Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Friday, February 17, 2012

"Set Your Mind and Heart to Seek" - February 17

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with Your Spirit and my mind with Your thoughts, as I begin my day in communion with You. ...

"Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Go and build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord" (1 Chronicles 22:19).

To set my mind and heart to seek You is a choice. To go and build a place for Your Presence is a choice. A spiritual life is not a passive life. And the intimacy of spiritual communion is the great gift and blessing of those who passionately pursue You with all they are and all they have. " 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:24-25).

In the power of Your grace, I willingly choose to set my mind and heart to seek the Lord my God. I willingly choose to build a place for Your Presence to come and dwell within my soul. I gratefully embrace this gift of Your goodness for all who choose to seek after You. You are the God who "rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering this week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Come to The Fountain Tonight, 2/17 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This week Doris McCray will be leading. Hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Resolved to Do the Will of God - February 15

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my King, my Lord, my Savior, my Master, and my Friend. You are my All in All, here at the beginning and throughout every moment of my day. ...

"Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own" (John 7:17).

Those who resolve to do Your will are those who discern what is Your will. Many say they want to know Your will for their lives, but how many are resolved to obey what they hear and live what they know?

As I seek Your will for my life, help me be resolved, help me be committed to not only find Your will, but also to follow Your will. Help me to truly trust You to know what's best for me. I choose to believe by faith that as I do, I will hear You more clearly and follow You more closely.

As I deliberately choose to completely surrender my will to Your will, trusting my thoughts to Your thoughts and my desires to Your desires, You will keep changing me to become more like You. The more I die to my will that's apart from Your will, the more I will "discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). In the power of Your grace, help me resolve for this to be my way of life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Come to The Fountain This Friday Night, 2/17 at 7 pm for our ministry's montly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This week Doris McCray will be leading. Hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Expressed and Unhidden Love - February 14

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this Valentine's Day that much of the world celebrates love, I remember that You first loved me. ...

"Better is open rebuke, than hidden love" (Proverbs 27:5).

In healing prayer ministry, I often hear the pain of a son who says, "I never heard my dad say he loved me" and the pain of a mother who says, "My children never call any more even to let me know they care." And so many times, I pray with those whose marriages were once full of passion and life, only to have grown cold and stale or broken apart.

Love is meant to be expressed. Love is meant to be lived. We all need to hear it; and we all need to say it. Love that's hidden - never acknowledged, never expressed - is hardly love at all. If it is love, it's a very painful love that leaves very empty hearts and very deep wounds.

Lord, release a heart of courage in the earth today. Empower Your people with the courage to quit hiding our love - love for You and love for one another. Let words be spoken; let feelings be expressed; let love be known. Let the silence of hidden love be broken and the power of revealed love be released. "For (You have) not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Happy Valentine's Day, my Friends!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Friday, February 10, 2012

Know When It's Time - February 10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your peace fill my heart and Your hope rise in my spirit, as I start this day grounded in Your Word and listening for Your Voice. ...

" 'Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for My time has not yet fully come' " (John 7:8).

Lord, I need to know when it's time - when it's time to go and time to stay, when it's time move forward and time to sit tight, when it's time to join in with others and time to stand alone. I need to be at the right place where You've positioned me, with the right people with whom You've aligned me, for the right purposes to which You've called me. But I also need it all to be in Your time, for it's in Your time that You have made all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering next week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Thursday, February 09, 2012

"From There" - February 9

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and call on Your name. I wait in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit. ...

"Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope" (Hosea 2:14-15).

There's hope in every valley. There's always a way back home no matter how far we've gone. Even in the wilderness of our discontent or disobedience, You keep reaching out to us, keep speaking to us, keep calling us to come and embrace Your mercy and grace.

It's "from there" - from wherever our choices have led us or our circumstances have found us that You still offer to give us all we need to sustain us and fulfill us, if we would only humble our pride to admit our need of Your guidance and grace in our lives. You are our Door of Hope - "Christ Jesus our Hope" (1 Timothy 1:1).

Your door is always open; Your hope is always there. You embrace us where we are and provide for all we need. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort (our) hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Passing Through the Challenges - February 8

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit. Draw me near, Heavenly Father. I worship You, Lord God Almighty, in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being. ...

