Costly Grace 2-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait for Your leading and watch for Your appearing. One day, You will appear in Your glory across the skies. Today, I ask You to appear in Your glory in my heart. ... "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me; and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them" (John 14:21). "Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them" (John 14:23). There is a connection between loving You and obeying You. At times we are tempted to give in to the idea of cheap grace -- that somehow we can come into relationship with You and then live our lives for ourselves alone, however we desire, as if we had never surrendered our lives to You. But this love You call us to is a love of You and Your ways. To love You is to obey You. This kind of love and this depth of love is impossible apart from Your grace, but Your grace is available to all who will ask and receive. Someone has said, "Grace is free, but it's not cheap. It will cost you everything You have." Yes, Lord. This is the grace I ask for. This is the grace I receive. The grace of Your power to love You and to obey You, to live my life for You and not for myself. As I lose my life, then I will truly find it. As I die daily to my self apart from relationship with You and obedience to You, to that degree I will truly live the life You have created me to live. To that degree, You and the Father by Your Holy Spirit, will come to me and make Your home in me, according to Your Word (John 14:3). As You said to Your first disciples, so You say to me and all Your disciples today, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:10). Any understanding of grace that does not understand this call to obedience is merely a vain philosophy of the traditions of men. I ask for Your forgiveness for my disobedience and I ask for Your grace to obey You more completely and to love You more deeply -- more today than yesterday, more tomorrow than today. I welcome You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to come make Your home in my heart, abiding in me continually and abounding in me thoroughly -- more and more each day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Come Fill Me Afresh 2-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship and adore You. I want to live for You. Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. ... I worship and adore You. I want to live for You. Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. You are the Father and the Son, The Spirit of the Holy One, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. You must increase, And I must decrease, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. I give you my life, A living sacrifice, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. I am Yours and You are mine, Let our lives be intertwined, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Let Your Fire fall from above, Baptize me in Your love, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Set me ablaze with the passion Of the heart You have fashioned Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. May my life tell a story Of Your power and glory Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. When all is said and done I want to be Your faithful son Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Yes, Father. These words of surrender and trust Your Holy Spirit has written on my heart this morning is my worship and prayer. You have put Your words to the longing of my heart. What more could I want than the fullness of Your Presence in every dimension of my life. In Your grace and by Your power, may I continually "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Word of Christ 2-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I embrace You and Your Word. You are Spirit and You are Life. ... "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sign psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God" (Colossians 3:16). As I read Your written Word in the Scripture and listen for Your living word in my spirit, I can choose to let it linger or let it leave. I can receive the teaching and admonitions You speak into my life through the accountability of trusting relationships or not. I can embrace an attitude of gratitude in thanksgiving and praise for Your presence in my life or decide to keep it all to myself, deciding to somehow privately worship You and thank You in the hidden places of my soul. But if I were silent, even "the stones would shout out" (Luke 19:40). The Word of God cannot be contained. It will rise up and it will go forth. I will change whatever it touches. Your Word is "alive and active," and it is dwelling in me (Hebrews 4:12). You are the Word of God and You are dwelling in me -- changing me, and therefore, changing everything around me. Let my life be a psalm and a song of praise to You today as the Word of Christ dwells in me and changes me today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Sacrifice that Satisfies 1-31-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the peace of Your presence fill my soul. ... Let the peace of Your presence fill my soul. Let the life of Your Spirit make me whole. Open my ears to hear, as You come and draw me near. Come make my heart Your home. Let the joy of the Lord be my strength As I lift my hands and bow my knees. Open my eyes to behold the glory of Your throne. Come live Your life through me. Let Your Holy Spirit fill me afresh. I want all of You and nothing less. Open my spirit to be possessed by the fullness of Your righteousness. Come fulfill in me Your promises. Let my life be hid with You in Christ. The Spirit must live and my flesh must die. Open my heart to receive the full measure of the One who never leaves. Come lead me in Your path of life. Yes, Lord. Thank You for these words of surrender and submission Your Spirit is speaking through my heart. Let me die daily the death to self apart from You, let my "life be hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). This is the death that leads to life. This is the sacrifice that satisfies the longing of my soul. By Your grace, I offer my life as a sacrifice of praise to You this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Throne of Your Glory 1-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You open the door of heaven and call me up into Your presence through the spirit of worship and prayer (Revelation 4:1). I accept Your invitation and enter in to the Holy of Holies of Your presence through the blood of the Lamb. ... As You drew John up into Your presence through the open door of heaven, You opened his spiritual eyes to see beyond the veil of the earthly realm into the heavenly realm. At the center of all he saw was the "One seated on the throne" (verse 4:2). He saw each the three dimensions of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He saw God the Father in the glory of precious jewels and the light of a glorious rainbow (verse 4:3). He saw God the Son as the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah (verse 5:5-6). He saw God the Holy Spirit as the seven flaming torches of the seven-fold Spirit of God (verse 4:5). Lord God, You are One and You are holy. You are Spirit and those who seek You must seek You in spirit and truth (John 4:24). And in the spirit of worship and prayer, I join with all creation around Your throne to bow low as You lift me high, singing, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created" (verse 4:11). Thank You for the gift and the invitation of Your open door. You are the open door, Lord Jesus. We enter in to this heavenly realm of Your presence and bow before the throne of the glory of God through the sacrifice of the blood of the Lamb. "For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:8). You may not always pull back the veil and let me see in the spirit into the heavenly realm, but I know You are there and I know You are worthy of my worship and prayer. So I come asking, searching, knocking -- knowing I will find You here in all Your glory, welcoming me to come up with You in Your presence through the blood of the Lamb. