Tuesday, March 05, 2013


Morning by Morning, March 5 - Our Spiritual Enemies Swallowed Up in Victory

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart continually. Abide in my heart eternally.  ...

"The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.' You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Exodus 15:9-12).

Like Pharaoh and his army of horses and chariots chasing down the people of God on their way to Your promises for their destiny, we have an enemy who pursues us to destroy us before we ever get there. In his pride and arrogance, he threatens us and taunts us with all he says he'll do to us when he catches us.

That's the nature of the thief of our peace, who "only comes to steal and kill and destroy." But we know the nature of our God, who comes to our defense and establishes us in victory, "that (we) may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). You are our mighty God - majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders for all to see in the very presence of our enemy.

You stretch out Your mighty right hand, You speak out Your mighty right word and the enemy of our souls is swallowed up in defeat by the mighty waters of Your salvation and deliverance. "Some take pride in chariots and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright" - all by the power of the grace of God who has defeated our enemy through the wondrous victory of the cross (Psalm 20:7-8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray the Lord our God will swallow up your spiritual enemies in His mighty waters of salvation and deliverance for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be preaching again with Max Lucado at another Healing Service at Oak Hill Church in San Antonio, at their Crown Ridge Campus this Wednesday Night, March 6 at 7PM(www.oakhillschurch.com) Our Rapha God Ministries Prayer Teamwill be joining the Oak Hill Prayer Team and Elders to pray personally for everyone at the altar. Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, March 04, 2013


Morning by Morning, March 4 - Wide Open Hearts

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of all that I am and all that I do this day and every day. ...

"Our heart is wide open to you... open wide your hearts also" (2 Corinthians 6:11-13).

Help us trust one another. Help us open wide our hearts to one another in the Body of Christ. We need right boundaries, the right measure of trust in every relationship, but help us learn to let You set those boundaries and let You set in place who to trust and how much to trust. Our judgments harden our hearts. Our self-righteousness clouds our perspective. Our self-preservation isolates us. Then our fears become self-fulfilling prophecies (Job 3:25).

Free us from the self-centered pride that says, "I will decide what's right for me" and awaken us to the self-surrendering humility that says, "You alone know what's right for us all." For "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

Where our hearts have been hurt, help us trust You to heal them. Where we're afraid to love and be loved within the bonds of the Body of Christ, let Your perfect love cast out our fear (1 John 4:18). And where we've put up the walls that we think protect us but only serve to isolate us, help us let You be the One who guards our hearts. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (our) hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


Tommy,  I pray the Lord himself will guard your heart and empower you to trust Him to set the boundaries of trust in all the relationships of your life. And with God as our Guard, may we as the Body of Christ learn to open wide our hearts to one another without judgment or fear. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, March 01, 2013


Morning by Morning, March 1 - "He Will Make Your Vindication Shine"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are mighty to save and mighty to be Everything I need. I entrust life and this day to You, my Lord - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices" (Psalm 37:5-7).

A great friend of mine has been wrongly accused. His name is being slandered and his reputation besieged. But his spirit is strong and his heart is right. He's taking hold of Your Word and the hands of his friends to walk this out in the strength of the Lord. What an encouragement and inspiration to those who love him and his family.

When he's tempted to strike back, give him Your peace. When he's stirred to repay in vengeance what's being heaped upon him in viciousness, steady his spirit and fill his mouth with Your words when he's to speak and Your wisdom when he's to let You speak for him.

Though it may not be over in a moment and it may be hard for a season, You'll get him through this, as You always do. And in the end, You'll cause his vindication to shine forth like the sun. Your Light is in his heart and Your Light always overcomes the darkness (Colossians 1:13). When it's all been said and done, all that the enemy of his soul has intended for evil will only serve to drive Your son closer to You and give him another story to tell for the rest of his life of just how good our mighty God is. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My friend,  I praise God that He is your Advocate and Defender, that He will guard your heart and speak up for you and your friends to reveal His truth in every area of your lives. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, February 28, 2013


Morning by Morning, February 28 - Heavenly Minded

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my spirit come to attention, as I speak Your name and listen for Your voice.  ...

"So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are of the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).

To set my mind on things that are above is I deliberately choose to see my life from that perspective-the heavenly perspective. As things are in heaven, that's how things are to be on earth (Matthew 6:10). So I must choose to see earth from heaven's perspective.

Some would say, "You're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good." But the truth is unless we choose to be heavenly minded, deliberately choosing to set our minds on things that are above, we'll be no heavenly good in the dominion of this earth You've entrusted to us. "The heaven's are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16).

