Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 23 - Anointed as Priests 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.  ...

"Now this is what you should do to them to consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.... You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water. Then you shall take the vestments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece and gird him with the decorated band of the ephod; and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy diadem on the turban. You shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head and anoint him" (Exodus 29:1-7).

In Christ, we are Your "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that (we) may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Together, we are Your "holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (v. 2:5). Embracing Your Good News of the Kingdom of God, as You save us and heal us and free us, we are now "called priests of the Lord" and "named ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61:6).

So here in this tent of meeting of my morning prayer, I deliberately dedicate and completely consecrate my heart and my life to You today. Anoint me with Your Holy Spirit and clothe me in Christ. Lead me and empower me to minister to You and hold Your people in my heart, throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit anoint you and lead you and empower you as a priest of our God throughout the moments of your 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 22 - Child of God at Heart

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am to worship and to wait awhile in the stillness of Your Presence for the leading of Your Sprit in these first moments of my day.  ...

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.... Beloved, we are God's children now... " (1 John 3:1-2).

Father God, You've already given me Your love; You already call me Your child. I don't have to earn You love or be good enough that one day You might accept me as a beloved child. By the power of Your grace and the mercy of Your love, I am Your child. And I'll always be Your child.

And because You love me, because You care about me, because You want the very best for me, I want to please You. I want to be more like You. So put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Give me the desire and the power to honor You with my life today. Because I know I'm a child of God at heart, I can live this day like the child of God that I am. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  the Holy Spirit abide in you with the love of our Father to live your life today like the child of God that you are. 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Monday, July 21, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 21 - Breaking Our Chains, Setting Us Free!

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be exalted in my heart and every moment of my day.   ...

"'For in that day,' says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, 'I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains. Foreigners will no longer be their masters. For My people will serve the Lord their God and their King descended from David -- the King I will raise up for them'" (Jeremiah 30:8-9, NLT).

I've just come home from ministry at the national conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, where I was teaching equipping sessions on prayer ministry for emotional healing and physical healing. The conference is open to all but it's primarily part of the spiritual renewal movement within the United Methodist Church, filled with Methodists who are spiritually hungry to encounter God and to grow in their experience with the Holy Spirit, as they passionately pursue Jesus in an atmosphere of freedom, grace and love. I try to go every year I can. And I'm never disappointed!

During one of the worship gatherings the Lord gave me a prophetic vision to share with the body:  I saw a giant chain, with giant links of chain stretched tightly. In the center, a man stood in the place of one of the links. His arms were stretched out, forming part of the chain, holding one link of the chain in his left hand and another one in his right. It was as if he was trying to hold the chain together with all of his strength as the chain was being stretched. Suddenly, he let go of both links of the chain and lifted his hands in praise.

The Lord said to us, "I have been stretching you. Will you let Me break you? Will you let go of your control and praise Me? I am breaking your chains."

As we worshipped, as we hungered and thirsted and passionately pursued more of God with reckless abandon to embrace our Father's love, our chains fell off. Our hearts filled up. Our spirits went free. "For freedom Christ has set us free! (By the power of the grace of God, we will) stand firm, therefore, and not submit again to a yoke of slavery!" (Galatians 5:1)

Thank You, Lord, for all Your goodness to me and all Your children You love so much. Thank You for ministries like Aldersgate, where You encourage us with the Good News of the Kingdom of God, healing us where we're brokenhearted and setting us free where we've been held captive, that we can be free to be all You've created us to be, as oaks of Your righteousness to display Your glory through our lives (Isaiah 61:1-4). Thank You for the times and places of refreshing and renewal, where we can drink deeply from the wells of Your Living Water among those who believe and who always want more -- more of You. Thank You for breaking our chains and setting us free -- free to be more like Jesus every day -- knowing our identity and fulfilling our destiny as the Body and Bride of Christ. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you be free, as you entrust all control to God and praise Him with all your heart. May He break every chain that would hold you back from being all He created you to be. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, thank you so much for all your prayers for me as I was ministering in Springfield, Illinois last week at the National Conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, conference on Spirit-filled Life in the Wesleyan Tradition. It's named after the prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London where John Wesley was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for the ministry that brought great revival in his generation. I was teaching equipping sessions on Prayer for Inner Healing and Prayer for Physical Healing, as well as ministering on the Word Gifts Team and Prayer Ministry Team during the worship services. The conference will be in Lexington, Kentucky next summer. I hope you can come and may the Lord refresh you and renew you in the power of His Holy Spirit wherever you are. God bless you!


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, July 17, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 17 - Delivered from Doubt, Forgiven for Unbelief

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the first word from my lips this day. I worship You and welcome You into the moments of my day.  ...

