Morning by Morning, May 2 - National Day of Prayer - Remembering Our Dependence on God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my heart and open my spirit to seek Your face and listen for Your voice in these first moments of my morning to begin my day with You alone. ...

"When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua:  'Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood, carry the over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight'.... This may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever" (Joshua 4:17).

On this National Day of Prayer for our Nation, You are reminding me how Joshua crossed the Jordan and Washington crossed the Delaware. Both were men of prayer. Both were on their knees before their God seeking Divine protection of those entrusted to them and Divine victory for the cause assigned to them.

For both, the battle was won. Joshua led Israel to cross over the Jordan and enter their promised land to begin the possession of their inheritance. And Washington led the Continental Army to cross over the Delaware to change the course of the War for Independence and establish America as one nation under God. As the famous portrait of General George Washington on his knees after his victory proclaims, our independence as a nation is only the result of our dependence upon God.

Just as Israel was called to take twelve stones from the place of their Divine provision and set them down as an eternal memorial to the goodness of God for the generations to come, let America remember the goodness of our God who established us as a nation dedicated to God.

Lord, forgive us where we have forgotten You. Convict us where we have turned away from You. And remind us of our identity and destiny to be a nation called to honor You. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance" (Psalm 33:12, NKJ).

On this National Day of Prayer, let us humble ourselves in the sight of our Lord that You may awaken us to remember our identity and yet fulfill our destiny. Across this land, may we join together with the sons and daughters of God across every land in every nation to embrace the promise of Your Covenant of Revival for the nation who prays and repents to embrace their inheritance in the Lord:  "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  I join with you in humble prayer before the Lord our God for our nation and the people of God from the nations of this world to remember our dependence upon God. Let us humble our selves and pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways to call on His name and embrace His will for our lives and our nation. Let the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God and His Christ. God bless you, my friend! And God bless America!

Thank you for joining with us for our Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at last night. The Lord was moving mightily among us with spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. I pray for His great blessings in your church community! Please pray the same for me. I'm sorry for the apparent problems with the Live-Stream last night.

We'll be continuing our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio tonight and then beginning our Level 1 School over two weekends in June. Please let us know if you'd like to come join us. DVD's and CD's are available on the web site from prior Messiah Ministries' Schools if you're not able to join us (www.messiah-ministries.org).

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Live-Stream Healing Service Tonight with Max Lucado & Tommy Hays

Please join us tonight by Live-Stream on your computer or cell phone at 7PM CST/ 8PM EST for an Evening of Healing at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.  

http://oakhillschurch.com/live-stream/  

Please forward this link on to anyone who may be interested and we welcome you to join with us in prayer.

I'm excited to be preaching again with Max Lucado at their main Crownridge Campus of Oak Hills Church. Our Rapha God Ministries Prayer Team will be joining the Oak Hills Prayer Team and Elders to pray personally for everyone after the message. We'll also have a bilingual and Spanish-speaking prayer teams.

Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't. May the name of Jesus be high and lifted up as we encounter the healing love of God in spirit, soul, and body. May you also experience the Lord's power and Presence as you join with us remotely, in person, or through prayer.

