Friday, July 22, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 22 - Ever Looking Up to the Lord
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I worship You, Lord God, in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being.  ...
 
"My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net" (Psalm 25:15).
 
Should I look out for myself or look up to You? Should I focus on what makes me afraid or the One who sets me free? Should I worry about all the things that might happen or wait and watch for the word of the One who sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end, who holds all time and space and every moment of my life ever-present before Him? ...
 
Hmmm.... I think I'll go with God. I think I'll turn my eyes and my heart and my trust ever toward my Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of every net, get my ox out of every ditch, and cause all things to work together for good, as I entrust all things to Him (Romans 8:28).
 
I think I'll embrace the exhortation of Your Word to "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, (to) set (my) mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth, for (I) have died, and (my) life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3). 
 
I think I'll "look up and lift up (my) head, because (my) redemption draws near" every time I choose to trust in what my God is doing, instead of being anxious about what I'm afraid He's not doing and every time I choose to put my hope in Him to be my help instead of trusting in my power and my wisdom to take care of my problems in my way (Luke 21:28 NKJV).
 
And I think I'll "lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let (my) foot be moved; He who keeps (me) will not slumber. He who keeps (me) will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is (my) keeper; the Lord is (my) shade at (my) right hand. The sun shall not strike (me) by day, not the moon by night. The Lord will keep (me) from all evil; He will keep (my) life. The Lord will keep (my) going out and (my) coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8).
 
Why would I look down or look around at the nets and everything less that my good God's good will for my life when all I need to do is look up with my eyes ever toward the Lord? ...
 
Hmmm.... It suddenly seems like a silly question in the light of the love and power and grace of my sovereign God "-- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will ever look up to the Lord and be set free from every net and everything less than God's good will for 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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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 20 - "The Good News of God"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I rest in Your Presence and wait in the silence for the leading of Your Spirit -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news" (Mark 1:14-15).
 
I'm ready for some good news -- "the good news of God." I'm ready for the good news that stirs hearts to repent and stirs faith to believe. I'm ready to see the kingdom of God come near and to experience that the King of the kingdom is here.
 
Come, Lord Jesus! You are the "King of kings and the Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). And You are here among us; You are here within us, in the Presence and power of Your Spirit (Romans 8:9). And so is Your kingdom -- "for indeed, the kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21 NKJV).
 
We live in a broken, fallen world full of bad news -- the bad news of the kingdoms of this world. We hear every day about famines and financial crisis, sickness and sorrow, acts of terror and acquiescence of cowardice, cities under siege and cultures given over to sin, hopelessness and heartlessness, destruction and decay. And in one way, it will all get worse until that day comes when it all gets better (Matthew 24:3-31).
 
We look forward to the good news of that day when all the world sees the news flash of Your coming from one end of the earth to the other:
 
"Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:29).
 
And at the same time, between today and that day to come, Your kingdom comes near to us and Your kingdom comes near to our broken, fallen world through us:
 
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3).
 
One day we will see Your Word completely fulfilled that "The kingdoms of this world have become of the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15 NKJV)  And at the same time, every day we repent in our hearts and believe in our faith, embracing Your Presence and "the good news of God," Your kingdom comes and Your will is done -- here in our hearts and here in our world. And for a moment at least, that part of our world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, because the kingdom has come near in us. That's a measure of how we fulfill Your command to "Occupy till (You) come" (Luke 19:13 KJV).
 
This is the hope of the good news of God we have in you -- "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). And by the power of the grace of God, I'm ready to embrace and to share some of that good news of God today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will embrace and share the good news of God today with the Spirt of Christ living through you, in Jesus' name. May His kingdom come and His will be done in you and and through you every where He sends you in your world 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

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Tuesday, July 19, 2016


Morning by Morning, July 19 - My Father's Son
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I begin my day with Your name on my lips. Help me live this day growing into Your nature in my heart.  ...
 