"(Jesus) came to His hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? Are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?' And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.' And He did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:54-58).

They couldn't believe God would anoint a man with such authority to teach and power to heal. They couldn't yet grasp the truth you were trying to reveal, that "all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23, NKJV).

But as the Son of Man, one living in the nature of man, You willingly chose to humble Yourself from the glory of heaven "in human form," showing us how a simple man, with family and friends that everyone knows, could live an extraordinary life, if only completely committed and surrendered to the will of God (Philippians 2:5-11). As a humble man, God anointed You with the power of heaven:  "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).

And now, just as God the Father anointed You and sent You, so You send us in the same power of the same Holy Spirit (John 20:21). You said, "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in My name you ask Me for anything, I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

Yes, Lord. "I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Deliver me from doubt. Forgive me for the sin of unbelief -- not fully believing the fullness of Your Word and fully embracing the inerrancy of Your Truth. "For God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27). And in Christ, "all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23).

Your ministry of the healing love and power of God was not welcome in Your own house or Your home town among Your own people. And ours may not always be either -- just like You warned Your first disciples (Luke 9:5). But our calling is to live our lives completely committed and surrendered to the will of God -- including our calling to minister Your healing love and power by the anointing of Your Holy Spirit, doing what we see You do and speaking what we hear You say, all to the glory of God (Luke 10:1-12; Mark 16:17-18). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,   may you be set free from doubt and unbelief to live into the fullness of your calling as your part of the Church of Jesus Christ, living and loving in the power of the Holy Spirit. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be ministering in Springfield, Illinois this week at the National Conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, conference on Spirit-filled Life in the Wesleyan Tradition. It's named after the prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London where John Wesley was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for the ministry that brought great revival in his generation. I'll be teaching equipping sessions on Prayer for Inner Healing and Prayer for Physical Healing, as well as ministering on the Word Gifts Team and Prayer Ministry Team during the evening worship services. Please keep us in prayer for personal revival and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Come join us if you can. It's always a spiritually refreshing and exciting time for me every year I'm able to come. God bless you!


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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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 16 - Whatever

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of all, be Lord of all of me and Lord of all of my day.  ...

"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:14-17).

Only with Your love clothing me, with Your peace ruling me, with Your word infusing me, can I do everything in Your name by your grace. Only then will my words and my deeds honor my Father in the name of my Savior.

This is the perfect harmony You invite me to embrace and encourage me to live -- the perfect harmony of my words and my actions, of my head and my heart, fully committed and fully surrendered to Your Lordship of my life. Lord, let it be so in whatever I do, wherever You send me today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you would be clothed in the love, rule by the peace, and infused with the word of Christ in whatever you do today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be ministering in Springfield, Illinois this week at the National Conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, conference on Spirit-filled Life in the Wesleyan Tradition. It's named after the prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London where John Wesley was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for the ministry that brought great revival in his generation. I'll be teaching equipping sessions on Prayer for Inner Healing and Prayer for Physical Healing, as well as ministering on the Word Gifts Team and Prayer Ministry Team during the evening worship services. Please keep us in prayer for personal revival and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Come join us if you can. It's always a spiritually refreshing and exciting time for me every year I'm able to come. God bless you!


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!  Blue 

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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 15 - Servant and Son of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Lord God Almighty -- You are One and You are holy and You are here with me now and forever. I acknowledge You and worship You in spirit and truth. I welcome You into every moment of this new day.  ...

"Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.... I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:1-9).

Yes, Lord. By the grace of God, in the mystery of faith, I am one of Your servants and one of your sons. Like each of Your children, Your Holy Spirit is upon me; the Spirit of Christ is within me -- equipping me and empowering me to do my part to live out my calling in the confidence of my identity and the fulfillment of my destiny as one of the servants of God.

Just as Your Word declares of me and each of Your children who are now in Christ:  "(I am) not in the flesh; (I am) in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (me). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in (me), though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (me), He who raised Christ from the dead will life to (my) mortal body also through His Spirit that dwells in (me).... For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God... When (I) cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with (my) spirit that (I am one of the) children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:9-17).

So by the power of Your grace at work within me, send me out today as a messenger of Your life and light, available to all to come into covenant with You. "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). May the blind see and the prisoners be free, all by the power and for the glory of God. Let the new things of new life in Christ spring forth in me and all around me everywhere You send me, as Your servant and Your son. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you go forth in the power and the Presence of God today, confident in your identity and fulfilling your destiny as a child of God with the Spirit of Christ upon you and within you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm excited to be ministering in Springfield, Illinois this week at the National Conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, conference on Spirit-filled Life in the Wesleyan Tradition. It's named after the prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London where John Wesley was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for the ministry that brought great revival in his generation. I'll be teaching equipping sessions on Prayer for Inner Healing and Prayer Physical Healing, as well as ministering on the Word Gifts Team and Prayer Ministry Team during the services. Please keep us in prayer for personal revival and an outpouring the Holy Spirit. Come join us if you can. It's always a spiritually refreshing and exciting time for me every year I'm able to come. God bless you!


