Creativity and Beauty 11-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch for Your face and listen for Your voice. ... "See, I have called by name Bezalel ... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft" (Exodus 31:2-5). Bezalel was a forerunner who experienced a foretaste under the Old Covenant of all who would be filled with Your Holy Spirit under the New Covenant. You built Your tabernacle with creativity and beauty through the thoughts and hands of those You called by name and anointed with Your Spirit (v. 6). And You continue to build Your dwelling place among us -- not in tents or temples or church buildings -- but here in our hearts, anointing us for Your purposes to display Your creativity and beauty. "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge.... As for you, the anointing that you received from Him abides in you.... And now, little children, abide in Him" (1 John 2:20-27). The other night, my son Elijah came running in from his room, excited, saying, "Mommy, Jesus was talking to me in the air by my bed!" Somewhat astonished, Tricia asked him, "What did He say?" Elijah said, "He just told me to think of something to make Him at school tomorrow." And the next day, with great creativity and joy, our little boy brought home a little clay cross he crafted and painted with such care and childlike faith, no doubt anointed and inspired by the Spirit of God abiding in him. Lord, give me ears to hear You speaking to me -- whether audibly in the air by my bed or here in my heart or with Your thoughts and images in my mind or in whatever means You chose. We are created to hear Your voice (John 10:27). Inspire me and anoint me to do all things for Your glory with Your creativity and beauty. Thank You for anointing my son and all the children of God of every age with Your Spirit to express Your heart through each of us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday night Nov. 16th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. My friend Ghuna Kumar of India, apostolic leader with Gospel Friends will be ministering to us http://www.gospelfriends.in/ All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

Dominion of the Earth 11-14-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me as I listen. ... "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16). In Your sovereignty, You have chosen to entrust the care of the earth to us. Our choices have consequences -- for one another, for all animals, for all land and sea and air, for all creation. You have given us "dominion" and empowered us to "subdue" the earth and all that is in it (Genesis 1:28). And each moment of each day, You look to see how we will use our power and authority in light of the responsibility You have entrusted to us. And so does creation itself. "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Romans 8:19). Our choices reveal whether we are children of God. The works of our hands reveal the faith in our heart (James 2:17-18). And every choice becomes an opportunity to grow in Your character and nature or not. So every relationship is a spiritual issue. Our system of justice is a spiritual issue. The environment is a spiritual issue. Every system we establish for the governing of the earth, whether in our personal lives or in our nations, is a spiritual issue. As I submit to Your nature, then everything under my dominion becomes submitted to Your nature. Through each choice of submission to You, Your kingdom comes and Your will is done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). So give me grace to choose well, willingly submitting my will to Yours', my ways to Yours', to live for Your glory and not mine. "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory" (Psalm 115:1). Let it be so on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

My Friend and My God 11-13-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're my Best Friend. ... "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father" (John 15:13-15). You are always with me, Your Holy Spirit is always within me, and You always reveal to me the words and will of my Father (v. 14:26). In all three dimensions of Your Being, You teach me Your ways and show me Your nature, as You slowly change mine into Yours in the journey together. Parents want their children to have good friends because good friends spend so much time together and we have a tendency to become like our friends. You want me to spend time with You, to become more like You each day (2 Peter 1:4). By Your grace, and only by Your grace, I am a friend of God and a child of God, being created and conformed to the image of God. "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). So thank You for humbling Yourself to hang out with me, my Friend and my God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can at The Fountain this Friday Night 11/16 at 7 pm. My good friend I have ministered with from India, Ghuna Kumar, who oversees 700 church plants, an orphanage, Bible College, and sends out evangelists to villages all over south India with be with us to pray for us: www.gospelfriends.in Phil Jackson will lead us in worship. Please spread the word! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Veterans' Day Prayer 11-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Almighty Warrior God, Commander of the Armies of Heaven, great and awesome are You and holy is Your name (Revelation 19:11-16). ... "Remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes" (Nehemiah 4:14). This day in my country, we honor the men and women who bravely take up the sword to fight injustice and secure our freedom. There is "a time for war and a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:8). There are times to beat our swords into plowshares and walk in peace (Isaiah 2:4). But there are also times to beat our plowshares into swords to establish peace (Joel 3:10). Some say "What would Jesus do?" and assume the answer is that You would never fight and never condone war. But those who say You always turn the other check and never take a stand to fight have not really read Your Word or else choose to ignore It. The Lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah, "called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war" (Revelation 19:11). One day wars will cease and You will "command peace to the nations" (Zechariah 9:10). But until that day, there are times You say, "I will arouse your sons ... and wield you like a warrior's sword" (v. 13). Thank You for those who willingly commit their lives to be a warrior's sword in Your hand. Give them and their commanders the humility to seek You on their knees and the courage to fight for You on their feet. Together as a nation, let us be brave when our wars are just and repentant when they are not. But let us also always honor those who have counted the cost, but still answer the call, to be willing to lay down their lives for us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night 11/16 -- the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. My friend Ghuna Kumar, apostolic leader from India, will be ministering to us and Phil Jackson will lead us in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