Less of me and more of You.
I want Your nature through and through.
Take my heart and take my soul.
Set me free and make me whole.
Crucified now in my flesh,
Sanctified now in Your rest,
Let Your Spirit live in me.
My Father’s son I’ll always be.
 
Yes, Lord. My Father God, I am Your son -- saved through the sacrifice my Savior Jesus Christ and being filled afresh each day with the Holy Spirit of the Living God (Ephesians 5:18). As a son of God, I'm led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). And the Spirit of God is always is moving in my heart to make me want to be more like Jesus, the perfect image of God my Father (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 1:3; John 10:30).
 
"(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 give 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. For (I) did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but (I) have received a Spirit of adoption. 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, (I) suffer with Him so that (I) may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:9-17).
 
Yes, Lord. Let it be so -- all in Your time, all in Your way, all in the power of Your grace. "May the God of peace Himself sanctify (me) entirely; and may (my) spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls (me) is faithful, and He will do this. Beloved, pray for (me)" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-25). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be filled afresh with God's Spirit every day, making you more like Jesus, being sanctified entirely in spirit and soul and body, as the child of God that you are, in Jesus' name. God is faithful and He will do this, as you willing choose to desperately dependent upon Him alone. 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 18, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 18 - "Where are You?"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm thankful for every moment that You've been with me through my life -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and I'm thankful that You are with me now and always will be. ...
 
"They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?'" (Genesis 3:8-9).
 
Even in our sin, You seek us out. Even when we try to hide, You still speak to our hearts. You created us to live in Your Presence. You are Love; and You created us in Your image for a relationship of love, for a relationship with the One who is Love (1 John 4:16). And even before the very first sin that got in the way Your relationship of love for us, You loved us so much that You provided a way for every sin to be cleansed and every barrier to Your Presence to be removed forever if we would only trust You and what You've done for us (John 3:16).
 
So by the power of the grace of God, I'll not hide or run away from Your voice or Your Presence. I'll draw near to You; I'll trust in You, embracing the grace of the gift of Your mercy and love through Jesus Christ. "For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him 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 1:19-20).
 
In Your Presence, O Lord my God, I find peace and purpose; I find freedom and fulfillment; I find salvation and significance. "In Your Presence, (I find) fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11). And without Your Presence, I would only find emptiness for all eternity. 
 
So I thank God that through Your mercy and love, I'll never spend a moment -- now or forever -- apart from Your Presence. You are always with me (Matthew 28:20). And nothing will ever separate me from Your love and Your Presence (Romans 8:38-39). 
 
No matter where I am or what I've done, no matter how I feel or what I fear, whenever I hear You call "Where are you?" I can answer to the One who always loves me, "Here I am. I embrace Your Presence, my God." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will always find your peace and purpose, your freedom and fulfillment, your salvation and significance, and the fullness of joy in the Presence of our God, 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, July 15, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 15 - One Smooth Stone of the Word of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You today.  ...
 
"When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground" (1 Samuel 17:48-49).
 
My enemy knows my vulnerabilities, but You know his. He may mock me and taunt me, but You encourage me and empower me. He may strike my heel, but You will crush his head. And one smooth stone of Your word can bring him down to the ground and put his armies to flight.
 
David didn't need a spear or a sword. He needed faith in You. Before the battle, You led him to bend down and pick up five smooth stones to put in his pouch for the encounter You knew would come (v. 40). And when the time came, You led him to take the one You chose to silence the voice of his enemy and bring him down to his knees and bite the dust with his face. It only took one -- one faithful servant and one smooth stone -- just as one word of God that goes forth from Your mouth will not return void, but will accomplish that which You purpose and succeed in that for which You sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
 
Fill my pouch with Your words today, Lord. Let me be ready for the battles and encounters to come. Give me faith and courage to stand on Your Word in the power of Your strength, as You slay my spiritual enemies before me. "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 divine 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). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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



