Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Morning by Morning, April 6 - The Joy of Jesus for the Journey
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You today.  ...
 
"When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord! Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father sent Me, so I send you.' When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained'" (John 20:19-23).
 
The doors were locked for fear, and here came. Their hearts was heavy with grief, and here You came. You came into their fear and grief, into their disappointment and discouragement, into their doubts and unbelief to give them peace, to give them hope -- perhaps even more, to give them joy. They "rejoiced when they saw (You)!" because "in Your presence there is fullness of joy!" (Psalm 16:11) You restored to them the joy of Your salvation! (Psalm 51:12)
 
And it was in joy that You sent out on their journey. As the Father sent You, so You sent them (John 20:21). You breathed on them Your Breath of Life, the "Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). You had promised them that Your joy would be within them and that their joy would be complete in You (John 15:11). And now Your promise was coming to pass -- they "rejoiced when they saw (You)" and they would rejoice as You sent them (John 20:20).
 
As they received Your Spirit, You were sending them to share Your Spirit. As the Father sent You to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, You were sending them to proclaim the coming of that Kingdom in Christ. And there is no true expression of the Kingdom of God without the expression of joy. "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me afresh today with Your Breath of Life, the Breath of Christ. Fill me afresh with the righteousness and peace and joy of the Kingdom of God -- the Kingdom of God that is within me because You are within me (Luke 17:21). Fill me with the joy of Jesus for my journey in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will be filled afresh with the joy of Jesus for your journey in Him every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 
          
 

Friends, I'm excited to be joining Max Lucado to share a message of hope and healing at the First Wednesday Service of Worship and Healing at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus Tonight in San Antonio at 7pm. Our Rapha God Ministries team with be joining with the Oak Hills Church prayer team to offer personal prayer ministry after the worship and message. All are welcome! Please come join us if you and pray for us if you can't! 

Max Lucado and Tommy Hays
 


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, April 05, 2016

Morning by Morning, April 5 - "Some Doubted"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior and Best Friend. I welcome You into the journey of my day.  ...
 
"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted" (Matthew 28:16-17).
 
Sometimes it astonishes me just how blatantly honest the Word of God can be. Here, all twelve of Your first disciples -- except for the one who betrayed You -- saw You and worshiped You in Your resurrected glory. Yet even then, "some doubted."
 
If the stories of the Bible were written by men -- rather than by the Holy Spirit of God writing through the men chosen by God to express the truth and heart of God -- surely they would have left out these words of doubt and unbelief. But the words of Your Scripture are faithful and true, raw with reality, unafraid to fully express authentic struggles with faith.
 
Yes, according the Word of God, some of Your closest followers, those who knew You best, stood in Your presence, fell down to worship You, and then doubted the truth in their hearts. But before we're so quick to judge, don't we also have to admit in the raw reality of our own struggles of faith that sometime we doubt too? Don't we also, at times, doubt the truth of Your presence and the power of Your resurrection. One moment we're worshiping and the next moment we're doubting?
 
Thank You for the freedom to be real -- to be blatantly honest when we doubt in our hearts and struggle with our faith. Thank You for the freedom from the false fantasy of some kind of fairly tale faith that says we're never allowed to admit the truth of our struggles and doubts, our questions and fears, even though we worship You and welcome Your presence in our lives.
 
But in that moment of truth when "some doubted," You didn't call down fire from heaven on their heads or deliver them over to the wrath of God for their stubbornness of doubts and unbelief. Instead, Your very next words were:  "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (v. 18).
 
Wow! What a merciful God! What a God who is always faithful even when we are faithless. What a God who doesn't cast us aside when we're not constantly consistent in our faith and trust in the One who loves us and gave His life for us.
 
You met them in their place of doubt, but You didn't leave them there. You filled them with Your Spirit and sent them out to be Your witnesses into all the world. The ancient traditions forever tell the stories of how each of these eleven disciples carried Your words of truth and life to the ends of the earth, even willing to lay down their lives for their faith in You. "Some doubted," but Someone greater never gave up on them. You gave them faith to believe and faith to live their lives for You, making disciples of all nations, and passing on a legacy of faith to every generation since. May we do the same, as best as we can and all by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will be filled with faith to overcome the moments of fear and doubt to keep going in the grace of God to make disciples of Jesus Christ through your life each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 
          
 

Friends, please come join us for the First Wednesday Service of Worship and Healing at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus this Wednesday Night in San Antonio at 7pm.  I'll be sharing a word of hope and healing with Max Lucado. Our Rapha God Ministries team with be joining with Oak Hills Church to offer personal prayer ministry after the worship and message. All are welcome!
 