See Jesus in Each Another 11-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and wait for Your word. ... "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:4). As I see Your people today, let me see them through Your eyes. Let me see who You are in each of them, seeing how You manifest Your presence and Your gifts by Your grace so uniquely in each of their lives. When I see them, I see You -- they are "the body of Christ" on earth and in my life (v. 12:27). You are alive in each of them (Colossians 1:27). So as I encounter them, I encounter You. As I honor them, I honor You in them. Giving thanks for each one and their presence in my day is giving thanks to You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! next Friday night Nov. 16th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. My Friend Ghuna Kumar of India with Gospel Friends will be ministering to us and Phil Jackson will be leading us in worship www.gospelfriends.inAll are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Order Our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Stretch Out the Sword" 11-10-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You love me, You lead me; come live through me today. ... "Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Stretch out the sword that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand.' ... They entered the city, took it, and at once set the city on fire" (Joshua 8:18-19). Stretch me out as a sword in Your hand. Your Word is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). You are the Word of God and You are living in me by Your Spirit (John 14:17). Speak through me, pray through me, love through me. Enter my city and take it. Set it on fire. Set me on fire. Burn out of me and out of my city all that is impure and unholy, contrary to Your Word and Your will. Drive out the enemies of my soul and the soul of my city. Slay the king of the flesh (Joshua 8:29). And let the King of glory come in to rule and reign in my heart and in the heart of my city (Psalm 24:7-10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! next Friday night Nov. 16th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. My Friend Ghuna Kumar of India with Gospel Friends will be ministering to us http://www.gospelfriends.in/ All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/ Order Our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

Through the Winter 11-9-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and welcome You into every moment of my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes" (Proverbs 31:21, NLT). We prayed with a woman yesterday during our follow-up prayer ministry time who has feared winter almost all her life. Until this winter, she always spent it in a psychiatric unit. But not this winter. In Your healing love, You took her to the winter when she was a young woman, when she made choices she felt took the life of another. The guilt and shame kept a part of her soul frozen in winter every year ever since. But as she let the light of Your love and truth shine in this darkened place of her soul -- her mind, will, and emotions -- You set her free in the forgiveness of Your mercy. She's going through this winter clothed in Christ, held close and warm in the arms of Your love. You are renewing her mind with Your truth and Your power (Romans 12:2; John 8:32). She told me I could share her story with our Alpha Course last night as we taught on the question "Does God Still Heal Today?" Yes, You do. You are "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). You still bring order out of the chaos, blessing out of brokenness, aligning our hearts and minds with Yours as we entrust them to You. Heaven has not fully broken into earth and all are not always healed on this side of heaven, so we keep praying, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." When it does, instead of worrying and questioning about all the times it doesn't, we can celebrate the times it does. The more we obey Your call to pray for one another with the love and faith Your grace provides, the more we will see Your healing power bringing heaven to earth in our lives. As for my friend, I look forward to testimony to come: "The winter is past ... the time of singing has come" (Song of Solomon 2:11-12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! next Friday night Nov. 16th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. My Friend Ghuna Kumar of India with Gospel Friends will be ministering to us www.gospelfriends.in All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Order Our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Patience with Prophecies 11-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I speak a word, I speak out Your name. Before I think of anything else, I think of You. I offer to You the sacrifice of the first moments of my morning. ... "I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you might fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience" (1 Timothy 1:18-19). Thank You for the prophecies of encouragement and comfort, correction and edification, You speak from Your Spirit to mine through those who were willing to hear and speak as You lead (1 Corinthians 14:3). Thank You for the measure that have come to pass and the measure that will come to pass in Your timing, in Your way, and for Your glory. Give me discernment to test and weigh what is from You, taking the meat and leaving the bone (v. 29). But don’t let me lose hope in Your words just because I have not yet seen them fulfilled. Like a seed that's sown, there is a season where the seed is growing unseen, then the season of breaking through the soil, then the season of tender shoots and stretching stalks, until the season of maturity and harvest (Mark 4:26-29). Give me patience through the seasons as You watch over Your word, faithful to perform it all in the seasons You have set (Jeremiah 1:12). So by Your grace, I press on to "realize the full assurance of hope to the very end" so that I "through faith and patience inherit the promises" of the prophesies You have spoken to me and all of Your people in these exciting days to come (Hebrews 6:11-12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Perfect" 11-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less. ... "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:19-48). Your standard is high and Your command is clear -- "Be perfect." These are "red letter words." And they remind me each day how desperately dependent I am upon Your grace. Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). Apart from You, even my best efforts and most righteous acts are as filthy rags (Isaiah 65:6). But by Your grace -- and only by Your grace -- I am not apart from You. By the mystery of grace, through repentance and faith, I have clean hands and a pure heart. Incomprehensibly, in You, I have "become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). You are perfect; and You fulfill all the commandments, all the law of the righteousness of God, and teach all who follow You to do the same (Matthew 5:17). And as I give my life completely to You, You somehow fulfill Your life and Your law completely in me, so that I am perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect. Though I could never come close to Your kingdom apart You, "I can do all things (even fulfill Your command to "be perfect") through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Now that's amazing grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God's Governing Authorities 11-6-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart, my thoughts, and my steps with Yours'. ... "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path" (Psalm 143:10). Today in my state, we vote for the Governor and leaders of our state government. I thank You for the freedom to choose our leaders. And I freely submit my will to Yours. Let my votes be lead by Your Spirit and not my preferences. You know the hearts and intents of the men and women who seek my vote to lead my government. Move on my heart to make my choices in line with Your will. Establish leaders in positions of authority in our state and throughout this land who humble themselves to listen for Your voice, wait for Your leading, and submit to Your will. Then they can have the courage to lead from the knowledge they have kneeled before the One who holds all things in His hands. They are to be Your servants for the good of Your people (Romans 13:4). Let our "governing authorities" be governed by Your authority (v. 1). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

