Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 22 - "Prepare the Way of the Lord"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear Your voice and sense Your leading to walk in Your steps, now and throughout the moments of my day.  ...
 
"In the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 'See, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight,' John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.... He proclaimed, 'The One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit'" (Mark 1:1-8).
 
Come, Lord Jesus. Just as John was preparing the way of the Lord before Your first coming, Your Holy Spirit is preparing the way of the Lord for Your second coming. He's making Your paths straight into our hearts and into our homes and into our land. He's stirring us to repentance, cleansing us in forgiveness, and drawing us near in spiritual hunger, that we can fully embrace "the Lord God, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8).
 
Repentance is returning to You -- in humility and faith, seeking to trust You and entrust our lives to You as the only Source of our salvation. This is "the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ" (Mark 1:1). 
 
But there's so much more! The more we know You and trust You, the more we want to surrender and entrust our lives to You. As we decrease in our will, You increase in Your will. As we decrease in our control and our lordship of our lives, You increase in Your control and lordship of our lives (John 3:30).
 
Thank You for the baptism of water that marks our repentance. Our lives will never be the same. And by the power of the grace of God through the good news of Jesus Christ, we'll live forever with You! (John 3:16) But at the same time, there's more. You don't only want us to go to heaven when we die, You want the fullness of heaven in us now. You not only want to baptize us with water, You want to "baptize (us) with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:8)!
 
Come, Holy Spirit! Prepare the way of the Lord! Let the "Spirit of Christ" rule and reign in my heart, taking more control and more lordship of more areas of my heart and my life than I've ever entrusted to You before. I want to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). I want to "be baptized with the Holy Spirit" in deeper measures of surrender and trust than every before (Acts 1:5). I want to come to the place in my heart where I can truly say, "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). It to be God's honest truth that by the power of grace at work within me I passionately and persistently "love the Lord (my) God with all (my) heart, and with all (my) soul, and with all (my) mind, and with all (my) strength!" (Mark 12:30)
 
This day and every day, let me hear Your voice crying out to my heart, "Prepare the way of the Lord!" One day soon, You'll be coming again in the clouds of glory (1 Thessalonians 4:16). But every day between now and then, You want to come in Your glory into my heart (1 Peter 3:15). 
 
Come, Lord Jesus! "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let everyone who hears say, 'Come!' And let everyone who is thirsty come!" (Revelation 22:17). "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled!" (Matthew 5:6) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray the Lord will stir up a deeper hunger and thirst to be filled with the Spirit of Christ in deeper measures of your heart every day, that you may display His nature and move in His power, fully baptized in His Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name. 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, September 21, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 21 - Sound the Trumpets!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me eyes to see what You're doing and ears to hear what You're saying, as I wait and watch for Your leading, O Lord my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:  Make two silver trumpets; you shall make them of hammered work; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation, and for breaking camp.... When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, you shall sound the alarm with the trumpets, so that you may be remembered before the Lord you God and be saved from your enemies. Also on your days of rejoicing, at your appointed festivals... you shall blow the trumpets.... they shall serve as reminder on your behalf before the Lord your God:  I am the Lord your God" (Numbers 10:1-10).
 
On the Biblical calendar of the cycles of seasons, we're in-between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:24). Every feast and festival, every law and prophecy, and every cycle and season of the Biblical calendar ultimately finds fulfillment in You (Matthew 5:17). And in the Spirit, Your trumpets are sounding.
 
Your trumpets are sounding the call to gather Your people -- to gather them to You and to one another. You've giving us the grace to search our hearts and allow You to remove every barrier that keep us from drawing near to You and drawing near to one another. It's in the unity of the Spirit that You command Your blessings (Psalm 133:1-3).
 
And as we are strengthened and empowered in the unity of the Spirit, You are strategically positioning us to hear Your trumpets sounding the call to go to war in our land against the adversary of our souls. Through the Atonement of the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away our sins and heals our wounds and breaks our chains, You prepare us for battle and declare over us Your victory!
 
Let us hear Your call to come. And Let us hear Your charge to advance. Let us hear the sound of Your trumpets awaking our spirits to rejoice in the victories we will see before our eyes in the name of the Lord our God! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

I pray you will hear the sound of the Lord's trumpets calling you to gather to Him and to His people, ready to advance the Kingdom of God, in your heart and in your land, through the victory of the Lord. 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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Friday, September 18, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 18 - More Joy!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait now in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit.  ...
 