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, April 04, 2016

Morning by Morning, April 4 - Short Walk to Emmaus, Life-long Journey of Faith

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the risen Christ. Arise and come to life in Your glory and power in every moment of my day, every day of my life.  ... 

"Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.... As they came near the village to which they were going, He walked ahead as if He were going on. But they urged Him strongly, saying, 'Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.' So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took break, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road, while He was opening the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:13-32) 

Those two disciples on their walk to Emmaus that day were discouraged and disappointed. Things hadn't worked out as they had planned. They "had hoped" that the Jesus they had seen nailed to a cross was the Son of God, their Messiah and Savior, come to rule and reign in their land and their lives (v. 21). They "had hoped" the One who had been "a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" would be the One would be mighty to save, healing the brokenhearted and setting the captives free, proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God for all the world to hear (v. 19).  

Their hopes were dashed and their hearts were heavy. They believed in the cross and the power of death all too well. But they had not yet embraced the power and the glory of the empty tomb. They were "slow of heart to believe" (v. 25). And in their lack of faith in the promises of God, "their eyes were kept from recognizing (You)" even when "(You) came near and went with them" (v. 15). 

But in Your mercy and love, You came alongside them in their sorrow and grief. You shared with them the Bread of Life, "beginning with Moses and all the prophets, (You) interpreted to them the things about (Yourself) in all the Scriptures" (v. 27). As they allowed Your words of life from the Word of God to sink into their souls, "their eyes were opened, and they recognized (You)" (v. 31). They felt their "hearts burning within (them)," as You fanned the dying embers of their faith back into flame! (v. 32) 

They ran to tell the others "what had happened on the road, and how (You) had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread" (v. 35). Then as they spoke of all You had done and said in the testimony of their encounter with You, You came and "stood among them and said them, 'Peace be with you'" (v. 36). Even then, "in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering" (v. 41). But You kept speaking to them Your words of life and reminding them of the Word of God "that everything written about (You) in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled" (v. 44). 

As they listened with their hearts, "(You) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (v. 45). Now, filled afresh with faith in both the power of the cross and the empty tomb, they would be filled with Your Spirit, the Promise of the Father, "clothed with power from on high," to be "witnesses of these things" for the rest of their lives (v. 48-49). 

Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart to see You. Come alongside me today and every day in the fellowship of Your Presence, turning my doubts into faith and my disappointments into joy. My heavenly Father, I embrace Your Word and the Promise of Your Spirit, as the child of God that I am by Your grace. Come, Holy Spirit; and let Your words of life sink into my soul, as You imbue me with Your power from on high to be Your witness of the power and love of Jesus Christ for the rest of my life. Let my walk to Emmaus be a life-long journey. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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



I pray you will be clothed with power from on high, as you journey with Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, embracing the promises of the Father, to be a faithful witness of the mercy and love of God through Jesus Christ every day 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, March 25, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 25 - A Good and Awful Day
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this Friday we call Good, I want to take some time to look to the One whose goodness and grace means the world to me.  ...
 
"It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified Him.... When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' ... Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that in this way He breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:-25-39)
 
I believe You are the Son of God. You are my Savior and my Lord. And I believe my Father's heart was torn in two like the temple curtain when You died on that cross in my place for all my sins and the sins of the world.
 
I also believe that death had no victory and hell had no say on that good and awful day. The grave would never hold You and the heavens would enfold You. And all who believe You, who embrace and receive You, stand in awe of You and all You were willing to for us in Your love.
 
But before I hurry on to the joy of Your resurrection, I want to take time to remember today the sacrifice of Your crucifixion. In that moment, You were forsaken so that I would never be forsaken; You bore my sin and shame so that I could be forgiven and free. You were crucified in the flesh so that my flesh could be crucified in Christ. You died in my world so I could live forever with You in Yours. And in that sense, that awful day was a good day indeed. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray your spirit would arise in thanksgiving and praise as you look upon the One who loves you so and His sacrifice for you, 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, March 24, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 24 - The Blessing of the Blood of Jesus
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me the grace to hear what You say and to follow where You lead.  ...
 