"When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl Him off the cliff. But He passed through the midst of them and went on His way" (Luke 4:28-30).

Some days are more stressful than others. And we all have stressful days, challenging circumstances, and confrontational encounters. That's when we need the power of Your grace to pass on through the midst of it, to just go on our way. That's when we need to take a deep breath of Your Holy Spirit, take a long drink from Your Living Water, and set our face toward the high ground of the Most High.

It seems it's easier to be like You when things are going well, when circumstances are calm, and when everyone is nice and speaking well of us. But those are probably not the times we really grow in spiritual maturity. Those are probably not the times we have a chance to really come to know just how much we really need Your wisdom, Your patience, Your correction, and Your forgiveness. It's when we really blow it that You teach us humility to admit we were wrong. It's when we really lose it that You remind us how far we have to go in our journey to be more like You.

"One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city" (Proverbs 16:32). Help us, Lord Jesus, grow in the power of Your grace to be slow to anger, controlling our temper, looking to You as our example to pass through the challenges that would get ourselves and our witness thrown off a cliff.

"Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11). Help us, Lord Jesus, look to You and overlook the opportunities to stumble and fall in our journey of faith. And if we do, help us be quick to repent and ready to learn. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Daniel, Noah, and Job - February 7

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come fill my heart with Your love and my mind with Your truth. Help me be more like You today. ...

"The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, when a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine against it, and cut off from it human beings and animals, even if Daniel, Noah, and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 14:12-14).

Though there is sin in the land, You want righteousness in our hearts. Though judgment comes to the land that refuses to hear Your voice and rebels against Your ways, there is salvation and safety for those who turn to You and call on Your name. Rather than send Your judgment, Your heart is to pour out Your mercy; but You cannot bless rebellion, even as You send out Your call to repentance: "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die ...?" (v. 33:11)

Like Daniel, let us stand courageously for Your truth and Your ways (Daniel 6:10). Like Noah, let us find favor in Your sight by hearing and obeying Your voice (Genesis 6:8). Like Job, let us set aside our self-righteousness and pride to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord so that You can lift us up into the security of Your righteousness and the healing of Your restoration (Job 42:6).

O Lord, it is "not without cause" that Your judgments come against our lives and our land in our rebellion against Your ways (Ezekiel 14:23). So pour out Your Spirit of repentance upon us. Open our ears to hear and our eyes to see. Awake us to arise and turn again to You, that we might live well and walk in Your ways in this land You've entrusted to us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Thank You so much for all your prayers for us during our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry last week. It was our largest Level 2 Course yet! The Holy Spirit moved mightily to bring healing, deliverance, and prophetic words to us, while being equipped and trained to minister to others. Sylvia and I also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD:

www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

The Holy Spirit is preparing the Bride and Body of Christ. We so excited to be a part of it!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Monday, February 06, 2012

Do Justice, Show Mercy, Do No Evil - February 6

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Kingdom come; let Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven, throughout the moments of my day. ...

"The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another' " (Zechariah 7:8-10).

Do justice. Show mercy. Do no evil. Your word to us today is as it has always been. "But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord sent by His Spirit through the former prophets" (v. 7:11). And sadly, our response today is as it has always been.

Lord, forgive us. Deliver us from stubbornness and pride, disobedience and rebellion. Give us a heart to trust You and Your ways, to know You know what's best and what will make us most fulfilled.

I hear You writing the words of a prayer in the cry of song that You want to hear from our hearts:

With humble hearts
And lifted hands
On bended knees
We take our stand

We call out on Your name

We cry out for Your grace

Because You are the One

Who knows what we need
Because You are the One
Who comes to those who believe

Yes, Lord. Open our ears; soften our hearts. Help us desire to listen; help us be able to hear. Help us believe and then live as though we do. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

The Holy Spirit is preparing the Bride and Body of Christ. We so excited to be a part of it!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Friday, February 03, 2012

"In the Shadow of the Almighty" - February 2

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord; and I thank You for first loving me. ...

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust' " (Psalm 91:1-2).

