The Time of Favor 4-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word wash over me, let Your Spirit come fill me, as I watch and wait for You in the stillness of the morning and the quietness of my soul. ... "Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' They shall feed along the ways, on all their bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for He Who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them" (Isaiah 49.8-10). Yes, Lord. This is a time of favor; this is the day of salvation. You are releasing Your Word to Your people to come out of the chains that have held us back and to bring the dark places of our souls out into Your light. We will feed on Your Word and be filled with Your Spirit. You will lead us out of the desert places where our vision was drying up and our purpose was perishing. You have already provided Your springs of water along the way -- where we will be refreshed and renewed, healed and delivered, anointed and empowered for Your will and our calling. Your Kingdom will be established in our hearts and the heritage of Your people will be restored and then released in Your power to others. And this is our heritage -- that we are created and loved by our God, Who is redeeming our past and fulfilling our future, right now in the present. For all who will receive it, this is the time of favor; today is the day of salvation. We ask for it and we receive it this day -- through our faith, in Your power, all by Your grace. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Praying Friends, if the Lord is ministering His love and encouragement to you through our ministry, please include us in your generous giving to His Kingdom. Even a small amount is a wonderful blessing and encouragement to us, since we raise all our own funds for ministry. Contributions to "Messiah Ministries" are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. God bless you! Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, KY 40502. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!Daily archives and devotional on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Conformed to Christ 4-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You each day. ... We tend to spend so much of the energy of our lives to know what is the will of God. And rightly so. We will never find fulfillment in anything less than Your will for us. You have a plan and purpose that You have gifted us and anointed us to live out, then blessed us with the gift of freedom to choose to find and follow Your will for our lives or not. Even when we choose "not," the spiritual principles You have created to govern our lives lead us back into the currents with Your will if we stop resisting the flow of "the River of the Water of Life" (Revelation 22.1-7). In seeking the flow of Your will, Your Holy Spirit is continually drawing us out of the tributaries and side streams that can get us swirling around in the eddies of the circumstances of our lives. As someone has said, "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Lord, what is the main thing? What is the primary flow of Your will through our lives? "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4.3). Yes, Lord. You are sanctifying us into the image of Christ. Your will is that we be conformed to Christ. "And God, Who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom He predestined He also called; and those whom He called He also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified" (Romans 8.27-30). As we look to You and follow You, we become more like You. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3.18). This is the main thing. This is the flow of the River of Life. This is Your will for our lives. Let us view every circumstance and every challenge as a means to the end in our journey. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

All in All 4-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord, my God, my King, my Best Friend -- You are my All in All. ... "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, which are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power for us who believe, according to the working of His great power. God put this power to work in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And He has put all things under His feet and made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1.17-23). We receive wisdom and revelation as we come to know You. Some say there is power in knowledge, and that is true. The greatest power we can have is in knowing You. Then we can begin to know the hope to which You have called us. Then we can begin to know the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us. This is the wisdom and revelation to begin to understand this mystery of our calling and purpose -- that You are our head and we are Your body, as You fill us with the fullness of Your presence. In this way, "Christ is all and in all" (Colossians 3.11). "When Christ Who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3.4). These are "the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints" that we come to know and understand, as we come to know You a little more each day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

I Surrender All 4-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are faithful and true, worthy of our trust and worthy of our praise. I praise You now in the trusting surrender of my life today. ... You prepared Your disciples for the troubled times to come. They would need to stand firm in the power of Your strength as everything around them would be shaken to its foundations. Before You told them of the things to come, You told them of the heart they would need. Ironically, you pointed them to the brokenness and surrender of an old woman: "He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said truly I tell you, truly this widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21.1-4). That was the key to survive and to triumph through troubled times -- "she put in all she had." She held nothing back, but gave You her all. Where our hearts are, there our treasure will be also. When our hearts are completely surrendered to You, we have nothing to lose. We when are standing completely in Your strength, we have nowhere to fall. When we are emptied of ourselves, we can be filled with You. When we recognize the poverty of our own power apart from You, we are prepared to receive the riches of Your provision for our every need. Then we will not merely survive, we will triumph in the power of Your strength. And those whose hearts are failing for fear of the shaking of heaven and earth around them will turn to the One they see standing firm in us. Give us the wisdom and the grace to prepare for troubled times -- to put in all we have to give of ourselves now so that we will always have all You have to give of Yourself. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our revival in Georgia. Last night we came to a place of deep surrender of ourselves to be filled with the fullness of Him. I pray the same for each of you. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory 4-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. One-on-one, my hand in Yours, Your heart in mine, make us one, in the communion of prayer. ... "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" (Matthew 6.13). Our Father, we are Your sons and daughters; we are children of God. You have honored us by giving us Your name. You have called us to give us Your nature. Let Your kingdom come here in our hearts, here in our thoughts, here in the encounters of our lives. Your kingdom comes wherever and whenever we bow to Your authority and submit to Your will and Your ways in trusting surrender. When we put our hand in Yours, the kingdom of God is at hand. Then Your power is released in us and in every circumstance we face. The glory of Your manifest presence fills our hearts and covers our lives, as Your light shines through Your people (Isaiah 60.1-3). Your kingdom comes as Your will is done. "Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might; and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to You and praise Your glorious name!" (1 Chronicles 29.11-13). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Press On and Press Through 4-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cleanse my heart and purify my thoughts, as I humble myself in silence before You, to watch and wait for Your leading. ... Many start well, but You have called us to finish well. Many do well for a season, but You have called us to be ready and available for Your purposes in all seasons. Let us never grow satisfied with what we have done, but always eager to see what more You will do. Increase our desire to press on; intensify our resolve to press through. Let every obstacle we face become an opportunity to grow. Let every challenge before us become a lesson we learn. Anoint us with the power of perseverance. As You have said, "The one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10.22; 24.9). Let us keep on seeking and receiving the fullness of Your salvation with our Your glory in our sight and Your resolve in our hearts. Let us settle for nothing less than the eternal pleasure of hearing Your words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25.21). