Monday, July 29, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 29 - Fuego de Dios Consumenos

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I declare Your name over my life. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart; make me more like You today.  ...

"I baptize you with water for repentance, but One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11).

Fuego de Dios consumenos! Fire of God, consume us! That was the cry of our hearts, the passion of our spirits, as we cried out to You at our spiritual retreat with our Spanish ministry team this weekend. I loved reading with the authority of Your Word from the bilingual Bible our team gave me, as Your Spirit filled us, You fire consumed us, and moved us to prophesy Your Word over one another. "Our God is a consuming fire!" (Hebrews 12:29)

You invite us to ask for more of Your Presence, more of Your power in our lives. "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13)

Heavenly Father, I do ask for the good gift of Your Holy Spirit.  Let me be continually baptized in Your holy fire, baptized in Your Holy Spirit -- saturated, soaked, immersed in the oil of the anointing of Your Presence and then set ablaze with the fire of God (Matthew 3:11). In the fire of Your Presence, let me be "endued with power from on high" to be Your witness, to manifest Your nature, throughout the moments of my day to fulfill Your purposes for my life every day (Luke 24:49, NKJV). Your power comes upon us as Your Spirit consumes us (Acts 1:8).

Apart from You, I can do nothing. But I never have to be apart from You. You're always with me and always filling me with Your Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). You're always inviting me to ask to You to take more of me. More of You, less of me; You must increase and I must decrease, in ever-increasing depths of complete trust and surrender to You (John 3:30).

In humility and faith, all by the power of Your grace, I willing choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. In Your mercy and love, keep crucifying my flesh and filling me with Your Spirit, until "it is no longer I live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Fuego de Dios consumenos! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you be consumed with the fire of God. Be continually baptized in His Holy Spirit and set ablaze with a passion for Jesus to fulfill the purpose of God by the power of God in your life every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, thank you for your prayers for us at the retreat for our Spanish-speaking Sozo Prayer Ministry Team this weekend. The fire of God came down in power and our hearts rose up to Him in praise! We all had life-changing encounters with God. We'll never be the same. I pray the same for you!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 26 - Good Stewards of God's Gifts

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the sound of Your great name resonate in my spirit and the spiritual atmosphere around me, as the first sound from my mouth this morning.  ...

"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Lord, let me be a good steward of all You have entrusted to me today. Lead me and empower me to serve and give and love and speak in the ways that glorify You. Help me trust that You'll supply all I need to accomplish all You desire. The provision and power of the grace of God is enough.

According to Your Word, Your will is to be glorified through every gift I have received. Awaken and fan into flame the gifts of God You've given to me to serve You and Your people in the power of Your love and for the glory of Your name (2 Timothy 1:6). Let me "not lag in zeal, (but) be ardent in spirit, (to) serve the Lord" as I "rejoice in hope, (am) patient in suffering, (and) persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:11-12).

"We all have gifts that differ according to the grace given us" (Romans 12:6). So let me know and use mine with great joy and faithful obedience, according the identity and destiny You've created within me. And let me never forget that Your greatest gift of all is the gift of Yourself -- Your very Presence by Your Holy Spirit, always abiding in me and in all who will ask (Luke 11:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



My Friend,  may you know and use the great gifts of God He has entrusted to you to glorify His name through your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be teaching on spiritual gifts at our weekend ministry retreat for our Spanish-speaking Sozo Prayer Ministry Team this weekend. Please keep us in prayer to have more life-changing encounters with God. I pray the same for you!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 25 - Sing Spiritual Songs

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to worship You and welcome You into every moment of my day.  ...

"Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times ad for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18).

Holy Spirit of the Living God, would You come sing a new song of worship through my spirit to my God? Would You come stir in my heart to start my day in a spiritual song of communion with God?  ...

Arise, my spirit
Arise and fly
Soar high, my spirit
Soar high to the sky

Seek His face
Know His grace
Embrace the Lord our God

Take His hand
In His power stand
Strong in the strength of our God

Arise and go
Forever know
The love and the grace,
The power and the peace
The majesty and mystery
Of our God

Thank You, Lord. I love You, Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now let me keep connected, abiding in You and You abiding in me, throughout the moments of my day. My mind may think; my mouth may speak; but may my spirit continue to sing my spiritual song of worship in this holy communion of prayer and praise You've begun in me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit of the Living God stir your spirit with spiritual songs of praise to our God throughout the moments of your day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I just returned home to San Antonio and back to our ministry from a wonderful time of family vacation. Some have sent kind notes wondering where I've been for awhile :)  It was good to be away and now it's good to be back. I pray you're having a great summer too. Thank you for joining me in the journey of prayer and the adventure of life in our bond of the Spirit.


