdom and welcome You as my King. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm excited to be invited on short notice to go to London, England this weekend to teach a series on "The Kingdom of God" for St. Marks Anglican Church's annual weekend away spiritual retreat in the English countryside. Their scheduled speaker fell ill and they've invited me to come stand in. Please pray for me to hear and share the Lord's word for His people as we encounter God together. This is the church with such an incredible history where I was able to minister briefly at a women's retreat last year with my good friend Heather Butler from Wales. Your prayer cover makes this kind of ministry possible. God bless you! Save the Date for May 2 to come join us for our annual Celebration Dinner in Lexington! Details will follow soon. Please let us know if you'd like to help or have some materials to invite others to join us to share our vision and celebrate all God has done this year! 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

True Image 3-31-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I seek You and welcome You and embrace You in my spirit, soul, and body. ... "So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). You created me in Your image. Though that image has been distorted and tainted by sin through the generations and in my life, You have restored me through the blood of Christ and redeemed me in newness of life. Now, every day, You open my eyes to seek Your face and open my heart to receive Your grace. As I look to You and behold Your face, the perfect image of God, I am "being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18). You want me to see myself as I am, not as I was. You me to see myself created in Your image, not distorted by sin. "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). With a trusting faith and repentant heart, You "cleanse (me) from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). As I continually turn to You, You continually remind me that I have become "the righteousness of God" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). As I see You more as You are, I begin to see myself more as I am. Though I am forever in need of Your grace to forgive me of sin and restore me to the image You have of me, at the same time, right now, I have the fullness of Your grace. I am forgiven and free, accepted and loved, holy and pure through the blood of the Lamb. This is my true identity and the true image You have of me. Help me see myself, throughout this day and throughout my life, as You see me. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Seek Me with All Your Heart" 3-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken me and arise within me. ... "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord ..." (Jeremiah 29:11-14). I hear the longing in Your heart for me to seek You with my heart -- with all my heart. Forgive me when I have not sought You; and forgive me when I have not sought You with all my heart. You gave Yourself completely for me; and You long for me to give myself completely to You. Increase my sensitivity to Your longing. You are God; You are all powerful; You hold all the world in Your hands. And yet, You long for my love. You long to see my face seeking Your face in prayer. As You said to Your people long ago, so You say to Your people of every age: "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on My name" (Isaiah 65:1). Here I am, Lord. I have heard Your call and sensed the longing in Your heart. By Your grace, I will seek You with all my heart. I will call upon Your name. I will come to You and spend time with You in prayer. And I ask You, out of love for You, to not let me forget the longing I sense in Your heart this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be speaking on prayer at my home church in Lexington today. Please keep us in prayer as we grow to become the house of prayer we are called to be. And I pray the same for your church. Thank you for all your prayers for my twelve year old daughter Maddie and me for our adventure in California last week. I wouldn't trade our special time together for anything in the world! God bless you and thank you for joining me in the journey of prayer. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Teach Them to Your Children" 3-28-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading. ... "You shall put these words of Mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you arise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gate, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:18-21). Lord, let me teach Your words to my children by living them out with integrity before them. Let them see me desperately dependent upon You, rising to pray and living the prayer throughout the moments of my day. When I fail, let them see humility and repentance, as they learn how to seek and receive mercy. When I succeed, let them see celebration and honor for the life of God within me. When I'm saddened, let them see me seek Your comfort; and when I'm filled with joy, let them see Your joy is my strength. May my days and theirs be multiplied in the places and promises You've given us to possess together. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Legacy of Love 3-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. At Your name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. On my knees in prayer and with my tongue in praise, I declare You are my Lord in every area of my life and every moment of my day. ... "And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, for you have wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God' " (Joshua 14:9). I want all my children to know You and to follow You wholeheartedly -- without hesitation, without limitation, without reservation. And I want them to see I know You and follow that way. And may they go everywhere I have gone and farther. May they receive a full inheritance and add it to and pass on the legacy of loving You and following You wholeheartedly to their children and their children's children throughout all generations. Thank You for the legacy of love You've given me, but let that only be the beginning point for each succeeding generation. "In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:11-12). Before You and before my children, let me live for the praise of Your glory. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Pastoring Kids in Revival 3-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the focus of my thoughts now turn to You alone. ... "Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod.... And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:18-21). This morning, Maddie and I will join others from around the world for equipping and encouragement at our leadership conference called "Pastoring Kids in Revival." You are pouring out Your Spirit in the hearts of our kids to minister before You with purity and passion. I know I have much to learn and to listen to what Your Spirit is saying to Your church in this hour about raising up and releasing our young people to step into their places of ministry with the calling and gifts You've given them. Teach me how to facilitate that with wisdom, courage, and sensitivity in the settings where You send me to minister before You. Let my generation not hinder their generation, but let the children come freely and boldly into Your presence to find and live out their purpose in You. As You "sternly" commanded Your first disciples, "Let the little children come to Me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs" (Mark 10:14). Not only should we not hinder them, we should learn all we can from them. "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it" (v. 10:15). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Humbled by the Enormity of Creation 3-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and lift up Your praise. ... "A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). My daughter Maddie and I spent the day exploring the northern California coast yesterday. We saw giant redwood trees stretching up to the heavens. We saw massive waves of the sea crashing against the beautifully jagged rocks and cliffs of the shore. We saw herds of wild elk lumbering along the grassy fields. And all of these marvelous wonders of Your creation have remained and endured for untold centuries. Generations of visitors like us have come and gone to behold their beauty, yet they remain. In light of the enormity and longevity of Your creation, I am humbled by the sense of my own limitations of time and space, the fleeting opportunities I'm granted for my earthly life among Your immense creation to make a difference and fulfill my destiny. In the end, "our years come to an end like a sigh" (Psalm 90:9). So help me use the time I have and give it to the things that are important. But no matter what I do or fail to do in the time I have and in the places I go, keep reminding me of who I am in You. "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God" (v. 90:1). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Many Convincing Proofs" that He's Alive Morning by Morning, Monday 3-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Through the intimate surrender of worship and the tender communion of prayer, I arise in You and You arise in me. Arise, my Lord, arise. ... "After His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). You endured the suffering of the cross "for the sake of the joy that was set before (You)" (Hebrews 12:2). And part that joy is presenting Yourself alive to the world to display the power and proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven. And part of that joy is presenting Yourself alive through us, Your disciples who are called to continue Your ministry -- teaching the things You taught, doing the things You did, in the power that You had (John 14:12). In the mystery and grace of Your kingdom, the same "Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (us)" (Romans 8:11). I want to see more and more of Your kingdom come on earth in my generation. I want to see "many convincing proofs" of Your presence, Your power, and Your kingdom in the realms of the earth You have entrusted to me. You brought my daughter Maddie and me out to Bethel Church in Redding, California this week where the consider Your miracles to be part of the "normal Christian life" and many are saved and come into Your kingdom because they see the reality of Your presence and Your power. Last night we heard testimony of the fourth child that's been healed of autism through the prayers of Your people in the "house of prayer", a pastor who was healed from a stroke attack that very morning, and an aids victim who now miraculously no longer has aids! I praise You for the pockets of Your power being displayed in the earth. What You've been doing in many parts of the rest of the world, You are beginning to do here in my nation as well. What You are doing in Mozambique, You are doing in California; and what You are doing in California, You can do in Kentucky and everywhere else where Your people call on Your name to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no sin or suffering or sickness or bondage in heaven; so we are praying, in the Lord's prayer as You taught us to pray, for there to be none on earth as it is in heaven. So I ask for more; I want to see more -- more of You, more of Your power, more of Your kingdom breaking into earth. Teach me how to participate with You in Your kingdom coming, Your will being done in every increasing displays of Your glory. This is part of the joy for which You endured the suffering of the cross -- Your joy and even mine: "Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete" (John 16:24). I am asking, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I have a rare chance this week to spend some on-on-one, father daughter bonding time with my youngest daughter Maddie. We're at the "Pastoring Kids in Revival" Leadership Conference at Bethel Church in Redding, California: http://www.ibethel.org/ Pastor Bill Johnson prayed for the two of us at church yesterday and I would appreciate your prayers for us to have life-changing spiritual experiences together this week. I pray the same for you. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"He has been Raised, As He Said" 3-23-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this Resurrection Sunday morning, I declare with all heaven and earth, You're alive! And by Your Spirit, You're alive in me! ... "After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became as dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has been raised, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him.' This is my message for you" (Matthew 28:1-7). "For He has been raised, as He said" -- in the moment of their deepest grief, You sent Your word to remind Your disciples that Your words are true and they will come to pass. No matter how disappointed or discouraged we may be by the circumstances we face, no matter how impossible it may seem for Your promises to come to pass, Your Word will prevail. "So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). The heavens may tremble and the earth may quake, but Your words will remain. As You said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). And when we see Your promises prevail and Your words come to pass, You send us out to share and declare what we have seen and heard with passion and joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Happy Easter my friends! He is risen indeed! My morning prayer will come out a little later this week. I'm excited to be in Redding, California at Bill Johnson's church with my youngest daughter Maddie. We'll be growing in the Lord together and having some great father and daughter bonding time. We'd appreciate your prayers to experience all the Lord has for us here. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Sealing the Stone" 3-22-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait before You in the silence of surrender. ... "The next day, that is, after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, 'Sir, we remember what that imposter said while He was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' ... So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone" (Matthew 27:62-66). Satan moved in the hearts of men to try to hold You down by sealing the stone. So it is in our lives. He tries to crush our hopes and destroy our dreams, then bury them for dead and seal them shut. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). He fears the power of the resurrection. He fears the power of the seed that falls to the earth and dies as a single grain, but then rises to produce an abundant harvest of life in the redeeming, resurrection power of God. The enemy of our souls tries to bury the dead and seal the stone. And while we wait in silence, he trembles in fear. On this day between the crucifixion and the resurrection, let the enemy of my soul tremble in fear. You are the God of the Resurrection who breaks the seal of death and rolls away the stone. You hold the key of life and what You choose to open no one can seal shut (Revelation 3:7). And for every hope and dream that You have sown into my soul, You declare with the authority of heaven, "Break the seal and roll away the stone!" (see Mark 16:4). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"When I Survey the Wonderful Cross" 3-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I hear the old hymn rising up in my heart as I think about the day You died for me: "When I survey the wonderful cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride." ... "They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on His head. They put a reed in His right hand and knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. After mocking Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him" (Matthew 27:28-31). They poured contempt on You. They mocked You and spat on You and defiled You, then they led You away to a place of shame and disgrace where they stripped You of all human dignity and tortured You to death. And You did it all for me -- for me and for all. All the suffering I will ever face, all the sin I will ever commit, You took upon Yourself for me that day. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises we are healed.... He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is lead to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By a perversion of justice He was taken away.... Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him with pain....because He poured Himself out to death, was numbered with the transgressors, yet He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:5-12). In my spirit now, with the eyes of my heart opened to You, I stand at the foot of the cross. And I look up to the face of the One who died for me. And I hear in my heart what You speak to the heart of all who will come and see and listen: "I did this all for you. And I would do it again, because I love you and I want you to spend eternity with Me. There was no other way. I AM the Way." Yes, Lord. "I pour contempt on all my pride." "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ..." (Galatians 6:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at 859-422-1794. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Moments of Gethsemane 3-20-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I follow Your steps through this holy week, thanking You for taking those steps for me. ... "Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and His said to His disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' " (Matthew 26:36). I believe in corporate prayer, coming together with other believers to seek Your face, listen for Your voice, and pray the prayers in agreement with You and with one another that You put on our hearts to pray. And I believe in getting together with one or two trusted friends to bear my soul to them and to You in prayers of openness and honesty with our struggles, our needs, our hopes, and our praises. There's power in agreement in prayer (Matthew 18:19). But there are times, like Gethsemane, when You call me to come away with You alone, when even my closest friends must sit back as I go "a little farther" (Matthew 26:39). These are often the times You call me to a place of deeper surrender, of complete surrender. At Gethsemane, You "threw (Yourself) on the ground and prayed," pouring out the grief and burden of Your heart to the Father, but also completely trusting in His wisdom and completely surrendering to His will (v. 26:39). And at my moments of Gethsemane, You call me to no less. There was a time earlier in Your earthly ministry when Your first disciples asked of You, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). But at Gethsemane, You showed all Your disciples for all time how to pray -- to open our hearts and surrender our lives completely to the will of our Father. "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39, NKJV). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be teaching a workshop called "Healed and Free to Let the Spirit Flow" at the 2008 International Conference for Lay Pastors Ministry April 25-26, being hosted in Lexington at my home church this year. Please come join us. Register on-line www.laypastors.com Laura Beach of our ministry will also be teaching and my good friends Rev. Greg Gallaher and Mary Beth Ludt will be the plenary speakers. Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Green will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Cleanse My Temple 3-19-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I center my thoughts on You alone in these first moments of my morning. This one thing do I ask for; this one thing do I seek. ... "Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, it is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers' " (Matthew 21:12-13). The cleansing of the temple was the beginning of the end for You. Your challenges to the religious leaders and religious practices of the day became much more pointed and much more personal. Their pride had replaced prayer; their manipulation had replaced mercy; their rituals had replaced relationship. You had had all You could take. And so had they. "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the place of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him" (Matthew 26:3-4). Cleanse my temple, Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16). In the conviction that comes from Your love for me, expose the self-centered pride, self-promoting manipulation, and self-deceiving rituals going on in my life that keep my heart from being a house of prayer. Drive out every religious spirit from me that keeps me from the intimacy of the personal relationship of humble surrender and trusting faith in Your love You were willing to die for me to have. They will not go without a fight, and it may look like things get worse before they get better, but the victory is already won "through the blood of (Your) cross" (Colossians 1:20). Give me courage to enforce that victory by Your grace in the temple of my heart as I take up my cross and follow You each day (Matthew 16:24). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be teaching a workshop called "Healed and Free to Let the Spirit Flow" at the 2008 International Conference for Lay Pastors Ministry April 25-26, being hosted in Lexington at my home church this year. Please come join us. Register on-line www.laypastors.com Laura Beach of our ministry will also be teaching and my good friends Rev. Greg Gallaher and Mary Beth Ludt will be the plenary speakers. Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Green will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Third Day is Worth the Other Days 3-18-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Where You lead me, I will follow. ... "While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death; then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day He will be raised" (Matthew 20:17-19). If I knew where I was going, would I still go there? If I knew what the future held for me would I still hold on to You? You were chastised, condemned, and crucified. Your motives were misunderstood, Your sacrifices were not appreciated, and the gift of Your life was rejected by those You loved. In some measure, the same will be true for me and for all who choose to follow You. "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave to be like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of His household" (Matthew 10:24-25). By Your grace, I do choose to follow You -- not really knowing where I'm going, not really knowing what the future holds. But I know this -- You will be there with me (Matthew 28:20). So give me courage to choose to keep following You each day. As I look to You, give me the heart You had as You pressed on each day into the destiny before You: "Who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). The "third day" will be worth all the other days. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Dominion Authority and Responsibility 3-17-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I quiet my soul, watch for Your face, and listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "What are human beings that You are mindful of them, mortals that You care for them? Yet You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under their feet" (Psalm 8:5-6). My Father, Creator of heaven and earth, You are sovereign over all there is, all there ever was, and all there ever will be (v. 8:1, 9). Yet, in Your sovereignty, You chose to entrust dominion into the hands of men and women. "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16). With dominion authority comes dominion responsibility. You long for us to seek You and Your wisdom and Your leading in order to exercise our dominion and power with godly authority and a right heart willingly submitted to Your will and Your ways. But even when we don't, You have still entrusted dominion to us. You have from the beginning (Genesis 1:26). Whether we like it not, whether we think it is a wise plan or not, by the sovereignty of God, the choices we make each day affect everything there is. "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Romans 8:19). All creation longs for those who have been given so much authority and power in the earth to humble themselves in Your sight, to give themselves to Your will, and arise to assert the dominion You have given us to bring life instead of death, healing instead of brokenness, freedom instead of bondage, and light instead of darkness. Then the glory and honor with which You have crowned us will bring glory and honor to You, the One who created us and entrusted us with such an amazing calling and destiny of purpose. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Whatever 3-16-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes upon You. ... "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything that is worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). There are many circumstances out of my control and many people out of my power. Yet they may all have tremendous influence in my life. But whatever events are set in motion without my approval or permission, You have given me great power to choose my perspective. When I'm tempted to just say with resignation, "Whatever," You call me to take a more active and aggressive stance. You've given me the power to choose to think on the things that are good or the things that are bad, that are encouraging or that are discouraging, that lift me up or bring me down. Without denying the negative things, I also don't have to dwell on them. And at the same time, I can look for the positive things, and choose to dwell on them -- to "think about these things." Lord, teach me how to do that, to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I don't want to deny and dissociate, but I also don't want to get drug down by everything that could steal the joy and peace You died for me to have in the fullness of salvation. Lead me to take action according to Your wisdom and will and by the power of Your grace. Help me entrust all things to You, including my thoughts and my perspective, thinking on the thoughts I welcome You to bring to my mind. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Abide in the Teaching of Christ" 3-15-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Good morning, God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity. ... "Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9). Lord, what is "the teaching of Christ?" It seems I hear You say, "The teaching of Christ is to live in the love of Christ -- to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Every teaching of truth is first founded upon this teaching of truth." Yes, Lord. Help me live in the love of Christ. "You are right in asking Me to help you live in the love of Christ. For you neither truly live nor truly love apart from Me. But you are not apart from Me. My Spirit lives within you and within all who are called by My name, having welcomed My Spirit into their hearts." Yes, Lord. By the grace You've given me to desire You and welcome You and love You, I welcome Your Spirit into my heart, to continually abide in me so can abide in You and Your teaching and Your will. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the 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" (1 John 4:13-16). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! next Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Green will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Living Word, Faithful and True 3-14-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the One "called Faithful and True," the One whose "name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:11-13). You are the Living Word of the Living God, Faithful and True to me. ... "The Lord exists forever; Your Word is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations ..." (Psalm 119:89). Living Word, Faithful and True Living Word, Holy are You Living Word, You speak to my soul Living Word, You want me to know ... That You are the One Who stands with me through the night. And You are the One Who's with me through the fight. You are the One Who's closer than a friend. You are the One Whose love for me never ends. "My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God" (Psalm 84:2). Living Word of the Living God, come live in me today. "Your Word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). And Your Word lives in me by Your Spirit, guiding my steps and leading my way in the path of Your will. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! next Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Green will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Honey of the Word from the Rock 3-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My hope and trust is in You, O Lord, My God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "I will wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). I hear these words rising up from the depths of my spirit and into the thoughts of mind: "Feed on the Word of God." Yes, Lord. "The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God will stand forever.... He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep" (Isaiah 40:8-11). You say, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.... I would feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you" (Psalm 81:10-16). Lord Jesus, You are the perfect personification and faithful fulfillment of the Word of God, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). You are the Good Shepherd who feeds Your flock with words of truth and life, allowing Your words to abide in me and become a part of me by Your Holy Spirit dwelling within my human spirit (John 15:7). So by Your grace, I eat of Your "Bread of Life" (John 6:35). "I treasure Your Word in my heart" (Psalm 119:11). "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103). You are "the Rock of my salvation" (Psalm 89:26). And Your Word is the "Honey from the Rock" (Psalm 81:16). As I feed on Your Word and abide in Your Spirit now and throughout my day, I will "taste and see that the Lord is good" and that the Lord is good to me (Psalm 34:8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, as I write this prayer this morning, I'm reminded of a good friend of mine and our ministry, Heather Butler in Wales who founded the Honey from the Rock Healing Rooms there and often covers our ministry in prayer and prophetic psalms along with a team of intercessors (http://www.ourchurch.com/member/k/keys/). I'm so grateful to so many of you who join with me in prayer and also cover our ministry in prayer. We could not fulfill our calling without you! And I pray the Lord's blessing and cover of His favor and grace over you and your ministry as well. I'll be traveling to eastern Kentucky today for a very strategic meeting with a key leader in our region to pray about and discuss some areas that I believe will be very significant in the times to come. I would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom and discernment. And I pray the same for your strategic meetings today as well. 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 share these prayers will all who might be interested in joining us in the journey! Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Touch Me and See" 3-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your love is real. And You really love me. ... "He said them, 'Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, see that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as I have' " (Luke 24:38-39). How can I know Your love for me is real? Lord would You show You're holding me still? Questions and doubts Worries and fears Are lost in the love I feel. Heartbreak and pain All my sin and shame Are lost in this love that is real. Yesterday, I saw a grown man cry as You went back into the most painful moment of his childhood, drawing out the pain and pouring in Your love, removing his doubts and renewing his faith. Teaching words of truth is good, but experiencing Your healing touch is even better. Sound doctrine helps us keep grounded in our understanding, but experiencing the peace that surpasses understanding is even better. You've created us to yearn for what is real -- not just to teach it and be taught it, but also to touch it. Then what is real becomes real to us. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being real to me. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

