Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 18 - Nothing Without Love
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Faithful Friend, my Sovereign King, my Lord and Savior. And I begin my day speaking Your name and embracing Your Spirit, here in my heart and every moment of my day.  ...
 
"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.... And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).
 
I'm nothing without love. And the good things I do -- even the most faithful, spiritual, powerful things I do -- mean nothing and gain nothing if I do them without love. It's all just so much "wood, hay, and stubble" that will consumed in Your holy fire on the day of Your judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12 KJV). 
 
The only thing that has any eternal significance is what I do in love. The heart You desire in me is a heart full of love, because that's the heart of God. "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them" (1 John 4:16).
 
When we open our hearts to receive Your Spirit and allow our hearts to be conformed to Your nature, we are embracing the way of love as we embrace You. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).
 
My Father God, I want my life to matter. I want the things I do and say during this short span of time I have in this world to honor You and have significance, even eternal significance (John 4:34-38). So by the power of Your grace at work within me, empower me to love. "Let love be (my) highest goal" (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT).
 
Empower me to grow in love and sow in love more every day. "God is not mocked, for (we) reap whatever (we) sow. If (we) sow to (our) own flesh, (we) will reap corruption from the flesh; but if (we) sow to the Spirit, (we) will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:7-10). Even if it seems hard to love, even if I encounter those who are hard to love, give me Your grace to love and not give up, but to grow in love, as I "grow up" in Your nature of Your love by Your Spirit abiding in me (Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 13:11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

May you filled with the Holy Spirit of God and conformed into the nature and His love, sowing the love of God in all you do and say and all you are today , in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching 
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I am teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights at 6pm. You can still join us beginning our Second Week Tonight, January 18th. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 


My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 17 - Fire and Hammer of God's Word
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my heart as I listen for Your voice, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:28).
 
Yes, Lord. ...
 
Father God, let Your word burn in my heart and purify my soul. Let Your word break every idol that I'm tempted to allow to take Your place of authority and honor in my life. Come consume what needs to be consumed, and come break what needs to be broken. Let Your word convict me and convince me of Your truth; and let Your word heal me and restore me in Your love (Psalm 107:20).
 
Lord Jesus, You are the Word of God (John 1:14). And Your words are "spirit and life" to me (John 6:63). As I seek to hear Your voice and embrace Your words, I'm welcoming You into my heart to change my life. I'm welcoming Your Spirit -- "the Spirit of Christ" -- to consume me and break me, then to conform me and transform me into the image of the Son of God more each day (Romans 8:9).
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Fire of God, burn! Hammer of God, break! Make me more like Jesus today! (Romans 8:29; 1 John 4:17)  Let the Word of God, let the words of God have Your way in me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

May you embrace the fire and hammer of God's word in your heart and allow Him to transform you and conform you into the image of the Son of God more every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching 
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I am teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights beginning January 11, 2017 at 6pm. You can still join us beginning our Second Week next Wednesday night. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 


My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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Monday, January 16, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 16 - Compass and Guide
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin my day grounded in Your Word and growing in Your grace -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.... Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil" (Proverbs 4:18-27).
 
Guide my steps on Your path of life. Let Your Word be my compass and Your Spirit be my guide. Then, "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 30:21).
 
You said, "The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there a few who find it" (Matthew 7:14). But by the power of the grace of God at work within me, by the guidance of Your Word and Your Spirit, I want to find it. I want to grow in grace and walk in truth in the fullness of the life I have in You. As I choose to seek You and follow You, You will always be "(my) way, (my) truth, and (my) life" (John 14:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

May you walk in the way that leads to life every day with God's Word as your compass and God's Spirit as your guide, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching 
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I am teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights beginning January 11, 2017 at 6pm. You can still join us beginning our Second Week next Wednesday night. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 


My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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, January 13, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 13 - Spiritual Leadership
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Where You lead, I will follow. When You speak, I will listen. Give me the grace to sense Your leading and hear Your voice as I seek to "live and move and have (my) being" in You, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Acts 17:28).  ...
 
"A good leader plans to do good, and those good things make him a good leader" (Isaiah 32:8).
 
Put Your good plans in my heart. Let me see what You're doing and hear what You're saying. Let me lead no one where You are not leading me. And let me be found faithful to lead all You have entrusted to my care under my watch into the fullness of every good thing You have purposed and planned for their lives and mine.
 
We are all Your disciples. And You've called every one of Your disciples to lead others to You. So we are all leaders, as those who have the heart and Spirit of our Leader within us. But we can only be faithful leaders to the degree we are following You. This is the spiritual leadership You desire and require of each one of us -- having a heart after You -- men and women of God after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).
 
Lead me today, Lord Jesus. Where You lead, I will follow -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



May you be found faithful in your spiritual leadership, following Jesus and leading others to Him and into every good thing God has for you and those He has entrusted to your care, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching 
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I am teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights beginning January 11, 2017 at 6pm. You can still join us beginning our Second Week next Wednesday night. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 


My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 11 -- Grow and Overflow to "Abound in Hope"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I welcome You in every dimension of Your Being into every dimension of my being.  ...
 