"Pilate said to them, 'Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah? All of them said, 'Let Him be crucified!' Then he asked, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Let Him be crucified!' So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.' Then the people as a whole answered, 'His blood be on us and on our children!' So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified" (Matthew 27:22-26).
 
It's so ironic that the crowds that called down a curse upon themselves and their generations -- that the blood of Jesus be upon them and their children -- were actually speaking of the greatest blessing we could ever receive -- the blessing of the blood of Jesus.
 
The curse of the cross would become the blessing of Christ. "Through (Jesus Christ) God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hands on a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).
 
We draw near to God and receive the blessings of God only "by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). We "are now justified by (Your) grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who m God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith" (Romans 3:24-25). 
 
Lord Jesus, Your sacrifice gave us eternal life; Your crucifixion became our salvation; and Your curse became our blessing -- the blessing of the blood of Jesus. "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). So by the power of the grace of God, may the blessing of Your blood be upon us and on our children, now and for every generation to come. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray the blessing of the blood of Jesus  -- the forgiveness of your sins and the power of God's grace -- be upon you and your children for all generations, 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, March 23, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 23 - From Gethsemane's Garden to Calvary's Cross
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're the Savior of the World and the Savior of my soul. My soul waits to see where You'll lead me in prayer as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with You.  ...
 
"Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' ... He said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with Me.' And going a little farther, He threw Himself on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not what I want but what You want'" (Matthew 26:36-39).
 
As the Son of Man, the only sinless man, You willingly chose to submit Your will to the Father's will. Even as You cried out to the Father "If it is possible," You must have remembered Your own words "For God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Yet it seems, even in the sovereignty of God, it was not possible for me and my world to be forgiven of our sins apart from the sacrifice of Your life. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; (but we) are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith" (Romans 3:23-25).
 
Knowing in Your heart what was to come of Your life, You knelt and agonized and cried out to God the Father in passionate prayer in the garden that night -- the Garden of Gethsemane, named for the place where the olives from the trees were crushed into oil. We can't even begin to fully comprehend what it means to say You were "deeply grieved, even to death" (Matthew 26:38). "In (Your) anguish (You) prayed more earnestly" until even Your "sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44).
 
Your willing crucifixion on Calvary's cross was the ultimate manifestation of Your willing surrender to the will of the Father in Gethsemane's garden. You were willing to be "crushed for our iniquities" in incomprehensible pain so that "upon (You) was the punishment that made us whole" as "the Lord laid on (You) the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-6).
 
In the freedom of Your will, You could have chosen another way (Luke 4:5-8). You could have chosen to resist drinking from the cup (Matthew 26:39). You could have chosen to call down "legions of angels" to deliver You from all You were about to endure (Matthew 26:53). And we can't begin to comprehend the depths of Your anguish and all You endured on our behalf as You cried out from the cross, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" -- "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46)
 
Through the gift of prayer I only have by Your grace, I say Thank You, Lord Jesus. And I know my weak words can never begin to express the debt of gratitude I eternally owe to You. But I do thank You. And I do praise You. And on this day, I do remember You and all You've done for me through the agony of Your prayers in Gethsemane and the suffering of Your sacrifice on Calvary. "By grace (I) have been saved through faith, and this is not (my) own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). And as they say, Your grace is free, but it was not cheap. Thank You, Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will embrace the grace of all God has done for you through the incomprehensible sacrifice of Jesus Christ, with eternal gratitude in your heart to Him, 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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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 22 - "This is My Body ... This is My Blood"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I join You on the journey to the cross.  ...
 
"So the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.... While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it He broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom'" (Matthew 26:19-29).
 
You are our Passover Meal. You are our Passover Lamb. You are our Passover Promise. You offered Your body and Your blood in Your mercy and Your love that the sin and death might pass over us. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set (us) free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do:  by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according the Spirit" (Roman 8:1-4).
 
"As often as (we) eat this bread and drink the cup, (we) proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). And in proclaiming the death of the One who willingly chose to offer His body and blood on the sacrifice of the cross, we also proclaim the resurrection of the One who defeated sin and death, once for all, for all who put their faith and find their life in Him alone. "For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. The death He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So (we) also must consider (ourselves) dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:5-11).
 
As I remember Your Last Supper and all that it means through all that You've done, I embrace the communion of Your body and Your blood in the communion of Your Spirit now living in me. "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, it is not a sharing in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16). 
 