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

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Morning by Morning, May 1 - Until All Cross Over Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me continually come to deeper places of deeper surrender to You - morning by morning - a little more deeply each day.  ... "While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan" (Joshua 3:17). We don't know how long it took for the entire nation of Israel to cross over the Jordan River from their wilderness to their inheritance. But we do know that the priests who were called to stand at their post went before them and then did not move on into the land of their inheritance until every man, woman, and child crossed over. They bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the physical reminder of Your Spiritual Presence, always going before them and always going with them. In Christ, Your Spiritual Presence abides within each of us. In that sense, our hearts are the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as Your Holy Spirit abides in the temple our lives, set apart for You as the dwelling place of God. "The Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands" (Acts 7:48). Instead, "(we) are God's temple and God's Spirit dwells in (us)" (1 Corinthians 3:16). And now we are all Your priests, set apart and anointed by Your Holy Spirit, bearing Your living Presence within us, to minister to You and to those You've entrusted to our care (1 Peter 2:4-9; Revelation 1:6). So let us stand firm at our post, wherever You have called us and strategically positioned us in every season of the journey. And let us not be in a hurry to move on and cross over into our own inheritance of all You have promised until all You have entrusted to our care have crossed over with us. This is the heart of Christ, our Great High Priest - that none would be lost or left behind (John 17:12). This is the heart of our Father - "not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). We are each responsible for our own choices - even the choice we each have of whether to enter into the fullness of the inheritance You have for each of us as children of God or not (Hebrews 4:1). But at the same time, we are to pray for one another, reach out to one another, stand up for one another, "until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend,  in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of our Father, may you stand firm in the places the Lord has strategically positioned you to pray for all entrusted to you enter into their inheritance in Christ. Be released form all false responsibility and fully engaged in every true responsibility to which the Lord has called you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! Please join us in person or by Live-Stream for our monthly Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at 7PM CST Wednesday May 1st (www.oakhillschurch.com). Our Rapha God Ministries prayer team will be joining the OHC prayer team and elders for personal prayer ministry for all who desire spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. Please keep us in prayer and may the Holy Spirit minister the healing love of our Father to you and those on your heart in Jesus' mighty name. Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Morning by Morning, April 30 - Done with Death, Alive in Christ

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. I'm bought with the price of Your Blood and filled with the peace of Your Spirit. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin this day with You in the holy communion of prayer.  ...

"So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of the harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the seas of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan" (Joshua 3:14-17)

The waters of the Jordan were cut off as far back as Adam, just like all our sins are cut off as far back as Adam when we cross over into newness of life in Christ. "If, because of (Adam's) trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).

As I follow the ark of Your Presence into the promised land of my inheritance, I don't want to take sin with me. "Death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). And I'm done with death. I'm alive in Christ! "For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

In the land of my inheritance, there is newness of life! "Therefore we have been buried with (Christ) by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin" (Romans 6:4-7).

I'm crossing over because I'm crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Sin is forgiven and death is defeated. Those waters are cut off from me as far back as Adam. Praise God! Hallelujah! Now encourage me and empower me - from the inside out, by the Spirit of Life abiding in me - to live this out every day, as I live into the fullness of my inheritance in You (Philippians 2:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  I pray for you'd be encouraged and empowered from the inside out, by the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in you, to live free from sin and death in the newness of life you have in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Please join us in person or by Live-Stream for our monthly Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at 7PM CST Wednesday May 1st (www.oakhillschurch.com). Our Rapha God Ministries prayer team will be joining the OHC prayer team and elders for personal prayer ministry for all who desire spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. Please keep us in prayer and may the Holy Spirit minister the healing love of our Father to you and those on your heart in Jesus' mighty name.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 29 - Courage to Overcome Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Creator and I am Your created. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come express Your creation through my words and life today.  ... "Joshua said, 'By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:  the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap' "(Joshua 3:10-13). Your faithfulness to Your word gives us courage to overcome. You told Your people You would cause the waters of the Jordan to stand still as they stepped into the waters to cross over the river into the promised land of their inheritance. And so You did (v. 14-17). You said it would be a sign to them that their enemies would be defeated by the awesome power of the living God. And so it was. All that happened to them is a witness and example to us (1 Corinthians 10:11). Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil that seek to blind our minds to the truth of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us (Ephesians 6:12). Our enemies are not the Canaanites and Hittites. Our enemies are our own flesh, our own mindsets, and the power we give to the enemy of our souls to steal, kill, destroy through sin and death, through fear, shame, rejection, selfishness, sickness and everything less than the fullness of life You've promised for our inheritance (John 10:10). So when they saw the waters stand still their hearts were stirred up. And when we see Your faithfulness to Your word, we are strengthened by Your Spirit with courage to overcome. You remind us "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). You remind us we "can do all things through (Christ) who strengthens (us)" (Philippians 4:13). Then everywhere we set the soles of our feet as we follow You with the ark of Your Presence in our hearts is the land of our inheritance in the places of dominion You've entrusted to us in the advance of Your Kingdom (Joshua 1:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend, may you be empowered with courage to overcome as you see the faithfulness of God's word and see Him advance His Kingdom through Your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! Please join us in person or by Live-Stream for our monthly Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at 7PM CST Wednesday May 1st (www.oakhillschurch.com). Our Rapha God Ministries prayer team will be joining the OHC prayer team and elders for personal prayer ministry for all who desire spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Morning by Morning, April 26 - "Draw Near and Hear"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Consume me, that I may be one with You, one with the Body of Christ, and one in ministry to all the world until we feast with You at Your heavenly banquet in final victory.  ...