Fasten Your Belt, This is Real 11-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My God, my Savior, my Lord, and King, I welcome Your Spirit here in me. ... "Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, 'Get up quickly.' And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, 'Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.... Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.' Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel's help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision" (Acts 12:7-9). Your heaven is invading our earth. Your power is being made perfect in our weakness. What was unseen is becoming seen; the spiritual realm is breaking in to the natural realm; things eternal are being manifested in the present as Your kingdom comes and Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. You are breaking off the chains of doubt and unbelief as You free us into the hope and faith of a move of Your Spirit in our day that we have only imagined. This is real and the time is really here. It's time to get up from our spiritual slumber, to put on the belt of Your truth and the sandals of Your peace (Ephesians 6:14). You are opening the eyes of our hearts to see the spiritual reality beyond our natural senses, embracing the freedom and power of Your eternal truth becoming true and real to us (v. 1:18). You are healing our wounds, breaking our chains, cleansing our souls, and empowering us with Your Spirit to experience the reality of "the immeasurable greatness of (Your) power for us who believe, according to the working of (Your) great power" (v. 19). Our faith is becoming sight as Your Word is manifested in Your power. According to Your "plan for the fullness of time," these days are no longer just a vision of things to come; this is real (v. 10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we finished our Prayer Summit last night in Corbin, Kentucky with the altar and our hearts being filled with Spirit and power of God to be the holy and anointed body of Christ we are called to be in these exciting days! Thank you for your prayers and I pray the same for you and your church. I have a deliverance ministry session today before I leave town and would welcome your prayers for that as well. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Open the Doors of the Temple 11-4-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart; open the ears of my spirit. I want to see what You are doing and hear what You are saying. ... "In the first year of Hezekiah's reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites ... and said to them, "Listen to me, Levites! Sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and carry out the filth from the holy place.... for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and make offerings to Him (2 Chronicles 29:3-11). In Christ, under the new covenant, we are all the priests of Your kingdom and our lives are the temple of Your Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:17). "To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:6). You call me to come and minister to You in worship and prayer. But first, I must open the doors of the temple of my heart wide to You, to allow You to search me and cleanse me and sanctify me of everything in me that is not yet holy. Then I can stand, unashamed and unrestrained, in Your presence with clean hands and a pure heart, through the grace of the sacrifice of Your blood. And as in the days of the cleansing of the temple in Hezekiah's day, I will rejoice in all that You have done (2 Chronicles 29:36). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, the Holy Spirit is cleansing our hearts and filling our spirits at the iPray Summit I'm leading his weekend at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church in Corbin, Kentucky (6 pm Sat night; 10:30 Sun morning; 5 pm Sun night) www.graceonthehill.org I pray the same for you and your church! Thank you for covering us in prayer. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

All That I Have 11-3-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look for Your face and lean in to Your grace. ... I sing to You And I bring to You All that I have All that I am ... I rest in You I am blessed in You All that I have All that I am ... is Yours ... "Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God, I give it to the house of my God.... Who then will offer willingly, consecrating themselves today to the Lord?" (1 Chronicles 29:3-5). In building Your temple, David gave You all he had, because all he had was Yours'. His giving inspired others to give (v. 6). And You filled their hearts great joy and praise. "Then the people rejoiced because these had been given willingly, for with single mind they had offered freely to the Lord; King David also rejoiced greatly" (v. 9). Thought they were building a building, You were building a kingdom -- the Kingdom of God in their hearts and their land. "For the temple will not be for mortals but for the Lord God" (from v. 1). You have no need for a building, but You are still building a people whose hearts are wholly devoted to You. Together, throughout all generations, we are Your holy house, God's temple. "For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3:17). Lord, come fill Your temple with Your glory today. I offer willingly all that I have and all that I am. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching and teaching at the iPray Summit this weekend at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church in Corbin, Kentucky (6 pm Sat night; 10:30 Sun morning; 5 pm Sun night). Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't: www.graceonthehill.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.orgOrder our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Prayer Assault 11-2-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust myself and my day to Your leading and Your ways. ... "Then Joshua said, 'Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.... Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.... Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous; for thus the Lord will do to all the enemies against whom you fight' " (Joshua 10:22-25). All that happened in the natural realm of the lives of Your people under the Old Covenant speaks to our lives in the spiritual realm as Your people under the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 12:24). As they fought their physical battles, so we fight our spiritual ones (Ephesians 6:12). You are the God of peace who makes true peace through Your people -- not by appeasement or passivity -- but by leading us to courageously confront our spiritual enemies in Your strength at Your command. You bring the enemies of our souls out of their hiding places and strongholds, victoriously declaring You will "soon crush Satan under (our) feet" (Romans 16:20). Give me courage to ask what "kings" are ruling as strongmen in the hidden places of my soul and my city (Matthew 12:29). Are they Pride? Fear? Rebellion? Rejection? Shame? Or are they Control? Sickness? Sorrow? Insecurity? Discouragement? Maybe Bitterness? Greed? Jealousy? Anger? Strife? Even Anti-Christ? Religion? Passivity? Compromise? Occult? Bring them out of the darkness and into Your light. Let us bind them up and cast them out (Psalm 149:8). Let us take up the sword of Your Spirit, the weapon of Your Word, and not turn back until they are utterly consumed and destroyed (Joshua 10:26). With the people of faith in the power of prayer and the unity of Your Spirit, lead us to lay siege against the enemies of our souls in a prayer "assault" (v. 31). Let us not be afraid or dismayed, but strong and courageous, to drive out every enemy of Your Lordship -- Your rule and reign -- in our lives and our land. Begin in the caves of my own soul. Deliver me from all that is unholy so You can fill me with the One who is Holy (Matthew 6:13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching and teaching at the iPray Summit this weekend at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church in Corbin, Kentucky. Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't: www.graceonthehill.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Order our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