I want to live every moment of every day in the shelter of the Most High. I want to continually abide in the shadow of the Almighty. That's where I belong; that's where I am strong. That's where I am safe and secure, connected in communion, dwelling in the depths of Your love and power. You are my refuge; You are my fortress. You are my God, in whom I trust.

This week we've been teaching and experiencing the transforming power of Your healing and deliverance at our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry. These are some of my favorite times of ministry - to be learning and growing in an atmosphere of hunger for more of You and more of Your impartation and activation of the spiritual gifts You're awakening within us to minister the power of Your love in the authority of Your name. Every class is different and we never know what to expect, as we learn Your principles of the Kingdom of God and see You demonstrate them in our lives in Your power.

But all that we learn and all that we experience is really just a way to draw closer to You. It's in Your Presence that we are safe and healed and free. It's in the deep communion of our human spirits with Your Holy Spirit that we are anointed and empowered to be the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, moved by Your love in the ministry of Christ. So draw me closer today than ever before; and help me lead others into that deep place in Your shelter and under Your shadow. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I begin teaching our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry this week! We also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

"Commander of the Army of the Lord" - February 1

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit. Be near, Heavenly Father. ...

"Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing before him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 'Are You one of us, or one of our adversaries?' He replied, 'Neither; but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to Him, 'What do You command Your servant, my Lord?' " (Joshua 5:13-14).

Lord Jesus, You are the Commander of the army of the Lord. You are our Commander in Chief; we are Your army-an army of servants and sons, worshippers and warriors, the children of God in human flesh, sent forth to advance Your Kingdom at Your command.

Lord, what is Your command for me today?

As I watch and wait, Your Spirit is bringing Your Word to mind: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 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. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another" (John 15:12-17).

There are battles to fight and cities to take (Joshua 6:20). And everywhere You send us to set the soles of our feet in the physical realm and to touch with the power of our prayers in the spiritual realm is ground You have already given into our hands, if we will trust You and obey You (Joshua 1:3). Yet these battles are fought and these cities are taken through the power of love - loving You, loving one another, willing to lay down our lives for Your sake and for the sake of one another. Learning to choose full surrender to You and self-sacrifice for others is our training and commission for this spiritual war (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

This is Your command to Your army. These are our marching orders and our battle plan. These are the weapons of our warfare and the assurance of our victory. As You have with every army in every generation, You call us to battle and spur us on to victory with this command: "I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

And with You armies of old, we respond to Your command: "All that You have commanded us we will do, and wherever You send us we will go" (Joshua 1:16). "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144:1). May we arise and go into battle today with these weapons of our warfare in the power of Your love - proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free (Isaiah 61:1). Trusting and obedient, strong courageous, may we advance today at Your command. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Shield of Faith and Breastplate Prayer - January 31

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - You are a mighty God, merciful and forgiving, faithful and true, holy and loving are You. ...

"When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this is I know, because God is for me" (Psalm 56:9, NKJ).

You are for me, O God. And if God be for me, who can be against me? You are my Advocate, my Champion, my Best Friend. You are mighty to save, gracious to forgive, and ready to answer when I cry out to You and call on Your name.

When You arise, my enemies are scattered. When You move mightily on my behalf, my spirit is confident in the security of my God. This I know. Of this, I am sure.

Great is Your faithfulness; mighty is Your power; deep is Your love. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). You are my shield of faith before me (Ephesians 6:16). And You are my rear guard behind me (Isaiah 52:12).

In the knowledge and faith of Your Presence ever with me - before me, behind me, all around me and within me - I join in St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer today:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation....

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Monday, January 30, 2012

"My Word Will Come True" - January 30

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my heart, mind, soul, and strength. ...

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not' " (Numbers 11:23).

Lord, Your power is not limited. And every one of Your words will come true. Forgive me for doubting or giving in to discouragement. Fill me with faith that doesn't waiver or grow weary. Your promises are "Yes and amen." Your word goes forth and does not return void, but always accomplishes that to which You have purposed. You watch over Your word to perform it, for all that You have said will certainly come to pass (Jeremiah 1:12).

