Join me in my daily journey of prayer. I write these each morning send them out fresh "Morning by Morning" to start each day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Subscribe to receive these prayers by email at Messiah-Ministries.org
Monday, March 31, 2008
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
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-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
"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.
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-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502
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Friday, March 28, 2008
"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
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
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
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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
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Monday, March 24, 2008
"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!
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-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
"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!
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-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
"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
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Friday, March 21, 2008
"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
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
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
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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
Monday, March 17, 2008
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
Sunday, March 16, 2008
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
Saturday, March 15, 2008
"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
Friday, March 14, 2008
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
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
"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
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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
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