Morning by Morning, December 11 - "A People Prepared for the Lord"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch to see what You're doing and listen to hear what You're saying, as I begin this day in the communion of prayer. ...

"But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before Him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord' " (Luke 1:13-17).

People speak of the spirit of Christmas in the air-festive music, colorful decorations, indulgent deserts and parties, and no room at the inn or the parking lot in front of the mall. But there's another Spirit in air, who wants to be the Spirit in our hearts "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Christmas is a day on the calendar, but the Spirit who comes to make room in our hearts for the coming of Christ is with us always-always lifting our eyes to Jesus, always opening our hearts to the One who comes to save us from our sins and save us for a life that honors our God and displays His love and grace on every day of the calendar of our lives (John 16:14). That's the Spirit who filled the heart of John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, to prepare the way of the Lord "with the spirit and power of Elijah." And that's the same Spirit who still longs to fill the hearts of all who will make room for the Lord in their lives today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, I pray you will be filled with the Holy Spirit of God today, that you will be one who's heart is prepared for the Lord to live and love through you in the spirit and power of Elijah. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Please keep us in prayer as our ministry continues to partner with Rapha God Ministries in San Antonio, Texas this week, with teaching and ministry of inner healing -- healing from the inside out (www.RaphaGodMinistries.com). I'll be back in Kentucky to speak and minister at Cornerstone Assemby of God in Danville, Kentucky, Sunday December 16th in the morning and evening meetings (www.DanvilleCornerstone.net). Please come join us if you can. All are welcome!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, December 10 - Favored One of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name be high and lifted up over my thoughts and words and choices today. ...

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you'" (Luke 1:26-28).

Father, You sent Your angel and You sent Your word to Mary. You wanted her to know that she was favored, that You were with her, that You had a plan and purpose for her life. You wanted her to know her identity and fulfill her destiny.

At first she was perplexed and afraid (v. 1:29-30). And You didn't tell her all at once all that would be involved and all that would be required. You didn't tell her all the heights of joy she'd experience, nor the depths of heartbreak she'd endure. But in the power of Your grace You gave her the faith to say, "Yes, Lord. 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to Your word' " (v. 1:48).

Each one of us who are called by Your name, who have Your Word and Your Spirit in our hearts, are Your favored ones. You are with us. And if we will simply say, "Yes, Lord," by the power of Your grace, we will find our identity and fulfill our destiny in Christ.

We may not literally see an angel in our bedroom or literally carry the Messiah in our womb, but we can know that You are with us and we can trust that You will show us the next step on the path of our journey of faith. If we discern clearly and follow obediently, You will bless our faith. And even if we don't discern clearly and move mistakenly, You will still bless our faith when we turn back to You, for You even redeem our missteps and cause good to come out of all things we entrust to You in our relationship of love and faith (Romans 8:28).

There will be more joy than we could ever hope to imagine and perhaps even more pain that we could ever expect to endure, but if we will be found faithful, through the mercy of Your grace and the power of Your love, we will one day look back and say, "It was worth it all to say Yes to God" (2 Corinthians 4:17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may you know in your spirit and never doubt by your circumstances that you are a favored one of God. May you know your identity and fulfill your destiny in Christ, as you say, "Yes, Lord." Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Amazing Opportunity of Ministry this Weekend!

Friends, through our ministy's relationship with Rapha God Ministries and Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, I was very honored to get to lay on hands and pray blessings for each singer and team member for The Story Christmas Celebration Tour during the prayers and devotion time before the concert in San Antonio Saturday Night (Nicole Nordeman, Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, Mark Hall and Castting Crowns, Amy Perry and Selah, Matthew West and all of the team). The message and ministry of The Story was deeply moving and powerful! (www.thestory.com).

Please keep us in prayer as our ministry continues to partner with Rapha God Ministries in San Antonio, Texas this week, with teaching and ministry of inner healing -- healing from the inside out (www.RaphaGodMinistries.com). I'll be back in Kentucky to speak and minister at Cornerstone Assemby of God in Danville, Kentucky, Sunday December 16th in morning and evening services (www.DanvilleCornerstone.net). Please come join us if you can. All are welcome!

Friends, as you are led by God's Spirit, please remember Messiah Ministries in your Christmas and Year End Giving to help us continue to fulfill our calling of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" at home and abroad. I'm so grateful for all your encouragment and support; and I do pray the Lord has used our ministry to be an encouragement and blessing to you. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, December 6 - "Guided by the Spirit"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You align the way I think and the way I choose with the way You are. ...

"Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Master, now You are dismissing Your servant in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel' " (Luke 2:27-32).

No human told Simeon that this little Baby was the Messiah. And though Simeon obviously had great faith and a righteous heart, though he spent much time at the temple and no doubt knew his Scriptures well, it was by the guiding of the Spirit that he encountered the Christ Child. It was by the guiding of the Spirit that his eyes were opened to see that this was the One, chosen by God, to be the Light to the nations from the land of Israel (Isaiah 9:1-7).

Holy Spirit, guide me. Lead me to the places and people where I am to encounter Christ today. Open the eyes of my heart to see You at work in my life, fulfilling every word You've spoken to my heart. Like Simeon, even if I grow to be an old man, let me never lose hope that You are the One who will be faithful to bring all Your plans and purposes to pass, just as You have said. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may the Holy Spirit guide your heart and open your eyes to see Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God, in all the encounters the Lord plans for you today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

An Exciting Answer to Prayer Yesterday!

We were moved by the Spirit to pray for a little girl who's been in much pain for several years with pancreatitis. Her Children's Pastor was almost without words trying to share the great news that the little girl fell asleep about that time and woke up later with almost no pain at all for the first time in a very long time. The doctors and nurses were all rushing to see and declaring a miracle had happened. Praise God! Healing and miracles are such mystery that we don't always understand when they happen and when they don't, but we can shout the high praises of God, rejoicing in Him, whenever they do! There's power in the name of Jesus!

Please keep us in prayer as our ministry continues to partner with Rapha God Ministries in San Antonio, Texas this week, with teaching and ministry of inner healing -- healing from the inside out (www.RaphaGodMinistries.com). I'll be back in Kentucky to speak and minister at Cornerstone Assemby of God in Danville, Kentucky, Sunday December 16th in morning and evening services (www.DanvilleCornerstone.net). Please come join us if you can. All are welcome!

Friends, as you are led by God's Spirit, please remember Messiah Ministries in your Christmas and Year End Giving to help us continue to fulfill our calling of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" at home and abroad. I'm so grateful for all your encouragment and support; and I do pray the Lord has used our ministry to be an encouragement and blessing to you. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning - December 5 - Expectant Hope for Christ's Coming

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and welcome You into every moment of my day and every area of my life. ...

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah" (Luke 2:25-26).

Holy Spirit of God, You rested upon Simeon and stirred within his spirit to look forward to the coming of the Messiah. As he grew older with each day, he believed by faith he grew closer to the day Messiah would come.

No doubt, Simeon travailed in prayer and longed in his heart for the coming of the One who would comfort his people and fulfill all that had been revealed to him. I'm sure he was expectant in his anticipation, like little children waiting for Christmas morning.

Come, Holy Spirit. Rest upon me and stir up within me that same expectant hope and trusting faith for the coming of Messiah that moved the heart of Simeon. Christ has died; Christ has risen; and Christ will come again. I long to see the One "who is and who was and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8).

One day, Lord Jesus, You will come again as the Messiah of Israel and all the world for all the world to see (1 Thessalonians 4:16). And every day between this day and that one, You want to come into our hearts, by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us (Romans 8:9). Like those You led to long for Your coming at the first Christmas, I long for Your coming this Christmas and every day that it represents. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may the Holy Spirit of God fill your heart with a longing hope and expectant faith for the coming of Christ every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Friends, as you are led by God's Spirit, please remember Messiah Ministries in your Christmas and Year End Giving to help us continue to fulfill our calling of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" at home and abroad. I'm so grateful for all your encouragment and support; and I do pray the Lord has used our ministry to be an encouragement and blessing to you. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Merry Christmas from Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries

 

 

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;

and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" --Isaiah 9:6

Dear Friend,

Merry Christmas from All of Us at Messiah Ministries!

May the Spirit of Christmas fill your heart with hope, draw you near in peace, and rest upon you with favor. The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ within each one us, reaching out in love through us to touch the lives of those around us with the Love of God revealed in Jesus our Messiah. Thank you for touching me and so many through your life and the life of Christ within you, my friend.

In the Love of Jesus,

Tommy Hays

Christmas 2012

Tommy Hays | Messiah Minsitries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Rd.

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, December 3 - "Prepare Him Room"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my heart prepare You room. ...