"Joshua then said to the Israelites, 'Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God' (Joshua 3:9).

We need to draw near to hear. We need to consciously choose to come close. We need to make time to give You time, to surrender in silence, to watch and wait, to listen for Your leading. You deserve nothing less. You are worthy of our worship and we honor You when we open our hearts to You with our full attention.

I want to start my day on the sure foundation of Your Word and in deep communion with Your Spirit. And right now, O Lord my God, with an open heart and my full attention, I draw near to You to hear Your words in these first moments of my morning. ...

It seems I hear You say:  "You are right, My son, to draw near to Me in a deliberate way, as best as you can and all by My grace.  Many rely on My promise that I am with them always. And so I am. But I also desire My children to seek Me with all their hearts, with all their minds, with all their souls, with all their strength. This is intentional worship, focused prayer in the deep humility that draws My grace and embraces My Presence."

Yes, Lord. Let these intentional moments of my morning belong to You. Help me keep them holy, set apart for You, careful to guard my time as an offering I can surrender to You as worship. Then keep me in this communion of prayer throughout the moments of my day, as You order my steps and guide my path. You're always with me, but I also want to always keep drawing nearer to You and keep hearing Your words. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit guard your heart and your time to consciously come into the communion of prayer to hear the words of the Lord and be led by His Spirt throughout the moments of your day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Please let me know if you'd be interested in my teaching on thePrayer Life of Elijah. It's the "the spirit and power of Elijah" that prepares the way of the Lord -- in our hearts and in the earth for the coming of Christ (Luke 1:15; Matthew 17:11). This CD Series recorded live from one of my Prayer Revivals is available with our other books and resources on prayer and healing on the resources page of our web site:  

www.messiah-ministries.org  

I hope you'll be encouraged and inspired with what I believe the Lord has taught me. God bless you!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 25 - Carriers of the Presence of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior. And I thank You for coming into my heart, always abiding in my heart, every moment of every day.  ...

"To the priests Joshua said, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people" (Joshua 3:6).

The priests were to carry the ark of the covenant, representing the Presence of God among the people of God, across the Jordan River and into the promised land of their inheritance. And now that we are in Christ, You have poured out Your Holy Spirit upon all of us, abiding within us, so that we are all Your priests, serving our God (Revelation 1:6). Together, we are Your "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:1).

Now, together as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, we are honored and humbled to carry the Presence of God within us wherever we go - "(we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us)," which is "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). "God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

As we cross over whatever stands between us and knowing our identity and embracing our destiny in Christ, let us go forth in the knowledge of the truth that Your Presence goes with us and abides within us. In Christ, we are "vessels for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21, NKJ). And like Your priests in the days of Joshua, we are carriers of the Presence of God. By the power of Your grace, let us live our lives accordingly, in the knowledge of Your truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

  

My Friend,  I pray you would constantly remember the truth that you are a priest of God and a carrier of His Presence, always abiding in you, wherever you go today and every day. 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 25 - Carriers of the Presence of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior. And I thank You for coming into my heart, always abiding in my heart, every moment of every day.  ...

"To the priests Joshua said, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people" (Joshua 3:6).

The priests were to carry the ark of the covenant, representing the Presence of God among the people of God, across the Jordan River and into the promised land of their inheritance. And now that we are in Christ, You have poured out Your Holy Spirit upon all of us, abiding within us, so that we are all Your priests, serving our God (Revelation 1:6). Together, we are Your "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:1).