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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Friday, July 12, 2013


Morning by Morning, July 12 - "Here I Am"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my spirit be in communion with Your Spirit, as I start my day grounded in Your Word and embraced by Your Presence, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"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).

Let me be one who seeks You; let me be one who finds You. Let my nation be one that calls on Your name.

You are a God who created us for relationship -- a relationship of love and honor and respect. You require our obedience and You desire our love. You require our humility and You desire our faith. You know what's best for us and You created us to experience it. Yet You always set before us the choice to seek You or not, to trust You or not, to obey You or not, to embrace You or not, to love You or not.

A relationship of love requires the freedom to choose. And I choose You. By the grace of God, I will seek You, I will pursue You, I will find You and embrace You. I will love You, because You first loved me (1 John 4:19). I hear You say, "Here I am." And I say to You, "Thank You, Lord, for always being here for me." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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



My Friend,  may seek our God with all your heart and know in your soul that He is always there for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, we're excited to now have four teams of seven to fifteen trained prayer ministers getting to know one another and ministering together at Rapha God Ministries. We've been havingweekend retreats with each team and I'll be away with one of our teams this weekend at the retreat at Horseshoe Bay and then get to have a week of vacation with my family. Please keep us all in your prayers, and I pray for you to be aligned and bonded with your team and family in the love of God.
  
Also, I have a lot of friends coming together at the Aldersgate Conference in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend, which is a conference on Life in the Spirit (www.aldersgaterenewal.org). Please keep them all in prayer for a great outpouring of God's Spirit. God bless!


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

Share this word to encourage a friend! 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 11 - "The Implanted Word"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Be King and Lord of my life today.  ...

"You must understand this, my beloved:  let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" (James 1:19-22).

Lord Jesus, implant Your word in my heart. Let it take root and grow. Let it flourish and thrive. Let it change my desires and my thoughts from the inside out. Let it be alive and active, guiding my steps and directing my path.

Lord, as I listen, to hear and do Your word, what is Your word for me today? ...

It seems I hear You say, "My son, My word for you today is 'love.' Love is the word I've implanted in your heart. Look for those I will send to you to love. Listen to their stories. See their needs. Hear their hearts. Encourage their hope. When you love, you could not be more like Me, for I Am Love."

Yes, Lord. By the power of Your grace at work within me, I will. "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8). Let this word You've implanted in me change me and make me more like You today. You are the Living Word of God (John 1:1). And You are living in me (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may the Living Word implant His living word in your heart today. By the power of the grace of God, may you be a hearer and a doer of His word in all the encounters and experiences He has planned for you today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013


Morning by Morning, July 10 - "Whatever You Ask in My Name"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sanctify my spirit, soul, and body. Make me whole, set me free, and fill me up, as I entrust my life and this day to You.  ...

"I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in My name you ask Me for anything, I will do it" (John 14:5).

To be willing to ask is to be willing to humble myself to admit I need You. Humility is to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon God alone. And Your invitation to ask is Your invitation to admit I'm not yet all I am to be and I don't yet have all I need to have, but You are the Source and Provision of all I'll ever be and all I'll ever need. You are my "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28).

When I ask in Your name and You answer in Your power, "the Father is glorified in the Son." Answered prayer in the name of Jesus honors God and humbles me.

Lord God, my Daddy Abba, my Father God, I want to honor You today (Romans 8:15). Help me pray in Your way in the power of Your name with the faith and confidence of a child of God. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14).  Lead me by Your Spirit to ask of You in prayer according to the authority of Your name and the nature of Your will. "For we don't know how to pray as we ought," but You invite me to humble myself to be led by Your Spirit to pray "according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).

When when I ask in prayer and You answer in power, Your kingdom comes, Your will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. Then my God is glorified by my prayer. That's my desire, because I believe that's Your desire. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you be led by the Spirit of God as a child of God, in both humility and faith, to ask in prayer and receive by power in the name of Jesus to the glory of our Father. God bless you, my friend!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! 