"So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away!" (Isaiah 51:11).
 
You've ransomed me and redeemed me. You've forgiven me and freed me. And You invited me come up to the mountain of the Lord in prayer and praise every moment of my day. And as I remember what You've done and embrace what You're doing, my heart is filled with joy and gladness. Sorrow and sadness must flee away!
 
Lord, I pray for more joy today. Fill me with Your joy that draws people to You. Look the look on my face be a reflection of what You've done in my heart. Let my eyes sparkle and shine with the hope and happiness You stir up inside.
 
Some wear the mask of joy. Some hold on to a faint memory of joy. And some seem to live in a Spirit of Joy every day, no matter what's going on around them. Sorrow can't steel it; sadness can't defeat it. It seems to be as resilient and radiant as the kingdom of God itself. "For the kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Come, Holy Spirit. May Your kingdom advance in me today with more righteousness, more peace, and more joy! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

I pray you will be filled with more joy today! May sorrow and sadness flee away in the name of Jesus! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 




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

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Thursday, September 17, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 17 - Guided by the Spirit of Jesus
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Good Shepherd, let me hear Your voice as You tend my heart before I go out into my day (John 10:14).  ...
 
"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatian, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia they went down to Troas..." (Acts 16:6-8).
 
Paul and his companions were on a spiritual journey and "the Spirit of Jesus" -- the Holy Spirit of the Living God, living in their hearts and directing their steps -- was their Spiritual Guide. They trusted Your Word and listened for Your Spirit; they looked to see what You were doing and listened to hear what You were saying. They believed Your promise to be their Ever-Present Companion:  "And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21).
 
They were obeying Your command to "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). And at the same time, they were going into that world one step at a time, day by day and morning by morning, as Your Spirit led. 
 
Cleary it was Your will that all of Asia would hear the good news of Your mercy and grace, but not that day through these disciples. They knew their Scriptures and believed Your Word, but they also needed to hear Your living words spoken by Your Holy Spirit for each day's journey. They didn't presume upon Your will and Your grace, believing they knew enough of Your will and Your ways to go about their journey without taking time to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. Instead, they chose to live each day seeking Your guidance and embracing Your Presence in a deeply personal, intimate relationship of faith and trust in You.
 
That's how I want to live my life. I believe Your Word and I also embrace Your Spirit. I want to begin my mornings and continue through the moments of my day seeking Your face and listening for Your voice. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to live my life in a deeply personal, intimate relationship of faith and trust in You, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will be drawn every morning and live every day seeking the face of God and listening for the voice of God, believing His Word and embracing His Spirit. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

 


Friends, tonight we'll finish our Level 1 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries with prayers of impartation and anointing for ministry (Romans 1:11, 1 Timothy 4:14). Rocio and I have been especially excited this time to have Elijah, Melissa, and Migue with us from our family! And I pray for the Holy Spirit of the Living God to equip and anoint you for the ministry to which you are called and to go where the Spirit of Jesus leads you every day of your journey. God bless you!

We have DVDs of our Schools of Ministry, Spiritual Retreats, and other messages and resource for healing and hope for your personal spiritual journey or ministry to others through Rapha God Ministries and Messiah Ministries.



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, September 16, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 16 - Worship the One True God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and every moment of my day.  ...
 
"In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. People shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say:  'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.... For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever" (Micah 4:2-5).
 
O Lord, my God, You are the one true God. Be exalted here in my heart. Be enthroned here in my praises (Psalm 22:3). I don't want to have any gods before You. I don't want anything or anyone to have the place in my life that You alone deserve as Lord and God.
 
Teach me Your ways. Lead me in Your paths. Stir in my spirit to come up to the mountain and worship Your name. Yours is the name above every name (Philippians 2:5). "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). 
 
There's power and peace, forgiveness and freedom, goodness and grace in Your name alone. "Lord, there is none like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power" (Jeremiah 10:6 NLT). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will go up to the mountain in your heart to worship the one true God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. I pray you will learn His ways and walk in His paths, all in 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
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 15 - Divine Distinction from the Judgments of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by Your hand and lead me by my heart into the way that leads to life in You today.  ...
 
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord:  Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. For if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies; so also the land where they live. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I the Lord am in this land. Thus I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign shall appear tomorrow'" (Exodus 8:20-23).
 