Now, together as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, we are honored and humbled to carry the Presence of God within us wherever we go - "(we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us)," which is "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). "God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

As we cross over whatever stands between us and knowing our identity and embracing our destiny in Christ, let us go forth in the knowledge of the truth that Your Presence goes with us and abides within us. In Christ, we are "vessels for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21, NKJ). And like Your priests in the days of Joshua, we are carriers of the Presence of God. By the power of Your grace, let us live our lives accordingly, in the knowledge of Your truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

  

My Friend,  I pray you would constantly remember the truth that you are a priest of God and a carrier of His Presence, always abiding in you, wherever you go today and every day. 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 24 - Humility and Honor

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You continue to conform me into Your image, morning by morning, moment by moment, one day at a time.  ...

"The Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses' " (Joshua 3:7).

Our true spiritual leaders are the ones You exalt, never the ones who exalt themselves. Those who strategize and strive for position may attain the title, but they will never have the authority that is necessary to lead the people of God into the inheritance of God. As Your Word commands us all, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.... Humbles yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:6-10).

Lord, help me keep my heart right. Help me shun the pride of self-centeredness and self-promotion. It's true that "a man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men" (Proverbs 18:16, NKJ). But even with all the gifts and graces You've given us to lead and nurture and disciple Your people, You alone call us into the place You've prepared for us to take our part in advance of Your Kingdom, all in Your time and all in Your way (Luke 14:7-11). So help me have that humble heart that You can honor however You choose for whatever purposes You will for my life and through my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

  

My Friend,  I pray the Holy Spirit would continually work the humility of Jesus in your heart so your Father can honor you and position you in the places of love and leadership He has chosen for you. 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 23 - Camp Out before Crossing Over Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm looking and listening, watching and waiting, for Your leading as I begin my day deliberately with You.  ... "Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, 'When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before...." (Joshua 3:1-4) For three days the people of Israel were watching and waiting, looking for Your leading. In their own power and their own timing, they could have easily crossed the river into the land that You had already promised was theirs. But You were teaching them to learn to wait, to slay their impatience and put to death their presumption until they saw the ark of the covenant-the physical representation of Your spiritual Presence-moving before them to lead the way. Lord, You know the way. You see the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. All things are always present to You. You already know every challenge I'll face and every battle I'll fight-the ones I'll win and the ones I'll lose, teaching me about You and about myself through every one. You already know every choice I'll ever make and every choice that will ever be made that will affect my journey through the land. But my part is still to choose well, as best as I can and all by Your grace. As You said through Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). While You've given me glimpses and foretastes of things to come, with great expectancy for Your promises in my spirit, like the people of Israel about to cross over into the land of their inheritance, I've never been this way before. And I don't want to go anywhere You're not going before me and not going with me. So give me patience to camp out until I see and sense the moving of Your Presence. Let my heart be Your ark, with my spirit in constant communion with Your Spirit. Then I'll know when it's time to awaken and advance into all You have prepared for me and those on the journey with me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays       My Friend, may your heart be God's ark and your spirit be in constant communion with God's Spirit. May you see and sense the moving of His Presence, leading you into all the promises He has for 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, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Morning by Morning, April 22 - To Know, Hear and Follow God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, as I begin my day in consciously deliberate communion in prayer with You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.... Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.... I am the good shepherd...." (John 10:2-11)

Lord Jesus, You are the gate of life. You are the good shepherd of all who know You and hear You and follow You. We are Your sheep, entrusted to Your care, desperately dependent upon You alone. We are Your own, just as You said:  "I am the good shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father" (v. 14-15).

But we cannot follow You unless we hear You; and we cannot hear You unless we know You. As we know You as our shepherd, we'll not be led astray by a stranger (v. 5). So Lord, how do we truly know You?

It seems I hear You say, "My son, You know Me as you spend time with Me. I am always with you; I never leave you and never forsake you. But you must also spend time listening for Me, learning to hear My voice. And even those who listen often and know Me well must always continue to press in more closely and learn to listen more carefully. All of this is to be treasure to you, part of the joy of the journey with Me."