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Life and Death 4-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Giver of life, for You are Life. Breathe Your life afresh into my spirit and soul and body this day and every day. ... The headlines are flooded with a tidal wave of death in these days -- the deaths of Pope John Paul and Terry Schiavo; victims of earthquakes, tsunamis, famines and disease; massacres and murders of terrorism; the tragedy and casualties of war; the shock of shootings even in our children's schools. We are awash in a sea of blood throughout the earth. The darkness of destruction and death is on the march. "Who can live and never see death? Who can escape the power of Sheol? (Psalm 89.48). Yet, Life lives on in the face of death. As we turn our eyes to You, Life leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14.6). It is the thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy, but You have come that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10.10). In the victory of Your cross, "death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15.54). Yet victory must be enforced, soul by soul, nation by nation, generation by generation, as Life marches on and "the last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15.26). You have won the victory over death for us by embracing life through death, by enduring the shame of death for the sake of the joy of life beyond the gate of death (Hebrews 12.1-2). "Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death (Hebrews 2.14-15). Praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your victory over death and the one who wields the power of death. You have captured the thief and put him under Your feet. Though we may have to pass through the gate of the death and live our lives through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear. You snatch us out of the hands of death and place us into the hands of our Father. Death is one of the gates of hell that cannot prevail against You and Your church (Matthew 16.18). There is a generation who will see the fullness of Your Kingdom and the ultimate consummation of Your victory -- who will not even "taste of death" (Matthew 16.27-28). There will soon come a day of the world-wide display of Your victory over death when You return in glory. "For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4.16-18). "My son, embrace Life and not death. Death is to be endured, not glorified. Death is a passing moment of apparent victory for the one who delights in the marring of My creation, yet he is defeated and I am enforcing My victory for all those who entrust their lives to Me. This is how I delight even through the death of My precious ones, for death becomes a door into the fullness of life." Yes, Lord. We overcome death though life in You. Thank You for helping us to grow in understanding. Death is a step in the journey through a broken and fallen world, but our hope is not in this world or its ways. Our hope is in You. Let us be encouraged by Your Word: "I have said this to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16.33). "Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15.57). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Steady as She Goes 4-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am to worship. Here I am to pray. Here I am to watch and to wait as we begin a new day. ... "Steady as she goes." Yes, Lord. In a way, our lives are like a ship at Your command. We may encounter troubling seas or dangerous waters, but we are to stay the course, moving forward with caution, at Your command. We are to move steadily forward and we are to move cautiously; but we need not fear, for we will not waver as we continue to place You at the helm. "To be steady, is to be consistent and persistent. Keep your eyes fixed on Me, and I will direct your course. Keep your ears tuned to the sound of My voice, and you will hear My commands. Though you traverse troubled waters, you will not crash upon the shoals, but will fulfill the calling of your journey." Yes, Lord. You are the Master and Commander of our vessel. You are the Lord of Hosts and the Captain of our command. Give us the wisdom to seek You, the sensitivity to hear You, and the courage to obey. "Keep my steps steady according to Your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me" (Psalm 119.133). Then we will be steady and secure through these troubled times. Then we will know Your peace in the journey and finish our course for our generation with valor and honor, by Your grace. "Those of steadfast mind, You keep in peace -- in peace because they trust in You" (Isaiah 26.3). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'd appreciate your prayers for our revival this weekend at Hickory Flat United Methodist Church in Canton, Georgia. May the Lord stir His revival in your hearts and cities. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Open Our Eyes 4-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take my thoughts and lead me near to You -- from the outer court, to the inner court, to the Holy of Holies beyond the veil. ... When we come inside a room from the outside, our eyes have to adjust so that we can see. The same is true when we go from the inside to the outside. The same vision that serves us well in one realm is not sufficient for the other. For these days, our eyes must adjust to see more clearly the spiritual realities beyond the veil of the physical circumstances. For the carnal mind steeped in the ways of the world, this is foolishness; but for the worshippers and warriors who will be Your heart and hands upon the earth by Your Spirit in these days, this is essential. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5.7). Lord, increase our faith, our wisdom, and our discernment that are necessary to bridge the realms of the spiritual and physical. "The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth" (Proverbs 17.24). You are Spirit and You lead us by Your Spirit, so we must learn to be as comfortable in the spiritual realm as in the physical realm of our lives. We must learn how to see more clearly with our spiritual eyes. As You opened the eyes of Elisha's servant to the spiritual realities beyond the surface of the physical circumstances, open our spiritual eyes, that we may see to worship and to fight as You lead (2 Kings 6.15-17). You only did what You saw our Father doing (John 5.19). May Your Holy Spirit open our eyes to see what our Father is doing -- for that is what we are called to do and that is where we are called to go, all by Your power and by Your grace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Spiritual Fathers 4-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be high and exalted throughout the earth and here in my heart. ... Pope John Paul II passed through the gates of death into the presence of Life yesterday. He sees You face to face in the glory of eternity as he takes his place among the great cloud of witnesses who have run their race and finished their course on earth (Hebrews 12.1-2). Though all do not agree with all of his teachings and interpretations of Your Word as the leader of the stream of Christianity known as the Roman Catholic Church, all may agree that he sought to be an "ambassador of Christ" with humility, integrity, and faith. Not being from that stream, I have been reflecting on the idea of the Catholic office of Pope. As I understand it, the title of "Pope" comes from the Latin word for "papa," meaning a term of affection for "father." As in our journey of life in the natural realm, it is true that we are to grow in maturity in the spiritual realm as well. You spoke of these levels of spiritual maturity through the apostle John: "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him Who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know Him Who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2.12-14). As the church moves forward at Your command, those who have grown from children in the faith to young men and women of the faith, are now being called to take their places as spiritual fathers and mothers in the Lord. Father, give them grace to lead with humility, integrity, and faith. When Moses passed on to be with You, Joshua was ready to take his place of leadership and to move forward in the advance of Your kingdom. Though You are our Father, You also bless us with spiritual fathers to help us grow in maturity. Though You are our Teacher, You also bless us with spiritual teachers to help us understand Your Word and Your ways. Help us grow in grace so that we will each be ready to take our place in our generation, as You fulfill Your purposes in us and through us to Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Moving Forward 4-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. May You increase and I decrease. Let my thoughts be still, so that I can hear Yours'; let my heart be quiet so I can sense the leading of Yours'. ... "Move forward. Do not hesitate as I give the command. This is why I have been training you to hear My voice, to sense My leading, to know My Word. I have been preparing you, sanctifying you, equipping you. Now I am moving you forward. Though it will be one step at a time, there will be steps. Your steps will not be alone, for I am moving My people forward in unity and in agreement. Steady steps, in agreement, directed by My voice, will become a march." Yes, Lord. Doors in line with our dreams will begin to open that have not been open before. Thoughts that seemed like distant visions will become reality as they grow in intensity and we hear them confirmed in the mouth of witnesses You send across our paths. Your Kingdom is advancing as You move Your people forward. Before the walls of Jericho fell down, You first called Your people to march, but when You gave the command, "the people charged straight ahead in to the city and captured it" (Joshua 6.20). Give us discernment to hear You and courage to obey You, as the march begins. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Jesus is Lord 4-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I actively welcome You into my heart and my thoughts in whole-hearted surrender and single-minded devotion. ... " 'The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart' (that is the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, 'No one who believes in Him will be put to shame' "(Romans 10.8-11). Lord, let our lips and our lives come into agreement; let our minds and our hearts be one. Release in us the kind of knowing faith that truly transforms our lives rather than a superficial level of identity with You. Knowing the right doctrines or understanding with our minds Who You are and what You have done is different from living a life in surrender to the leading of Your Lordship in every area of our lives. As Your Word warns us, "You believe that God is One; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder" (James 2.19). Let our faith not be a facade. Let our lives be a reflection of our hearts, and let our hearts be fully surrendered to You. You give us the right and the responsibility to choose whether to fully surrender our lives to You or not, and You hold us accountable for our choices. As best as I can, I willingly submit to Your Lordship in every area of my life. You are Lord of my spirit, my soul, and my body. You are Lord of my marriage, my family, and all my relationships. You are Lord of my identity and Lord of my destiny, Lord of my work and my ministry, Lord of my gifting and calling and anointing. You are Lord of my finances and resources. You are Lord of my hopes, my dreams, my plans. You are Lord of my past, my present, and my future. You are Lord of all, as far as Your grace will go. I choose to declare now with my lips and my life, by Your grace, what all will declare sooner or later -- as every knee bows and every tongue confesses -- that "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2.9-11). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we'll be at the regional conference for Aglow International in Lexington, KY this weekend, where I serve as one of the advisors. Please cover us in your prayers and may the Lord cover you in His love. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Deliver Us from Evil 3-31-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the peace of Your presence settle over me, as You draw me in to the place of prayer. ... "Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3.1-3). In this broken and fallen world, where we face the challenges of suffering and sickness and death each day, we also face evil. According to Your Word, there are "evil people" and there is "the evil one." Help us to keep the distinction clear. We are to love the people and hate the evil one. You call us to love the people and to forgive them, while confronting them by speaking the truth in love -- even when they are doing evil things that hurt others and hurt us (Matthew 5.43-48). But we are to war against the evil one. "For our struggle is not against enemies of flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6.12). Thank You for Your faithfulness. You are always there to strengthen us and to guard us from the evil one. You deliver us from evil as we entrust ourselves to Your care -- not passively, but actively, as we take up our armor to be clothed in Christ in order to take our stand against our true enemy. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6.10-11). What peace You bring even in the midst of the battles -- battles we win by Your grace as we keep loving the people even in the face of evil. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Come to Me 3-30-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I humble myself in Your sight to watch and wait for Your leading. Fill my heart with the fullness of Your presence, I pray. ... Thank You for Your promise to sustain us when we become weary and renew us when we are weak. There is so much pain and so much need in this broken and fallen world, as time continues to accelerate to the fulfillment of all things. Yet in Your grace, You remind us that we are but the instruments in Your hands. We are not to bear the burdens on ourselves, but we are to bear them to You. We are not the answer, but we are to lead others to the One Who is. "Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11.28-30). You are singing a new song of the Spirit over us, as You lift these burdens we've been bearing from our shoulders and take them onto Yours: "Come to Me; Come rest in Me; Come lay your head down. As I arise; Though I had died; I rise up in you. I am your strength; Your friend in deed; I supply your every need. Just trust in Me; Believe in Me; With your mind and with your heart. Then you will see; I'm all you need; Your Master and Your King. I'll walk with you; I'll see you through; I'll lead you in My ways. Give Me your sorrows; Give Me your pain; I free you from all shame. Come seek My joy; Come know My peace; I fill you with My love. Receive My life; Let go of strife; Be made one and whole in Me. For I am Love; And I love you; Come receive My love. Forevermore; And for every day; I am always here. I never leave; So just believe; Put your trust in Me. There's no other way; To face each day; Apart from My love for you. So come and rest in Me." Yes, Lord. Thank You for this new song You've written in my spirit. We come to You this day to rest in You as You arise in us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please feel free to use any of these songs, peoms, or words that come from the Lord as He may lead. They belong to Him. The words in quotes in my devotionals, not referenced by a Scripture, are from the Lord in prayer that day. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Touch Me 3-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit, as You abide in me and I abide in You. ... As You walked into the room where Your disciples hid, You've come to walk into the room of our spirits, in the closet of prayer. You humbled Thomas' pride and unbelief by offering the body of Christ to him that day (John 20.19-25). Now, You call us to humble ourselves to receive Your body and Your blood in the communion of prayer with Your Holy Spirit every day: "Touch My hands -- they were nailed to the cross for you. Touch My side -- it was pierced to let the water and the blood flow down for you. Touch My feet -- as you humble yourself in My sight, I will lift you up. Touch My head -- the crown of thorns has become My crown of glory. Touch my back -- the stripes I bore were for your healing and the punishment that should have been laid up you has been laid upon Me, that you might be made whole. I am the fullness of your salvation by the sacrifice of My love for you. Touch Me with your hearts, welcome Me in your spirits, and receive the full measure of all I have suffered for you to receive." Yes, Lord. You don't want us to hold back, but to draw near -- with humble hearts, in trusting faith. Let us honor You by receiving all that the sacrifice of Your life has given. Remove our pride that causes us to hesitate, though we think it is humility. Remove our doubt and unbelief that causes us to question, though we think it is wisdom. "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1.18). Thank You for the power of God released to us through the sacrifice of Your cross and the glory of Your resurrection. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Resurrection Power! 3-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in my heart as we begin this new day together. ... Today begins the season of forty days we remember how You appeared in Your resurrection glory, beginning to point Your disciples to the Holy Spirit, Who would come lead them in Your ways to fulfill their destiny. "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. While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' He said, 'is what you have heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now' " (Acts 1.3-5). Thank You, Lord, for the many convincing proofs of Your life and Your power when we turn our eyes to You and call upon Your name. You lift the burdens we can't bear alone, You turn our mourning into joy, You free us from the bondage of the world, the flesh, and the devil. And You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit, as our Father has promised to send in Your name, to dwell in our hearts and empower us to live our lives in Your resurrection power. Breathe the breath of Your Spirit into our spirits afresh this day and every day, that we may fulfill our destiny in our generation, as Your first disciples did in theirs'. As was said of those first believers, let it be said of us: "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also!" (Acts 17.6). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching a revival in Canton, Georgia the weekend of April 8-9 called "the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory." If you're in that area, please come, and if not, please cover us in your prayers. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