To be heavenly minded is to embrace heaven's truth, heaven's ways, heaven's wisdom. "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy" (James 3:17). So Lord of heaven and earth, help me choose heaven's perspective and live this day on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My friend,  may the Holy Spirit give you eyes to see and ears to hear from heaven's perspective, as you are an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven today in all the spheres of influence the Lord has entrusted His dominion to you on earth. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013


Morning by Morning, February 27 - "My Strength and My Shield"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I intentionally choose to position myself in the communion of prayer to start my day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Help me listen now, as I welcome Your Presence and wait for Your leading.  ....

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; In Him my heart trusts; so I am helped and my heart exults; and with my song I give thanks to Him" (Psalm 28:7).

I awoke with these words in my spirit and found them in Your Word-"my strength and my shield." You are my strength to stand firm in the faith, to persist in prayer for the promises of Your Word, to resist the temptations and snares of our broken and fallen world. You are my shield to defend me from the schemes of my spiritual enemy, to guard my heart from being led astray for a sincere and pure devotion to Christ, to filter out the accusations and condemnations that would ever want me to believe that I'm anything less than who You say I am.

In You, I trust and I am helped. In You, my heart exults and my spirit sings. And in You, I will arise from this place of prayer, strengthened and shielded in Your Word, anointed by Your Spirit to boldly go forth to meet the challenges of my day. "The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed" (v. 8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My friend,  I pray the Lord Himself will be your strength and your shield today. Go forth bodily, knowing guards your heart and guides your spirit. He is your saving refuge and you are His anointed. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 26 - Reveal. Remove. Replace. The 3 R's of Inner Healing

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call on Your name and press in to Your Presence.  ...

"These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Reveal. Remove. Replace. These are The Three R's of inner healing-healing from the inside out. If we're willing to trust You enough to search our hearts, You'll show us the things in us that are not yet like You. In Your mercy and love, You'll show us the sins that need to be forgiven, the hurts that need to be healed, the bondages that need to be broken, the lies that need to be exposed, and the truth that needs to be embraced.

So first You reveal what You want to heal. Then You remove what needs to go. And finally You replace what was never meant to be ours with everything You've always longed for us to have. You sanctify us in spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You conform us into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). You heal us and free us, You make us whole and holy, from the inside out (Psalm 139:24).

As we allow You to connect the events from the pain or shame of our past with the memories and the emotions buried down inside, You free us from where we're stuck, empower us to let go, and release us to advance into the fullness of who we are in Christ and all You've already done for us at the Cross. "Not that I have already attained obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own; but this one thing I do:  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

As we allow Your Spirit to reveal, remove, and replace, Your Kingdom comes and Your will is done, within us and then through us, on earth as it is in heaven. "For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21). "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).

Thank You, Lord. Remove every veil that covers our eyes, our hearts, and our minds from seeing You as You truly are and from seeing ourselves as You see us. As You reveal Your truth, remove everything less, and replace our broken and fallen lives with the fullness of Your life fully expressed through our lives fully surrendered to You, You are making us more like You each day. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into that same image from degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, from the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

As You heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free, You give us beauty for ashes, joy for sadness, and hope for despair, that our lives can then display Your glory (Isaiah 61:1-3). Then in the ways You've healed us and freed us, You send us to share and minister the healing love of God into the lives of others (Isaiah 61:4-6). Freed from our past, embracing our identity, You send us forth into our destiny, excited to give away all You've given freely to us (John 20:21; Matthew 10:8). And it all begins as we allow You to reveal, remove, and replace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend,  I pray the Holy Spirit will give you courage to trust Him to reveal, remove, and replace everything in your life that would hold you back from being all the Lord created you to be. Then may you be filled with the Spirit and sent forth in the healing power of God's love to minister that freedom in Christ to others, in exactly the ways and places He's strategically positioned you in every season of your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
       www.messiah-ministries.org             
 
       Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, February 25, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 25 - "The Friendship of the Lord"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my heart and open my spirit to wait for Your leading as I begin my day focused on You.  ...

"The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, He makes His covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:14).

Lord, You're my heavenly Father and my faithful Friend. But Your friendship requires my faithfulness. Your friendship is reserved for those who fear Your name, who yield to Your Word, and humble themselves to honor Your ways. This level of intimacy is reserved for those who are willing to trust You with all their hearts to obey You with all their lives.

Some think grace does not expect obedience. Some think friendship does not require faithfulness. But Your Word teaches differently. As You said directly, "You are My friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14).