Yes, Lord. Let my time with You be a priority of my day and a place of primacy in my life. Even though You are with me always, throughout all the moments of my day, every day of my life, I also need to take time to deliberately, consciously seek Your face and listen for Your voice. I need to highly esteem this priceless treasure You've given me to hear Your voice as a child of God on my journey of faith. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

  

My friend,  may you be drawn into a continually deeper place of intimacy with God, to know, hear and follow our God with great joy on your journey with Him. 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 19 - "Sanctify Yourselves" for the "Wonders" of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day and every day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.   ...

"Then Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you' " (Joshua 3:1).

When we sanctify ourselves - when we willing choose in faithful surrender to totally entrust ourselves to You and Your will and Your ways for our lives - we prepare the way of the Lord to do wonders among us. But before You work Your wonders among us, You want to work Your wonders within us. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification.... For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects no human authority but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).

Before You released Joshua to lead Your people into the promised land, You prepared them for the battles they were to face and the inheritance they were to embrace by preparing their hearts first - from the inside out. A mighty army without the Mighty One in their hearts would falter and fail.

And the same is true for us. The Kingdom of God will never advance through us unless we allow the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God within us. "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). "For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).

Lord, sanctify my heart. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Encourage me, enable me, and empower me to will what is right and then to do what is right, because Your Holy Spirit at work within me is causing my nature to become more like Your nature (Philippians 2:13). Help me to embrace Your sanctifying process of making me more like You each day (Romans 8:29). Help me keep my eyes on You so that You can change me into Your image from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18). I want to be ready to cross over into the fullness of my inheritance and see the mighty wonders of the Mighty One all along the way. 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 "sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

I join my prayers with yours for all who are shaken and hurting from the terroristic attack in Boston and the catastrophic plant explosion in Texas. May our God who is good turn around all that was intended for evil and use it for good, calling our nation and all nations to our knees in prayer to hear His voice and follow His Spirit through the difficult and dark days, with many tribulations, through which we "enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 18 - "View the Land"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. So as I start this day in the communion of prayer with You in every Dimension of Your Being - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit - I welcome You into every dimension of my being-spirit, soul, and body.  ...

"Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, 'God, view the land, especially Jericho.... (When they returned) they said to Joshua, 'Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us" (Joshua 2:1).

Through prayer and prophecy in our walk with You and with one another You often give us a glimpse of what lies ahead on our spiritual journey into the land of our inheritance You've promised to us in Christ (1 Corinthians 14:1). You don't show us more than we need to know nor less than we need to know. As sons and daughters in our trusting relationship of faith with You, We are on a "need to know basis."

And unlike the spiritual counterfeit practices of fortunetellers and psychics, You alone determine what we need to know, as well as who and how You choose to show us.  "Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it - the Lord is His name:  Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:2-3).

So as You allow me to "view the land" that lies ahead to the measure I need to know, help me trust in You for all I don't know, resting in the peace that You know best and always want the best for me. "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

  

  

My Friend,  may the Lord show you great and awesome things you didn't expect, as He leads You by His Spirit and opens your eyes to view the land of your inheritance the God you love has prepared for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

I join my prayers with yours for all who are shaken and hurting from the terroristic attack in Boston. May our God who is good turn around all that was intended for evil and use it for good, calling our nation and all nations to our knees in prayer to let Him show us all we need to know and see to fulfill our destiny and embrace our inheritance, all by His grace and love for us.
 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 16 - Prosperous and Successful in the Land of Our Inheritance

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill me up with Your abiding Presence in my spirit, soul, and body.  ...

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful" (Joshua 1:8).

Through by personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I now have Your "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" which "has set (me) free from the law of sin and death" written in my heart (Romans 8:2). By the power of the grace of God, my life is now "a letter of Christ ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). Through Christ, You have now fulfilled Your prophecy in me and all who entrust their lives to You:  "I will give them one heart, and put a new Spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may follow My statues and keep My ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezekiel 11:18).