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:76-79).

Lord, Jesus, You are joy to the world. And our world needs the joy of Your salvation-the joy of Your forgiveness and healing and freedom that only comes by the tender mercy of our God through the power of Your grace.

We all need the dawn of Your salvation to break from on high into our hearts and fill us afresh with the joy of life in You. And where we're feeling weary or worried, discouraged or depressed, alone or afraid, we need Your Spirit to come breaking in like the dawn of a new day to "restore unto (us) the joy of (our) salvation" (Psalm 51:12). Lift us up out of the darkness; call us forth out of the shadows; and guide our feet into the way of peace.

This is the season of advent-to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, to prepare for the coming of the One who is our joy and our peace. As that classic Christmas hymn proclaims in Joy to the World, "Let every heart prepare Him room." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may the Holy Spirit of God prepare room for the fullness of Christ and all the peace and joy of our Savior in your heart during this Advent season. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

As you are led by God's Spirit, please remember Messiah Ministries in your Christmas and Year End Giving to help us continue to fulfill our calling of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" at home and abroad. I'm so grateful for all your encouragment and support; and I do pray the Lord has used our ministry to be an encouragement and blessing to you. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 29 - Deliberate

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me into the deep place of communion in prayer, as I begin my day deliberately with You. ...

"When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, (Jesus) set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51).

The word "deliberate" keeps coming to me this morning. ...

It seems You're calling me to a deeper place of deliberate focus and deliberate actions. And looking to You as my example, You were very deliberate in getting away with the Father in prayer and then very deliberate in coming out of place of prayer and into the place of authority in obedience to all You saw the Father doing and all You heard the Father saying (John 5:19).

You were able to set Your face with deliberate resolution toward the place of the next assignment the Father had for You. Yet You very sensitive the leading of the Holy Spirit in the moment by moment steps of ministry along the way (Acts 10:38).

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Help me be deliberate today. Help me set my face toward Your plans and purposes for my life today. Keep me in the deep place of communion in prayer with You - moment by moment throughout my day, because You've drawn me near to deliberately focus on You morning by morning at the start of my day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, I pray the Holy Spirit of our Living God will draw you into the deep place of communion of prayer, so you can deliberately set your face to be about our Father's business today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 11 - Confronting Compromise

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart, as I watch and watch for the leading of Your Spirit. ...

"Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire" (Matthew 18:7-9).

Lord, You are serious about confronting compromise in the world. And You call us to be serious about confronting compromise within ourselves.

Your Word and Your Spirit have that way of always leading us to look at ourselves first, before looking to others and to the world around us to identify the stumbling blocks on our journey in the pursuit of happiness. You didn't say, "If your neighbor's eye offend thee, pluck it out!" Rather, You said, "If your own eye causes you to stumble, tear it out."

Those were bold and dramatic words to express Your bold and dramatic point of just how seriously You take the issue of confronting compromise, shunning temptation, and courageously addressing the true issues that threaten our destruction. This is true, whether in our personal lives, our nation, or any other aspect of our lives.

Woe to the world that does not heed the voice of Your Word and Your Spirit, but no less is the warning of woe to the one who is not willing to boldly confront the tendency to compromise within. How need Your power and Your grace, working within us by Your Spirit, to enter into life that honors You (Philippians 2:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, I pray that by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit of our loving God, you will stand firm in the face of every temptation to compromise with the principles of the Kingdom of God. I pray the same for our nation. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 27 - Facing the Fiscal Cliff

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lord, be King and Lord of my thoughts and desires today. ...

"' Tell us, then, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?' But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, 'Why are you putting Me to the test, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the tax.' And they brought to Him a denarius. Then He said to them, whose head is this and whose title?' They answered, "The emperor's.' Then He said to them, 'Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.' When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left Him and went away" (Matthew 22:17-22).

I live in this world, but I'm not of this world. I'm a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven but I pay taxes to the United States of America. I vote my values and try to live my principles, but I'm also to "be subject to the governing authorities; for there is not authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (Romans 13:1). I'm to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, but I'm also to pray "for kings and all who are in high positions, so that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Timothy 2:2).

Lord, I need Your discernment and the leading of Your Spirit to fully engage and interact with this world that You so love, but that You are also trying to transform (John 3:16). Our prayers are part of that process, and our lives become part of that transformation (Matthew 6:10). That's all a part of how the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdom of our God - all in Your time and all in Your way (Revelation 11:15).