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!  Blue 

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Friday, July 11, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 11 - Hannah's Prayer of Trust

Good morning Lord Jesus. Be lifted up in my heart as You draw me to Yourself in the communion of prayer.  ...

"Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God.... There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.... He will guard the feet of His faithful ones.... The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; He will give strength to His king, and exalt the power of His anointed" (1 Samuel 2:2-10).

Lord, let me be one of Your faithful ones, one of Your anointed ones, knowing my identity and living out my destiny in Christ. You are my Rock and my Strength, my Guard and my Judge. So I lift up my heart to exult in Your name and rest the embrace of Your love and Your plan for me this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray you will know the power and the Presence of the One who is your Rock and Strength, your Guard and Judge, in the fullness of His love for you today. 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Share this word to encourage a friend!  Blue 

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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 10 - Relentless Rest

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, embracing Your promise, "My sheep hear My voice."  ...

It seems I hear You say, "Rest in Me."

Yes, Lord. Rest, how? ...

"The rest that is relentless in choosing to trust Me in all things."

How do I do that, Lord?

"This rest is an attitude you allow Me to develop in your heart. It is an attitude that actively entrusts every burden, every desire, every moment to Me. It is not passive, nor complacent. My rest is like My word -- alive and active, expecting My promises of My provision and power to be sufficient, even more than enough, for all you need and all you are. Rest in Me, My son."

Yes, Lord.  As I seek to discern if this is Your voice and if these are Your words to me, I believe these words line up with Your Scripture, bear witness to my spirit, display the fruit that draws my attention to You and brings the fruit of Your Spirit to me. May it also be confirmed in the council of others in their hearts as well. Teach me how to live into this kind of rest, this relentless rest.

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:  In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).

Forgive me for the ways I've spurned or ignored Your invitation to enter into Your rest -- whether deliberately and defiantly in rebellion or more subtly but steadily taking on burdens that were never mine to bear with expectations You never imposed, trying to live my life in my own strength and my own way according to my own will. I receive Your forgiveness and embrace Your invitation to enter into Your rest. I thank You for beginning to develop and mature this attitude of heart in me by Your Spirit.

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to (me); therefore He will rise up to show mercy to (me). For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him" (v. 30:18). Lord, as best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to wait for You; I choose to trust in You; I choose to rest in You. Thank You for this gift and grace of relentless rest. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may you experience God's gift and grace of relentless rest, as He develops and matures this attitude of heart in you by His Spirit. May this word of the Lord be alive and active, sharper than a two-edged sword in you (Hebrews 4:12). 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Share this word to encourage a friend!  Blue 

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Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 9 - "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name. So I speak out Your name and lift up my heart to You today in these first moments of my morning. As I seek Your face and listen for Your voice by the leading of Your Spirit, show me how to pray.  ...

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  'May they prosper who love you. Peace within your walls, and security with your towers.' For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, 'Peace be with you.' For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good" (Psalm 122:6-9).

They say hundreds of rockets rained down on the cities of Israel last night. Lord, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I pray for the peace of Israel and Gaza. I pray for the peace of all who live under the daily threat of terror, racism, and hatred. And I pray in Your name, according to Your will, for You are the Messiah and Savior of all, the One "named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Yet, I don't pray for the world's form of peace. As You said to Your first disciples, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives" (John 14:27).

Your peace is not appeasement. Your peace is not complacency and tolerance of terror and evil. Your peace comes with the courage to stand in the strength of the Lord and the will of God for what is right and true. In this way You said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). Your sword is "the truth of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:7). And Your sword comes forth from Your mouth as You lead "the armies of heaven" as "King of kings and Lord of lords" in the triumph of Your victory "to strike down the nations" who practice the evil of wickedness and terror (Revelation 19:11-16).

So I pray for peace -- Your peace -- in the Middle East and in the middle of my heart. Let the sword of Your word pierce my heart and the hearts of all who are called by Your name to take our stand on our knees in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and all the people of this troubled land so near to Your heart (Psalm 135:21). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray the Holy Spirit will show you how to pray for the people of Israel and Gaza and all the earth in these troubling days. Through it all, may the peace of Christ rule in your heart through faith. 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 8 - My Heart is in Your Hands

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I put my heart in Your hands -- Your hands that are eternally scarred from the nails of Your eternal sacrifice of love for me.  ...

"My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways" (Proverbs 23:26).