Lord, help me meditate on Your Word, coming alive inside of me by Your Spirit, day and night. Order my steps and direct my paths so I can act in accordance with all that You're writing on my heart, aligning my thoughts and my desires, aligning my will and my ways with Yours. Then I will prosper in the ways of the Kingdom of God; then I will be successful to fulfill my calling and destiny in Christ. Then I will "cross over" into the fullness of my inheritance in Your promises (Joshua 1:11). Then I will be able to embrace the fullness of my inheritance in Christ, along with all the Body of Christ, advancing into Your Kingdom, as "children of God, and if children, the heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

  

  

My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit within you cause the law of the Spirit of life in Christ to rise up in your thoughts and desires, as our God makes your way prosperous and successful for His purposes through 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 15 - No Rest Until All Rest

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading.  ...

"To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 'Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the warriors among you shall cross over armed before your kindred and shall help them, until the Lord gives rest to your kindred as well as to you, and they too take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan to the east' " (Joshua 1:12-15).

Some of the tribes of Israel had already received possession of their inheritance in the land on the east side of the Jordan River, while the rest of Israel had not yet crossed over the Jordan to take possession of the land on the west side. But You didn't want those who had already received their possession to stay back and just rest in the blessings of their own inheritance until all their kindred, their brothers and sisters of the family of God, received their inheritance as well. So You called the warriors to arise and cross over into battle to possess the land of inheritance so that all the people of God could enter into the rest of God. There was to be no rest until all were at rest.

Our faith is personal. But it is also a faith expressed in community. We're not only called to look out for ourselves and our own spiritual journey of faith, we're also called to look out for one another, to come alongside one another in our journey to be more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). We are called to be disciples, but we are also called to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19).

So Lord, as Your Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, moving forward and crossing over to enter into the fullness of all the inheritance we possess in Christ by the promises of God, continue to free us from selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride. Continue to deliver us from the mindset that "It's all about me," even in the journey of our own spiritual life.

As You said long ago, "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" (John 15:12-13). Then we will find Your rest, as we see those You've entrusted to our care and aligned with us in our journey enter into their rest as well. This is how we fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples by first obeying the Great Commandment to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

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

  

  

Tommy,  may you enter into the fullness of your inheritance in Christ as you're also at work and at war in the Spirit on behalf of those entrusted to your care and aligned in in your journey to enter into theirs as well, all by the power of the grace of God. 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, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, April 12 - "Prepare Your Provisions" Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear You more clearly and follow You more closely.  ... "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 'Pass through the camp, and command the people:  'Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God give you to possess' " (Joshua 1:10-11). You are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:14). You are the Lord who provides all we need, when we need it. "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father" (James 1:18, NLT). You are a good Father who loves to give good gifts to Your children (Matthew 7:11). But at the same time, You also call us to "prepare (our) provisions." To advance into our inheritance and see the Kingdom of God advance through our lives, we have to take time to prepare what You've provided. First, we have to take time to see what You already provided and take time to thank You for it - even thanking You for bringing us through the hard times and difficult challenges that You've used to make us who we are and to help prepare us for the times and challenges to come. Second, we have to take time to learn how to use and begin to grow into maturity with what You've provided. And third, we have to allow You to align us and our provisions with the provisions and people You've chosen to be a part of our next advance. Preparing our provisions is part of our "three days" of the life-long transformation cycle of the crucifixion of our flesh into the resurrection of life in You. That's how we begin to continually "cross over" from death to life, from where we've been to where You're taking us, from the wilderness of our past into the inheritance of our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays       My Friend,  I pray you would be prepared with every provision of God to keep crossing over and advancing into the fullness of Your inheritance. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! Our ministry team at Rapha God Ministries is getting away for a weekend retreat at the lake this weekend. Please keep us in prayer to grow together as a team and refreshed and renewed by the Spirit of God. I pray for times for renewal and refreshing for you and those the Lord is aligning with you to prepare to for the advance of His Kingdom through your life.   Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com