He is Risen! 3-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Consume my thoughts in these moments alone with You at the start of a new day. ... "He is risen!" "He is risen indeed!" Since the beginning of Your church, Your disciples have greeted one another this way on the day we celebrate Your resurrection. You were crucified, dead, and buried, but on the third day, You arose! Death could not hold You, Satan could not defeat You -- You are Life itself, and life always overcomes death just as light always overcomes darkness. "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again" (Luke 24.1-7). Roll away the stones of doubt and unbelief, and arise in our hearts in the power of Your resurrection. We've been looking for the living among the dead for too long. Free us from the hold of mediocrity in our lives, trying to live the life of faith without being crucified in our flesh and dead to the ways of this world. You are not there in those places and in those ways, You are here before us in Your resurrected glory calling us to arise with You. "If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you" (Romans 8.11). "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5.14). Yes, Lord. Let this day be our third day, as we arise in newness of life with You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Day of Silence 3-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my body be still; let my soul be quiet; let my spirit soar, as I settle in to the place of prayer to follow where Your Spirit leads. ... You breathed Your last on Good Friday and they laid You in the tomb behind the stone. On Resurrection Sunday the stone would be rolled away and You would rise in the victory of resurrection power. What of Saturday -- the day the silence of the grave must have been deafening? "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as removal of dirt from the body, but as a appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3.18-22). "But they will have to give an accounting to Him Who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does" (1 Peter 4.4-6). Though the tomb was silent on the day between the first day and third day, You were not. The One Who would rise to the highest heaven also descended to the depths of hell (Ephesians 4.8-10). You were proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God, as "the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead." You are relentless in the sacrifice of Your love for us; You are relentless in Your pursuit of our hearts for You. Open the blinded eyes to Your truth and soften the hardened hearts to Your love, so that through repentance and faith, even "death is swallowed up in victory" by the power of Your resurrected Life (1 Corinthians 15.54). Thanks be to God! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

It is Finished 3-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to see You and open my ears to hear you, as I wait and watch for Your leading. ... "It is finished" (John 19.30). On a Friday long ago that we now call good, You poured out Your blood and gave up Your spirit for us all. You Who knew no sin were made to be sin for us. Everything that could keep us from receiving the fullness of our salvation and living in deepest intimacy in relationship with our God was laid upon You that day -- as You hung naked and alone, rejected and despised upon the cross for us. "Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53.4-6). Though it did not seem good that day, it would be revealed to be the greatest day. Death would give way to life, despair would give way to joy, and defeat would give way to victory. Your light overcame the darkness, and the Kingdom of Heaven was eternally established upon the earth. The plan and purposes of God were finished, accomplished, and fulfilled. Give us the faith to believe it and the courage to live it. The power of Your blood is available to overcome every obstacle to the fullness of our salvation through the victory of Your cross, but You have left it to us to enforce the victory and apply the blood, by Your grace. Let us fulfill our responsibility, because You have already fulfilled Yours. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Place of Surrender 3-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Teach me Your ways and lead me in Your paths -- the truth is I have so very far to go. Yet You are my example, my light, and my strength as I choose to follow in Your steps, by Your grace. Strengthen me for the journey each day in our time of prayer together. ... Your steps on this earth led You to a garden called Gethsemane -- the place of absolute surrender to the will of our Father. "Then He said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here and stay awake with Me.' And going a little farther, He threw Himself on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not what I want but what You want" (Matthew 26.38-39). There is a cup for each of us to drink, just as there is a cross for each of us to bear. "If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8.34-35). Blinded by their own insecurities and puffed up in their own pride, Your first disciples thought they were ready to drink of the cup, as they revealed the blind-spots in their vision of themselves. "And they said to Him, 'Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your glory.' But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able" (Mark 10.37-39). They said they were able, but they were not. They thought they had come a long way, but they had far to go. We cannot share in the glory of Your resurrection without first sharing in the crucifixion of Your death. We cannot rise up and follow You until we bow down and surrender. Show us what is our cup to drink, what is our cross to bear. Open our eyes to see the flesh that still needs to be crucified in our soul and the hardness of our pride that still needs to be humbled. Bring us each to the place where we surrender and submit to Your will and Your way. This is the place where we say with You, by Your grace, "Not my will, but Thy will, be done." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Freely Receive, Freely Give 3-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I enter in to the place of prayer with this praise song on my heart: "He gave His life, what more could He give? -- O how He loves you; O how He loves me; O how He loves you and me." ... You gave Your life freely for us so that we can give our lives freely to others. As You sent out Your first disciples to lay down their lives for others in ministry, You told them"...Freely have you received, freely give" (Matthew 10.8). Then, as we give our lives away for others as You have given away Your life for us, there is no limit to the blessings and favor and grace You lavish upon our lives in Your ways and in Your timing. It's an application of Your spiritual principles: "For with the judgment you make, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get (Matthew 7.2). "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow" (Galatians 6.7). It would be wrong to try to manipulate these principles for our own gain; and, at the same time, it would be foolish not to know these principles apply to our lives. Praise You for the beautiful and amazing revelation of these principles last weekend. A lady named MaryAnn came up to the team for prayer because of the pain in her shoulder from severed tendons, where she couldn't lift her arm. Her livelihood was as a woodworker and she had just restored and refinished a communion table for the local Baptist Church. Though she didn't have much, she felt You laid it on her heart to write across their bill, "No Charge." As she asked for prayer Friday night and tried to describe what she couldn't do, she was doing it as she lifted her arm straight up in the air. Soon she was lifting it up with joy and praise! It was as if You said from heaven, "No Charge," as You restored and refinished her. Then, if that were not enough to make Your point, another lady named Dianne ran up to her Saturday morning after hearing the testimony. She said she knew about the joy and blessing of giving in response to Your call to give when it seemed there was nothing to give, as she put several twenty dollar bills in MaryAnn's hand. It was a humbling moment for all of us. Then some of us heard "the rest of the story" Sunday morning at Dianne's local Methodist Church! She had come home Saturday night and her kids immediately noticed a fresh joy and peace in their mother's heart. Then she opened the mail to find a letter from Eastern Kentucky University offering a full, four-year scholarship for her oldest child. She couldn't quit shouting from the front of the church, "You can't out-give God!" No, we can't. It might not always happen so quickly and so directly from our limited perspective, but it is one of the ways You have called us to be like You. You gave Your life, what more could You give? Freely have we received, now we are to freely give. Whether it's our love, our time, our resources, or our forgiveness, any gift we have to give is just a gift you've first given to us. Give us the wisdom and the courage, the humility and the faith, to give our lives away to one another as You lead. For as we give to one another with grateful hearts, we are giving to You (Matthew 25.40). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!

