Morning by Morning&#8212;Daily Prayer Journey with 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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 21 - More Like Jesus than Judas

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and welcome You, here in my heart and every moment of my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"When it was evening, He took His place with the twelve; and while they were eating, He said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.' And they became greatly distressed and began to say to Him one after another, 'Sure not I, Lord?' He answered, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.' Judas, who betrayed Him, said, 'Surely not I, Rabbi?' He replied, 'You have said so'" (Matthew 26:20-25).

Sometimes I wonder what happened to Judas. Did he get too close to the money? (John 6:29) With his hand in Your bowl, did he become presumptuous of his access to Your greatness or begin to take his invitation to Your intimacy and his acceptance of Your grace for granted? Did being one of the Big Twelve give him the big head? Or did the seeds of sin and self-seeking sown into his fallen soul finally grow to full harvest in his heart of betrayal? In any event, somehow Satan himself entered his soul to consume his thoughts and influence his choices (Luke 22:3).

You know every choice we will ever make, seeing the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end (Isaiah 46:10). You know every heart and every motive of every choice (Acts 1:24; Jeremiah 17:10). Yet, the choices are ours in the freedom of will that a true relationship of love requires (Joshua 14:15; Deuteronomy 30:14-15; John 7:17).

And what if Judas had made better choices with all that was entrusted to him? Surely Your Word was true of him as It is with us all: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live" (Ezekiel 33:11 NLT).

Judas was not born a traitor, but he "became a traitor" (Luke 6:16). And by the time it was time for Judas to choose blessing or curse, life or death, "the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray (You)" (John 13:2). In the end, "Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place" (Acts 1:25 NKJV).

But what if instead of becoming "the one destined to be lost," Judas would have humbled himself in repentance and faith, seeking You healing and freedom of all that would hold him back of being a faithful follower instead of a condemned traitor (John 17:12)? His confession and repentance came too late when finally acknowledged, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!" (Matthew 27:3) What if he could have become a son of God instead of the "son of perdition" (John 17:12 NKJV)? What if he was to spill out his heart to lead others to Christ instead of spilling out his guts after hanging himself on a tree (Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18)? What if even the Book of Jude could have been the Book of Judas, sharing words of encouragement and exhortation from a life that was changed and surrendered to God to fulfill a destiny to honor Christ (Jude 1)?

You are "longsuffering toward us (all), not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). So before I judge Judas for the speck in his eye, give me a humble and teachable heart to see the log in my own eye (Matthew 7:5). Let me "judge not," so that by the measure I judge I will not also be judged and that very thing come up me (Matthew 7:1). Let me never take my grace for granted or presume upon my place of intimacy with You. Convict me of my sins and keep me sensitive in my heart to the leading of Your Spirit, so that it's never too late to choose well and live well in the destiny You desire for me (Ephesians 1:11). By the power of Your grace, may I grow to be much more like Jesus than Judas (Romans 8:29). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you grow in the grace of God to become more like Jesus every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 20 - Keeping Good Company with Jesus

Good morning, Lord Jesus. All that I am and all that I have is Yours -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

If bad company ruins good morals then good company inspires good morals. So I want to keep good company with You, Lord Jesus. You are my Companion and my Inspiration. You are my "Friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). And You fill me with Your Spirit so that my thoughts become more like Your thoughts, my desires become more like Your desires, and my ways become more like Your ways (Romans 8:9).

Some would imply that under a dispensation of grace, we are free to do what we want to do, to be with whom we want to be with, to go wherever we want to go. Who the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). Right? "All things are lawful for me" in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:23). Right? Yes, but not all things are good for me; and in the freedom of my salvation I still have the freedom to choose right from wrong, good from evil, to walk in Your ways or walk in the ways of the world, for me to be lord or for You to be Lord (1 Corinthians 10:23).

So even in freedom, You're always leading me to choose You and Your will and Your ways. Even in grace, You desire obedience -- the obedience that freely flows from a heart that truly believes You love me and want the very best for me. So along with companionship always comes discipleship; and along with grace comes obedience -- as You're teaching me Your ways while I'm walking in deeply personal, intimate relationship with You. "Now by this we may be sure we know Him, if we obey His commandments. Whoever says, 'I have come to know Him,' but does not obey His commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys His word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in Him: whoever say, 'I abide in Him,' ought to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:3-6).