Though You are always my Lord and Savior, I also want You to always be my best Friend. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Let my words and my actions be an expression of my honor of You and Your Word and Your ways in my heart. Help me want to hear and obey Your voice and Your will. "He who has the bride is the Bridegroom. The friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom's voice. For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:29-30). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


Tommy,  may you know the friendship of the Lord, hearing His voice and obeying His word, forgiven by His grace and filled with His Spirit. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 21 - Of A Different Spirit


Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I look to You and entrust myself to You, You are changing me into Your image (2 Corinthians 3:18). ...


"But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land in which he went, and his descendants shall possess it" (Numbers 14:24).


Caleb dared to be different than the culture around him. Caleb dared to be different than the other leaders around him. He had a different spirit. Like Joshua, his brother in the Lord and faithful companion who had the same spirit, he was strong and courageous in the Spirit of the Lord.


They knew they could trust You to be with them and go before them to embrace the destiny and promises of God, with a heart to bring their people into that place You'd prepared for them as well. You told them: "Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them" (Joshua 1:6).


They weren't blind to the giants in the land, but they saw them as defeated foes, unable to withstand the will of the Lord being courageously pursued by those in obedience to the word of the Lord. They had eyes to see the strongholds and fortifications that were barriers and blockages to their advance into the fullness of the promises of God for them and their people, but they knew You had to the power to bring down every wall and break every stronghold (Numbers 13:30).


Lord, let me have that different spirit - the Spirit of the Lord that encourages me and empowers me, that goes before me and goes with me, that defeats every enemy and brings downs every stronghold, whether before me or within me. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). As You free me and lead me, let me also be strong and courageous in the Spirit of the Lord, wholehearted in my devotion to You and Your purpose for me, to lead others into their possession of Your promises for them as well. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My friend, I pray you would be fille with the Spirit of the Lord, strong and courageous, to possess all the promises God has for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 20 - From the Inside Out


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind; put Your desires in my heart. Align my will and my ways with Yours. Make me more like You each day. ...


"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources that He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grown down deep into God's love and keep you strong" (Ephesians 3:14-17, NLT).


O my Father, Creator of heaven and earth, I fall to my knees in prayer and I lift up my heart in worship. I want my life to be grounded in Your Word and empowered by Your Spirit. I want Christ to be at home in my heart. I want to be deeply rooted in Your love, firmly established in Your faith, and unapologetically strong in Your truth.


I can't accomplish any of that or even fully desire any of that on my own. Apart from You, I can do nothing. "(I) put no confidence in human effort" (Philippians 3:3). But I'm so thankful that by the power of the grace of God, I'm never apart from You and don't have to depend upon my own effort. You're always with me. You're Spirit is always within me.


It's from the inside out You keep changing me into Your image, You keep aligning me with Your Word and Your ways, and You keep empowering me with Your Spirit. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13). This is the power of "inner strength through Your Spirit" that alone can change my heart and conform my life to make me more like You each day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My friend, may the Holy Spirit of the Living God keep changing you into the image of the Son of God from the inside out, giving you the desire and the power to be more like Jesus each day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 19 - "Experience the Love of Christ"


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my thoughts here at the beginning of my day. ...


"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God" (Ephesians 3:19, NLT).


We are only made complete when we experience the love of Christ. We'll only have all the fullness of life, we'll only encounter the fullness of the power that comes from God when we experience the love of Christ.


Lord, how do we experience Your love?


It seems I hear You say: "You experience my love by simply allowing Me to love you. Don't hold back; don't pull away; don't push Me away. Trust Me to embrace you with the fullness of My Presence, to fill you with the fullness of My Spirit. Allow Yourself to be overwhelmed with Me. The more you passionately pursue this deeper place of complete surrender and trusting faith, the more you will experience My overwhelming love for you."


Yes, Lord. I want to be made complete with all the fullness of life. I want to know and experience "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep (Your) love is" for me (v. 18). Help me not hold back, not pull away, not push You away, but fully embrace You with all I am and all I have, this day and every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My friend, I thank and praise our God for all His heal and mercy in your life -- all that you've received and all that you will receive, here on earth or there in heaven. May you be one who always remembers to give God all the glory and praise. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, February 18, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 18 - Healing Step by Step


Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're my Savior and my Healer, my Lord and my Friend. So I speak out Your name and begin my day in the journey of prayer with You. ...


"On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten lepers approached Him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' When He saw them, He said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' As they went, they were made clean" (Luke 17:11-14).