Tuesday, July 09, 2013


Morning by Morning, July 9 - "Draw Near to Listen"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am to worship You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let my soul be still, as I listen for the leading of Your voice.  ...

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

Before I speak, let me listen. Before I offer up my petitions and prayers, before I begin to think of the people and places set before me today, let me first draw near to You. To draw near and listen, to watch and wait for the leading of Your voice and the guidance of Your Spirit, helps me surrender my agenda to Your agenda, yield my ways to Your ways, and entrust my day into Your hands.

As I wait in the silence of surrender, seeking Your face and listening for Your voice, it seems I hear You say, "My son, I have prepared a place for you. I see that you have prepared a place for Me. That place that I have prepared and that you have prepared is in your heart, in the depths of your innermost being. That's where I abide in you and you abide in Me, always and forever. As you draw near to Me, I always draw near to you."

Yes, Lord. Come abide in me (John 15:4). Come draw near to me (James 4:8). In You, I want to "live and move and have (my) being" (Acts 17:28). I want to come and dwell in the deep place You've prepared for me, the place where You say, "Where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3).

Down in my heart, down in the depths of my innermost being, I want to know that I am loved and embraced and never alone. There, I want to "be strengthened in (my) inner being with power through (Your) Spirit, that Christ may dwell in (my) heart through faith, as (I) am being rooted and grounded in love ... (having) the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that (I) may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Thank You for drawing near to me and drawing me near to You. Thank You for speaking to my heart, renewing my soul, and filling me up with Your Spirit here in Your Presence. Now I'm ready to go forth and meet my day because I've first met my God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you draw near to God as He draws near to you in the deep place of His abiding Presence, deep down in  your heart, every day. May you know that you are loved and embraced and never alone, renewed in your soul and filled with His Spirit. God bless you, my friend!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 3 - "Have Faith in God"

Morning by Morning, July 3 - "Have Faith in God"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I worship You, Lord God Almighty, in every dimension of Your Being with every dimension of my being.  ...

"Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' " (Mark 11:22).

By the grace of God, our words have power; our faith moves mountains. What we can believe, we can receive.

Though I'm tempted to water down these words of Yours and filter them through my own experiences and explanations to make them say something less than what You said, I'm choosing right now at this moment to believe Your words are true. And when I say it like that to You in prayer, it makes me feel a little silly or even arrogant to ever think it was ok to say it any other way. It makes me realize I have much room to grow in my spiritual maturity to obey Your command to "Have faith in God."

Forgive me for my sin of falling short of the faith You've called me to have. I've seen amazing things, but I want to see more. I understand about keeping You as the primary focus of my faith rather than putting the primary focus on my faith or my words or my mountains to move. But at the same time, I also understand there's more to believing that I'm already receiving the answers to my prayers and thanking my God, even before I see them done on earth as they are in heaven, that I have to learn. And I thank You that I have the very best Teacher and my whole lifetime to learn to believe that Your Word is true.

Lord, teach me Your ways that confirm Your Word. Increase my faith from the inside out so that I "do not doubt in (my) heart, but believe." I want to see more mountains move. "There ain't no mountain high enough" that it can't be moved in power of the name of Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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


My Friend,  may the Lord increase your faith in God to believe His Word is true in your life, until you see mountains move at the sound of your voice in the name of Jesus. May you believe you've received what you've asked, thanking our God, even before you see it happen on earth as it is in heaven. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 2 - Wide Open Door

Morning by Morning, July 2 - Wide Open Door

Good morning, Lord Jesus. At Your name, let every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Be Lord of all my thoughts and desires, all my circumstances and choices, throughout all the moments of my day.  ...

"A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9).

We have an adversary who opposes the advance of the Kingdom of God through our lives. He's a liar and a thief; he accuses and condemns; he distorts the truth and slanders the saints (John 10:10). He's like a roaring lion, trying to intimidate and isolate his prey, always looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). And he's angry because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12).

But our God is greater! Our God is mighty to save! (Isaiah 63:1). Our adversary is defeated by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). And the gates of hell will not prevail against Your people, advancing together as Your church, into the fullness of Your Kingdom (Matthew 16:18).

The door is wide and the harvest is ripe (John 4:35). Now is the time to arise and shine, to breakthrough and advance. Though our adversary will oppose, he will not overcome. Though the battles are intense, the victory is won (1 Corinthians 15:57). We can thank You now and praise You now by faith for all the victories to surely come according to the faithfulness of Your Word and the persistence of our prayers (Matthew 11:24).