City-Wide Worship, City-Wide War 11-1-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name. With these first thoughts of my morning, I call on Your name and seek out Your nature. ... "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25). Yesterday we filled the old Kentucky Theater downtown with worship and praise, as we came to meet together as one of the expressions of Your city-wide church in Lexington. We wanted to encourage our good friend and fellow laborer in the Lord, Rob Poindexter, in his ministry of worship to You at the heart of our city. He's been faithfully and fervently leading us in worship under the banner of Your name alone for three years now at Worship on Wednesdays, every noon of every week. We can't all always come, but whether there are handfuls or hundreds to join with Rob in worship of You, he's always there -- singing his heart out and lifting our city up in worship and prayer. As we gathered around him to pray for Rob, his wife Nancy, their family, and their ministry, You showed me the image of Elisha going to the King of Israel, telling him to strike the ground with his arrows. The king only struck the ground three times and Elisha was angry because each strike spoke of another breakthrough in battle against the enemies of the kingdom (2 Kings 13:14-19). In response to Your call and the authority of Your name, Rob's been striking the ground every week for three years. And he's not stopping. Every week, You're breaking through the spiritual strongholds of the enemies of the kingdom of God in our city and our region. As Francis Frangipane says, "It takes a city-wide church to win a city-wide war." Thank You for the way You lead Rob to lead us in this war for the soul of our city every week. Raise up these worshippers and warriors in every city and every region throughout the earth until every stronghold comes down and Your glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, come if you can and pray for us if you can't on November 21 at the noon gathering of Worship on Wednesdays at the Kentucky Theater. Rob Poindexter will be making a live recording of worship from the heart of our city. Directions and Details on WoW and Rob Poindexter Ministries at: www.rpm-wow.org Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Order our Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Hallowed 10-31-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart; conform my will to Your will and my ways to Your ways. Where I am confused, teach me; where I am wrong, correct me. Thank You for taking me as I am, but never leaving me as I am. Help me grow up into maturity, one day at time. ... "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealously. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:11-14). Many in my culture will celebrate this night as Halloween -- some very informally with costumes and candy and some very formally as one of the high "holy" days of their religion. Show me what it means for me to "put on the armor of light," to "lay aside the works of darkness," to "live honorably as in the day" -- this day and every day, this night and every night. Let me not be legalistic, but let me be loyal. Let me not be conformed to this world, but be transformed in Christ. Let me not, necessarily, curse the darkness, but be light in the midst of the darkness. On Halloween or any other day, help me live my life in Your Spirit in a way that says, "Hallowed be Your name" (Matthew 6:9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Abide in the Vine 10-30-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Vine; I am a branch. Let the life of Your Spirit flow through me and bear fruit for my Father this day. ... "Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4). Lord, what is it to abide in You as a branch abides in the vine? It seems I hear You say, "Draw your life from Me. As You open your human spirit to My Holy Spirit, My Life becomes your life. Then through You, I bear much fruit." Yes, Lord. I open my spirit to Yours. I draw on Your Life to flow through my life. I don't turn to the fruit, I turn to You. And as I turn to You, the fruit of the Vine will come -- all in its proper season, according to Your will, Your time, and Your way. As I turn to You and open the veins of my branch to the flow of Your Vine, I am one with Your Vine, abiding in You as You abide in me. And I find that You have always been turned and open to me, ready to flow in me and through me as much as I am willing to allow. "Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted .... Then we will never turn back from You; give us Life, and we will call on Your name" (Psalm 80:14-18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Fill My Jar 10-28-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of the kingdom of God, King of the kingdom of my heart, I bow before Your majesty and welcome Your intimacy in this morning communion of prayer. ... "Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me what do you have in the house?' She answered, 'Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.' He said, 'Go outside; borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full set it aside.' " (2 Kings 4:1-4). Lord, You give grace to the humble. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). I give to You my jar of oil. Let it be emptied of everything but You. And come fill me up with the oil of Your Spirit. Use me to bring others, emptied of themselves, so they can be filled with You (v. 3). Let me never grow satisfied of seeing Your Spirit fill our lives and overflow into the lives of others (v. 6). Keep reminding me of my emptiness apart from You; keep making me hungry and thirst for more of You. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for praying for our men's retreat at Camp Loucon this weekend. It was awesome! We were as "David's mighty men" seeking the Lord, being renewed and prepared for battle. I'll be preaching at First Methodist this morning and CrossRoads Community this evening in Madisonville, KY and would appreciate your prayers. I pray for the Lord's presence and power in your churches and hearts as well. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