Lord, You're wonderful and merciful to heal us in many ways. Sometimes You heal us instantly in a miraculous moment. Sometimes You heal us step by step, as we walk out our faith in obedience to Your word. Sometimes You heal us when You free us forever from the brokenness of this fallen world where the fullness of Your Kingdom is not yet fully manifest on earth as it is in heaven.


For the ten lepers, Your healing was literally step by step. And while all ten were healed, only one came running back to You, "praising God with a loud voice" (v. 15). Maybe the other nine thought it their own act of obedience or their own self-righteousness that healed them. Maybe they thought it was just a coincidence that they were healed after an encounter with You. Maybe they thought their medicine was finally balanced or their exercise plan was finally working its natural course. But You asked, "Where are they?" You expected them to "return and give praise to God" (v. 17-18).


Your healing is an expression of Your love for us. It's not Your only expression of love, but it is an expression of love. And our thanksgiving and praise is an expression of our love for You. So whether my healing comes by Your mercy in all the ways I need it -either instantly in a miracle, gradually in a process, or ultimately in heaven - I thank You and praise You for all Your love and mercy for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My Friend, I thank and praise our God for all His heal and mercy in your life -- all that you've received and all that you will receive, here on earth or there in heaven. May you be one who always remembers to give God all the glory and praise. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, February 15, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 15 - Forerunners of Christ


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You each day. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, make me whole and set me free, fill me up and send me forth, to make a difference in my world today. ...


"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 'See, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'" (Mark 1:1-3).


Heavenly Father, I praise You that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is good news. He is the Gospel Truth. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). His Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of Christ" who comes to abide in us and empower us to know and embrace and live into the Truth (Romans 8:9). His Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of Truth" (John 14:17). And as we come to know and embrace the One who is the Truth, the Truth sets us free (John 8:32).


Before the first coming of Christ, You sent Your messenger as a forerunner to "prepare the way of the Lord." You anointed his voice to speak to the hearts of Your people to turn to You, to open their hearts, to embrace the Truth, and be set free to be all You created them to be (Matthew 17:10-13).


And so it is today, Before the second coming of Christ, before the Day of the Lord, You are sending Your messengers as forerunners to prepare the way of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). They are Your messengers, anointed with the Spirit of Truth, filled with the Spirit of Christ, crying in the wilderness and dry, lifeless, empty places of the lives of those who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.


Father, let us hear their voices. Let us hear Your voice of Truth speaking through them, crying out to us through them, to prepare the way of the Lord here in our hearts and here on the earth. And then let us become one of those voices. Freely we receive, and freely we are to give (Matthew 10:7-8). Pour out Your Spirit and stir up this forerunner anointing, preparing the way of the Lord for all who will hear and turn to embrace the Truth and be set free to be all You've created us to be. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My Friend, may our Heavenly Father anoint You with His Holy Spirit to be a forerunner of Christ -- preparing the way of the Lord for His coming in thier hearts and on the earth. May He set you free to be like Jesus. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 14 - Mighty Weapon of Worship


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my spirit come to attention as I lift up my eyes to seek Your face and open up my heart to embrace Your grace. ...


"When (King Jehoshaphat) had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy splendor, as they went before the army, saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.' As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against (their enemies), who had come up against Judah, so that they were routed" (2 Chronicles 20:21-22).


Father God, You defeated the enemies of Your children as they lifted their hearts and voices to You in songs of praise. Their worship was a mighty weapon of their warfare. "Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).


Their war song was not filled with decrees of their own power or threats of intimidation toward their enemies. Their war song was filled with thanksgiving for Your goodness and trust in Your nature - the goodness and nature of their God who is steadfast, unfailing, immovable, unshakeable in His love.


The power of Your love casts out our fear (1 John 4:18). Thanking You as we remember Your goodness and faithfulness from every battle of our past, steadies our hearts and fills us with faith to trust You to bring us through whatever we face today. As we worship and praise You, Your Spirit lifts our eyes up to Your face and off of our problems and off of our enemies, reminding us of the One who has promised to see us through. We will not be overwhelmed or overtaken, because You love and You're for us and Your will bring us through whatever we face today just like You've always done before (Isaiah 43:1-7). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My friend, I join with you in worshiping our God for all His goodness and love. May your spiritual enemies be scattered and confused as our mighty God routes them all, while you thank Him and praise Him. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 13 - "Our Scars Tell Our Stories"


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good Shepherd, lead me beside Your still waters, as I listen for Your leading to start my day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...


"Then (Jesus) said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!'" (John 20:27).