"May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).
 
You are "the God of hope." And Your heart for us is that we would "abound in hope." 
 
How do we "abound in hope?"  It's "by the power of the Holy Spirit." And how does "the power of the Holy Spirit" cause us to "abound in hope?" It's by stirring in our hearts with expectant faith that You will "fill (us) with all joy and peace in believing."
 
What is it to "abound?"  ...
 
I believe I hear You speaking to my heart:  "My son, to abound is to grow and overflow. I want you to grow and overflow with My nature growing in you and flowing through you."  ...
 
Yes, Lord. To "abound" is to grow and overflow. And whatever grows and overflows in me will pour out of me to touch everything and everyone around me -- whether good or bad. It can be hopelessness or hope, discouragement or encouragement, doubt or faith, fear or courage, insecurity or confidence, division or unity, selfishness or selflessness, weariness or enthusiasm, chaos or peace, sadness or joy. "The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). It's out of the abundance of whatever is inside us that will overflow and abound out of us.
 
So come, Holy Spirit. Empower me with Your good treasure. "Hope does not disappoint (me), because God's love ahs been poured into (my) heart through the Holy Spirit that has been given to (me). As You pour Your love into me, fill me with "all joy and peace in believing" today. Let me grow and overflow to "abound in hope" to impact my world with my Father's heart all around me today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



May you filled with joy and peace in believing, as you grow and overflow to abound in hope and impact your world today with the love of God that pours in and through you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching 
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I will be teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights beginning January 11, 2017 at 6pm. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 


My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 10 - "Utterly Astonished!" at the Power of the Name of Jesus
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name! (Philippians 2:9)  And I begin my day proclaiming Your name over every area of my life -- Jesus Christ is Lord over all! (v. 13)  ...
 
"Peter said, 'I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.' And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God! ... While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's Portico, utterly astonished. When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, 'You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified His Servant Jesus.... And by faith in His name, His name itself has made this man strong, whom you seek and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you" (Acts 3:6-16).
 
With the eyes of my heart, I see those words "utterly astonished" glowing red as is You were blowing on burning embers to fan them into flame. I believe I hear You speaking to my heart:  "Look and see! You will be amazed at the things I will do in this new season in the power and glory of My name! You will be utterly astonished!" ... 
 
Yes, Lord. I am excited and expectant. As You said to me in the intimacy of prayer to begin this new year, "Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3). "As it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him'" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
 
Let this be a year that long-awaited promises are fulfilled, that prophetic words come to pass. Break through and break out! Show up and show off! Let the whole world see that God is alive, the Word of God is true, the Holy Spirit of the living God is on the move, and Jesus Christ is Lord! Let us be "utterly astonished" as we stand amazed in the Presence and power of our mighty God displaying the glory of Your mighty name!
 
Let the expectant hope You stirred up in the hearts of Your people long ago be stirred up in us all this year:  "'Yes,' says the Lord, 'I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt.' All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you.... Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean. You will show us Your faithfulness and unfailing love as You promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago!" (Micah 7:15-20 NLT) 
 
Yes, Lord. Let it be so, in the mighty name of Jesus! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



May you be stirred in your heart with expectant hope and be utterly astonished at the power of name of Jesus, as you proclaim Him as Lord over all of your life this year, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   


  Free to Be Like Jesus Teaching
Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, if you are in the Austin area, I will be teaching a 6 week series on the Biblical Principles of Inner Healing and Spiritual Freedom at Life in the City United Methodist Church on Wednesday Nights beginning January 11, 2017 at 6pm. All are welcome. Come if you can and please keep us in prayer. It will be based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus!  www.lifeinthecityaustin.org

 

My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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Monday, January 09, 2017

Morning by Morning, January 9 - Overflowing Grace
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice.  ...
 
"I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He has judged me faithful and appointed me to His service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:12-14).
 
Toward the very end of his life and ministry, the Apostle Paul thought of himself as having been "the foremost" among all sinners who had received Your "utmost patience" and overflowing grace (v. 16). I, too, have received a lot of grace -- overflowing grace -- in Your utmost patience with me. And I'm grateful that You're still patient with me, still strengthening me, still at work within me to make me more like You each day. I'm grateful that You love us too much to leave us in the darkness of our ignorance and unbelief or imprisoned in the pride of our stubbornness, arrogance, and self-righteousness. 
 
You "came into the world to save sinners" -- just like Paul and me and everyone who willingly chooses to humble themselves to trust in You and Your grace for us (v. 15). And then You turn our lives around to appoint us and empower us to Your service for Your glory in our identity as completely forgiven and deeply loved sons and daughters of God (v. 12). That's the power of Your overflowing grace and unfailing love for all who choose to believe. Our lives are "an example to those who would come to believe in (You) for eternal life" (v. 16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



May you see and embrace the overflowing grace of God in your life through Jesus Christ, allowing Him to appoint you and empower you in His service for His glory each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

  

My New Prayer Devotional Book
 Begin 2017 in a Journey to Deeper Intimacy with God 

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 


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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