I pray the pouch of your heart will be filled with God's Word so you'll be ready to speak it and see the salvation of God in whatever battles you face, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

         
Friends, please join with me in prayer for a close and long-time friend of mine facing a trial in court next week that may continue for a couple of months. May his heart be full of God's word and grace to guide him through all he will face. We pray for justice, mercy, and favor with God and favor with man, walking it out in both humility and faith (Micah 6:8). And may his family and friends be at peace as we pray, putting all in the hands of the Lord (Proverbs 3:5). "Not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). Thank you and 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 14, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 14 - Fall Face Down to Seek the Face of God
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the hand and lead me by the heart into Your will for my life this day.  ... "I looked and saw that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord, and I fell face down on the ground" (Ezekiel 44:4 NLT). Lord, I want to look with the eyes of my heart and see with the eyes of my spirit. Show me Your glory. Let me see You as You are. And in Your Presence, seeing You as You are and seeing myself as I am, in the humility and fear of the Lord like Ezekiel, may I fall face down on the ground before You. Even now, in my heart I fall face down before You. I know I'm always welcome in Your Presence, that I can come boldly before Your throne of grace as a child of God, with no veil between us, through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer (Hebrews 4:12). "Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's Presence" (Ephesians 3:12 NLT). But at the same time, I never want to be presumptuous or take for granted Your gift of mercy and Your blessing of intimacy. It's when we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord that You lift us up into Your Presence and embrace us in Your intimacy (James 4:10). ... And as soon as I fall face down before You, I immediately sense You bending low to embrace me where I am. With the eyes of my heart and the sight of my spirit, I look and see to sense You bending low to lift me up. You're taking my face in Your hands -- Your nail-scarred hands -- to lift my face to behold Yours. ... There is mercy and love in Your eyes. ...   "You, O Lord, are a shield around me, my Glory, and the One who lifts up my head" (Psalm 3:3).  As You lift up my face to see You as You are, You are changing me. "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord -- who is the Spirit -- makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).  As I bow low and allow You to lift me up, I just find myself crying out in my spirit, "Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy and merciful, loving and kind are You, O Lord. I'm not worthy to be in Your Presence, yet You have made me worthy through what You have done for me through Your mercy and love."  Thank You for the grace to fall face down in Your Presence. And thank You for the grace to be lifted up to behold Your face. "Such is the company of those who seek (You), who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:6). "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will see the face of God in all His mercy and love for you as you fall face down before Him and allow Him to lift you up, 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, July 13, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 13 - "At the Name of Jesus"
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name over every moment of my day and every dimension of my life.  ... "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV). As I bow my knees to Your name, I declare You as Lord over all of my life to glory of God my Father. Your peace fills my soul and Your promises fill my hopes. You remind me that I am loved and that I am Yours -- both a servant and a son of the Most High God. "Let this mind be in (me)" (v. 5). When I humble myself, You lift me up. When I obey Your word, You empower me to life into Your will. And as I allow You to conform my heart and transform my mind to the nature of Your name, everything less must bow before You. So let the name of Jesus be exalted over everything less than the will of God in my life. Let lies and limitations bow down. Let discouragement and disappointment bow down. Let sickness and sorrow bow down. Let hindrances and habits bow down. Let blockages and bondages bow down. Let darkness and demons, complacency and compromise, poverty and pessimism, injustice and ingratitude, bitterness and betrayal, resentment and rejection, fear and failure, rebellion and regret, pride and prejudice, destruction and death, and "every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God" bow down now, never to rise again, in the mighty name of Jesus! (2 Corinthians 10:5)  "For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods!" (Psalm 135:5) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray everything less than the will of God will bow its knee at the name of Jesus in your life today 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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Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 12 - The Good Spirit Who Guides

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen. Help me hear. Help me trust. Help me obey.  ... "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path" (Psalm 143:10). 

