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Monday, December 09, 2013
Friday, December 06, 2013
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Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Max Lucado & Tommy Hays - Healing Prayer Service, San Antonio Tonight at 7PM CST
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Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Morning by Morning, December 3 - Holy Spirit - Our Helper, Comforter, Abiding Presence of Jesus
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch and wait for You. You're always near, always here. Open my eyes to see You and my ears to hear You, as I embrace Your abiding Presence, both with me and within me by Your Spirit. ...
"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.... At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:15-21, NKJV).
Holy Spirit of God, You manifest the Presence of Jesus. You are the embrace of my Father. You are my Helper and Comforter who comes alongside me and abides within me. You encourage me and enable me to desire intimacy with God and the righteousness of God. You empower me from the inside out to keep the commandment of love and You mercifully convict me when I fail, always leading me to repentance and restoration to intimacy with God. You always lead me in truth and leading me to the One who is the Truth. You cause me to be all I've been created to become.
As I prepare my heart to make room for the King in this advent season before the celebration of Christmas, I know I can't have the right heart without the Spirit of God abiding deeply within my heart. So come, Holy Spirit. Fill me afresh every morning and throughout the moments of my day (Ephesians 5:18). Prepare my heart, today and forever, for the Child of God who is the King of all (Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, may the Holy Spirit of God be your Helper, Comforter, and abiding Presence of Jesus in your heart today and forever. Please pray the same the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, I'm excited to be joining Max Lucado to share a message of healing and hope at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio at the First Wednesday Healing Prayer Service this Wednesday Night, December 4 at 7pm CST. Our Rapha God Ministries Team will be joining the Oak Hills Prayer Team to pray for everyone personally at the altar. Live-streaming will be available, starting at 7pm Central Standard Time. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. And may your church and community experiencing the healing love of God through Jesus Christ!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend! 
Monday, December 02, 2013
Morning by Morning, December 2 - The Adventure of Advent
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Prepare my heart in the coming days to celebrate the coming of Christ as the Light of the world. ...
"When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, 'Are You the one is to come, or are we to wait for another?' " (Matthew 11:2).
In the days of John the Baptist and all the long centuries before, the people of God longed for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ. They longed and looked for the One who was to come. Something in their hearts, deep down in their spirits, yearned to hear the voice and experience the Presence of the One who would be the Child of God and Savior of man, named "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
They believed the prophecies of God would be fulfilled in the perfect timing of God. And then, "when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children," that through the Christ, the Messiah, each of us would be "no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7).
And just as You came as Christ at Your first advent, Your first coming, You will come as Christ at Your second advent, Your second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). You are forever "the Alpha and Omega," the One "who is and who was and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8). And at the same time, You are the One who is always coming, again and again, into every heart that prepares You room -- our Immanuel, our God who is with us always (Isaiah 7:14, fulfilled in Matthew 1:23).
So Immanuel, our God who is with us, Jesus the Christ, the One who is "both Lord and Messiah," I open my heart to You today (Acts 2:26). I join in the adventure of advent, with expectant faith and excited hope to experience Your Presence as the Light of my world. And may all the people who have walked in darkness yearn again to experience and embrace Your great Light (Isaiah 9:2, fulfilled in Matthew 4:16, ultimately to be fulfilled in Revelation 22:5). "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you'll embrace this advent season with expectant faith and excited hope, longing and looking for the coming of Christ afresh in your heart by His Spirit every day. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, November 28, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 28 - National Thanksgiving and Praise to God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. On the Thanksgiving Day, I give You thanks and praise for all Your abundant provision from Your extravagant heart, Almighty God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever" (Psalm 107:1).
Thank You, Lord, for the heart of thanksgiving that rose up in the hearts of the Pilgrims at their First Thanksgiving in their new home in 1651. The dairy from that day says there were over fifty Pilgrims and over ninety Indians sharing their meals and celebrating their harvest, as prayers and praise were lifted up to You their Source of life and provision.
And thank You for the tradition that has continued through the years and generations as a heritage of our people in our land. Thank You for leaders of our nation, like President George Washington, who humbled himself to bow His knees and acknowledge Your authority and providence over the people of our land. In 1789, President George Washington made this Proclamation of Thanksgiving to You as Sovereign God on behalf of our nation:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
George Washington, President
Yes, Lord. You are the Lord and Ruler of Nations. And in this year of our Lord 2013, I give You thanks and praise for all Your goodness in my life and our land. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray for thanksgiving and praise to to our great God to rise up your spirit today. May you be blessed by family and friends; and may you be blessed by the One who loves you the most. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 25 - Feast Together on the Abundance of God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus ... Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend ... Wilt be with me 'til the end." ...
"How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:7-9).