In the days of judgment against the land of Egypt and its leadership, You also made a divine distinction between Your people and the people of the land. When the judgment of pestilence against the livestock came, You said through Moses to Pharaoh, "the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt" (Exodus 9:4). In the judgment of the hail can raining down over all of Egypt, You make a distinction with Your people, so that "only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail" (Exodus 9:26). And when the judgment of darkness came over the land, "all the Israelites had light where they lived" (Exodus 10:23).
 
In the final judgment of death that passed through the land, Moses declared to Pharaoh death would not come upon the people of God "so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel" (Exodus 11:7). So the Lord commanded the first Passover, as the people of God took the blood of the lamb without blemish and applied it the doorways of their homes. And the judgment of death passed over the people of God (Exodus 12:1-32).
 
All that happened in the story of the journey of the people of God under the Old Covenant "serve as an example" to us in our journey under the New Covenant where all things are fulfilled in Christ, as "they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). When judgments come and even if the shaking the land is severe, we can trust that You make a divine distinction for the people of God, all by the power of the grace of God.
 
In the power of Your grace, may we seek Your heart and pray for the people and the land where You have positioned us, even when judgment may come. "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). You are "not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). And even in Your judgments, we know it is Your heart to remember mercy, as Your Word declares that "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).
 
Lord, let my heart be set apart for You. Deliver me out of "Egypt" and deliver "Egypt" out of me. By the grace of God, I embrace the grace of Your divine distinction for the people of God. And I pray for people and the land where You have strategically positioned me for such a time as this, along with my fellow disciples and travellers on this journey of faith "on whom the end of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). "For God so love the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16). In Jesus name I pray. Amen. 

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

I pray you will rest in the peace of the Lord's divine distinction for the people of God, in Jesus' name. May you thrive as salt and light in the midst of your world, as a witness of faith and the mercy of God to all around you that need to know the mercy and grace of our God that triumphs over judgment. 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, September 14, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 14 - "Year of the Lord's Favor"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my soul to seek Your face, here in these first moments of my morning with You in the communion of prayer.  ...
 
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor..." (Isaiah 61:1-2).
 
This is Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year according to the Biblical cycles of the Jewish calendar. And many would say this year marks the fiftieth year, called the Year of Jubilee, following the cycle of seven sets of seven years of Sabbath rest for the people and the land. "And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you" (Leviticus 25:8-12). This is the year of the Lord's favor.
 
Lord Jesus, You are the fulfillment of the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:27). You are the fulfillment of the promise of Jubilee, proclaiming release and liberty throughout the land and into the hearts of all who would humble themselves to call on Your name (Luke 4:18-19). As You declared at the beginning of Your ministry in the power of the Spirit of the Lord, "This Scripture has been fulfilled" (Luke 4:21).
 
By the power of the grace of God, I choose to trust in You, to rest in You. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I willingly choose to be desperately dependent on You alone. I seek Your face and trust in Your favor. I'm excited and expectant to see what this year will hold for all who trust in the One who proclaims the year of the Lord's favor in this Year of Jubilee in Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will be blessed by the favor of God throughout this year and every moment of your life, in Jesus' name. 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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Friday, September 11, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 11 - Strong Tower
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Rock and my Refuge, my Strong Tower and Strength. And in humility of heart I willingly choose to be desperately dependent on You alone.  ...
 
"For who is God, but the Lord? And who is rock, except our God? ... The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.... He is a tower of salvation for His king, and shows steadfast love to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever" (2 Samuel 22:32-51).
 
O Lord, my God, You are the Source of every good thing in my life. You are my Strength when I feel weak; You are my Shelter when I feel afraid. You are my Light when I feel lost in the dark; You are my Leader when don't know which way to turn. You are my Hope when it's hard to look beyond today to trust in what tomorrow holds; and You are my Helper when I can't hardly handle the troubles and trials that come.
 
On this day of 9-11, when our nation remembers the towers that fell and the lives that were lost, may we also remember "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). We're only righteous in You (2 Corinthians 5:21). And the truth is, we're only safe in You (Acts 4:12). But in humility of heart and confidence of faith, we trust that You are with us and You are at work within us to cause all things to work together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). Blessed be the name of the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May the name of the Lord be your strong tower today and every day, as you run into Him and embrace His grace and the security of His love for you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

Friends, thank you for your prayers for us! We've been having exciting and powerful times together during our Level 1 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries for Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry Training. In Level 1, we primarily focus on the Biblical foundation and spiritual principles of healing and freedom from my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance. I pray you will experience the deep healing and powerful freedom of Jesus Christ in every dimension of your life. God bless you!