My Father, I do give You my heart. I choose to turn my eyes upon You, to seek You and observe Your ways. Let Your Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, be at work in my heart today, conforming me into the image of the Son of God. "(My) heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will" (v. 21:1).

As I listen for Your leading in silence before You, I hear Your Spirit writing a new song from deep in my heart ...

My heart is in Your hands
Come guide and lead my ways
Make me more like You
Make me more like You

Change me from within my soul
Your Spirit at work in me
Make me more like You
Make me more like You

I am Your child
And You are my God
So I put my heart here in Your hands

Yes, Lord. "For it is God at work in (me), enabling (me) both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). As I put my heart in Your hands, Your Spirit is at work within me, changing me to be more like You, from the inside out. Then I can will what is right; and then I can do what is right -- all by the power of Your grace at work within me. In Jesus' name I pray.

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


My Friend,  may your heart be in the hands of God, making you more like Him every day, from the inside out by His Spirit at work within 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Share this word to encourage a friend!  Blue 

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Monday, July 07, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 7 - Good Fruit from a Good Heart

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my heart to hear Your voice.  ...

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-20).

Sharpen my discernment, Lord. Let Your Holy Spirit guide my human spirit from the inside out to sort out what's true from what's false, what's of the Spirit from what's of the flesh. Help me see beneath the surface to the depths of the soul; help me hear beyond the words to the character of the heart. "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (v. 7:34). "The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

And give me the humility to look honestly at my own heart first. Give me the courage to look at the fruit of my words and the integrity of my actions. Convict me of my sins; change me in my heart. Make me more like You each day. All the while, give me Your grace for those You are convicting and changing around me each day in Your passion to see Your children conformed into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). May we be good children who bear good fruit from good hearts, fully entrusted to You. In Jesus' name pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray the Holy Spirit increases your discernment, as you look to the heart to see the fruit in your life and those around 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, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Share this word to encourage a friend!  Blue 

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Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 2 - Words of Spirit and Life

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I start my day, I start by seeking You first in the intimacy of prayer.  ...

" 'And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified on My behalf. You have never heard His voice or seen His form, and you do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe Him whom He has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on My behalf. Yet you refuse to come to Me to have life' " (John 5:37-39).

I thank You, Lord, for Your Scriptures, the Word of God for the people of God. Every word is true and can be trusted. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Yet, even the Pharisees had the Scriptures. It seems they sought to honor them and maybe even worshipped them and idolized them. And even though they knew the Word of God very well, they didn't know You at all. So the Word of God was not abiding in them. "For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Lord, let Your Word come to life in me every day as I abide in You. Let Your written Word lead me to an intimate and personal relationship with the Living Word (John 1:14). All the law and the prophets, all of Scripture, points to You (Luke 24:27). Every Scripture is ultimately fulfilled in You, as all of the Word of God testifies of the One who is the Word of God (Matthew 5:17).

I thank You for the Scriptures; I love the Scriptures, but I don't worship the Scriptures. That would just be another form of religious idolatry. I worship You alone, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And as I worship You with Your Spirit abiding in me, Your Scriptures come alive to me and lead me closer to You. Your words "are spirit and life" (John 6:63). And by Your grace, I'm "holding fast to the Word of Life" (Philippians 2:16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  may God's words of spirit and life come alive in you each day in your intimate and personal relationship with Jesus. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

To order my 365 Day Devotional Book, 
Morning by Morning, 
or my book on Healing Prayer Ministry, 
Free to Be Like Jesus,


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!  Blue 

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Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Morning by Morning, July 1 - Peniel--Seeking the Face of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm seeking Your face and listening for Your voice, as I press in to the place of intimacy in prayer.  ...

"And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But (Jacob) said, 'I will not let You go, unless You bless me!' So He said to him, 'What is your name?' He said, 'Jacob.' And He said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.' Then Jacob asked, saying, 'Tell me Your name, I pray.' And He said, 'Why is it that you ask about My name?' And He blessed him there. So Jacob called that name of that place Peniel:  'For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved' " (Genesis 32:26-30, NKJ).

As the dawn of this new day breaks, I want to take hold of You with my heart in prayer. I want to press in and pray through. I want to position myself to trust in Your promises and embrace Your blessings. And from the depths of my spirit, I want to see Your face and hear Your voice.

I will not let You go, because You'll never let me go. Even as I ask for Your blessing, I know I already have it by the grace of God. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Give me grace to live into that truth today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


My Friend,  I pray experience the intimacy of God as you seek His face and press into Him in prayer and never let Him go. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

To order my 365 Day Devotional Book, 
Morning by Morning, 
or my book on Healing Prayer Ministry, 
Free to Be Like Jesus,


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!  Blue 

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