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Paradise of Your Presence 1-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God. You are the "King of kings and the Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). You are my King. You are my Lord. Come in to Your kingdom in my heart this day. ... One of those crucified with You turned to You in humility and faith, saying, " "Jesus, remember me when You come in to Your kingdom." You replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). You come in to Your kingdom wherever we bow our hearts to the King of the kingdom of God. Heaven touches earth in our hearts, and we experience a measure of Paradise -- the eternal restoration of all things. Let my heart by Your kingdom. Let my body by Your temple. For wherever You are, the kingdom of God has drawn near. The fullness of Your presence in my heart is my Paradise. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Prepared and Protected 1-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me focus on Your face and listen for Your leading. ... You see the end from the beginning. All time and space throughout the past and the future is present and eternal to You. You know every decision that will be made, every consequence of every action -- both good and evil, both those in obedience to Your will and those in rebellion against Your will. And You are there. You are working in ways we do not see in Your persistent, unfailing love to redeem all that happens for our good and Your glory as we entrust it to You. Before the days of the flood, You commanded Noah to be prepared. You knew his heart and You knew he would choose to obey. "And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him" (Genesis 7:5). Through his obedience, You prepared a place of protection for all who would hear and receive Your call to come into the ark of Your presence. In these days, not many will seek You, not many will obey You, not many will be prepared. But Lord, I want to be among those who will. Help me to hear what the Spirit is saying to Your people in this hour. Let me not only be a hearer of Your word, but also a doer. Give me Your grace to do my part in our generation to be prepared. There is no greater preparation than to make provision for Your presence in our hearts through humble obedience to Your call and trusting faith in Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Worship on Eagle's Wings 1-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of the morning, I watch for Your leading and wait in the silence of surrender before You. Come make me to lie down in Your green pastures as You lead me beside Your still waters. Restore my soul -- bring my body into submission to my soul, my soul into submission to my spirit, and my spirit into submission to Your Holy Spirit. Let my cup be filled in these moments of worship and prayer with the fullness of Your presence, that You may pour me out as You will throughout this day. ... A friend coming for spiritual direction gave me a tape of simple, but powerful, songs of worship, and Your Spirit keeps singing one of them in my spirit. This song of worship called "Eagle's Wings" is my prayer of willing submission and trusting surrender in the intimacy of true worship to You -- my Lord, my Shepherd, my Best Friend: "Here I am waiting. Abide in me I pray. Here I am longing for You. Hide me in Your love. Bring me to my knees. May I know Jesus more and more. Come live in me, all my life. Take over. Come breathe in me. And I will rise on eagle's wings" (by Reuben Morgan). Yes, Lord. This is my worship; this is my prayer. Let me know You more and more every day -- as I watch and wait for Your presence, then rise and follow Your lead. "But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Found Favor -- 1-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I need Your wisdom and I need Your grace. I need You. As best as I can, I give You all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I ask for the peace that comes from trusting You with all I have and all I am. ... "The Lord saw the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually... But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord" (Genesis 6:5-8). Lord, purge the wickedness from my soul -- the wickedness of self-centeredness and self-pity, the wickedness of trusting in my own power and strength instead of humbling myself to desperately depend upon You, the wickedness of my pride that causes me to be in control instead of entrusting control to You. Deliver me from the evil inclinations of my thoughts and the unholy desires of my heart that are drawn to the sin of the culture around me, rather than boldly shining as a light in the midst of the darkness. Purify me and sanctify me by "the washing of water by the Word" (Ephesians 5:26). Let a flood of Your Spirit wash through my soul, and draw me up into the ark of Your presence. Let me find favor in Your sight. You favor those who seek Your wisdom with wisdom and You favor those who seek Your grace with grace. Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord because "Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). I want to walk with You, Lord. Guide my steps in the path of Your presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Word Made Flesh 1-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart to Your Spirit and open my mind to Your Word. Come, Lord Jesus, come. ... "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Your Word reveals Your will and Your nature, for You are the Word of God made flesh. Your Word and Your will are already done in heaven, and they are in the process of being done on earth as they are in heaven. Your kingdom comes and Your will is done in the hearts to those who embrace Your kingdom and Your will. Today I join my words in agreement with Your Word and I join my will in agreement with Your will, as best as I can and all by Your grace. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done here in my heart and here on earth as it is already is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). In heaven, Your Word and Your will is for our protection and security. I agree with Your Word of Psalm 91, revealing Your will for those who love You and call upon Your name: "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday." "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent." "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot." "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name. When they call to Me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them My salvation" (Psalm 91). Lord, let it be so on earth as it is in heaven -- here in my life and family and community, and as far as Your grace will go. Let Your Word be made flesh in my heart and in my prayers today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"A Strong Tower" 1-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and I choose to be called by Your name -- "Christian," one who follows Christ. ... "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. Before one's destruction one's heart is haughty, but humility goes before honor" (Proverbs 18:10-12). There is safety, provision, and protection in Your name. Your name speaks of Your nature -- "Jesus" from the Greek, "Yeshua" from the Hebrew -- The Salvation of Yaweh. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Salvation is living the fullness the life You have given each of us to live, eternally -- now and forever. Not just now, but forever. No just forever, but also now. To be alive to Christ and the fullness of this life for which we were created is to be dead to our own desires apart from You. To the degree we are, the world, the flesh, and the devil have no power over us. To the degree we are, we trust not in earthly riches or power or security, but in the heavenly name of the One who holds our lives in His hands -- now and forever. As best I can and all by Your grace, I choose to humble myself before You, to desperately depend upon You alone as my safety, my provision, and my protection. Here in the strong tower of Your name, I am safe and I am saved -- no matter what happens. Earth has no power over me, for I belong to Heaven. I will not fear man, but fear the Lord my God; I will not trust in my riches of my own strength or wisdom, but trust in the Lord alone (Luke 12:4-7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Good Stewards 1-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am available to You today. ... "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever" (1 Peter 3:10-11). We are the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ. All that You are doing on earth in this season between the first and second coming of Christ, You are doing through us. You are making us one with You, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. Let us speak and serve in Your power and strength for the glory of Your name. Keep us from the false humility and confusion that would keep us from receiving our authority; keep us from the disobedience and passivity that would keep us from our responsibility. Lord, I want to be a good steward of the gifts and graces You have given me. Teach me what they are, disciple me in how to use them, and empower me to use them well. I have a part in the body of Christ. You desire every part to be strong and in shape. I pray that for myself and for every part of Your body. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"I am the Gate" 1-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You with all my heart; I welcome You into all my life. ... "I am the Gate. Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (John 10:9). You spoke to us last night at The Fountain. As we gathered in Your name alone from many different churches and traditions from across our community, as we lifted Your name in our praises and prayers, You drew us near and filled us with Your Spirit. You set before us a choice to rejoice in You -- to turn to You or to turn to our troubles and our past. You spoke into our hearts Your words of Spirit and Life. And You continue to release Your word as a call to arise and enter in to the fullness of Your provision through the gate of Your presence. You are saying to all who will come, "I am the Gate. Enter in to the fullness of My plans and My provision. Enter in to My yoke alone; come under My burden alone. Rest in Me; trust in Me; find your fulfillment in Me. Leave behind the bondage of the past. Arise into newness of life. I am your life. In Me, you are a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Arise and enter in, press in, to the fullness of My plans and My provision for your life." "Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up a banner over the peoples. The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, 'See, your salvation comes; His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.' They shall be called, 'The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord"; and you shall be called, 'Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.' " (Isaiah 62:10-12). Yes, Lord. I choose to rejoice in You. I choose to enter in to the fullness of Your plans and Your provision. You are the Gate of life. I choose for You to be my Way, my Truth, my Life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Victory Belongs to the Lord" 1-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I love You, O Lord, my strength. You are my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies" (from Psalm 18:1-3). ... Terror has no power unless I allow it to make me afraid. Deception has no effect unless I allow my mind to doubt the truth and believe the lies. Death has lost its sting if I am already dead to the holds of this world and alive to the calling of Christ. Life or death, heaven or earth, I stand secure and victorious in You. And in You, I stand firm against the forces of terror and deception and death. "For You girded me with strength for the battle; You made my assailants sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed" (Psalm 18:39-40). This is a spiritual battle, won and fought on spiritual ground with spiritual weapons. And in the Spirit, the victory is won. "The wicked put on a bold face, but the upright give thought to their ways. No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord" (Proverbs 21:29-31). Lord, make me ready for battle -- ready to stand firm in my faith in You; ready to fight with the weapons of our warfare that others may be secured in the stronghold of the faith that is not shaken by even the shaking of the earth itself. Make me ready to look with my eyes and behold Your victory -- the victory of the cross through the blood of the Lamb. By this, we shall overcome (Revelation 12:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

War in the Spirit 1-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow low, that You may lift me high. I choose to follow, that You may lead. I draw near, that You may draw me nearer. ... "For You deliver a humble people, but he haughty eyes You bring down. It is You who light my lamp; the Lord my God lights up my darkness. By You I can crush a troop, and by My God I can leap over a wall. This God -- His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him" (Psalm 18:27-30). As we humble ourselves before You, You cleanse us and forgive us, You strengthen us and encourage us, You fill us and empower us. Then You send us forth into battle to war in the spirit in Your power. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness of this present darkness, who come to steal and kill and destroy in our lives, our families, our communities, and our nations (Ephesians 6:12). But through our repentance and Your forgiveness, our enemies' power is weakened and his plans are exposed. His defenses are breached and his strongholds crumble. And You send us in like a flood to fight for the freedom of Your people. Forgiven and free, I choose to take up the sword of Your Spirit, the very Word of God. At Your command I will advance, taking my position to stand firm and to fight in the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13). You have "trained my hands for war" -- this war in the spirit for the souls of those I love and for the people You've called me to defend (Psalm 18:34). Though the enemy may come in like a flood, You raise the banner of the cross to turn back the tide and enforce Your victory in the power of Your blood. There may be casualties and the grief of loss because the battles are real and the stakes are high, but the ultimate victory is secure. For the battle belongs to the Lord. I choose to fight in the battles where You lead, with the courage You have placed in my heart and the weapons You have placed in my hands. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays If you are in the Kentucky area, please come join us at the Governor's Prayer Breakfast next Tuesday morning 1/24 at 8:15 with Pat Day speaking. All are welcome. Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Life or Death; Blessings or Curses 1-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the Soon and Coming King. Come in to Your kingdom in my heart today. ... "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4). Hope is the purpose of the Scriptures -- even those that speak of the judgment and curses of God upon rebellion and disobedience. Because even Your judgments are for the purpose of turning our hearts back to You in repentance and faith to receive Your mercy once again. It seems You have led me to read again Your words of blessings and curses which set in place the spiritual principles that would govern the lives of Your people in the land of Your promises (Deuteronomy 27-30). Regardless of how literally we may believe they apply to us -- personally, as a people, as a nation -- there is at the very least the spiritual principle that obedience subjects us to blessing of Your protection and provision and disobedience subjects us to the lack of it, if they are to mean anything to us at all. How can we read these passages, even in the light of the Word of God revealed and fulfilled in the love of Christ, without a measure of the fear of God coming upon our hearts? Your judgments are severe, but so is Your mercy -- all dependent upon our heart of submission or surrender toward You. "See, I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in His ways, and observing His commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord you God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not enter, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying Him and holding fast to Him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land the Lord your God swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). "The Scripture says, 'No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on Him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' " (Romans 10:11-13). "Note then the kindness and the severity of God" (Romans 11:22). By Your grace, I receive the blessing of the fear of God. By Your grace, I turn my heart to You in repentance of the sin of not fully loving You, not fully obeying You, and not fully holding fast to You. And by Your grace, I receive Your mercy and ask You to restore Your protection and Your provision. I pray this for myself, for my family, for my community, for my people, and for my nation -- as far as Your grace will go. Whether it offends us or not, Your spiritual principles apply to our lives. Our choices determine mercy or judgment, life or death, blessings or curses. As for me and my house, I choose the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I feel strongly led to ask you to join with me in these personal and corporate prayers of confession, repentance, and mercy today for our own nation and for the nations of one another. Let us then agree with the promise of God's mercy that comes by the power of the blood of Jesus, Who is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God bless you with His protection and provision! Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Listen to Him!" 1-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to Your face and seeking the leading of Your voice. Your sheep know Your voice. I am one of Your sheep and You are my Shepherd. ... You led Peter, James, and John "up a high mountain apart, by themselves" and You were "transfigured before them." They saw "Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus." Peter said something, but really "did not know what to say, for they were terrified." Then the voice of God the Father spoke to them from the midst of the cloud the came and overshadowed them, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him! Suddenly they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus" (Mark 8:2-8). Yes, Father. You speak to my spirit from the cloud of the Spirit of Your presence covering the mountain of prayer. In this place apart with You, let the fear of God come up me to humble me in the silence of surrender before You. The words of Your law and the words of Your prophets are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, Your beloved Son and my beloved Lord. He is Your Word. Give me the wisdom and humility to obey Your command and "listen to Him." As I do, Your Spirit will focus the eyes of my heart to see no one else, "but only Jesus." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Work of Your Hands 1-17-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and commit my life to You today. ... "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard, yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4). All creation speaks of Your glory by its very existence. So it is with us. We are Your creation and even though we may not speak a word, our lives speak a message. Let the message of my life be a good message today. Let it tell of the glory of God. Remind me throughout the encounters of my day that the world is watching -- watching to see who the God of creation has made me to be. My life is my voice. By Your mercy and grace, let my voice be an offering of praise to You. "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands" (Psalm 138:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pray the Psalms 1-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of God. Speak Your Word to my heart and give life to my spirit today. ... The Psalmist writes out his prayer from the depths of his soul in the experiences of his life, saying, "Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord" (Psalm 102:18). The Psalms of Your Word are the cries of the heart of Your people -- sometimes they are cries of pain and sometimes cries of joy. But they are always cries to You. We have come to You with our sorrows and struggles, our celebrations and thanksgivings throughout the ages. We need You. We are lost and alone without You. One of my mentors in prayer was Maxie Dunnam. He only taught one class while I was at Asbury Seminary and he was President for a season. I made sure I was in it, as he shared from his heart of the lessons he learned in ministry. One of those lessons was to "pray the Psalms." He would start with one and read through the songs and prayers until he came to one that touched the place of his soul where he was living at the moment. I find myself doing that often. There is always one that touches the place of my soul where I'm living at the moment. Thank You, Lord, for the generations of Your people who wrote of their pain and their joy, that the generations yet unborn might praise the Lord. And thank You for our fathers and mothers in the faith who have taught us to come to You in the communion of prayer with all of our soul. You are faithful and You are true. And as John Wesley said in his dying words, "The best of all, You are with us." You are with us in Your Word and You us in Your Spirit. Thank You for being with me in the depths of my soul today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Think Snow! 1-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord, and I thank You, for loving me. ... Last night, I saw a sign outside a lodge in this little mountain town that said, "Think Snow!" Up here, snow is good for business and good for the soul. There's something about crisp, clean snow that seems refreshing and pure, as it covers everything in white. Everything seems fresh and new when the sun shines on a fresh blanket of snow. I love to hear my kids squeal with delight as they run out to play. In the spirit, the snow speaks to me of the cleansing of the sins of the past and the brisk, fresh air of the freedom and joy of Your mercy. David said, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). You said through Isaiah, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18, NKJV). Thank You for blanketing my soul in Your mercy and filling my spirit with the brisk, fresh air of Your Holy Spirit. Let me squeal with delight in the faith and joy of little child. "Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

More Than Words Can Say 1-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I thank You for the grace and mercy through the blood of Your sacrifice that allows me to come into Your presence in the communion of prayer, despite all the sinful things of my past. Let me never take that for granted. ... "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, by now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls" (1 Peter 2:24-25). For some reason, I remembered some of those sinful things of my past in a restless night last night, and for a moment I started to linger on regret. But then, You moved in my heart to get up early and come spend some time with You in prayer. Little by little, You have been lifting from me the thoughts of regret and shame, and somehow in Your grace and Your power, You are bringing me a sense of peace and actually a measure of joy -- joy to know the depths of Your mercy and forgiveness and love. Not joy that I sinned, but joy that even though I sinned, You wanted to forgive me when Your love convicted me, and You wanted me to receive the fullness of Your forgiveness. You gave me the choice to receive it or not. And through the years, You have taught me how to receive it with a thankful and grateful heart. You have taught me how much it breaks Your heart in the times when I don't. This is the freedom You sacrificed so much -- more than words can say -- for me to have. You can’t get that in a book or a bar, not anywhere in the world, not even in a church, unless you get that in your heart. Thank You, Lord, for getting that in my heart. Thank You, Lord, for reminding me of Your mercy, as You welcome me into Your presence again today, forgiven and free. ... I can’t really put this into words. It seems like more than words can say. So I won’t try. I’ll just sit here for a while and receive Your undeserved mercy and Your unbelievable love. ... In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Renewed and Restored 1-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I embrace Your purpose and plan for my life this day. ... "For surely you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:21-24). At home, I have an old, handmade rocking chair where I come to meet You morning by morning in the communion of prayer. It