Through the victory of the cross, You've forever triumphed over our foe (Colossian 2:15). Now "the God of peace will shortly crush Satan under (our) feet" (Romans 16:20). By the power of the grace of God, we'll go through that door open wide for our effective service as the saints and servants and sons of God. And our adversary, the devil, who'll try his best to oppose our advance every step of the way until the end, can go to hell (Revelation 20:10). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you go through every door the Lord has opened wide for your service to our Savior and King, as He crushes your adversary under your feet. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Share this word to encourage a friend! Blue 

Monday, July 01, 2013

Morning by Morning, July 1 - "With Mighty Victories"


Morning by Morning, July 1 - "With Mighty Victories"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name be exalted above all my thoughts, all my desires, all the moments of my day.  ...

"The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May He send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.
May He remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.
May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.
May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will help His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with mighty victories by His right hand"
(Psalm 20:1-6).

"With mighty victories," You answer our prayers and move in our lives. You make it clear that it's not by our might or power, but by Your Spirit that You grant our heart's desire and bring our fulfill our plans, all in Your time and all in Your way.

When we look back and see Your hand at work in ways we couldn't begin to imagine, much less orchestrate or schedule, we are awed and amazed at Your patience with us and Your favor upon us. We are astounded at Your mercy and stunned by redemption, causing all things to work together for the good of our souls and the glory of Your name.

So we shout for joy! And than set our hearts to follow You into our next adventure. "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you see mighty victories in the adventures the Lord has planned for you, as He sanctifies your soul and glorifies His namePlease pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Friday, June 28, 2013


Morning by Morning, June 28 - Guiding Light

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. I'm Your disciple and You're my Teacher. I'm Your sinner and You're my Savior. I'm Your servant and You're my Master. I'm Your child and You're my Father. As I start my day in prayer with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- come fill my spirit, direct my thoughts, and order my steps.  ...

"By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:74).

Savior of our souls, You are our Guiding Light. You are the Light of the world that breaks into our darkness (John 8:12). And darkness can never overcome Your Light.

And even though darkness may increase and obscure much, even seeking to eclipse the light of the glory and truth of our God if that were possible, the Light always wins, the Light always shines through. "For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your Light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:2-3).

Though there is always darkness before the dawn, there will always be a dawn of a new day when the light of the son bursts forth to overcome the darkness of the night. So let it be in our hearts and so let it be in our land. "The sun of righteousness shall arise" (Malachi 3:2). "It is You who light (our) lamp; the Lord, (our) God, lights up (our) darkness" (Psalm 18:28). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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


My Friend,  I pray you hold fast in faith through the darkness of whatever night you may ever endure until the Son of Righteousness breaks forth with the dawn of a new day in the light of His glory in your heart and your land. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Thursday, June 27, 2013


Morning by Morning, June 27 - Still Seeking the Welfare of the City and Nation of our Exile

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch and wait for the leading of Your voice in the communion of prayer to start my day grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit.  ...

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:  Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters in marriage; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do no decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:4-7).

With the choices our nation is making, it may seem as though we've been sent into exile. It may seem as though we've been taken captive from Jerusalem, the holy city on a hill in the heart of our promised land, into the world and culture of Babylon. According to the spiritual principles of the Kingdom of God, You give us over to the desires expressed in our hearts and confirmed with our choices, even if those choices break Your heart because You see the devastation that follows in the consequences of our choices. "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done" (Romans 1:28).

But even so, "we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9). We will continue pray for the cities and the nations where we find ourselves immersed in a culture that seems to be increasingly failing to acknowledge our God and the authority of Your Word as the standard of morality for our lives. We will continue to seek the welfare of the cities and nations where You've sovereignly chosen to strategically position us for Your divine purposes, seeking to shine as light in the midst of the darkness, only by the grace of God. "Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15).

By the power of the grace of God, let us be found faithful to You, "holding fast to the Word of Life that (we) can boast on the day of Christ that (we) did not run in vain or labor in vain" (Philippians 2:16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you will be encouraged and strengthened by the Holy Spirit of God with passion in prayer for our nation, not losing heart but bold to stand firm in your faith and shine like light in the midst of the darkness. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Wednesday, June 26, 2013


Morning by Morning, June 26 - "Encouraged and United in Love"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of every moment of my day.  ...