No Other God 10-26-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and seek out Your face. ... "There is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is no one besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, there is no other. By Myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear' " (Isaiah 45:21-23). Remove from me all things I'm tempted to turn to besides You for peace or protection or provision or pleasure or power. There is no god but You. You are the Source of all I need and desire. Everything else is an idol that only leads me astray and out of Your way (v. 20). All that I receive that I really need is from You alone, no matter the means You choose to use to release it to me. So I turn to You. I bow my knees and confess with my mouth that You alone are Lord; You alone are my Lord, God, and Savior (Philippians 2:9-11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be leading a men's retreat this weekend at Camp Loucon in western Kentucky then preaching at two churches in Madisonville on Sunday. Please keep us in your prayer to experience God and have some fun together. I'm thrilled to have just been invited by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries to be the Pre-Conference Keynote Speaker at their National Conference on the Holy Spirit next summer! The conference theme will be "Going Deeper -- Re-dig the Ancient Wells" in Columbus, Ohio July 2-6, 2008. Please get registered, come join us, and spread the word! http://www.aldersgaterenewal.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Battle Banner 10-25-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look up high to the One who is King and Lord over all that may come this day. ... "You have set up a banner for those who fear You, to rally to it out of bowshot. Give victory with Your right hand, and answer us, so that those whom You love may be rescued" (Psalm 60:4-5). Let the banner of Your cross be raised high and holy over every battle I fight today -- the battle for my soul and for the souls of others. As I look to You and trust in You, no weapon formed against me will prosper, every voice of accusation, condemnation, and judgment will be silenced (Isaiah 54:17). Stretch out Your mighty right hand -- Your mighty nail-scarred hand, eternally scarred with unfailing love for me. There is no battle I will face that You have not already overcome. "Now I know that the Lord will help His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with mighty victories by His right hand" (Psalm 20:6). Praise You, Lord Jesus! What a way to start the day! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm really excited to have just been invited by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries to be the Pre-Conference Keynote Speaker at their National Conference on the Holy Spirit next summer! The conference theme will be "Going Deeper -- Re-dig the Ancient Wells" in Columbus, Ohio July 2-6, 2008. Please get registered, come join us, and spread the word! http://www.aldersgaterenewal.org/ Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Ghuna Kumar, a friend and apostle from southern India will be ministering to us in November. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

"Prepare the Way" 10-24-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek nothing but You in these moments. ... "It shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from My people's way' " (Isaiah 57:14). Lord, remove from me everything that would hinder Your Spirit from filling me and flowing through me. Remove the stones of pride and self-centeredness. Dig up any roots of resentment and bitterness. Pull down any walls of fear and isolation. Break through every stronghold of confusion and deception. Fill up every pit of depression and discouragement. Close the doors that lead me astray and open the gates that lead in Your way. "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are humble and contrite in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (v. 15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, let's join our hearts to pray for the people of California whose lives' are being devastated by the wild fires. May the love of God be witnessed in His people through this crises and many turn to Him. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Let it Rain 10-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Trusted Friend and my Faithful God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You are One and You holy and You are good. ... "Rain in abundance, O God, You showered abroad; You restored Your heritage when it languished; Your flock found a dwelling in it; in Your goodness, O God, You provided for the needy" (Psalm 68:9-10). It's still raining on our dry and thirsty land this morning. Thank You, Lord, for the mercy of Your restoration. And I pray for those who are still dry, in their land and in their souls. Open the windows of heaven; let it rain (Malachi 3:10). Let the drought draw us in desperation to seek You alone as our Answer. "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters ... Seek the Lord while He may be found ... let them return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on them ... for the rain and snow come down from heaven ...." (Isaiah 55:1-10). Our climate may be out of control, but You are not. And You use all things, all the circumstances of our lives -- even the seasons of sorrow, the consequences of sin, and the attacks of Satan -- to draw us near to You. You love us that much, never leaving us, never forsaking us, always seeking after us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Always Thirsty, Always Filled 10-22-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I settle down in my soul and enter in to the flow of Your Spirit. ... " 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the Scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in Him were to receive" (from John 7:37-39). It is a simple spiritual principle that you cannot give away what you do not have. If the living water of Your Holy Spirit it flow out of me each day, I have to be continually renewed and refreshed from the fountain of life in You. Then I can pour out without fear of being drained dry. You are the Source that never runs dry, the Head Waters that continually flow. So make me always thirsty and always filled, so You can always flow through me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Next Month, my friend Ghuna Kumar from India will minister to us. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Wells of Living Water 10-20-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are good and holy and true. Lord, I love You and trust You as I begin this day with You. ... "A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed.... a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon" (Song of Solomon 4:12-15). You sent my friend Heather Butler to minister to us at The Fountain last night. You commissioned her to start "the healing rooms" in Wales and gifted her to sing the songs of Your Spirit over Your people and over Your land wherever You send her. Though they had never met before, last night You wove together Your music through Phil Jackson and Your song through Heather to release the fountain of our spirits and open the well of our hearts. As we came together as part of Your city-wide church in our community from many different streams of Your River of Life, You touched us and awakened us, stirring up within us the flowing streams of Your Living Water. She joined her voice with voices of some You've sent to us to speak of the great awakening to come from this land and our hearts in Kentucky. She spoke of the wells of revival You have dug in our midst, that have been tapped before, but will come together in an overflowing stream. Your Living Water will bring life to all it touches (Ezekiel 47:9). As in the days of Moses, we hear You speaking to us, " 'Gather the people together, and I will give them water.' Then Israel sang this song, 'Spring up, O well! -- Sing to it! -- the well that the leaders sank, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, with the staff' "(Numbers 21:16-18). There is much for us to hear and ponder and pray. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). But by Your grace, we will keep persisting in the pursuit of revival, keep singing to wells of Your Spirit, keep drinking deeply of Your Living Waters, and keep preparing the way for the mighty flow of Your River of Life in our hearts and throughout our land. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org Friends, I pray for revival in Your land and ours, as God awakens our spirits to transform our communities and cover the earth with His glory as the waters cover the sea! Please keep our ministry in prayer to keep bringing together the city-wide church in our region. If you can, come join us at The Fountain next month when my good friend Ghuna Kumar from India will come minister to us. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Never Let Go 10-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings, the Lord of lords, my King and my Lord. Rule and reign in my heart and my life today. ... "Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself? Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed at both" (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18). Lord, teach me and empower me to live in both Your righteousness and Your wisdom -- not my own, and not one without the other. Fools die young. The self-righteous are sickening hypocrites. And those who think they have it all figured out and under control never do. You are on Your throne and You have created this world to align with Your wisdom, Your will, and Your ways when we humble ourselves to turn to You and trust You. Then, even when the wicked seem to prevail and truth is trampled in the streets, even when I'm tempted to let go of the One Thing I never can, You use even that to cause me to succeed in Your plan to conform my character to Yours'. You redeem and realign all things through faith and repentance. Help me keeping taking hold of You and never letting go. By Your grace, I will never let go of You. And by Your love, You will never let go of me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Heather Butler from the Healing Rooms in Wales will be ministering to us and Phil Jackson will be leading us in worship at The Fountain Tonight at 7 pm. Come join us if you can and spread the word! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

Blessed Beyond Belief 10-18-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart and mind with Yours. ... "May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the building of a palace. May our barns be filled, with produce of every kind; may our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields, and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets. Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 144:12-15). Some say it's wrong to seek Your blessings -- that we should be more passive and just takes what comes. But that's not a Biblical attitude in the light of this prayer of David and many other places of Your Word. "All Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). While some say, "Seek His face and not His hands," You call us to seek Your face and Your hands. And as we do, we must always remember to keep the right perspective and priorities, always seeking You first (Matthew 6:33). May I know that I am blessed beyond belief as a child of God. "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and join heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:15-17). It's important to understand, to seek, and to speak these blessings from Your hand, while continually seeking Your face. It reminds me of Your blessings even when I'm not feeling blessed and reminds me of Your eternal truth when my temporary circumstances may say otherwise. Blessed am I, a child of God, for my God is the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays If you can, Come to The Fountain Friday Night. Heather Butler from the Healing Rooms in Wales with be ministering to us and Phil Jackson will be leading us in worship. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"I Am Here" 10-17-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- into my heart and into my day. ... As I watch and wait for You in the silence of surrender with an open heart and expectant faith, I hear You singing Your words of assurance and peace to my soul: "I am here I am here I am here when you go through the darkest valleys I am here when you climb the highest heights I am here when you long to know that there's Someone Who watches over your soul through the night. I am here! I Am here! Look to Me For I Am here I am here with My mercy and My might. I am here with you every day and night." Yes, Lord. You are here. There is never a moment that You are not with me, watching over me, even living within me. As in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, You lead me and watch over me (Exodus 31:21-22). Your Spirit is continually speaking to my spirit: "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.... I am here to help you" (Isaiah 41:10-13, NLT). Thank You, Lord. Yes, You are. In Jesus' name, I pray. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Phil Jackson will lead us in worship. Please spread the word! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Rest in His Presence 10-16-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn the eyes of my heart to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. ... "He said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest' " (Exodus 33:14). When Moses was weighed down and worried, he wanted to know who You were sending to help him (v. 12). But Your answer was basically, "Here I am, Moses. I am with You. I will never leave you, nor forsake You. Keep looking to Me, keep trusting Me. I will lead You through, never giving you more than you can handle, but using every challenge along the way to teach you to trust in. So whether it's time to run or wrestle or wait, You can rest in Me." Then You showed him the glory of Your presence (v. 18-19). Thank You, for being with me every day. Thank You for showing me the glory of Your presence. As I look to You and rest in You, You will lead me through. I need not worry (Matthew 6:25-34). Worry in the light and glory of Your presence would be foolishness and sin. So I entrust all things into Your care. By Your grace, I choose to rest in Your presence and trust in Your power, as You lead me by putting Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Firm Steps of Faith 10-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my thoughts and my heart in the peace of Your presence and the assurance of Your faithfulness. ... "Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing" (Psalm 37:23-27). Lord, sometimes my steps don't feel so firm. So, by faith, I entrust my steps and my decisions to You. Confirm the steps I have taken in line with Your leading and correct my missteps I have taken in line with the leading of my own desires and plans. Give me the peace that comes from knowing I bring each day to You, as I commit my path to You (Proverbs 3:5-6). Free me from fretting and fill me with peace. You are my Security and my Provider. You are worthy of all my trust and Your grace is sufficient for me (Philippians 4:19). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"The Road is Hard" 10-14-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord, my Light, and my Life. Come live in me today. ... "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). The road is hard And the choices are not easy. But Your grace is near And You will show me the way. So Lord, lead on Down this long, hard road. And whenever I stray You are there to show me the way. As Your Spirit sings this song in my spirit, it seems I hear You say, "You don't know this road. You weren't meant to. Those who travel this road must learn to trust Me. Though it is hard, one day You will know it is worth it all." Yes, Lord. By Your grace, I do trust You. Help me listen as You speak and follow as You lead. Help me make the right choices and correct me when I'm wrong, to keep bringing me back onto the path that leads to life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Morning and Evening Sacrifice 10-13-07

"Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old regularly each day. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening ... for a pleasing odor, an offering of fire to the Lord. It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there" (Exodus 29:39-42). Everything in the laws of Moses, the words of the prophets, and the prayers of the psalms points to You and is fulfilled in You (Luke 24:44). 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" (Matthew 5:17). And all of the rituals of the Old Covenant point to the relationship of the New Covenant. The sacrifice of the lambs points to the Sacrifice of the Lamb; the command to holiness in action points to the call to holiness of heart; the fire poured out on the altar points to the Fire of the Spirit poured out on a people who have prepared their hearts and souls for Your power and purity and passion. Let my morning sacrifice of worship and prayer be an offering of my life and this day to You. Let my evening sacrifice be a cleansing and releasing of all that has passed through my life that day, entrusting it all to You to cause Your goodness and Your grace to worked out in it all. Then, I can rest in You through the night and arise the next day with clean hands and a pure heart, forgiven and free to come to You again in the morning to begin my day in worship and prayer with You. Let this be my offering of fire and a pleasing odor, morning by morning, and day by day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler who leads The Healing Rooms in Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Humility and Faith in Prayer 10-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning, set the course for my day. ... "He was praying in a certain place, and after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'When you pray ....' " (Luke 11:1-2). I talked about prayer at our Alpha Course last night, which is mostly for unbelievers to come join us for a meal, hear a talk about the basics of the faith, then ask questions and have discussions about the things we've come to believe and depend upon in our life with You. At the heart of the journey of faith is prayer. You didn't say, "If you pray," or "Maybe you should pray," You said, "When you pray." Prayer is not optional because prayer is at the heart of our relationship with You. Prayer is not a ritual, but a relationship. And it's the most important thing I do. As I seek You and make time for You and listen for You, You draw me into communion with You. In prayer, You change me, because it draws out of me humility and faith -- humility to set aside everything else but You and faith to believe that in a sense, You are there setting aside everything else but me. While You are everywhere and in all things, at the same time, in the mystery of the communion of Your presence, You are here with me alone in these moments of humility and faith in prayer. Lord, increase these moments, until I'm living my life in constant communion with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler who leads The Healing Rooms in Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Reward of Heaven 10-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. More of You in my life. ... "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets" (Luke 6:22-23). You are the Reward of Heaven. Everything I endure along the journey through this broken, fallen world will not be worth comparing to the joy of the Reward set before me in heaven. Keep giving me that heavenly perspective now, keep moving my heart to seek Your face now, so that one day I will stand in Your presence in heaven and see You face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). There will be no more sadness, no more sickness, no more sorrow; there will be the joy of Jesus, revealed to me in the fullness of Your glory -- my Reward and the Destination of my journey (Revelation 21:1-8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler from Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Heavenly Things" 10-10-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come walk with me now in the cool of the morning and throughout this day, I pray. ... "If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" (John 3:12). I find myself thinking more about heaven -- not necessarily that I'm ready to go there just yet, Lord, but that I'm beginning to sense I need to understand it more. You have called us to pray for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). If I am to pray specifically so I can praise You specifically for the answers that come, I need to know more specifically what it is I'm praying for. I need to know more of what it looks like when Your will is done in heaven so I can pray more accurately for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. So help me see and help me believe, as You tell me about heavenly things. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"As He is, So are We" 10-9-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come be the Center of my thoughts and desires, as I watch and wait for Your leading. ... "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:16-17). Lord, let the truth of this Word seep more deeply into my soul -- "because as He is, so are we in this world." This statement would sound like blasphemy if it were not the Word of God. But Your nature is to be my nature; Your ways are to be my ways (2 Peter 1:4). As You are in heaven, so I am to be on earth. As You are in my heart, so I am to be in the world. And at the center of Your nature and Your ways is love. This is the gauge and only standard by which to judge how much I am abiding in You and allowing You to abide in me -- the nature of Your love expressed in my life. This is Who You are and how You are; so this is how I am to be in this world. Give me grace to see this, embrace this, and live this. As my daily actions reflect, I still have far to go; but I choose to believe Your Word and submit to this goal as the standard for my life. As You are, so I choose to be in this world -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. "Lord, let it be with me according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To order our cd's and dvd's on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