We came together as an expression of Your city-wide Church this weekend for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit. We welcomed You and worshipped You. We listened for Your voice and declared Your praises. And You reminded us of Your heart for our city and Your words for Your people to be anointed and empowered by Your Spirit to be Your Body in the spheres of influence You've entrusted to us.

Lord, let us not take Your words and put them on a shelf as if You may not have the will or the power to bring them to pass. What You have revealed, You have instilled. What You have proclaimed, You have imparted.

By the power of the grace of God: We will be a city full of mercy with the Father's heart. We will be a city of light, set on a hill, where streams of living water flow to bring life to all it touches. We will be a place of healing and deliverance, marked by unity of the Body in the bonds of the Spirit, welcoming all who are weary, thirsty, and weak to come and embrace the Father's heart. We will see breakthroughs and turnarounds in this year, as the atmosphere continues to shift into governmental order in the spiritual realm. Lord, let it be so in each of us personally and all of us corporately as Your Body in our city. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Friday, January 27, 2012

"Taught by the Spirit" - January 27

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

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:12-14).

I want to be "taught by the Spirit." I want to be a spiritual person, receiving and growing in the grace of Your spiritual gifts and spiritual nature. Free me from the wisdom and judgments of this world that ridicule and mock as foolishness the things of the Spirit. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).

If we are to be guided by the Spirit, we must continually grow in the understanding of Your spiritual truths and spiritual ways. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

Let me not be intimidated by the pressures and judgments of a world that only sees and discerns by the natural senses of the flesh. Awaken and enlarge my capacity to see and discern by the Spirit. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But (we) are not in the flesh; (we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us)" (Romans 8:5-9). Teach me and guide me, Holy Spirit of God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Listen and Give Heed - January 26

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in spirit and seek You in truth; I wait on You with hunger and trust in You by faith. I want to start this new day rooted and grounded in Your Word, firmly secure in Your love, and in deep communion with Your Spirit. ...

"Listen to Me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.... Listen to Me, My people, and give heed to Me, My nation; for a teaching will go out from Me, and My justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near My deliverance swiftly, My salvation has gone out and My arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for Me and for My arm they hope.... My salvation will be forever, and My deliverance will never be ended" (Isaiah 51:1-6).

O Lord, My God, stir up my spirit to pursue righteousness. Stir up the spirit of my city, my nation, my people to pursue righteousness - to be right with You, right with one another, right within ourselves. Move us and enable us to listen to You, to give heed to You. May we embrace Your teaching and enforce Your justice. May we be expectant in Your hope. And may we see Your swift deliverance and experience the fullness of Your salvation.

Stretch forth Your arm to rule and Your hand to heal. Send forth Your Spirit to awaken us and empower us to be all You've created and called us to be. "Awake, awake; put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago! ...So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sadness shall flee away!" (v. 51:9-11)

Yes, Lord; let it be so in me and in my land, in our generation, as in the generations of long ago. And yet, let it be so in our generation as never before. "But as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him' - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Coach D will speak and lead us in prayer on Fatherhood. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders will lead us throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word! (Flyer Below)
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"From the Womb of the Morning" - January 25

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open the door of my heart and yield to Your - embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit - as I begin the journey of this day with You, O Lord, my God. ...

"The Lord sends out from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces in holy splendor. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you. The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, 'You are a priest forever according the Order of Melchizedek' " (Psalm 110:2-4).

Your Spirit spoke these words to King David and through him to the coming Messiah-the mighty King and the holy Priest. And now, in Christ, our Messiah, we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that (we) might proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

As we come into the place of communion in prayer at the beginning of our day, into "the womb of the morning," You draw Your forces together in holy splendor. You align us and empower us - all who offer themselves willingly to Your plans and purposes for our day. Through us, You stretch out Your mighty hand and through us You speak forth Your mighty word, for we are "the Body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are filled with "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). And we continue the ministry of Christ (John 20:21). Lead us today into the battles You choose in the power of Your love, as a mighty army, arrayed in holy splendor, to proclaim Your mighty acts. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A City for God - January 24

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. Abide in me as I abide in You. You are the Vine and I am one of Your branches; let the life of Your Spirit flow into me and through me to bear fruit of Your Spirit through my life today. ...

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you ..." (Jeremiah 29:7).