You continue to make Yourself "known to (me) in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:35). And the more You make Yourself known to me, the more I want to be one with You, for "anyone united to the Lord become one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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



I pray you will share in the body and blood of Christ through the resurrection of His Life and the communion of His Spirit living in you, as sin and death pass over you, 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, March 21, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 21 - When It Was All Said and Done
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I drink deeply of Your living waters and dig deeply into Your living Word.  ...
 
"When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, 'You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.' Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him" (Matthew 26:1-4).
 
When You "had finished saying all these things" -- when all was said and done that You came to speak and came to do in Your words of life, lived out in truth and love with the Father's heart in the power of the Spirit -- You knew the time had come to offer Your life as a living sacrifice. You were not surprised and You didn't want Your disciples to be surprised, for "the fullness of time had come" (Galatians 4:4). Emmanuel -- God with us -- was also always eternally destined to be Yeshua -- the Salvation of God (Matthew 1:21-23).
 
It's true the chief priests and the high priest and the elders of the people made their plots and plans in a conspiracy of stealth and sin out of their jealousies and fears. But at the same time, their freedom of will was also a matter of the sovereignty of God. They were free to make their choices, but You had also eternally made Yours. "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes if from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father" (John 10:15).
 
You were eternally destined to be "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Not in the timing of the world, but in the timing of God. Not merely at the will of sinful men, but ultimately in the will of our merciful God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17).
 
Thank You, Lord Jesus. When it was all said and done, You willingly, lovingly, laid down Your life for me. And because You did, I will live forever with You (John 11:25-26). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will embrace the fullness of life you have in Christ, through all Jesus has said and done on your behalf, 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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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Friday, March 18, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 18 - "Hear Me"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I humble myself in Your sight, as You lift me up in Your embrace, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"To You, O Lord, I call; my Rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit" (Psalm 28:1).
 
As I open up my heart and lift up my spirit in the communion of prayer, asking You to hear me, it seems I hear You say to me:
 
"Hear Me, My son. I open up My heart to you. I pour out My Spirit into your spirit. I draw you close as you seek to draw Me close. I created you for intimacy with Me. I am your Father; you are My son. I love to give to My children the good gift of My Presence -- not only to know it in your mind, but also to experience it in your heart. Be still and know that I am God. Pursue Me and know that I am the One pursuing you."
 
Yes, Lord. As Your Word says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:8-10 NKJV). "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17). "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).
 
Thank You, my Father God, for opening up Your heart and pouring out Your Spirit. Thank You for drawing me to these morning times set apart for just the four of us -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit and me (2 Corinthians 13:13). Thank You for leading me to be still before You, to rest in Your Presence, to watch and to wait for the leading of Your Spirit, and at the same time, to passionately pursue You and seek to love You "with all (my) heart, all (my) soul, with all (my) mind, and with all (my) strength" (Mark 11:30). 
 
For me, it's in these early morning times that hear and know so clearly in my heart this eternal truth:  "You show me the path of life. In Your Presence there is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasure forevermore" (Psalm 16:11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will drawn to the place in your day and in your heart where you are still in your soul to wait upon the Lord, and at the same time, passionately pursue Him in your spirit with all that your are to embrace all that He is. May you hear Him and experience Him 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, March 17, 2016

Morning by Morning, March 17 - Priests, Prophets, and Kings

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the heart and lead me by the hand on the adventure You have for me today.  ...

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

You’ve chosen us and called us. You equip us and encourage us. You save us and send us as the people of God to proclaim the goodness and mercy of God. We are priests and prophets and kings in Christ -- a royal priesthood proclaiming Christ. “To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever!” (Revelation 1:5-6)  “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,” You “have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10, NKJV).

In alignment with Your heart and submission to Your will, abiding in Christ as Christ abides in us, we humbly and faithfully embrace our identity and fulfill our destiny as the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, continuing the ministry of Christ here in this world (1 Corinthians 12:27). “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

You are our Priest and Prophet and King. So in Christ, as the body of Christ, we are Your priests and prophets and kings -- “ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). As priests, we pray; as prophets, we proclaim; as kings, we reign -- all in submission to Your will and Your way, all through Your Spirit and by Your grace, with the measure of authority You’ve entrusted to us as Your people, Your body, and Your church (Matthew 16:19). Your kingdom comes and Your will is done, here on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 5:10).

We do our part -- as best as we can and all by Your grace -- to live into the fullness of all You have already done by Your part (John 19:30). And all in Your time and all in Your way, we look forward to the day we hear “loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15 NKJV). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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