Forever Changed, Not Chained 10-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice. ... "Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went into his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). David's son was ill and dying. With emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity, he fasted and prayed for the life of his child (v. 16). He often drew away to himself, not really wanting to be around other people in his grief (v. 17). But in the fullness of time, You gave him peace to release it all to You, with the wisdom to know the things he could not change. "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" (v. 23). It was time to rise and move on with his life and calling -- forever changed, but not forever chained to all that had happened. He turned his thoughts from himself to others. And as he comforted his wife, You bore them another son -- a son of promise and destiny, loved and blessed by the Lord, named Solomon (v. 24-25). I have found it surprisingly hard to come out of the emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity of my grandmother's illness, death, and resurrection. My father was their only child and preceded her in death long ago, so I have been both a son and grandson to her. With all the intensity of that relationship of love, I entered in to the intensity of this battle. I tend to become focused and intense in whatever I perceive to be the mission at hand. I was like that as a trial lawyer, and now I seem to be like that as a prayer minister -- pressing in and pressing through with tenacity and perseverance until the battle is over or the burden is lifted. It's often rewarding with a sense of faithfulness, purpose, and significance, but also exhausting. You've now lifted the burden in my grandmother's battle through this last stage of her life, and it's time to rise and move on -- forever changed but not forever chained to what has happened. Help me take my eyes off of myself and turn them to You, not ignoring what has happened, but allowing what has happened to shape me in the fulfillment of Your purposes and my destiny to come. As I begin to minister to others again, help me come out of isolation and into community, out of sorrow and into service -- morning by morning and step by step as You lead. Help me trust in Your wisdom and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Land of the Presence of the Lord 10-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to welcome the gift of Your presence that is laid up for me. ... "Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden" (Genesis 4:16). Though You are everywhere, we can turn away from Your presence. Though You are never far from us, we can choose to live our lives on our own terms as if You were not there. Whether it's for a moment or a day or a lifetime, there is a cost for the exercise of our freedom. We forfeit the peace of Your presence, the strength of Your power, and the guidance of Your Spirit. So Your Holy Spirit is always moving on our human spirits to draw us near and bring us home. You created us to yearn for Your presence, to sense the dryness of our souls apart for the life Your presence brings, "so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:20). By Your grace, I choose to consciously seek Your face and welcome the refreshing of Your presence into the dryness of my soul. I choose to turn from the inward focus of self-pity and lift up my eyes to Your hills from where my help comes from (Psalm 121:1). I choose to obey Your command and trust Your call to "seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually" (Psalm 105:4). I don't want to wander in my own strength or wallow in my own self-pity, I want to settle in the land of Your presence and drink from the wells of Your refreshing. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Woman of Great Faith and Authority 10-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me see more as You see, hear more as You hear, and be more as You are. ... "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was" (Romans 16:7). Today my good friend, mentor in spiritual leadership and prayer, and board member of our ministry, Dr. Sandra Gray, will be inaugurated as the President of Asbury College. As in the days of Junia, she will be "prominent among the apostles" who will establish Your order in Your church in our generation, as You pour out Your Spirit on all flesh and as Your sons and daughters prophecy Your Word and live out Your kingdom in Your power (Acts 2:17). She will be a woman of great faith and authority. Lord, give her Your wisdom to lead with both Your humility and Your boldness, always sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit, and always faithful to the foundation of Your Word. Inspire and impart through her the flames of revival You have released through the students of this college so many times. Use her life and ministry as a model of spiritual leadership and maturity for the leaders You are raising up and positioning in the marketplace and public square and church in our day. Thank You for the blessing of knowing her, praying with her, and learning from her. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join in me in prayer for Dr. Sandra Gray and her leadership of Asbury College: www.asbury.edu/inauguration Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Spend Some Time 10-4-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I've come to spend some time alone with You. ... "Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous ordinances" (Psalm 119:164). I've been away from home for awhile, so yesterday I stayed home to spend some time with my family. Elijah wanted to go for a long walk before he went to school and another one when he got home. He calls them "adventures," whether we're walking in the woods or just down the sidewalk. Last night as he got ready for bed, he looked up and said, "I like spending time with you, Dad." It made me wish I could stay home every day. Amazingly, You like spending time with me too. You never leave me and never forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). You are with me "always" (Matthew 28:20). But it's when I consciously, intentionally turn my thoughts and open my heart to You that I seem to experience the nearness of Your presence. David set apart seven times every day to seek Your face and listen for Your voice, to deliberately praise You for Your goodness and guidance in his life. Even though he blessed You "at all times" and Your praises were "continually in (his) mouth," he also set aside times throughout his day to come away with You alone. It brings You joy when we deliberately choose to spend some time with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Take Hold of Life 10-3-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Spirit flow through mine. ... "Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in Your ways" (Psalm 119:37). Tune my perception and focus my attention on the things that matter to You. Take away my desire to spend my time on worthless and meaningless distractions. Deliver me from vanity. Let the moments of my days matter. Let Your ways become my ways, Your thoughts become my thoughts, and Your desires become my desires. By Your grace, I want to "take hold of the life that really is life" and live it well in the time I have (1 Timothy 6:19). You are Life (John 14:6). Come live Your life through me each day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Eternal Memories 10-2-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Unchanging One, I find my peace in the steadfastness of Your security and love. ... "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on Him that God the Father has set His seal" (John 6:27). In a few moments, I'll be leaving Nanny's little apartment for the last time. It's been both hard and good to sleep here among her things. But all these things will either be sold off or given way. A few will be passed down. Sooner or later, they will all perish. The sum of her life is not the things she left behind, but the lives she touched and the memories she made for us. Relationships are what matter most -- our relationships with one another, and most of all, our relationship with You. These are the things that are eternal. I just put my favorite little coffee in my bag to take home -- not because it has any value to anybody but me, but because of all the memories if carries. It was filled with about three-fourths milk and a little bit of coffee when I was a little boy their kitchen table at the farm. I wanted to be a big boy and drink coffee like the grown ups and listen to all the stories and soak in all the love of my grandparents. Those things are eternal and will not pass away. Those are the things I just put in my bag and will carry away in my heart. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.