Our nation may be facing a "fiscal cliff," but by the power of God's grace I'm going to face it by faith and overcome it through prayer. My God is my Rock and my Refuge (Psalm 18:2). So in desperate dependence upon God alone, I'm going to hold fast to the Rock of Ages, cleft for me, even while I do my part to speak my mind, cast my votes, pay my taxes, and make my choices, led by Your Holy Spirit to try to be salt and light in my world throughout the moments of my day (Matthew 5:13-16). Then no matter what comes, I need not fear, for my God is with me (Isaiah 43:1-5). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

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

Friends,  I pray you'll be full of faith and filled with the Spirit as you face every challenge. Fear not, for God is with you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 26 - Junction of the Cross and Our Nation

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my thoughts and the foundation of my day. ...

"Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls' " (Matthew 21:42-44).

Last night I took a drive along the Llano River running through the Texas Hill Country outside the town of Junction. When I came around a grove of oak trees and looked up on the high ridge overlooking the community, I was startled by three bright images up on high - a nearly full moon, a big American flag, and a lighted cross.

It was stunning. And for some reason, I couldn't stop weeping. I pulled over and could feel Your Holy Spirit stirring in the depths of my gut, but I wasn't really sure why. So I prayed. I found myself praying for our nation - repenting of our sins, and remembering our dedication to be a nation under God and a city on a hill, shining like a beacon of freedom and hope in a dark world. I found myself repenting of my sins and remembering my calling to give my life completely to You. I found myself praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the healing of the nations. Then I found myself being thankful for the blessings we have and hopeful to remember there is a people who are called by Your name, still looking up to the cross and turning to You in prayer, all over this land.

As the burden of prayer seemed to lift, I felt that I was lifted too - lifted in my heart, in my spirit, in my hope for good and amazing things yet to come, even in the midst of difficult times that may be ahead. Lord, let us be a nation that turns to you from the heart of Your people across our land, remembering our calling and fulfilling our destiny. Like a full moon in the night's sky, still reflecting the light of the sun despite the darkness, let us return to the place where we reflect the nature of the Son of God as one nation under God. Lord, begin in me, as I begin this day bowing before You. Let there be a junction in our hearts and our land between the cross and our nation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may you be overwhelmed and undone with a passion for our God and stirring to prayer for our land to fulfill our destiny and honor God. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 23 - Spirit of Thanksgiving Remains

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I love You, Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. ...

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

The great day of great food, family, and friends, gathered around tables full of turkey and dressing, all saturated in the sounds of football games on television, in full expression of the American way of life, has come and gone. And hopefully it still a part of the American way to give God thanks and praise for at least a minute before the meal on Thanksgiving Day. At least our family homes and places of worship are a few places left in America where the mention of God and the name of Jesus is stilled allowed and still free from governmental legislation or court order.

There is still a Spirit of Thanksgiving that rises to heaven from the hearts of God's children here in this land. It may only be a remnant, but at least no one can say that there's no longer at least a remnant of thankful hearts who still appreciate all You've done and all the blessings we have.

Lord, let the Spirit of Thanksgiving not pass away just because Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. Let us continue to give thanks in all circumstances, with grateful hearts for Your Presence with us no matter what. We don't have to be thankful for all that happens, but we can be thankful for all we have and all You are, in the midst of whatever happens. It's in thanksgiving of God that we remain and abide in the Presence of God (Psalm 95:2). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

 

Friends, I pray a Spirit of Thanksgiving will fill your heart through all circumstances. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! I'm blessed to be with family and friends out at my mom's house in the mountains of New Mexico for Thanksgiving a few days of rest. I'm thankful for your friendship and joining with me in the journey of prayer and all your encouragment and support in so many ways.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 20 - "Every Blessing in Abundance"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of God. Let my spirit hear You speak, as You put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. ...

"And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Thank You for all You provided for me, for all You have poured into me. Thank You for never giving up on me, for always reaching out to me, for eternally embracing me. Give me an ever-increasingly generous spirit that wants to share abundantly all I've received.