used to be painted white when was sitting in the living from of dear friends, Greg and Connie. Greg was one of the pastors at our home church before You called them to ministry in Cambodia last year. Before they left, they gave away most of what they owned. This old rocker seemed to fit me just right, so its where I always sat when we went to their home. A few days before they left for Cambodia, they brought it over and gave it to me. But it wasn’t painted white anymore. Greg had stripped away all the layers of paint, sanded it down, varnished it, and restored it to its natural beauty of solid oak. Connie said it took Greg a long time, especially sanding away all the tight places around the carved spindles on the back. But he said it was a labor of love and we were all thrilled to see what beauty was hidden beneath all that paint. What a gift! Thank You, Lord, for Your labor of love. It hurts at times, as You strip away all the layers of the old self that people have put on us and we have received onto ourselves -- our pride and ego, our insecurities and fears, and all the other ways we've allowed ourselves to become somebody different than who we really are inside. But in Your patience and love, You take time with us, even in the places where we make it the hardest to reach. You renew us and restore us into the true self You created us to be -- according to Your likeness, but in a uniqueness of beauty made by Your hands, like no one else in the world. What a gift! In Jesus' name, I pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Where Righteousness is at Home" 1-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for the gift of Your constant presence. ... "But, in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our brother Paul wrote to You according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters" (2 Peter 3:13-16). This week, You have called me to get away from my daily duties and write down some spiritual principles and stories of Your healing love in the lives You have touched through our ministry. May all that I write be according the wisdom You have given me. As I write, I continue to see how every story of Your healing and deliverance in someone's life, including my own, is a story of striving to be found by You at peace, without spot or blemish. Healing is wholeness, and wholeness becomes the holiness of heart and life in our spirit and soul and body, where righteousness is at home (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is the experience of the kingdom of God in our hearts and souls being manifested in our bodies and relationships. This the fullness of our salvation in You, as we watch and wait for the fullness of Your kingdom to be established here on earth as it is in heaven. Continue to teach me Your Word and Your ways, that I may continue to live and serve others in Your healing love and power, according to the wisdom You give me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please cover me in your prayers to hear and write as the Lord leads these principles of inner healing and deliverance through the process of sanctification of spirit, soul, and body. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our Website: http://messiah-ministries.org Our address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Available to You Today 1-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Like the old hymn says, "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long." Let the story of my life today be a song of praise to You. Let me begin this day well, that I may finish it well -- walking with You all the day long. ... Some old friends invited me to have lunch at their cafe up on the mountain in Alto, New Mexico yesterday. They probably have the best chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy anywhere outside of Texas. Pete and Cheryl are the real thing. You've taken the pain and struggles of their past, cleansed it all in Your blood, and given them a joy to share Your love and grace with everybody who wanders in to their cafe. On Thursday nights they serve a free meal and a message of hope to anybody who will come eat and listen. And many do. Sitting at the counter, Pete was telling me how they try to start every day saying, "I'm available to You today, Lord. Use me however You see fit." He said it's a really dangerous prayer, because that's just what happens. How thrilling it was to hear some of the stories of salvation and deliverance since the last time I saw them, as You answered their prayers. What an adventure to just give every day to You and see what You do with it! Lord, give me the courage and grace to be available to You every day. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I belong to You, Lord. May the story of my life today glorify You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Sing to God" 1-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the song in my heart and the joy in my spirit. ... "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to Him who rides upon the clouds -- His name is the Lord -- be exultant before Him!" (Psalm 68:4). My grandfather Hays -- we call him PaPa -- will turn ninety-seven this week. It's been good to see him on my trip out west. We've been very concerned about him since he almost died last summer from continual bouts with pneumonia. Amazingly, he has adjusted to receiving his meals through a tube by a hole in his belly going directly into his stomach. He's not very active any more, spending most of his time sitting in his recliner; but he still desires to live every day, one day at a time. I think he has it in his mind that he wants to live to be one hundred. He used to lead the singing in the little country church near their farm in west Texas, back in the days when "worship leader" mostly meant that you sang a little louder from your hymn book than everybody else. He can't hear very well or talk very well these days, but I bought him some headphones and a CD player, with some old gospel songs I knew he had sung a million times. When I left him yesterday morning, he had a broad smile across his face, with the volume turned up on his headphones about as high as it goes, waiving his arms in the air like a music conductor. We could barely hear, but we could make out the song of praise being released from his heart -- "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long..." Thank you, Lord. There is no telling what happens in the spiritual realm when a ninety-six year old man, barely alive on a feeding tube, is still singing praises to Your name. Heaven must rejoice and hell must tremble as they behold the sight of a frail human still praising You to the end of our final breaths. Like PaPa, give me the grace to never take the gift of my breath and the songs of the Lord in my heart for granted. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be at my mom's in the New Mexico mountains this week working on a book on prayer ministry. I would appreciate your prayers. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com; website: www.messiah-ministries.org

"A Lamp to My Feet" 1-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Saturate my mind in Your Word and fill my heart with Your Spirit, as I narrow my thoughts upon You alone. ... "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Let Your Word become the way that I think, let it be the guide for the choices I make in the twists and forks in the paths before me. Let Your Holy Spirit bring it to life with wisdom and understanding, with discernment and truth. I pray for the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" that comes from knowing You, spending time with You, and listening to You as Your Spirit reveals Your Word. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. http://messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"A Lamp to My Feet" 1-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Saturate my mind in Your Word and fill my heart with Your Spirit, as I narrow my thoughts upon You alone. ... "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Let Your Word become the way that I think, let it be the guide for the choices I make in the twists and forks in the paths before me. Let Your Holy Spirit bring it to life with wisdom and understanding, with discernment and truth. I pray for the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" that comes from knowing You, spending time with You, and listening to You as Your Spirit reveals Your Word. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. http://messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Listen to Him in the Temple" 1-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up the eyes of my heart to seek You and open the ears of my spirit to hear You, watching and waiting for Your leading. ... "And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to Him in the temple" (Luke 21:38). My body is a temple of Your Holy Spirit. As Your Word says, "Do you not 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 3:16-17). So I welcome You into Your temple to listen for Your voice, as You teach me and lead me, now and throughout my day. ... It seems You are saying, "Seek to have My thoughts. Seek to have My desires. Believe by faith that I am answering your prayers, for I am. This is My will and you are asking as I lead you to ask in accordance with My will, so it will come to pass. Only believe." Yes, Lord. Now You are leading me to Your written Word to conform the living word You have spoken into my spirit: "And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we asking anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). Seeking to have Your thoughts and Your desires is according to Your will. So I know that I have obtained the answer to my prayers, as I ask believing in faith that I have received it. I know this is a process -- the process of Your transformation of my soul as You are renewing of my mind. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). Continue Your process of my transformation, as You continue to fill Your temple with Your Spirit. Continue to speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays http://messiah-ministries.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Through Many Tribulations 1-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust my life and this day to You. ... "We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring" (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). The faith and love of the believers at Thessalonica were growing abundantly and increasing, despite persecutions and afflictions. They were steadfast and unwavering in their commitment to press through every challenge as they continued to look out for one another in their bond of love. In their afflictions, Paul encouraged them by reminding them that God was not the sources of their pain and that "the righteous judgment of God" would come with "vengeance" upon those who were (verse 1:5-8). Even so, God would not be wasting a moment of their suffering as they continued to look to Him in faith and stand by one another in love through every challenge. God used the opportunity of their suffering to make them "worthy of the kingdom of God" (verse 1:5). Lord, use the challenges of my life to make me worthy of Your kingdom. Though I have not yet faced anything like the persecutions and afflictions that they endured in Paul's day and that many more endure in our day, I pray You would use these that I do face to prepare me for those that may come. Teach me how to be steadfast in the faith. Give me grace to look to You in the midst of every struggle, no matter how small or large, as you are making me worthy for the kingdom. "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22 NKJV). Let me not waste any my tribulations, but see every challenge as an opportunity to advance in Your kingdom, by Your grace. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for praying for laptop yesterday. I didn't have any more trouble and was able to work on my book all day. Please continue to keep us in prayer. I pray for victory through every challenge you are facing in Jesus' name! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Our New Website: http://messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Remember Your Roots 1-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Vine and I am one of Your branches. Let the Life in You flow through me as I abide in You and You abide in me. ... It's good to remember your roots and the dirt where you were planted. The dirt out here is mostly red sand in the cotton fields and cattle ranches of west Texas, where I've come home for a few days to see my family and work on a book. I supposed remembering where we're from helps us to understand a little better where we are and where we're going. It has a way of humbling our pride and adjusting our perspective, maybe even reminding us of what's important and the ones who inspired us to begin the journey in the first place. "Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what is in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then feeding you with manna, with which you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). I've been on the journey through the wilderness of this world for forty-four years now. In my lawyer days many years ago, I remember one of my adversaries reminding me of my roots from the other side of his fancy conference room table in his downtown Houston office, "You're a long way from Lamesa, boy." He was right. Along the way, I've spent time in the slums of sin where I should have never been; and by Your grace, I've spent time in the heights of the heavens where even angels fear to tread. But through the times when I was bound-up back in Egypt and the times when I crossed over into Jordan, You were with me, sustaining me and leading me -- whether I knew it or not -- by Your Word and Your Spirit. I had the gift of a family, as broken as we were, who loved me and disciplined me, trying to ground me in Your Word and Your ways out here in this country where everything that's not rooted and grounded gets blown away in the sandstorms that will strip the paint right off your pickup. As they say, hard country makes for hearty people. As I look back and remember, I thank You for the struggles that made me more strong, for the brokenness that made me more humble, and for the discipline that made me Your son. Keep leading me through this wilderness and give me grace to keep following. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, come see our new website: http://www.messiah-ministries.org Please pray for my laptop -- it kept shutting down on me this morning -- so surprise since I am writing a book on healing and deliverance ministry. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world by the power of the Blood of the Lamb! Thank you for covering my back in prayer! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

False Fears of Mephibosheth 1-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My eyes are on You, Lord. ... Mephibosheth was the crippled grandson of Saul and the son of Jonathan. He must have been living in fear of his life after David became king of Israel in Saul's place. When David sent for him, he "fell on his face and did obeisance" trembling in fear before David, probably expecting the worst for himself and the worst from the king. But David's heart was one of mercy and grace, not wrath and revenge, saying, "Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always" (2 Samuel 9:1-7). How many times do we fear the worst when You desire for us only Your best? How many times do we tremble in fear of what we think is going to happen or what we think someone thinks of us? We fear a reality that is not reality at all. Someone taught me long ago that "F-E-A-R" is "False Evidence Appearing Real." But Mephibosheth was not only crippled in his body, he was crippled in his spirit as well. Even in light of the mercy and kindness of the king, he would still bound by his wounded and distorted self-image. He responded to David, "What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?" (v. 9:8) But the king backed up his promise with his power, and honored him with favor, restoring and redeeming all that was lost. "Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons" (v. 9:11). Lord, deliver me from the oppression of fears that will never come to pass, that are based on assumptions of the experiences of the past, but are not founded upon Your promises of my future. Heal me from the wounds of rejection or shame that try to cripple my identity and my destiny. Give me the humility and the courage to receive the gift of Your grace and Your favor. You have not created me and called me to eat from the scraps under the table, but sit at the place You have prepared for me at Your table as a son of the King. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join me in praising God for my alma mater -- the University of Texas Longhorns who won the National Championship of college football last night! I will be flying back to Texas today to see my family in Texas and New Mexico and to get away to work on a book on prayer ministry. I would appreciate your prayers. With the earlier time zones, my devotional will be coming out a little later for the next week and a half. Thank you and God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Holy" 1-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You perfectly reveal the heart of my Father. Father, You and Your Son abide in my heart by Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, You are always turning my heart to Jesus, who is always perfectly revealing the heart of my Father. Lord, You are One and You are holy. Make me more like You each day as I become more one with You each day. ... "His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and my become participants of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-5). "As He who has called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy' " (1 Peter 1:15-16). Lord, give me courage and grace to embrace Your "divine power" to become a participant of Your "divine nature" in the humility of surrender and in the faith of commitment to which You are calling me by Your Word. You are everything I need "for life and godliness." I want to grow in holiness of heart and life. I want my nature to become more like Your nature. Though I have so far to go, this is the journey I choose by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Third Day 1-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the hand and lead me by the heart into Your will for my life this day. ... Take me by the hand, Lead me by the heart. Let the world around me know, Just how great Thou art. You're my Savior and my Lord, My soon and coming King. I rise to follow You, Wherever You will lead. This is the third day of the new year, which speaks of the resurrection power of God to arise and fulfill the destiny and calling of our lives. This the promise and power of God, "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The same Holy Spirit that raised You from the dead on that third day is now living in me to lead me into my destiny and my calling. "If the Spirit of Him who raised Christ 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). This third day, I rise to follow You, wherever You will lead. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Aroma of Christ 1-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Abide in me as I abide in You, I pray. ... We prayed in my Sunday School class yesterday that this year would be a year of deliberately drawing nearer to You than ever before. In this year, let every veil that separates us become thinner by the day -- the veil between heaven and earth, between the supernatural and the natural, between how things should be and how they are. Let wishful thinking become fulfilled obedience. Let hope deferred become dreams come true, as You increasingly invade the realm of the earth with the presence of heaven. Then, Tricia and I were taking a little Sunday afternoon nap on our day of rest -- she in one end of the house and I in the other. We both woke to the strong aroma of fresh hot bread -- but there was no bread in the natural realm. Then we both remembered that was the very phrase You had given me in prayer on New Year's Day about living our lives this year as a pleasing aroma to You. We are convinced this was a simple sign of confirmation that there will be an increase of the awareness of Your Presence with us and with the body of Christ this year. Praise You, Jesus! Come Holy Spirit! "Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I Am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I Am the Living Bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this Bread will live forever; and the Bread that I will give for the life of this world is My Flesh" (John 6:47-51). Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life who comes down from heaven to live in us by Your Spirit. "For we are the aroma of Christ to God;" and in You, we are "a fragrance from life to life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). This year and every year, please keep filling my home and my heart with the aroma of Your Presence and let others be drawn to the Bread of Life living in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on Biblical, spiritual principles of inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Everything has become New!" 1-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Happy New Year! I begin this new day of this new Year with You. ... "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) The first day of a new year speaks of the joy and freedom of a clean slate and a fresh start. Some see it as a day to enter in to new commitments and resolutions to try harder and do better in this year what couldn't be done last year and the years before. But in Christ, neither the shame or regrets of the sins of the past nor the temptation to rest in the complacency of victories and success has any hold upon what You can do in me and through me in this day and every day ahead. By the power of the blood of Jesus, old things have passed away and everything has become new. Paul asked, "Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). In this day of celebration, I praise You for cleaning out the yeast of flesh and sin, shame and regret, disappointments and failures by the blood of the Lamb. Rather than enter in to any form of bondage of resolutions that are not likely to be kept in the power of human strength and will, I celebrate my freedom from the past and the anticipation of my future in You. I entrust the whole batch of the dough of my heart to the kneading of Your hands and the filling of the yeast of Your Holy Spirit. Arise in my soul my Lord. Like fresh hot bread, let my life be pleasing aroma to You through this new year and in every year to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Day of Transition 12-31-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, Lord, in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- with every dimension of my being -- spirit, soul, and body. ... New Year's Eve speaks to me of the day of transition -- from yesterday to tomorrow, from last year to next year, from the past to the future. It reminds me of a passage of Scripture on the importance of embracing our times of transition: "But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). I bring before You all that lies behind. I lay down the crowns of every act of obedience by Your grace to Your Word and Your Spirit. I lay down every burden of heaviness and yoke of oppression, every disappointment and discouragement, every failure and sin. I lay down any desire to linger too long in the satisfaction and celebration of the moments of victory and triumph in the power of Your Spirit to the glory of Your Name. I bring it all to the foot of the Cross and under the Blood of Jesus. Now in this day of transition, I choose to turn and set my sights on the days to come. I choose to press on in Your power to live my life for Your purpose. This is my heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. By Your grace, I choose to answer Your call. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Thou My Vision" 12-30-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I hear the words of an old hymn as I wait in the silence of surrender before You -- "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart."... It seems I hear You saying, "As you see Me, you begin to see as I see. I desire to impart My vision to My people. There are two dimensions to My vision -- first, to see all things clearly as they are and second, to see all things as they should be. Ask for My vision and I will give you eyes to see as I see." Yes, Lord. As I behold You, You change me to become more like You -- to have Your heart and Your vision (2 Corinthians 3:18). I ask for Your heart and Your vision. Let Your vision become my vision, let me see as You see. Teach me how to see the true reality of the current circumstances, and also how to look more deeply to see these circumstances as You intended and as You intend. You are the "God who gives life to the dead and calls things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17, NKJV). You are the God who gave Ezekiel eyes to see the valley of dry bones as they were -- dead bodies, and also gave him eyes to see them as they were intended to be -- a living army filled with the breath of God (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Lord, fill my spirit with Your Spirit. Show me the dead places in my soul and my church and my community where You want me to see with Your vision and call things that are not as though they were in the power of Your name. Teach me how to "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:4-5). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Write the Vision" 12-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to see where You are leading and open my ears to hear what You are saying. I watch and wait in the stillness of the morning. ... Habakkuk's looked to see the wickedness and destruction, injustice and oppression all around him in his generation. The desire to see change turned his heart to You in the cries of his prayers. The more his heart broke with what he allowed himself to see, the more determined he became to pray through until he heard You answer. In the holy tenacity of persevering faith, he declared, "I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, and what He will answer concerning my complaint" (Habakkuk 2:1). You heart became his heart as the burdens of Your heart became the burdens of his heart. You answered his questions and his cries, commanding from heaven, "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and it does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay" (v. 2:2-3). You will come in power to set things right as You come in the glory of the brightness of sun with rays of Your might bursting forth from Your hand (v. 3:4). The earth will shake and the nations will tremble (v. 3:6). "It will sure come, it will not delay." Yet, at the same time, You will reveal Your glory and confront the wickedness of the nations through Your people who are empowered by Your Spirit to accomplish Your will (Isaiah 60 and 61). As Your body and Your people, filled with Your Spirit, we are Your answer to the problems and challenges You open our eyes to see in our generation. Lord, write Your vision on my heart. Let the burdens of Your heart become the burdens of my heart. Give me a holy tenacity and a persevering faith. Let me take my stand in unwavering obedience until I receive Your word, and once I receive it, let me read it as I run to take my place in Your Kingdom to do Your will in my church and my community in my generation. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Your Word Without Contradiction 12-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before interceding, I want to enter in to the intimacy of the communion of prayer in the silence of surrender before You. Before thinking of myself or others, I want to begin my day thinking only of You. Before listening to voices of my family, I want to listen for Your voice alone. I give You first place in my day and in my life, by Your grace. ... In reading the stories about Your birth again this year, I see three different prophecies about three different places relating to Your earthly origin. According to the prophet, You were to be born "in Bethlehem of Judea" (Matthew 2:4-6). After Your birth, Your earthly father, Joseph, carried You away to Egypt until Herod's murderous threats passed with his death. "This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I have called My Son' " (v. 2:15). When Joseph was guided by a dream to return to Israel, "he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He will be called a Nazorean' " (v. 2:22-23). Each of these places -- Bethlehem of Judea, Egypt, and Nazareth of Galilee -- appeared in the earlier Scriptures as prophetic declarations relating to Your birth and early life. Any one of these prophecies taken alone would tend to exclude the others. They could have been seen by some as contradictions within the Word of God. Denominations and sects could have formed around the beliefs of the place of Your birth. But by the moving of Your Spirit in accordance with Your will, the prophecy of each place was fulfilled without contradiction, only highlighting in another way the uniqueness of the identity of this Child, the details of whose birth were prophesied hundreds of years before His birth. Forgive me, Lord, when I have let the things that seem to be contradictions in Your Word cause me to stumble with doubt and unbelief. Forgive me for the times when my lack of faith has let me fail to see that there are no contradictions -- only seeming contradictions that I do not yet understand. As You said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished" (Matthew 5:17-18). Give me faith to believe every word of Your Scripture is true and can be trusted -- without contradiction and without fail. And every written word is perfectly fulfilled in You, the Living Word. Give me courage to stand against the doubts of others and perseverance to not waiver in the stand I take by Your grace. On this side of heaven, it may not all make sense to me. So, on this side of heaven, the gift of faith is required and received. By Your grace, I choose to receive Your gift of faith afresh again today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on personal transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Religious Spirit of Herod 12-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my thoughts to You and open my spirit to the leading of Your Spirit. ... Not everyone celebrated Your birth, Lord Jesus. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men" (Matthew 12:16). The false spirit of religion is always threatened by true spiritual relationship. The counterfeit is always threatened by what is real, and seeks to destroy it. Yet, Father, You see the end from the beginning and You know the hearts of men and devils. You sent Your angel to warn Joseph, "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy Him" (v. 12:13). Father, You entrusted Your Son to the earth and You have entrusted Him into my heart. Give me wisdom to discern the enemies of God who would try to destroy the live of God within my heart. Increase my discernment and sensitivity to Your Spirit to hear Your warnings and obey Your leading. Then the Life You have birthed in my heart will continue to grow into maturity -- into a vibrant and true spiritual relationship with You and never into the lifeless religion that fears the move of Your Spirit in the earth and in my heart. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please remember Messiah Ministries in your Year-End Giving. Your tax-deductible contributions to the Kingdom through our ministries of prayer are deeply appreciated and truly needed. We are completely supported month by month by those the Lord has touched through our ministry. Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Please give generously and may God bless you in overflowing abundance! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Present of Your Presence 12-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's good to be with family and friends, and it's good to slip away for a moment alone with You. ... This is the day after Christmas. The presents are opened and the families are heading home. In all the giving of gifts, I hope we've remembered that it's Your birthday we've been celebrating and not ours. I hope we've remembered we enjoy our families because You've welcomed us into Your family. Christmas is over now, but Christ remains. It's the day after Christmas, and the tree is bare, The sound of children playing with their new toys now fills the air. We've laughed and cried and enjoyed one another, We've feasted with goodies, 'Till we thought we would smother. Some presents we'll take home and some we'll take back to the mall, But the gift of Your Presence is the greatest Gift of all. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16, KJV). Thank You for my Christmas Present, the gift of Your Presence in my heart all year long. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com