Last night after the San Antonio Rodeo, I heard Mark Hall of Casting Crowns tell all of us who stayed for a time of praise and worship, "Your scars are your stories." His words have stuck with me. I'm sure as a youth pastor he's seen many times the scars of the cuts inflicted by hurting and troubled young people as a way to express or control the pain they feel inside. I've seen them too in our ministry of inner healing. In a way, a scar is a sign of healing of what was once a wound.


As Thomas and all Your first disciples saw with their own eyes, You have scars too. Even in Your Resurrected Body, Your scars remain. And You'll carry Your scars for all eternity. Your scars are Your story of Your wounds for us, that we might be healed and whole, forgiven and free. Our sins pierced Your hands and cut open Your side. But when we reach out with our hearts to take hold of how much You've sacrificed in unfailing love for each one of us, we fall to our knees in worship to cry out like Thomas, "My Lord and my God!"


Then our scars - the places where You've forgiven our sins, broken our chains, and healed our wounds - become our stories. They're our stories of Your mercy and love, Your power and grace. For there's no sin You'll not forgive, no chain You'll not break, no wound You'll not heal if we'll humble our hearts to reach out in faith to trust You and Your love for us, as best as we can and all by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My Friend, I praise God for every place Jesus has healed you and freed you and forgiven you. My your scars tell your stories of our awesome God's mercy and love in your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 12 - "That the King of Glory May Come In"


Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I open up my heart and let the King of Glory come in. I surrender my life and let the Lord of Glory take control. ...


"Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (Psalm 24:7-8).


Jesus, You are strong and mighty. You are the Lord of hosts, "the Commander of the Army of the Lord" (Joshua 5:14). You are the Lord and Commander of "the armies of heaven" (Revelation 19:11-16). And You have forever defeated the enemy of our souls, with all his plans and schemes for our demise, exposing his lies with Your Truth and shattering his strongholds with Your Word. For You are "Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11). For You are "The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13).


You have "disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a pubic example of them, triumphing over them in (the victory of Your cross and the power of Your blood)" (Colossians 2:15). And You are "the God of Peace (who) will shortly crush Satan under (our) feet" (Romans 16:20).


Who is this Mighty One? "Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory" (Psalm 24:10). And His name is Jesus - "the name above every name" (Philippians 2:9). His name is Jesus - "my Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My Friend, may the King of Glory come into your heart to rule and reign in your life, every moment of every day, as He crushes your spiritual enemy under your feet. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, February 11, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 11 - First Prayers of Praise


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy are You; worthy of are You, of all glory, honor, power, and praise. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to listen for Your leading as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with You, O God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...


"I will extol you, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and praise Your name forever and ever.... The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.... My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever" (Psalm 145).


Before I think of myself, I want to think of You. Before I start to ask You to help me and guide me and bless me, before I start to ask You to help and guide and bless those who are on my heart, I want to think of You. You are worthy of my first thoughts, my first words, my first prayers of praise.


We tend to go in the direction we're looking. We tend to find what we're truly seeking. And we tend to draw near to the one we're passionately pursuing. So as I look to You in worship and praise and prayer, as I seek You will all my heart, as I passionately pursue You in spirit and truth, I become aware You're so near to me already. Then I remember the promise of Your Word: "When you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord..." (Jeremiah 29:12-14). And so I do, all by the power and passion of Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.


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



My Friend, I pray the Holy Spirit would awaken you every morning with prayers of praise to God, as you begin You day deliberately in His Presence in the communion of prayer. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, February 08, 2013

Morning by Morning, February 8 - "More Than Enough, Fully Satisfied"


Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I worship You from my spirit, soul, and body. In every dimension of Your Being, I want to honor You from every dimension of my being (1 Thessalonians 5:23). ...


"I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied ..." (Philippians 4:18).


There are times when we feel empty and times when we feel full. There are times when we feel we are straining and striving, pressing in and pressing through to get where we think we need to go and be who we think we need to be. And there are times, praise God, when we feel we can finally just take a moment and rest in the fullness of who You are and what You've done, knowing "It is finished" in Christ and I am in Christ and Christ is in me (John 19:30; Colossians 1:27).


There's always more to do. We've not seen anything yet. And the best is yet to come. But right now, right here, in the Presence and Peace of the One who renews my spirit, steadies my soul, and refreshes my body, I can say to You by the grace of God, "I am fully satisfied. I have more than enough. You've paid it all for me to fully enter into this place of contentment and rest You've prepared for me and for each one who trusts in Your name and all You've already done for all of us" (from Hebrews 4:1-11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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



My Friend, I pray the blessing of God's rest and contentment for you, as you rest in the finished work of who He is and all He has already done for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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