Though I've not always seen it for what it was at the time, You have provided me with "every blessing in abundance"-even the blessings of all the opportunities to die to my flesh and my will apart from Yours, to learn obedience through suffering, to find the treasure of knowing that my relationship with You is the most important blessing I could ever receive. "Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!" (v. 9:15)

So I thank You for provision, but I also thank You for teaching me that You alone must be the source of my provision (Philippians 4:19). I thank You for joy, but I also thank You for teaching me that it's for the sake of the joy set before me that at times I must endure the cross of what feels like shame at the time (Hebrews 12:2). And I thank You for teaching me this simple truth from the Word of God as a foundational philosophy of life: "The only thing that counts is faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). The blessing of knowing You in faith and giving away what I've received to others in love is Your great, abundant blessing to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may our God who is able pour abundatly into your life every blessing, as you share His abundant blessings in love to the ones He brings into intersection with your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

 

I'm blessed to be with family out at my mom's house in the mountains of New Mexico for Thanksgiving. I pray Thanksgiving blessings for you!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 19 - "As He Is, So Are We"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name. And at Your name, I bow my knees, open my heart, and declare You are Lord of my life and the moments of my day. ...

"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).

In the power of Your love, You put others before Yourself - and as You are, so are we to be in this world.

In the power of Your love, You lay down Your life for Your friends - and as You are, so are we to be in this world.

In the power of Your love, You forgive sins, don't hold onto offenses, and don't harden Your heart in judgment - and as You are, so are we to be in this world.

In the power of Your love, You look for the best in people, even when You know they are often likely to show their worst instead-and as You are, so are we to be in this world.

Lord, in the power of Your grace, help me be more like You. In all the encounters and challenges with the people and circumstances I'll come across today and every day, help me remember and embrace Your desire for me to love like You, within the boundaries You establish and the realities of my world: "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends ..." (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friend,  may our God who is love enable you and empower you to love more like Him. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Thank You! for praying for us at our Level 2 School of Spiritual Ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas last week.

(www.covenantaustin.org). Along with the training and equipping for healing prayer ministry, we experienced several testimonies of inner healing, miraculous physical healing, and deliverance from spiritual oppression and heaviness among the team and at our Healing Service. Praise God!

Please pray for Pastor Val Sansing of Covenant UMC and her family and all who love them, as Val's husband, John, passed away on Thursday and the Services for the Celebration of John's life are today in Austin.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Morning by Morning, November 15 - Spiritual Wisdom

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart and lift up my eyes to welcome You in to every moment of my day. ...

"For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one truly comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 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" (1 Corinthians 2:11-13).

Lord, let my human spirit abide in deep communion with Your Holy Spirit. Help me understand who You've created me to be and what You've called me to do, all by the expression of Your nature through my life.

Teach me and lead me by Your Spirit. Interpret Your spiritual truths to me and help me interpret them to those You would touch and teach through my life. Help me grow in Your spiritual wisdom and grow in my freedom from the spirit of the world and its human wisdom. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (v. 3:19). Lord God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - may You be "the source of (my) life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God" (v. 1:30). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, I pray the Holy Spirit will teach you and lead you today, interpreting to you the truths of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Friends, please keep us in prayer this week at our Level 2 School of Spiritual Ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin with Pastor Val Sansing Wednesday throgh Saturday.

(www.covenantaustin.org). We experienced a deep intimacy in the Presence of God at our healing service last night, and it was wonderful to see some of my Texas friends who came to join us.

All who have had the Level 1 training or other inner healing and deliverance prayer ministry training are welcome to join us for our Level 2 School at Covenant this week. DVD's of our 4 Day Schools and other Ministry Resources are available from our Resources Page.

 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Gift of Revelation - November 14

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Lord God Almighty - early in the morning, may the prayers and praises of my spirit rise to You. ...

"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).

Lord, You've prepared good things for me and You are a good God. Holy Spirit of the Living God, open my eyes to see, open my ears to hear, open my heart to receive what You have prepared for me today. What You have prepared You desire to reveal to those who love You. So I ask You to reveal what I need to know about You and about myself to live out this day in a way that honors You.

Your gift of revelation, with the inspiration and exhortation of Your Holy Spirit, is for all who love You. I love You, Lord. And I want to see You as You are and see myself as I am -not blinded to the truth, not resistant to Your love, not hesitant to Your will. Let the depths of Your will and plan for my day stir in the depths of my spirit, as I seek to live this day in the spirit and truth of all Your have prepared and all You will reveal along the way. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you see and hear and receive all the Lord has planned for you today, as one who is deeply loved and loves deeply. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Friends, please keep us in prayer this week, as I begin teaching the Level 2 School of Ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin with Pastor Val Sansing Wednesday throgh Saturday.