First Fruits 3-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I offer You the first fruits of my first thoughts. ... "The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God" (Exodus 23:19). You are worth my first and my best. So before I speak another name, I speak out Yours. Before I say another thing, I praise You. Before I ask for anything in prayer, I offer to You everything I am. "In fulfillment of His own purpose He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of His creatures" (James 1:18). And I only have something to give, because You first gave Yourself to me (1 John 4:19). You're the first. And You're the last. You're the beginning and the end. You're the best. Not like the rest. You're faithful to the end. I love You Lord. You're worth much more Than all I have to give. I give You Lord All my heart All I have to give You're my first, My last You're my all in all. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Message of the Cross, The Power of God 3-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me, and I will follow. Speak to me, and I will listen. Send me, and I will go. ... "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:17-18). The power of God is the message of the cross of Christ -- not religious rituals or eloquent sermons, not "lofty words or wisdom" but "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (v. 2:1-2). As God the Father in Word and Spirit, You humbled Yourself as God the Son "in human likeness" to lay down Your life for me in love (Philippians 2:5-8). That's the power of God, the power of 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" (1 John 4:9-10). Lord, forgive me when I forget that. Convict me and correct me when I begin to start thinking its about me instead of You -- my ministry, my preaching, my praying, instead of Your sacrifice of Your love. Remind me every moment of the message of the cross. You died for me so I can live through You. I'm "bought with a price" and no longer my own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). My Master and my God, how then, shall I live through You today? In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we have 2 New CD series available from my week of ministry at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas awhile back ( www.cfni.org ) : 1) Spiritual Warfare -- Fighting the Good Fight of Faith (4 cd's); and 2) The Father's Blessing Through Our Brokenness (1 cd) These are not yet on our web site, so please contact us at MessaiahMin@aol.com to order them for personal or group studies. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Spring Forward 3-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I come simply and wait silently for the leading of Your voice in my spirit. ... "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward' " (Exodus 14:15). Today we move our clocks one hour ahead. We "spring forward." That's what I hear You saying to my spirit: "Spring forward, My people. Rise up and go forward with courage and obedience. Go through the gates that I have opened and no man or demon can shut. I am with you. And I go before You. So who can stand against you. Speak the words I put on your lips to speak and pray the prayers I move in your hearts to pray. And you will see the waters part before you, for they part before Me; and I am in you." Yes, Lord. "What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31, NKJV). With You abiding in us and with us abiding in You, even the gates of hell cannot prevail against us (Matthew 16:18). So by Your Spirit, I will arise; and by Your Spirit, I will spring forward and break through into the places You have prepared for me go by Your word and according to Your will. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I've received much refreshing and renewal with my friends and family at Aldersgate Renewal Ministries just north of Nashville this weekend. Please come join me for the National Conference of the Holy Spirit next summer, where I'm excited to be teaching equipping seasons and the pre-conference keynote speaker. Register on-line at www.aldersgaterenewal.org Now I would really appreciate your prayers for a safe trip home for all of us through the aftermath of the "snow storm of the century." 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Covering of Glory 3-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is my first word this new day. ... "But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). Most of the eastern half of our nation is covered in a thick blanket of snow. Schools, businesses, churches, and about everything else are being closed and canceled, or at least delayed and disrupted. But at the same time, there's kind of a stillness and silence that settles in with the snow. It's almost like a Sabbath rest on the land and reminder of Your desire to cover our hearts and our land with a blanket of Your glory. "But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him" (v. 2:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for praying for my healing the past few days. I woke up yesterday morning after good rest feeling a million times better and even made it down to Tennessee before the heavy snow for my advisory council meeting with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries. It's like being snowed in with family! Please keep this wonderful ministry of spiritual renewal in your prayers www.aldersgaterenewal.org (Please go ahead and register on-line now for the National Conference for Spirit-filled Living in July, where I'll be teaching equipping sessions and also the pre-conference keynote speaker). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Healing Touch 3-7-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- Family of God -- You are Family to me, for I am a child of God through the blood of the Lamb. ... "When Jesus entered Peter's house, He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; He touched her hand and her fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him. That evening they brought to Him many who were possessed with demons; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, 'He took our infirmities and bore our diseases' " (Matthew 8:14-17). I embrace Your healing touch. I receive Your freeing word. Infirmity, sickness, and disease must flee from Your presence; and You are present in me. As the prophet Isaiah foretold of Your coming, You have taken upon Yourself my sins and sicknesses, my burdens and bondage, and my infirmities and impurities so that I might be "healed" and "whole" by the sacrifice of Your love for me (Isaiah 53:4-6). By the power of Your grace, I choose to believe Your Word, agree with Your Truth, and rise from bed this day to serve You with a thankful heart, a rested body, and a renewed spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Thank you to all my friends who were praying for me. I pray for God's healing touch and freeing word in your life for your need as well. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Great Physician's Assistant 3-6-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. When I am weak, You are strong. When I am empty, You fill me up. So I cry out to You in my weakness and open up to You in my emptiness. Come, Lord Jesus, come. ... "He said to them, 'You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!' ..." (Luke 4:23, NKJV). I woke up this morning still under the prayer shawl my little boy Elijah laid over me last night after he tucked some pillows around me. He said, "I want to lay this over you for Jesus to cover you and heal you tonight." Somehow he has already grasped that there is no power in things such as prayer clothes, anointing oil, and baptismal water, but that You use these things to point us to You and remind us of Your power and Your presence in our lives. These are merely outward symbols of the inward grace that You alone provide. They sent me home early yesterday with my aches and chills and apparently pasty white complexion that was making everyone a little nervous to be around me. It seemed ironic to think about cancelling my healing class because I was sick. But even physicians need a doctor every now and then. And You are my Great Physician, Doctor Jesus. And You sent Your little Physician's assistant to help prepare the way for Your healing grace. I feel much better this morning, having rested in Your peace and be covered in Your love. Thank You for the good helpers You keep in this hospital of Your Holy Spirit. 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" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com/