DVDs of our School of Ministry, Books, and Resources for Healing and Prayer Ministry are Available


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, September 09, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 9 - "The Tongue of a Teacher"
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I proclaim Your name and lift up my praise to You, my King, my Savior, and my Friend.  ... "The Lord has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning He wakens -- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught" (Isaiah 50:4). Give me a teachable spirit so that I can teach. Give me a humble heart so that I can lead. Draw me near to You in the intimacy of prayer, so that I hear Your voice and sense Your leading, so that I receive Your correction and embrace Your affirmation to teach and to lead with confidence in You. You are my Teacher. You teach me by Your Word and by Your Spirit. You teach me by Your example and Your inspiration. You teach me by my challenges and even my failures. And I thank You for Your promise:  "Though the Lord may give (me) the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet (my) Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but (my) eyes shall see (my) Teacher. And when (I) turn to the right or when (I) turn to the left, (my) ears shall hear a word behind (me), saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21). Teach me to be like You. "Because as (You are), so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). "A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher" (Luke 6:40). By the power of Your grace at work within me, make me fully qualified to live in Your Spirit and teach Your ways, more like You each day, continually being conformed to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). As someone has said, You don't call the qualified; You qualify the called (Romans 8:30). So let my words be Your words flowing through me today. Sustain the weary with Your words as You lead me in Your ways. And thank You for the grace I need every day -- morning by morning -- when I fall short of the glory of God, but You never fall short of loving me and helping me to live into my identity and destiny in You. Your mercies are "new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray the Holy Spirit will encourage you and empower you to teach through your words and your life as a faithful disciple of Christ today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

Friends, thank you for your prayers for us! Last night, we began our Level 1 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries for Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry Training. In Level 1, we primarily focus on the Biblical foundation and spiritual principles of healing and freedom from my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance. I pray you will experience the deep healing and powerful freedom of Jesus Christ in every dimension of your life. God bless you!

DVDs of our School of Ministry, Books, and Resources for Healing and Prayer Ministry are Available


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, September 08, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 8 - The War Room
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit. And by the grace of God and the mystery of faith, You desire to be One within me (John 17:21). I wait now for Your leading in these morning moments of communion in prayer.  ... "Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). My son and I went to the movies this weekend to see The War Room. It wasn't about wars fought with rifles and tanks in foreign lands. No, it was about the war we face much closer to home for hearts and souls, including our own, in the spiritual realm interwoven with our lives every day. We don't fight this war in the air, land, and sea. We fight this war on our knees. We fight this war in prayer. And whether our "war room" is in a closet or on a tractor or behind a desk or down the sidewalk or in our favorite prayer chair where we seem to hear You the best, we wage our war in the heavenly dimensions of the spiritual realm. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). This is "the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). This faith is in You with faith to believe that in whatever battle we face for ourselves for others, the victory is won through the cross and the blood of Christ (Colossians 2:15).  In the war room of intimacy and worship and prayer, I seek Your face and listen for Your voice, to seek to see what You're doing and hear what You're saying, so I can agree in prayer according to Your divine strategies and Your Father heart (John 5:19). Here, Your Holy Spirit helps me hear and obey the battle plans and high commands of "the Commander of the army of the Lord" (Joshua 5:15). In the war room of the Spirit, teach me and empower me to fight and to win, to come into agreement with the victory You've already won, as I fight for my marriage and family, for my community and nation, for my identity and destiny, and for all Your Spirit moves in my spirit to pray according the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). From this place in You, I cry out like David, "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me!" (Psalm 144:1-2) And from this place in You, I embrace Your promise and proclaim Your victory over my spiritual enemy:  "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under (my) feet!" (Romans 16:20) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will see mighty victories in the mighty name of Jesus from your war room of intimacy and worship and prayer in the Spirit, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Friends, please keep us in prayer tonight as we we begin our
Level 1 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries for Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry Training. In Level 1, we primarily focus on the Biblical foundation and spiritual principles of healing and freedom from my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance. I pray you will experience the deep healing and powerful freedom of Jesus Christ in every dimension of your life. 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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Friday, September 04, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 4 - "Always Confident"
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart and every moment of my day.  ... "So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him" (2 Corinthians 5:6-9). If I look at my world apart from You, it's hard to feel confident. Even with You in my heart and Your Spirit at work in my life, some days are harder than others to focus on the task at hand and press on in the faith in the times we live instead of spending the days I have just longing to be out of this body and away with You (1 Thessalonians 4:17). You've given me eyes to see, but You've also given me faith to believe.So I don't have to stick my head in the sand or detach from reality. I can be fully alive to the very real tensions and turmoil in the very real world around me. But at the same time, with eyes of faith, I can see You in the midst of it -- not indifferent, not indignant, but determined to fulfill Your Word to cause "all things (to) work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  And that gives me confidence. That gives me a confidence in You and Your love for me in the security of faith that doesn't go up down with the stock market or the measure of morality of a nation or the tides of personal opinions. By the power of Your grace, alive and at work every day in our hearts and our minds, we can be "always confident" when we "walk by faith and not by sight."  "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). May I embrace that grace today and every day to make it my aim to please You by trusting You in faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will always be confident, walking by faith in the power of God's grace this day and every day, in Jesus' name. 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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Thursday, September 03, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 3 - Discipline of Grace
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my spirit, ground me in truth, and lead me in the paths of righteousness today.  ...
 