All are welcome to our Wednesday Night Healing Service at 6:30 pm at Covenant UMC (www.covenantaustin.org). And all who have had the Level 1 training or other inner healing and deliverance ministry training are welcome to join us for our Level 2 School at Covenant this week. DVD's of our 4 Day Schools and other Ministry Resources are available from our Resources Page.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Sifting and Shaking - November 13

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for always being here for me. You're with me always, even to the end of this age. ...

"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32).

It seems there's always a sifting - a sifting of our souls by the enemy of our souls who always comes to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). And it also seems there's always a shaking - a shaking of all that can be shaken by the creator of our souls so that only what can't be shaken remains (Hebrews 12:27).

But by the mercy of Your love and the power of Your grace, You use every sifting from our enemy and every shaking from our God to strengthen our faith. That's how you teach us to live a lifestyle of humility - to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon God alone. Lord, help me listen to You; help me keep my eyes on You, through every sifting and shaking that comes, from whatever source, to deepen my humility and strengthen my faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, I pray the Lord will redeem and use every sifting and shaking you may endure, as He strenghtens you and encourages you to live out your calling and fulfill your destiny in Christ -- all in God's power, all in God's grace. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend.

Friends, please keep us in prayer this week, as I'm back in Texas Monday and Tuesday with Rapha God Ministries in San Antonio and then teaching the Level 2 School of Ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin with Pastor Val Sansing Wednesday throgh Saturday.

All are welcome to our Wednesday Night Healing Service at 6:30 pm at Covenant UMC (www.covenantaustin.org). And all who have had the Level 1 training or other inner healing and deliverance ministry training are welcome to join us for our Level 2 School at Covenant this week.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org

Intimacy and Discernment - November 12

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's all about You, from beginning to end. You are the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. So I want to begin and end this day with You in my heart and with You guiding my steps. ...

"Long ago God spoke to us in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by the Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very Being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word" (Hebrews 1:1-3).

You sustain all things by Your powerful word. And in these last days, You speak to us and change us and guide us and sustain us by Your powerful word. So what could be more important that to learn to recognize and embrace Your word, to learn to trust and obey Your word? For You are the very Word of God (John 1:1).

You call us to listen and to hear Your voice, so we can follow You and You alone (John 10:1-5). So Word of God, would You speak to me now, as I begin my day listening to You? ...

It seems I hear You say: "You are My beloved. You are one who seeks My face and My voice. Look closely to see that it is I; listen carefully to hear that it is I. I call you to both intimacy and discernment. As intimacy grows, so does discernment. As you read My Word, seek My face, and hear My voice, you grow in your capacity to trust the One you see and hear. And rest in this truth, My beloved, My friend - even if you are mistaken, I am always with you, always seeking to lead you back to the path you've chosen to follow, to the path you've allowed Me to choose for you."

Yes, Lord. This is what I desire. And I'm asking You to help me grow in both my intimacy and discernment, as You help me grow into maturity (Ephesians 4:15). It's my prayer that in me and throughout Your beloved Body of Christ, our "love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment"

(Philippians 1:9, RSV). "We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the One who is true. And we are in the One who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20, NAB). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Tommy, may you hear more clearly the voice of God, growing in both intimacy and discernment, as You seek His face in worship and prayer. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my freiend.

Friends, thank you for all your prayers for us at our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington last week. The Holy Spirit moved mightily to bring equipping of the saints for the work of ministry and we also encountered the Lord is His mighty healing power in spirit, soul, and body. We even saw a very dramatic miraculous healing from scolisosis of the spine and freedom from pain! DVDs from this school and past Level 1 and Level 2 Schools are available on our Resources Page if you'd like to join with us that way. Be equipped and empowered to fulfill your destiny in Christ.

Please keep us in prayer this week, as I'm back in Texas Monday and Tuesday with Rapha God Ministries in San Antonio and then teaching the Level 2 School of Ministry at Covenant United Methodist Church in Austin with Pastor Val Sansing Wednesday throgh Saturday.

All are welcome to our Wednesday Night Healing Service at 7 PM at Covenant UMC (www.covenantaustin.org). And all who have had the Level 1 training or other inner healing and deliverance ministry training are welcome to join us for our Level 2 School at Covenant this week.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

2800 Tates Creek Road

Lexington, Kentucky 40502

www.messiah-ministries.org