Doing Your will does not come naturally to me. It comes super-naturally. It's Your good Spirit that leads me in the paths of righteousness. And as You know, my human spirit does not always, immediately want to choose the path of Your good Spirit. So in Your mercy and love, You teach me to do Your will. You lead me in the ways that align with Your will. How? You help me listen. You help me hear. You help me trust. And You help me obey. "For it is God who is at work in (me), enabling (me) both to will and to work for (Your) good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). 

I need Your holy nudges and holy tugs. I need Your stirrings in my soul and Your convictions in my conscience. I need the sense of Your Presence and the awareness of Your watchfulness. I need to trust that You're answering my prayers when I ask You to put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. And I need the courage and the faith that Your Spirit's always ready to supply when You call me to respond to the word I hear in my heart that says, "This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). 

Being led by Your Spirit is part of my inheritance as a child of God. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). So I can trust You to teach me and train me, to encourage me and empower me, as I choose to humble my heart to hear and set my spirit to seek Your leading. And I do need Your leading. I do need Your guidance. "For the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). So by the power of the grace of God at work within me, give me the desire and the power to "let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path" (Psalm 143:10). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray the good Spirit will teach you and empower you to let Him lead you and guide you in the paths of righteousness, 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, July 11, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 11 - Awaken Me in the Morning

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I look and listen for Your leading, help me begin my day knowing I'm embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ... 

"Then the angel who spoke to me returned and awakened me, like a man awakened from his sleep" (Zechariah 4:9). It was good to get away and rest. And now it's good to return to the rhythms of my day. You taught me long ago that the most important part of the rhythms of my day is here in these first moments of my morning in my deep communion of prayer with You. "Let me hear of Your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way that I should go, for to You I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8). 

So come, Holy Spirit. Awaken me. Like a man awakened from his sleep, awaken my soul, stir in my spirit. Let my body come alive to arise and shine, refreshed and renewed, ready to embrace my identity and embark again on my destiny in this adventure of faith. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Order my steps and direct my path, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I'm excited to see what You will do, as I awaken and arise to follow You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray the Spirit of the Lord will arise in your spirit, awaken your soul, and energize your body each day to embrace your identity and continue your destiny as the child of God and follower of Christ He created you to be, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. And thank you so much for your prayers for me and our family during my time away. It was good to be away and now it's good to be back with you on our journey of prayer, morning by morning. Thank you for joining me in the adventure! 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, June 27, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 27 - "I Will Give You Rest"
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading and waiting for the whisper of Your still, small voice, as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with you, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ... "He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest' " (Exodus 33:14). For the next two weeks, I'll be taking some time away from my daily routines and everyday tasks. I'll be taking a little more time with family, a little more time with sleep, maybe even a little more time where I don't talk to anybody, don't preach to anybody, don't try to fix anybody, but just let everybody be -- entrusting them all to You. Hopefully, I'll be taking a little more time to rest. If that's Your heart for me, help me not feel selfish or lazy or guilty or worried about everything that's not getting done or will need to get done when I get back. Help me rest. And let me know that Your Presence goes with me even when I'm not teaching and preaching and praying every waking moment of my day. Help me remember "the anointing which (I) have received from (You) abides in (me)" wherever I am, whatever I'm doing -- or even not doing -- because my anointing is Your Presence with me (1 John 2:27). So I'm anointed with Your Presence even when I rest. Help me rest in You today and for these two weeks. In fact, give me the grace to rest in You for rest of my life. "Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest is still open, let us take care that none of (us) should seem to have failed to reach it" (Hebrews 4:1). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