"Therefore prepare your minds for action, discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when He is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13).
 
This is the discipline of grace -- to both prepare my mind for action, while at the same time, I also set all my hope to fully trust in the grace of God through Jesus Christ. It's by the power of Your grace, moving in my mind and my heart, that I can discipline myself to choose to "set (my) mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for (I) have died, and (my) life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is (my) life is revealed, then (I) also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:2-4).
 
And in the discipline of grace, my mind is not only prepared to think what is right or even believe what is right, but my mind is prepared for action. My mind is prepared to stand for what is right and to do what is right, to not compromise or back down from what is right. In the discipline of grace, I'll not only be a hearer of the word and a believer of the word, but more significantly, I will be a doer of the word -- as best as I can and all by the power of Your grace (James 1:23-25). 
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Empower me today for this discipline of grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray the Holy Spirit of God will empower you to prepare your mind for action as you live in the discipline of grace, in Jesus' name. 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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Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Morning by Morning, September 2 - Exciting Days of September in the Heavens and on the Earth
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I worship You in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being, as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with You.  ...
 
"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4).
 
Much is happening in the month of September. We'll see the fourth of the four blood moons, where the heavens and earth witness a total lunar eclipse that makes the moon appear red on four Jewish feast days within a two-year period. We'll see the climax of the year of the Shemitah on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, marking the end of a seven-year cycle and which has also marked major economic shaking and upheaval in recent history. We'll see incredible geo-political events, such as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church speaking to a joint session of Congress for the first time in our history and then speaking to the United Nations on topics of the world-wide climate and world-wide unity, among others. And depending upon the calculation, we may see the beginning of the Year of Jubilee on the Day of Atonement, with the freedom and blessing of rest and restoration that comes every fifty years in the biblical cycles of Sabbath rest and the favor of God (Leviticus 25:8-11, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:18-19).
 
These are exciting days to be alive! And we are honored to be chosen to be alive on the earth in these epic days of Your glory and Your plans in the heavens and on the earth. As You said long ago, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it" (Matthew 13:16-17).
 
As the heavens and the earth declare Your glory, so will we, by the grace of God, seeking to live as lights shining in the darkness (Philippians 2:14-15). No matter what comes, we'll be secure in the One who is our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Refuge, our Shield, our Salvation, our Stronghold (Psalm 18:2). Though the heavens may tremble and the earth may shake, we will be firm and safe in Your grip of grace (Hebrews 12:26-29). "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22 NKJV). "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe!" (Hebrews 12:28)
 
Through it all, we can know our God is on His throne! (Psalm 47:8). And we can trust in the One who rules over all:  "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, obedient to His spoken word. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers that do His will. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!" (Psalm 103:19-22) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

I pray you will know you are safe and secure in the grip of God's grace through these exciting days, where we are chosen and blessed to be alive for the glory of God, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!     

 
Please come join us Wednesday Night for the
Worship and Healing Service 
at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio this Wednesday night at 7pm. I'm excited to be sharing a message of hope and healing, joined by our prayer ministry teams from Rapha God Ministries and Oak Hill Church to pray for everyone.


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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!
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