Holy Week 3-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You in to the temple of my body; be exalted on the throne of my heart. ... Changed hearts; changed lives -- You did not come to die on the cross to start a new religion; You came to change us into the people You created us to be. We are created for relationship, not religion; we are created for intimacy, not independence. Yet You can only change us to the degree that we admit we need to be changed. We confess we are often blinded by our pride and our wounds have grown calloused so that we lose our sensitivity to Your touch and dull the discernment of Your voice. Sometimes we need You to come bursting into the temples of our lives and turn over the tables. We need You to come drive out the moneychangers we've allowed to come in and set up shop in the holy ground of our hearts (Matthew 21.12-17). That's when we'll know that Holy Week is more than a few days on the calendar before Easter Sunday. Come set up Your house of prayer in our hearts. Come let judgment begin in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4.17). Come slay our pride, cleanse our hearts, and change our lives in the power of Your coming. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Every Day Matters 3-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to see You in the Word; open my ears to hear You in the still, small voice. ... It seems You are saying, "In these days, every day matters. When I call you to rest, then rest for you will need your rest in the day I call you to arise. When I call you to go, then go for I have already prepared the way. When I call you to wait, then wait for I am ordering your steps and the steps of others. Every encounter is a divine encounter; every moment is a holy moment, if you will entrust each day to Me." Yes, Lord. Give us this perspective that every day matters, every moment matters. Yet as we look to You as our guide and our source of provision, it is not a burden we cannot bear because You bear it for us. It's not a responsibility we cannot fulfill because You fulfill it through us. In the wilderness, they sought You and Your provision every day. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not" (Exodus 16.4). Every day mattered to them and every day must matter to us. As You taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Luke 11.3). You are the source of our provision and You provide all we need. You call us to be ready to do our part, each day, so that all the parts come together to accomplish Your purpose in these days. Let us not waste a single day. Every day matters, because every life You would touch through us every day matters. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our weekend retreat. There were incredible testimonies already of God's healing love and the desire to pray for others to recieve it. May you recieve His healing love and give it away to others each day. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Palm Sunday 3-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Hosanna, praises to the King! ... This is the day we call Palm Sunday -- the day all the people of Jerusalem waved their palm branches and laid them at Your feet to welcome You as King. "The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is the One Who comes in the name of the Lord--the King of Israel!' Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 'Do not be afraid, Daughter of Zion. Look your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!' His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of Him and had been done to Him" (John 12.12-16). As they lifted their palm branches, we lift our hands and hearts and faces to You. When we look upon You and the sacrifice of Your love for us and the power of Your love You release into our lives, we can't help but praise You. We lift our arms in praise like the branches of the trees to declare Your glory. "For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands" (Isaiah 55.12). As You said on that day, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out" (Luke 19.40). We lift our hearts in praise and bow them down at Your feet. We welcome You as King of kings and Lord of lords in our hearts and in our cities. We join all creation in shouting Your praises and giving You glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Welcomed, Taught, Healed 3-19-05

Morning by Morning, Saturday 3-19-05 -- Welcomed, Taught, Healed Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift my hand to take Your hand; I lift my face to seek Your face. ... When the people drew near to You as You walked this earth in the flesh, You welcomed them, You taught them about the kingdom of God, and You healed them as they had need (Luke 9.11). You have not changed. As we draw near to You, You draw near to us. You welcome us into Your presence as we lift up our hearts and open our spirits to You. You teach us Your word and Your ways as we listen for the leading of Your voice and allow Your thoughts to be our thoughts. You heal us and make us whole as we entrust our spirits and souls and bodies into Your care. Little by little and step by step, You bring our lives back into created order, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, refreshed and renewed by the Spirit of God. As You have welcomed us, You send us out in our day to welcome others into Your presence. Because we have welcomed Your presence in us, we carry Your presence wherever we go. Because we have allowed You to teach us and allow Your thoughts to shape our thoughts, we teach others about Your kingdom with our lives along the way. Because we have embraced Your healing touch, we are vessels of Your healing love to released through us into the lives we touch each day. Thank You Lord, for loving us. Thank You Lord, for loving through us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep praying for us at our prayer ministry training retreat in Kentucky. The Lord moved mightily to touch His people with deep emotional healing of a lady's soul and with a physical healing miracle of a lady's shoulder! May He touch you today! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Forgiven and Forgiving 3-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in my heart, I step in to the closet of prayer and close the door to everything else in these moments I give to You. ... "My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves" (Galatians 6.1-3). As it is said, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." How humbled we should be by Your steadfast love and Your amazing grace. You forgive us of every sin by Your mercy and our repentance, then You cast them "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103.12). You humble our pride and slay our self-righteousness further by calling us to restore one another when they have fallen, even coming along side them to bear their burdens to the foot of Your cross. This is part of Your grace of taking away the shame but not the memory of the sins of our past. You remember them no more, but is Your grace to allow us to remember, for he who has been forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7.47). You allow the joy of forgiveness rather than the shame of failure to rise up within us when we remember, when we need to, so that we will be humble enough to be Your hands of restoration to one another, not being too prideful to bear one another's burdens. "For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins (2 Peter 1.9). Thank You for the blessing of forgiving and cleansing us of much, and thank You for the blessing of restoring and loving one another with much. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be leading a prayer ministry retreat this weekend in a series of meetings in Princeton, KY with the churches of the Madisonville District of the Methodist Church. Please keep us in your prayers, and I pray the Lord will be equipping you to fulfill your calling as His body wherever you are. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Led by The Spirit 3-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You refresh and renew me in Your presence. ... There are many facets to Your identity and many dimensions to Your nature. You are humble, yet You are bold. You are gentle, yet You are determined. You were humble as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, like a lamb led to slaughter but did not open Your mouth (Isaiah 53.7; John 1.29). Yet, You boldly confronted hypocrisy, deception, and evil (Matthew 23.13; 16.23). You call us to be like You, to learn from Your ways, but we must be led by Your Spirit in every moment if we are to live out Your nature in every circumstance. We have in You the greatest example we could have, yet we are not to merely imitate Your actions from a passage of Scripture, we are to allow Your living presence to live through us in every moment. Yes, we need You to teach us Your ways, but we also need You to live Your ways through us. We are to be taught by the Master and "led by the Spirit" (Galatians 5.18). In this way, we will be Your body and reveal Your nature in the encounters and circumstances of our lives. Come teach us and come lead us moment by moment and day by day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night (3rd Sat. of every month) for our ecumenical, Spirit-led gathering of prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All are welcome. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Holy Double-Vision 3-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "Be Thou my vision, O Lord, my God." ... You told Nicodemus, "No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.... What is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3.3-6). Lord, open our eyes to see as You see. Let us not only see the kingdoms of this world in their present state, but let have Your vision to see the kingdom of God being made manifest in their midst. Let us not only see the flesh of one another on the outside, but let us also see the spirit of one another on the inside. Let us not only see things as they now are, but also see things as You intend them to be. Teach us how to come into agreement with the Redeemer instead of the accuser. Give us Your holy double-vision -- vision to see things as they are in the flesh, but to also see things as they are to be redeemed in Your Spirit by the blood of Jesus. Give us Your vision of Your kingdom so that we may see more as You see and agree with Your redeeming words of life. You are the God "Who gives life to the dead and call into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4.17). Teach us to see more as You see, so that we may speak more as You speak. Then we will be Your instruments to release life instead of death, healing instead of hurt, and peace instead of pain. By Your grace and through Your people, Your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven -- in our lives and in the lives of those around us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Persistence in Prayer 3-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the heart of my prayer, the center of my thoughts, and the foundation of my day. ... Three years ago my Grandmother lost the wedding ring Papa gave her over sixty years ago. Nanny was heartsick and couldn't quite bring herself to just let it go. She must have been like the woman who kept coming to the judge for justice or the friend who kept banging on the door for bread in the middle of the night in the parables You taught on persistence in prayer. You must have put it on her heart to pray through to victory. She was digging holes to plant tulips for Easter in her little flower garden when her garden tool hit something hard deep down in the dirt. There it was -- her pearl of great price! You gave her the desires of her heart. The delay in the answer to prayer only made her grow more determined to persevere. The value of her treasure only made her shout of praise that much louder. I had to pull the phone back from my ear while her eighty-seven year old lungs filled that little west Texas town with shouts of praise and hallelujahs to You. The prayer of perseverance is like the prayer You put on the hearts of the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem: "Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they will never be silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest, and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout all the earth" (Isaiah 62.6-7). Lord, give us grace to know the prayers You are putting on our heart that we are to pray through to victory. Teach us how to persevere until we see the victory or You lift the burden. And thank You for answering Nanny's prayer. How you must have delighted in her celebration of thanksgiving and how You have touched the hearts of all who can't help but hear her shouts of praise! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Gift of Friends 3-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the priority of my day and I offer You the first fruits of my thoughts in prayer. ... Thank You for the gift of friends. Someone has said that we are born into our families, but we choose our friends. By its very nature, friendship requires relationship. "A friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17.17). Though it is a costly gift of love because of the vulnerability and honesty and commitment it requires, that just makes it all the more precious and all the more fragile. It is precious because it is rare; it is fragile because it can be broken. To be a true friend is to be one who has chosen to love and to keep on loving -- to bear with one another, to fight for one another, to speak the truth to one another, to forgive one another. In the commitment and covenant of friendship, "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27.17). "Some play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin" (Proverbs 18.24). You have called us Your friends and You have called us to be friends to one another (John 15.14-15). Teach us how to be good friends. "As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful" (Colossians 3.12-15). Yes, Lord, let us be thankful for Your gift of friends. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Rock of Ages 3-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old hymn proclaims, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee." ... Moses asked to see Your glory. You hide him in the cleft of the rock, so that You could draw near and speak Your name but his flesh would not be overcome by the glory of Your presence (Exodus 33.17-28). "The Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name" (Exodus 33.17). You are the Rock of our salvation. Though no flesh can stand in Your presence or see the face of God, when we are dead to our flesh and alive to Your Spirit, we find favor in Your sight and Your glory draws near. As we turn our eyes and open our hearts to You, we call upon Your name and You speak ours for You know us by name through the relationship of prayer. In the cleft of the Rock, our flesh is hidden in Christ so that Your glory may draw near and we may hear Your voice. "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ Who is your life is revealed, then you will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3.1-4). Hidden in You, the flesh of our old self is stripped away and we are clothed with the new, being renewed into the image of our Creator (Colossians 3.9-10). Rock of Ages, Your flesh was cleft open for us upon the cross, that we could live in the presence of Your glory even on this earth -- only as we are hidden in You, in the cleft of the Rock of our salvation. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we'll be traveling to south Texas today where I'll have a series of personal prayer ministry appointments this week. Please keep us in prayer and I pray for the presence of the glory of the Lord to minister to each of you as you are hidden in Him. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Joy of the Lord 3-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am, Lord, watching and waiting in Your presence for the leading of Your Spirit. Thank You for the blessing of beginning my day with You. ... "This is My delight, My son; this is My joy. That My people whom I have created turn to Me and take their delight in Me. This brings Me joy." Praise You, Lord. Sometimes we don't always think of You as One Who expresses emotion, but Your Word makes it clear that You do. "You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62.4-5). What godly father does not delight in seeing the eyes of his children looking into his eyes with a smile on their face. What godly mother is not moved with joy at the call of her child's voice when he or she wakes in the morning. Yet You have the nature of a perfect father and perfect mother, Who loves Your children and welcomes our gaze and the call of our voice more than we can imagine. Let our prayers bring You joy this day and every day, our holy and perfect, loving Father. Let us grow in becoming the grateful, loving children in whom You take delight. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Holy Fire 3-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the world fade away for these moments, as only You come into view. ... You are a holy God and You are kindling a holy fire in our souls. You are burning away the chaff and refining away the dross of everything in us that is not yet like You. To persevere in the days that are coming, we must become more pure in the surrender of Your Spirit and less defiled in selfishness of our flesh. Give us courage to embrace this process of purification, to embrace Your holy fire, "for indeed our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12.28-29). "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you no know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3.12-17). Let us not be deceived, our work will be tested. Who we are in this world, and what we have done with our lives matters, for You desire to live in us and through us each day to touch the lives of those around us. What we have done for ourselves rather than for You is wood, hay, and straw -- to be consumed in Your fire on the Day of the Lord. But as we allow You to purify the temple of our souls, that our holy God may come and dwell in Your holy temples, You will live Your life through us. Then all that we do will be what You do through us and we will see the gold, silver, and precious stones of everlasting value. Give us courage now to embrace the flame of Your consuming fire, so that who we are and what we do will remain on that Day and throughout eternity. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Hosanna! 3-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I heard the song Your Holy Spirit had been singing in my spirit as I opened my eyes this morning -- "Hosanna! Hosanna! Jesus died and rose again!" Now with the conscious mind of my soul, I join with the heart of my spirit in this song of praise the Holy Spirit is singing to You. ... The joy of Your resurrection overcomes the sorrow of Your suffering. You are our example as we persevere through the sufferings of the moment to share in the joy of eternity. Our Father has sent us the Holy Spirit, Who continually lifts our eyes to Jesus, the Holy One of God Who continually shows us to the way to life -- life abundant and life everlasting. We are "looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, 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). As our hearts sing "Hosanna!" to You, Your Spirit is lifting our eyes off of our selves and our circumstances, reminding us of the joy that is set before us and the joyous One Who shows us the way. "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30.5). As we look to You and persevere, You redeem all things to work together for good, never wasting a moment of our suffering, never ignoring a moment of our sorrow. You died and rose again. As we keep looking to You, so will we. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Learning to Wait 3-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart and welcome into my day. You are Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, and Lord of my life. ... "I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40.1-3). There is power in waiting. Oh, how it cuts against our grain, crucifies our flesh, and humbles our pride. Yet it is when we are waiting patiently for You, that You turn to us and bend down to us and hear our cry. When we wait on You, we finally come to the end of ourselves -- trying to force our way through, trying to make something happen, trying to control and manipulate our circumstances, ourselves and everybody else. Waiting weakens our will, so that our will can be submitted to Your will. Then we are no longer resisting You and You are no longer resisting us. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4.6). As we learn to humble ourselves in the waiting, we learn the power of calling upon Your name rather than our own, drawing upon Your strength rather than our own. Then You draw near and come in power. You reach down into our desolate pit of despair, lift us up our of the miry bog of the mess we've made, set our feet upon the Rock of our Salvation, and direct our steps in the paths of Your will and Your ways. How could we keep from singing as the songs of praise and songs of deliverance rise up in our souls? The new song in our mouths becomes one of praise instead of despair, hope instead of doubt, and victory instead of defeat. Our lives become a witness to others that many will see and take note and put their trust in the Lord -- all because we learned to wait. There is power in waiting, because while we're waiting, You are moving heaven and earth to deliver those who put their trust in You. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Words of Spirit and Life 3-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to see You and stir the passion of my spirit to seek You, as I begin this day in Your presence. ... "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by the Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom He also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word" (Hebrews 1.1-3). Lord Jesus, release Your word in our hearts. One word from Your mouth can change sorrow into joy, darkness into light, despair into hope. Open our hearts to hear Your word for us each day and throughout each moment of each day. Let it become our way of life to continually have our hearts open to hear Your word so we will know Your will. As You declared to Your first disciples, You declare to us today, "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6.63). Let their response be our response, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (John 6.68-69). As we spend time with You, we learn Your voice. As we spend time in Your Word, we learn Your ways. Your words are life and spirit to us, but we will only hear Your words and recognize they are from You as we learn to hear the voice of Your Spirit. "He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure" (John 3.34). Humble our pride to spend the time to learn the voice of Your Spirit and hear Your word. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Tuning in to You 3-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. For these next moments, help me tune my heart to Yours and squelch out every noise but Your voice. ... With every moment, we have many options of how to spend our time and where to place our focus. The image of our television comes to mind. We are probably one of the last homes in America to not have cable or satellite, just receiving the basic channels with an antennae. Sometimes those channels don't come in very clearly and we have to turn the dial of the antennae to focus in on the frequency. Then the picture becomes more clear and focused. So, it is with prayer. We begin with choices about how to spend the resources of our time, with many options. To some degree we can choose what we will allow to have access to our minds and spirits. Even as we choose the channel of prayer, we have a choice to let the signal of communication remain fuzzy and unclear or to make the effort to do our part to bring the signal into focus. We don't control the source or power of the signal, but we can make choices that affect our receptivity. Teach us, Lord, how to choose well and focus in. Let spending time with You become our favorite channel. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Gentile and Jew are One in You 3-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me to discern Your thoughts from mine as I listen closely for the leading of the still, small voice of Your Holy Spirit. ... "Gentile and Jew are one in You." You woke me early with these words on my heart, as if Your Spirit were praying through my spirit in my sleep. By 4:12 am, I took note that I was wide awake with thoughts from Your Word, praying about the days and events at the fulfillment of this age. The unity of Your children throughout all ages -- responding to the grace of Your "eternal gospel" from every tongue and tribe and nation -- is a key to these events in the consummation of all things (Revelation 14.6). Father, I submit these words and prayers to You through the cross and the blood of Jesus, praying You would sift and refine what is the chaff of my confusion and what are the kernels of Your truth: The Messiah of the Jews is the Christ of the Gentiles, and Your name is Jesus. "But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for He is our peace. In His flesh He has made both groups into one, and has broken down the diving wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death the hostility through it. So He came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through Him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2.13-18). The children of the twelve tribes of Israel are united as one with the children of the twelve apostles of the church in You, Lord Jesus. One does not replace the other, but both are fulfilled in You. In this way, Gentile and Jew "are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone" (Ephesians 2.19-20). The message of the prophets of the Old Covenant are united as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord with the message of the apostles of the New Covenant. It is one message, with the old fulfilled in the new, the living Word revealing the written Word. You are the Message; You are the Word. "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit (Ephesians 3.5). With Your Word living in us, we are the children of God throughout all the ages, as we abide in You and You abide in us. "In Him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are also built together spiritually into a dwelling place of God" (Ephesians 2.21-22). Come live Your message and speak Your word through us as we become one with You and one each other in the fulfillment of this age. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Touching Father's Heart 3-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside the still waters and restore my soul, as I begin this day centered on You. ... My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, had her sixteenth birthday recently. Her heart's desire was to have her own cell phone like all her friends. Lord, help us. But I've come to find I love to see her name come up on my phone when she is trying to reach me. There is something very special about seeing her name and hearing her voice calling her Daddy. I've noticed the rest of the world has to wait just a moment when Daddy's little girl is calling. Is that how it is with You, Father? Is Your heart stirred when You hear us call? Does the world have to wait just a moment as You turn Your heart to hear our call and look upon those who seek Your face? "But now thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, He Who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.... Because you are precious in My sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43.1). Thank You, Father, for calling us each by name. Give us faith to believe that we are each precious in Your sight, honored by You, and that You love us. You are the God Who knows the hairs of our heads and the desires of our hearts. When we draw near to You, You draw near to us; when we cry out to You in prayer, You love to answer. "On the day I called, You answered me, You increased the strength of my soul" (Psalm 138.3). Thank You for the blessing and the honor of being children of God, able to touch our Fathers heart. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Place of Peace 3-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and lift my heart to You, as You order the steps of my day. Where You lead, I will follow, as best as I can. ... To find and follow the will of God -- this is the place of peace. Then, no matter how difficult the challenges may seem or how insurmountable the obstacles may appear, nothing can take our peace. But how do we know it when we have found Your will? How do we know it is not our will or the will of those we want to please? "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse -- who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17.9). Here is a key, it seems: the peace does not only come in being right; the peace comes in knowing we are seeking You and Your will as best as we can, by Your grace. Requiring anything more would be impossible; giving You anything less would be sin. You know the desires of our heart. So, as we seek to know You and Your will as best as we can, where we are, You give us peace for You desire to lead us by our hearts. "I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings" (Jeremiah 17.10). This is how You lead us step by step, one day at a time. This is how we can be at peace, though there are many more steps to take and though we may stumble and fall or get off track along the way. Our heart determines our ways and reveals the attitude of our mind. You have called us to give our hearts to You as best as we can, that we may be "bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart" (Ephesians 6.6). As we seek You as best as we can, we will find You; as we seek to follow You as best as we can, You will lead us -- all by Your grace. And we will have the blessing of Your peace along the way. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Make Us One 3-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I turn to You, I turn to my Father; and as I welcome You, I welcome Your Holy Spirit; for You are One. Make me one with You in the communion of prayer. ... We are created for communion with You and with one another. We were never meant to be alone, but to walk with one another in the relationships You ordain through the journey of our lives. So it has been from the beginning: "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner' " (Genesis 2.18). Lord, open our eyes to see the helpers You have called into our lives to walk with us; humble our hearts to receive the partners You have chosen to labor alongside us in the fields of ministry. It is the plan of our enemy to isolate us and divide us; it is Your plan to unite us as one with You, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. You are still sending forth Your disciples into the harvest of the souls of men "two by two" to prepare the way for Your coming (Luke 10.1-2). Partnership in ministry is one of Your spiritual principles, for none of us has all the answers, none of us has all the gifts, none of us has all the vision. We are one, though many as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12.12). "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4.9-12). Two by two, cords of three, many parts of one body -- we are created for unity and not division. Father, we join in the prayer of Jesus: "The glory that You have given Me, I have given them, so that they may be one as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me (John 17.22-23). Lord, unite us as one as we reap Your harvest for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Independence Day 3-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You and celebrate another day in the journey with You. ... As I write out today's date, I can't help but remember that today is Texas Independence Day. No matter where we may live or where our journeys have taken us, every Texan remembers that on March 2, 1836, Texas became an independent, sovereign nation. It's the same as the Fourth of July for Americans. The yearning for freedom and independence is something You have placed in the hearts of all Your children. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3.17). We are never to grow passive toward the tyranny of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Yet, we are never to grow dependent on ourselves as our own deliverer and lord. We are never to grow independent of You. Forgive us, Lord, when we are overcome by our own pride for who we are or who we have become and fail to remember that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1.17). Apart from You, we can do nothing (John 15.5). So while it is good to remember our roots, let us always stretch forth the branches of our hearts to bear Your fruit through our lives. You are the Vine, and we are the branches. When our branches become independent of the Vine, we wither and die, failing to bear the fruit for which we were created and failing to have the relationship for Whom we were created (John 15.1-6). Free us for dependence upon You, as we celebrate independence from ourselves. Humble us where we are too proud, but God bless all Your children and God bless Texas. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Bought with a Price 3-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw near to me as I draw near to You -- Deep to deep, Spirit to spirit. ... Lord, someone has said, "grace is free, but it will cost you everything." How can that be? How can there be Your call to receive the free gift of grace without working for it or earning it by anything we do, and at the same time, Your call to surrender everything we have to You? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2.8-10). "My son, all that you have is Mine. The very life I call you to lay down is the very life I gave to you. The gift of My grace is free, provided for you and all My children by the sacrifice of My love. My sacrifice cost Me more than you will ever be able to fully comprehend, though you will gain in understanding of this truth for all eternity. Though the gift is free, it would be impossible for you to ever earn it. So do not think that I have chosen to give you a gift that you could have purchased instead with your good works or your good life. Any good works you could do and any good life you could live come from Me as well. I have left no room for pride, lest any should boast. So as you receive My gift of salvation through faith, you are receiving this truth that your life belongs to Me. For you have been bought with a price -- the price of the sacrifice of My love through the blood of My cross. I have sacrificed My life for you that you may sacrifice your life for Me. This is self-sacrificing love. This is My love. This is love." Yes, Lord. As Your Word declares, "For you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6.20). Let us live our lives for You, for this is why we were created. Even the lives that we give to You as our sacrifice of love are the lives You have given to us to lay down. In this way, we receive Your gift of life by grace as the free gift of God, yet it costs us everything, as we acknowledge the humbling truth that all we have is You and every gift we have to give is from You. There is no room for pride. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!