Greater than All 3-5-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading. ... "I tell you, something greater than the temple is here" (Matthew 12:6). Someone has said, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Lord Jesus, You are the Main Thing. When the rules become more important than the relationship, when the place of worship becomes more important than the Person to be worshiped, that's idolatry. And that breaks Your heart. Even when You and Your first disciples were overjoyed that they went out in obedience to do the work of the kingdom of God in the authority and power of Your name, You reminded them to always keep their primary focus on their relationship with You (Luke 10:20). Though You desire obedience, don't let me get caught up in obeying You for obedience sake. Though You desire holiness of heart and life, don't let me get caught up in seeking holiness for holiness sake. It's all about You. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created in Him and through Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17). You are greater than the temple. You are greater than all. And I seek You first above all other things (Matthew 6:33). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Cleansing the Temple of Our Hearts 3-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father and Son, You are One with the Spirit and One in me. ... "They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the Lord ..." (2 Chronicles 29:15-16). In Christ, our bodies are the temple of the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16). Our hearts are the inner part of the house of the Lord. Through the blood of the Lamb, we are all now priests of God, ministering to You, in the holy of holies of worship and prayer. And we are responsible for cleansing this temple of everything that would defile our hearts, distract our focus. Every idol we've allowed to take Your place must come down and come out. Anything we look to, trust in, or depend upon more than You is an idol. Anything that we allow to exalt itself to the place of influence and power over our thoughts and desires is an idol. Convict us of our idolatry and forgive us of our sin of not fully trusting You and worshiping You alone. Purify us and sanctify us. Deliver us of every unclean thing that keeps our hearts and minds, our souls and strength from fully loving You and ministering to You alone with single-minded focus and whole-hearted devotion. "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). With "clean hands and pure hearts" we will enter in to the holy place of Your Presence in the intimacy and purity of relationship with You we long to know. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this prayer this morning expresses the heart of our ministry in many ways -- to experience this ourselves and to help others experience it as well through our ministries of teaching, prayer, healing and deliverance, spiritual direction in all the different forms of ministry and opportunities we have. The Father has sent His Holy Spirit to prepare a holy bride for His Holy Son to live forever with Him in the intimacy of relationship of love with our God. Thank you for joining with us in this ministry through your prayers, encouragement, and support in every way the Lord leads. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

O Lord, My God 3-3-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Father and my Friend, my Lord and the Lover of my soul. I long for You to lead me into the glory of Your Presence. ... "O God, You are my God, I seek You, my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory" (Psalm 63:1-2). Though You created heaven and earth, You also created me. Though You know all things, You also know me. You are God and You are my God. You are Lord of all, and You are my Lord. You are omnipotent, but You are also personal. You are infinite, but You are also intimate. And I honor You for who You are in all the earth, but I also welcome You to be all You are here in me as well, as You fill my thirsting soul "with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Lately, You've been sending me new songs in the morning, awakening my soul to arise in worship. I hear Your Holy Spirit singing a new song in my human spirit again this morning with the heart of David I hear in this Psalm of thirsting for presence and trusting in Your provision in a deeply personal way: O Lord, my God, You are my God. O Lord, my God, You are my God. You're my Father and Friend Leader and Lord My Matchless Maker Wisdom and Word You're my Hero and Helper My Healer, Holy God Full of honor and glory And all that You are I thirst for You Thankfully Though I'm weary or afraid I give to You All of my Heart You have made I worship You Wait for You As I watch through the night I long for You Listen for You 'til morning's light I want for You Welcome You With all my might You're my Father and Friend Leader and Lord My Matchless Maker Wisdom and Word You're my Hero and Helper My Healer, Holy God Full of honor and glory And all that You are O Lord, my God, You are my God. O Lord, my God, You are my God. Thank You Lord, my God, for being so powerful and so personal, so infinite but also so intimate. By Your grace, I trust You and love You a little more each day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! the 3rd Friday Night of every month at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries' monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Contact Marilyn Walker for details at dirofministries@aol.com 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

Burning Hearts 3-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of heaven and earth, You are Lord of my life and Lord of my day. ... "They said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road, while He was opening the scripture to us?" (Luke 24:32). This weekend, You've drawn near to us as a church in a deeper way than ever before during our times of gathering and growing in the journey of prayer with You and with one another. As we welcomed You, You walked with us. As we listened for You, You talked with us. And our hearts have been burning within us, ablaze with new passion for prayer and communion with You. Lord, keep fanning these embers into flame within us and blow them into the dry fields of dry hearts ready to be awaked and ablaze with a burning passion for You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for covering us in prayer at my home church in Lexington this weekend. We were truly changed in the experiences and encounters of prayer. And I pray for an awakening and revival of prayer in your heart and church and in mine and throughout all the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you! Come to the Fountain! the 3rd Friday Night of every month at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries' monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Contact Marilyn Walker for details at dirofministries@aol.com 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