"I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3).

We are to be a people encouraged and united in love -- not in a common cause to do good things, not in great expectations of great victories for our favorite team, not in our agreement about forms of government or philosophies of life -- but in love. The bond we have as the Body of Christ, growing in the understanding and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Himself, is what unites us and encourages us to become all we were created to be. And it's in our journey together we become "mature in Christ" (v. 1:28).

Free us from what divides us. Remind us of what's really important. Let our lives be the passionate pursuit of seeking out the hidden treasure of Christ Himself. Bring us to the place where we can say with Paul, "I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... I want to know Christ..." (Philippians 3:8-11). Let that be the common bond that encourages us and unites us in love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you will be encouraged and united in love with our fellow travelers in our passionate pursuit of Christ Himself. May we all become mature in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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

Tuesday, June 25, 2013


Morning by Morning, June 25 - Go Through the Gates!

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin this day in the communion of prayer with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...

"Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples! Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world:  Say to daughter Zion, 'Surely your salvation is coming; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him' " (Isaiah 62:10-11, NKJ).

You've been speaking to me about going through the gates. Your Holy Spirit is preparing the way of the Lord in the hearts and souls of Your people. You're revealing and removing every barrier that would hinder the flow of Your life through our lives. You're raising up the banner of Your name and the banner of Your love and power over us as we advance into the fullness our salvation to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth.

As we arise and advance, all by the power of Your grace, "the gates of hell will not prevail against (Your Church)" (Matthew 16:18, KJV). In Your power, we will go through, go through every gate of hell and enter into gates of Your righteousness. "Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteousness shall enter through it. I thank You that You have answered me and become my salvation" (Psalm 118:19-21, NRSV).

In the name of Jesus, by the power of the grace of our God, we will go through the gate of pride and enter the gate of humility, through the gate of fear and enter the gate of love, through the gate of shame and enter the gate of honor, through the gate of rejection and enter the gate of acceptance, through the gate of lust and enter the gate of intimacy, through the gate of judgment and enter the gate of mercy, through the gate of death and enter the gate of life.

We are honored and excited to be chosen by You to live in these days the prophets and fore-fathers of our faith longed to see. In our generation, let Your Church arise, let Your Kingdom advance. There's an army of the Lord of hosts rising up. Let Your glory fill our hearts and fill the earth "as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Let us open up our hearts and let us go through Your gates. "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory many come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:9-10). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you will arise and advance and break through the gates hell into the gates of God's righteousness in every area of your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, the Lord woke me up early Sunday morning with this message to Go through the Gates to speak at the Life Changer Church of Claremore, Oklahoma after our Above the Storm Conference this weekend, encouraging the intercessors and watchmen on the wall of the region, hosted at the CMore House of Prayer. We had an exciting time in the powerful Presence of the Lord! Thank you for your prayers for us. I pray for breakthrough in your prayer life and in the Church of Jesus Christ in your region. Thank you for joining with me in this journey of prayer.

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

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Morning by Morning, June 20 - Sons of God, Not Slaves of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of God. Word of God, speak to my heart and awaken my spirit, as I begin my day with You.  ...

"For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.... And because you are children, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave but a child, then also an heir, through God" (Galatians 3:26-4:7).

Daddy Abba, my Father God, You've given me Your Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of Christ," to live in my heart and to change my life (Romans 8:9). In Christ, I am a son of God, because the Son of God lives in me by the Spirit of God.

So whenever I'm tempted to think like a slave, remind me to think like a son. Whenever I'm confused about my identity, remind me that I am who You say I am. Whenever I question my destiny, remind me that I have an eternal inheritance as a child of the one true King.

The truth is my Daddy is God. "When we cry, "Abba! Father!' it is (His) very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16). And the best thing about my Daddy is that He loves me (John 3:16). And my Daddy loves me enough to do all He can to help me grow up to be just like Him (Romans 8:29). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you will live today in the confidence of the truth that you are a child of God, deeply loved by God, who is at work in You and through You every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be going to Claremore, Oklahoma this weekend at the CMore House of Prayer to encourage the intercessors and watchmen on the wall of the region, being hosted by my good friend, Tiffany Miller Lotz calledAbove the Storm. Please keep us in prayer and come join us if you can!
  

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