 I pray you will rest in the Lord and the anointing of His Presence, always with you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. And please forgive me if you're missing these morning devotionals every day while I'm away. I'll be at home and away with family, taking a little different routine for vacation time in the mornings. But I hope you'll still be with me on our journey of prayer together when I return. 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, June 24, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 24 - The Great Exit to Come
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord and Savior, God and King, Best Friend Forever, I want to begin my day speaking out Your name and listening for Your voice.  ... "As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.... And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now retrains it is removed. And then the lawless on e will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of His mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of His coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Everyone is talking about the "Brexit" -- the vote by the citizens of Britain yesterday to exit the European Union. There's great concern about the collapse of the currencies and the economies of the nations of the European Union now that Britain is removed through this exit. Those concerns are, of course, very valid. Certainly to be taken seriously. No doubt, there will be tremendous global impact and upheaval in light of this event that's been anticipated for some time -- an event longed for by many and also feared by many. But there is an exit that should give all the world so much more concern. There will be tremendous global impact and universal upheaval on the day of the great exit to come -- on "the day of the Lord" and the great exit of the Church of Jesus Christ from the face of this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:2). "For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.... Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:21-31). The Holy Spirit of the living God who lives in the heart of every believer of Jesus Christ is a powerful restraining Force in our world. Since the day of Pentecost, the Church has increased to reach into the nations of the world. That great move of God in earth will continue right until the end, for God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). But one day, "the end will come." And on that day, there will be a great exit. "For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). We can be encouraged with these words -- with the Word of God. Though those will be dark days, at the same time, the light of the glory of God will arise and shine upon the people of God as never before, as the Lord continues to seek to draw every last soul to Himself through His people who call on His name and trust in His grace (Isaiah 60:1-2; Hebrews 12:27). "People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.... Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Luke 21:26-33). Many long for that day to come. And many fear it. When the Holy Spirit of God abiding in the people of God is removed in the day of the great exit to come, nobody's going to be thinking about the "Brexit" or even the economy. On that day, everyone will be thinking about Jesus. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27). Me, I'm looking forward to that great exit to come. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' (Revelation 22:17).
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be secure and confident in the peace and Presence of the Holy Spirit living in you, looking forward to the day of the coming of Christ, 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, June 23, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 23 - Come, King of Glory!
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and every moment of my day.  ... "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:7-10) Strong and mighty Lord, Lord of hosts, Lord of the armies of heaven, I lift up the gates of my heart; I lift up the doors of my soul, that the King of glory may come in. Come into my heart; come into my world; come rule and reign in Your power and might in all the earth. "For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! (Psalm 47:7) You are the King of glory. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). And "the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure" follow You in victory and power at Your command (Revelation 19:14). In Your glory, we embrace the manifest Presence of God (Exodus 13:21; John 1:14). King of glory, come manifest Your Presence, come display Your glory in me and my world today. "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Christ in my world, the King of glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray the King of glory comes into your heart and every moment of your day, manifesting His Presence, strong and mighty, in your life and our world, 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, June 22, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 22 - "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear Your voice as I seek Your face and wait in Your Presence in the communion of prayer -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news....  Follow Me...'" (Mark 1:14).
 
The first commands You spoke as You began Your ministry as the Son of Man, filled with the Spirit of God, were "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
And I believe those are still Your commands. That's still Your invitation to all who are willing to hear and trust and obey. "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Keep stirring in my heart to keep turning to Jesus, to keep believing the truth of the good news of God, and to keep following the One who is the King of the kingdom of God. When I'm tempted to turn back to the ways of this world and the desires of my flesh, empower me to embrace the goodness and grace of the One who faithful to bring to completion the good work He began in me. When I'm temped to doubt the goodness and grace of the One who created me and loves me and longs to be with me, empower me to trust ever more deeply in the steadfast love and tender mercy of the One who suffered and died for me. And when I'm tempted to distraction, complacency, intimidation or neglect to share the goodness and grace of our God with a hurting and broken world, empower me to rise again and walk in the steps of the One who leads the way to abundant life, now in this age and in the age to come.
 
Lord Jesus, by the power of the grace of God at work within me, I choose this day to repent, to believe, and to follow You. Give me the grace to do the same every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray the Holy Spirit of God will move in your heart every day to repent and believe and follow Jesus, in Jesus' name. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). 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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