More Than Enough for Me 2-29-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be humble enough to seek You, wise enough to believe You, and faithful enough to obey You. ... Humble enough to seek You Wise enough to believe You Faithful enough to obey You You're more than enough more me. You're more than enough When times are rough You're more than enough Because You fill me up You're more than enough You love me so much You're more than enough for me. "And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). Thank You, Lord. Your grace is sufficient for me; Your failing love and strength of Your steady presence with me through every valley and over every mountain, across every desert and in the midst of every fire is more than enough more me (v. 12:9). You're everything I need -- exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). When I doubt it, remind me. When I question it, encourage me. When I take it for granted, forgive me. A lifetime of service and sacrifice of all I have and all I am could never begin to repay You for all You've done and all You continue to do me every moment of every day in the extravagance of Your grace for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, as you know from our journey of prayer together, I often travel to other places to minister through prayer revivals, teaching and preaching, leading retreats, and equipping others in spiritual ministry. But this weekend, Feb 29-Mar 2, I'm so honored and excited to have an opportunity to minister to the people of my home church in Lexington, Kentucky, where our Messiah Ministries office is hosted and based. Along with Laura Beach of our ministry and Sr. Pastor David Thomas of my home church, I'll be helping lead a Prayer Summit at Centenary United Methodist Church this weekend as we grow in our understanding and experience of prayer http://CentenaryLex.com/prayer/PrayerSummit2008.shtml Please come if you can and cover us in your prayers, that we would experience new life, depth, and passion in an awakening of prayer and revival in our hearts to part of God's transformation in our city and region. I pray the same for you and your church. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Rebuild the Walls, Restore the Gates 2-28-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By the power of Your grace, I willing choose to surrender and submit my life and this day into Your hands and Your will. ... "I said, 'O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments; let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes be open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You. Both I and my family have sinned' " (Nehemiah 1:5-6). Confession of sin and repentance of heart prepares the way of the Lord to move in the power of restoration and revival. You have created our world based upon Your spiritual principle of obedience to Your will. Sin has its consequences, but so does repentance. "Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish My name.' These are Your servants and Your people, whom You redeemed by Your great power and Your strong hand" (v. 1:8-10). Confession cleanses our soul. Repentance turns our hearts away from ourselves to You and from our defeated past to our destined future. And when we confess our sins and return our hearts to You, You forgive us and "cleanse us from all unrighteousness," redeeming us and restoring us to intimacy or relationship with You (1 John 1:9). You gather us from where we have scattered ourselves away from Your presence and Your purpose by the self-centeredness of sin. And You bring us back to the place of peace in alignment with Your plans for our lives "by Your great power and Your strong hand." There in the place of peace in our hearts that comes from the return of obedience to Your will by Your grace, You rebuild the walls of our security in You, and restore the gates of righteousness in our souls (Nehemiah 2:17-18). "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" (1 John 3:21-22). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, along with Laura Beach of our ministry and David Thomas of my home church, I'll be helping lead a Prayer Summit at Centenary United Methodist Church this weekend as we grow in our understanding and experience of prayer http://centenarylex.com/prayer/PrayerSummit2008.shtml Please keep us in your prayers that we would experience new life, depth, and passion in an awakening of prayer. I pray the same for you and your church. 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" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

"The Gracious Hand of My God" 2-27-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Abide in me and arise in me by the Spirit of Your Presence in the communion of prayer. ... "Then the king said to me, 'What do you request?' So I prayed to the God of heaven.... And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me" (Nehemiah 2:4-8). Prayer opens the windows of heaven over those who have influence in our lives. They have free will, but their will is subject to the influence of the God of heaven (Proverbs 21:1). And "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to (You)" (Matthew 28:18). So to pray in Your name is to pray in Your nature, according to Your will, and in alignment with Your authority. As we humble ourselves under Your hand, to seek You and Your will, You send Your Spirit to initiate and inspire our prayers in accordance with Your purposes (Romans 8:26-27). Then we receive what we ask, in Your timing and Your way, because Your gracious hand is upon us as Your gracious Spirit prays through us to accomplish Your purposes on earth through our prayers in agreement with the God of heaven. "And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, along with Laura Beach of our ministry and David Thomas of my home church, I'll be helping lead a Prayer Summit at our church this weekend as we grow in our understanding and experience of prayer http://centenarylex.com/prayer/PrayerSummit2008.shtml Please keep us in your prayers that we would experience new life, depth, and passion in an awakening of prayer. I pray the same for you and your church. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Come Breaking Out and Busting Through 2-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name and worthy of all my praise. I declare Your name and proclaim Your praise over everything I face today. ... Come breaking out Come busting through Come rushing like a stream Come rising up Come pressing on Come blowing like the wind Come live in me Come love through me Come move in Your power and Your might "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" (Acts 2:2). Lord, let the violent wind of Your Spirit blow the chaff out of my soul. Let it breathe new life into my spirit and burn with fresh passion in my bones. Fill my house and my heart and then flow out of me like rivers of living water (John 7:38). Consume me and change me, then consume and change everything and everyone around me in the power and might of Your Spirit. I don't want to be the same. And I don't want them to be either. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in my life and in my world. 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" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