This week is a time of thanksgiving and feasting, of abundance and joy. I'm thankful for some time away with family and friends. And I'm thankful for of the abundance of Your house and the river of Your delights. You're a good God, full of steadfast love, with a heart open wide for all to come under the shadow of Your wings and into the embrace of Your arms.
At the same time, I pray for those who feel left out and alone, rejected or abandoned, defeated or discouraged. Open my eyes to see them and move in my heart with prayers to cover them. I pray for divine appointments and angelic interventions that bring each one to the abundance of Your house and the river of Your delights. It's not good to be alone; we're created for companionship and community (Genesis 2:18). "How very good and pleasant it is when (we) live together in unity ... for there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1-3).
Lord, let there be bonds of community and love in the hearts of Your people. Give us hearts for the strangers and orphans and widows among us, for those who are alone and for those need as sense of community and kindness from the steadfast love of God (Deuteronomy 16:11). Together we rejoice and give You thanks and praise. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will feast on the abundance of God with all those He brings into your life in this season of rejoicing together in the community of faith. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
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Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 20 - "With Great Boldness"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I entrust to You my spirit, soul, and body. Be Lord of all my life today. ...
"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God... Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness" (2 Corinthians 3:4-12).
Lord, my faith in You gives me great confidence -- confidence in You and confidence that You are at work within me by "the Spirit of the Living God" (v. 3:3). And Your Spirit always leads me to put all my hope and trust in You to guide my steps, direct my path, open the doors in line with Your will, and provide all I need to fulfill all You have for me.
With such a hope, I can be bold to believe You more every day. I can "act with great boldness" to live a life that doesn't hold back, doesn't look back, doesn't turn back. With boldness of faith grounded in hope that's confident in You, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Let me be bolder still today, filled the confident faith of Your first disciples who "were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God (and lived the word of God) with boldness" (Acts 4:31). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will live your life boldly in faith today. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 19 - Sent from the Presence of God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust my life into Your hands and Your heart today. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Guide me steps and lead me in the way that leads to life. ...
"For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in His Presence" (2 Corinthians 2:17).
As I arise and go about my day, I want to go as one sent from God. And how can You send me unless I first come into stand in Your Presence? And how can I stand in Your Presence unless I first bow my heart before You?
Your Word invites me to draw near to You with clean hands and a pure heart, humbling myself before You so that You can lift me up (James 4:8-10). And as You lift me up, You fill me up with Your Spirit and Your life, embraced in Your love and sealed with the promise that I am a child of God (Romans 8:9-17). Then You send me forth in the power of Your love to express Your heart everywhere I go -- sent as one who has been standing in the Presence of God.
"Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing Him" (2 Corinthians 2:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, may the Holy Spirit draw you close into the Presence of your Father and then send you forth in the fragrance of Christ to the express the heart of God through your life today. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, November 14, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 14 - "The Right Time"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. You are the same yesterday and today and forever. And I honor You and worship You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- as I begin my day seeking Your face and embracing Your Presence. ...
"In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the right time -- He who is the bless and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is He alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen and can see; to Him be honor and eternal dominion" (1 Timothy 6:13-16).
Lord, I thank You for "the right time" of Your sovereign rule and eternal dominion. You see the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. You see every choice we will ever make in the freedom You give us that a true relationship of love requires; and at the same time, You cause all things to work together for good as we choose to entrust all things to You.
So I choose to trust in Your timing, believing You always know what is always best. The day of the Lord, when You come again in the manifestation of Your glory, cannot come soon enough for me. But it will come at exactly the right time. And every event of my life between this day and that day will come at the right time, as I entrust my life completely to You, to Your sovereign plan and eternal dominion. By the grace of God, I know in my heart "(You have) made everything suitable for its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will choose every moment of every day to entrust Your life completely to God and His sovereign plan and perfect timing for your spiritual journey, as best as you can and all by God's grace. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
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Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Morning by Morning, November 12 - "Without Blemish in the Presence of God"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You and never let me go -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24-25).
You are work within me, causing me to will what is right and to do what is right. You put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. You speak to my spirit and direct my steps. You keep me from falling and remind me of my calling. You take me by the hand and cause me to stand without blemish in the presence of Your glory, all by the grace of Your mercy and the power of Your Spirit.
How can I keep from rejoicing? How can I keep from shouting Your name? You forgive my sins and cleanse my soul. You fill me with joy and make me whole. You bless me with favor and lavish me with love. You call me Your son and let me know it's true. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for all Your goodness in my life. To You be all glory, majesty, power, and authority, now and forever. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you would be continually cleansed by the blood of Jesus, standing without falling in the presence of God, knowing your identity and fulfilling your destiny. Please pray the same 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Share this word to encourage a friend!
Monday, November 11, 2013
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