You've sent me to different cities in the different seasons of my life. When I think back on the events I've experienced, the encounters I've had, and the relationships I've known, I often relate them to the cities where I've lived. Each has been very different. And so are the things You accomplished in me and through me in each of those cities. And of course, Your Holy Spirit was not the only spirit trying to accomplish things in me and through me in those cities either. But You have caused it all to work together for good, as You've given me the grace to keep responding to Your love and following Your call, according to Your purposes (Romans 8:28).

For a long season now, You've had me here in the city of Lexington, Kentucky and the surrounding region. Here I've grown in the Spirit and battled in the flesh; here I've mourned times of great sorrow and sadness and experienced great heights of joy; here I've received great ministry of healing and freedom, and You've taught me how to minister that same healing and freedom to others in Your name and by Your power.

Several years ago, You gave me a great burden for this city and the unction of the Holy Spirit to call others to pray "for the welfare of the city" where You have strategically positioned us for this season of our lives. We put out the word to the intercessors and prayer warriors and watchmen on the walls of the city to come together at the beginning of the year to seek Your face and listen for Your voice to hear Your heart for our city in the coming year. We've been doing this for five years now, as we come together in unity, stand firm in the faith, and move forward in the Spirit to advance Your Kingdom in these spheres of influence You've entrusted to us.

Be with us this weekend for our 2012 Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit. Help us humble ourselves to seek Your face, call on Your name, and return to Your ways on behalf of ourselves and our city, as far as Your grace will go, as You come to strengthen our hearts and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Together, let us fulfill our calling to be a city for God, with the Father's heart of mercy and love, shining forth the light of Christ through the hearts of Your people (Matthew 5:14). As this city where You have sent us for this season prospers in Spirit, so will we; "... for in its welfare (we) will find (our) welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word! (Flyer Below)
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Monday, January 23, 2012

"Pure in Heart" - January 23

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill my spirit, soul, and body with the fullness of Your Presence in the intimacy of communion with You in prayer. ...

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8).

The "pure in heart" are those whose sins have been forgiven by the mercy of God through the blood of Jesus. But the meaning of the original language also speaks of those whose hearts have been cleansed as though "purified by fire" or prepared "like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear more fruit" (katharos, Strong's Lexicon).

Purify my heart, Lord. Give me the grace to keep giving my heart to You, allowing You to cleanse it, heal it, purify it, and prepare it to bear the fruit of Your Spirit through my life today and every day. Help me embrace Your pruning, with a heart full of hope for all the good things to come. I want to be one of those who see God, one of those who are pure in heart - not just when I go to heaven when I die, but as Your bring Your heaven into my heart every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar
Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Key to "Well-Being" - January 19

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord; I want to see You. Open the ears of my spirit; I want to hear You. I'm watching; I'm waiting in the silence of surrender to sense Your leading in these first moments of my morning. ...

"So acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Keep His statues and His commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time" (Deuteronomy 4:39-40).

I look to You. I acknowledge You. You are God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You are my Creator. You are my Lord and Savior. You are the Ruler of this universe and the Sovereign One over my life. You know what is best for "(my) own well-being." You know the way for me to "long remain in the land" of the promises and blessings that You have prepared for me through my identity and destiny in You. And that way is to trust in Your nature and obey Your commands.

What is Your nature? What are Your commands? They are both revealed in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us - the One who is Love, the One who perfectly walks in Love, and the One who calls us to follow You in that walk and expression of Your nature: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 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 am giving you these commands so that you may love one another" (John 15:12-17).

My health, my "well-being" in spirit, soul, and body, is dependent upon my obedience to Your command to love. My possession of Your promises for my identity and my destiny is dependent upon my obedience to Your command to love. Lord Jesus, You said, "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love" (John 15:9-10). Teach me, lead me, and empower me to abide in Your love in obedience to Your command. I know I can't do that apart from You and Your Spirit abiding in me, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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

Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night, Jan 20th at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship on the 3rd Friday of every month. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit and the loving embrace of the Father heart of God. Andrew Eberheart from Asbury will be leading in worship, while Sylvia and I will be leading in prayer and ministry this month. All are welcome! Please come and spread the word!

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org