Turn My Heart to Your Ways 2-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, all heaven and earth is given into Your hands. I entrust You with my life and this day as well. ... "Turn my heart to Your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in Your ways" (Psalm 119:36-37). You are sovereign over all things, yet You have given me the gift of free will. You are love, but You don't force me to love You. You are holy, yet You don't force me to obey You. Instead, You set before me right and wrong, blessings and curses, life and death. And by the sacrifice of the blood of the Son of God, You give me the grace to desire You and Your ways and the freedom to turn from my self and my own. I've seen enough to know that You are good and wise and worthy of my trust. So I entrust my heart to Your decrees and my life to Your ways. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Open my eyes to see the path You've set before me and open my ears to hear the leading of Your voice. "And when you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' " (Isaiah 30:21). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Bad Roots Produce Bad Fruit 2-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Father God. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I welcome every dimension of Your Being into every dimension of my being. ... "He said to them, 'Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?' (Thus He declared all foods clean). And He said, 'It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.' " (Mark 7:18-23). Bad roots produce bad fruit. (A principle I learned from Jack Frost in healing prayer ministry of the Father heart of God). And no matter how much ornamental fruit we might hang on our tree to look good and healthy and attractive -- whether physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, relationally, or any other way -- the bad roots will eventually bear bad fruit. Our lives will bear the fruit of the seeds we've sown in our hearts. And the harvest usually comes when the seeds have grown into full maturity. "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow" (Galatians 6:7). As I pray for others to be freed of the bad fruit their lives are bearing by digging up the bad roots that bear bad fruit, it never ceases to humble me to examine the seeds sown and roots buried deep in my own life. "As it is written: 'There is not one who is righteous, not even one' " (Romans 3:10). None have room to be self-righteous; and we all should make room to humble ourselves in our hearts here at the foot of Your cross, continually bringing our lives under the mercy of Your blood. "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). Then the seeds of righteousness sown in our hearts will bear the fruit of righteousness displayed in our lives. Then we will "lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, as (we) bear fruit in every good work and as (we) grow in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching a breakout session on Prayer through Inner Healing -- healing from the inside out, healing from the roots up -- during our Prayer Summit this coming weekend of Feb 29th at my home church in Lexington: www.CentenaryLex.com Please keep us in prayer as I help lead our church into a deeper experience of prayer next Friday Night through Sunday morning. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

"The Hand of the Lord" 2-23-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and praise Your name. ... "I took courage, for the hand of the Lord God was upon me ..." (Ezra 7:28). Lord, let me feel the weight of Your hand, "the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:6). With Your hand on my shoulder and Your Spirit in my heart, You fill my soul with courage and form my thoughts with wisdom. Knowing You go before me to prepare the way of my steps, whom then shall I fear? Of what then shall I be afraid? The God of heaven and earth is with me and within me. And nothing shall separate me from His power and His love (Romans 8:38-39). "It is You who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. By You I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall" (Psalm 18:28-29). So knowing You are with me and the favor of Your hand is upon me, I will "be strong and courageous" in the power of Your grace wherever You send me this day (Joshua 1:6). 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"An Open Ear" 2-22-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I listen for Your voice and long for Your presence, as I begin my day watching and waiting for You. ... "Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, but You have given me an open ear" (Psalm 40:6). Forgive me when I take for granted the relationship and intimacy with You that I have as a child of God. I am blessed beyond measure to live in the age of Your constant communion and persistent presence (Matthew 28:20). "But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it" (Matthew 13:16-17). More than sacrifice, You desire surrender. More than rituals, You desire relationship. Let everything I do come out of who I am. These first moments of the morning dedicated to You open the lines of communication that will carry me in communion with You throughout my day. Through the intimacy and primacy of prayer, You bless me with open eyes to see what You are doing and open ears to hear what You are saying. Then You empower me by Your grace to do my part in partnership with Your will for my life this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep us in prayer as we prepare for the Prayer Summit at my home church in Lexington next weekend, starting Friday night Feb 29th: www.CentenaryLex.com I'll be helping lead our church in a time of discovery into the depths of prayer along with our Sr. Pastor David Thomas and Laura Beach of our ministry on Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night. Phil Jackson will be leading us in worship. Please pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit to awaken us and revive us in prayer. 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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Look to the One Who is Always There 2-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes unto the hills and open up my heart unto Yours. You are my strength and vision, my help and provision. ... "I lift up eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ... The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8). When I lived in Corpus Christi, we would go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico sometimes. I was from the flat, dry fields of west Texas so the experience of being tossed to and fro in the gulf waves was a new experience. The first time, it was hard to think about fishing when I was just thinking about finishing the day with my lunch intact. My friend Bruce taught me to look to the horizon when my stomach felt queasy because the line where the sky met the sea was steady and firm. Then everything would settle down and I could get back to fishing. (At least the fish were really big and fun to catch, so that somehow it made it all worth it!). Sometimes I still get queasy, tossed to and fro on the seas of life that come slamming against my boat. It's easy to get jostled around and to lose my focus. Sometimes life doesn't seem all that fun and all that worth it. But like a good friend, Your Holy Spirit is there to comfort me and remind me to lift up my eyes to You, the One whose always there -- steady and secure, always ready to help me get my balance and steady my soul. You always bring me back to the place "of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God" so that I'm no longer "tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind" that would steal my focus, my peace, and my joy (from Ephesians 4:13-14). And at the end of the day, I can say again, "It was worth it, because You were with me." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays We have two new resources on cd from my week of ministry to the students at Christ for the Nations in Dallas awhile back www.cfni.org : Spiritual Warfare -- Fighting the Good Fight of the Faith. This is a four-part series on understanding the victory of cross and our authority to enforce the victory of the cross in our lives and those we love. The Father's Blessing through Our Brokenness. This is an evening message and ministry of the Father's Blessing we long to have from the Father heart of God, but often seek in the wrong ways that lead to brokenness instead of blessing. But as we will give Him our brokenness in humility and faith, He releases to us the Father's Blessing of His peace and power and presence. Send your order to us by email at MessiahMin@aol.com Our other resources on the web site at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org All of these will be available at the bookstore for the Prayer Summit I'm helping lead on the weekend of Feb 29th at Centenary UMC in Lexington: www.CentenaryLex.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 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org