Come, Holy Spirit of God. Move in my heart to give me a right heart. Keep creating in me a clean heart and renewing a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Keep transforming me by the renewing of my mind and conforming me to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29 and 12:2). May I never stop to "grow in the grace and knowledge of (my) Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever!" (2 Peter 3:18) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you keep good company with Jesus on your deeply personal and intimate journey with Him every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 19 - Living More Fully into the "Now" of My Salvation

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, my Good Shepherd. ...

"As we work together with Him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, 'At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.' See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

Teach me how to live more fully into the "now" of my salvation and inro the "now" of time. Help me "see" and believe and embrace that "now is the acceptable time" and "now is the day of salvation."

If I'm focusing too muchon my past -- whether my past failures or my past successes -- I'm not fully living into the "now" of my salvation. If I'm focusing too muchon my future -- whether the fears of what is to come or the anticipation of what I hope to come -- I'm not fully living into the "now" of my salvation.

Of course, there of things of my past that make me who I am and give me a testimony of Your grace in my life, but I'm not to undulydwell on my past. And of course, there are things yet to come where I do need to plan and anticipate and even dream about with expectant faith, but I'm not to undulydwell on my future either. If I do, I'm in danger of missing out on all that You have for me "now" and all that You have for those to be influenced by You through my life "now."

Fully living into the "now" of my salvation is fully embracing "today" -- each day as it comes, one day at a time. As Your Word says, "Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today' ... 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (Hebrews 3:13-15). Just as You sent the manna to Your people in the wilderness, so You send Your Word and Your Spirit and Your opportunities for us to learn to more fully love and more fully live into Your will for us each day. "Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed" (Exodus 16:21).

Yes, Your promises are Yes and Amen today and every day forever (2 Corinthians 1:20). And Yes, You provide all that I need by the power of Your grace for me to fully live into all You've ordained for me each day, while it is still called "Today" in the "now" of my salvation. "Today (I) have obtained the Lord's agreement: to be (my) God; and for (me) to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and to obey Him. Today the Lord has obtained (my) agreement: to be (part of) His treasured people, as He promised (me), and to keep His commandments: for Him to set (me) high above all nations that He has made in praise and in fame and in honor; and for (me) to be (part of) a people holy to the Lord (my) God, as He promised" (Deuteronomy 26:17-19).

Lord, I thank You for my past and for my future, for all You've done and all You're going to do. And at the same time, I thank You for the power of Your grace to more fully live into the "now" of my salvation today -- not missing out on anything You have for me by overlydwelling on the my past or my future, but living fully "alive in Christ" each day (1 Corinthians 15:22). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you live more fully into the "now" of your salvation each day in the power God's grace at work and alive in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Monday, June 18, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 18 - Dedication, Dependence, and Discernment

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- I draw near to You in my prayers as You draw to me in Your presence. ...

"And the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.... Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.... Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening'" (1 Samuel 2:21-3:10).

Samuel's mother dedicated him and all the days of his life to You. And dedication grew into dependence and discernment. As he grew in stature, he grew in favor. As he grew in favor, he grew in the intimacy of his relationship with You and his dependence upon You until he was able to discern Your voice beyond anyone else's. Then from that place of intimacy and discernment and dependence, You empowered him for ministry. "As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Fan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:19-20).

Father God, I thank You for a mother who dedicated me to You and I thank You for all who have loved me and prayed for me to grow in spiritual stature from dedication to dependence and discernment and favor and intimacy and ministry. Help me keep growing. Help me "grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). Help me never stop growing in "the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

As best as I can and all by Your grace, in humility and faith, I willingly choose to dedicate my life completely to You, in desperate dependence upon You alone. I surrender all. Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). But in the intimacy and favor of God growing in me -- as I daily abide in You and You abide in me -- I embrace the promise of Your Word that my life will "bear much fruit" (John 15:1-5). Thank You for the promise of Your Word: "I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you keep growing in spiritual stature by the grace of God at work in you in dedication, dependence, and discernment, that your life will bear much fruit to the glory of God so that your joy may be made complete, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Friday, June 15, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 15 - "Well Known to God"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and every moment of my day. ...

"Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences.... For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them" (2 Corinthians 5:11-15).

We are "well known to God." And You know well the plans You have for me and each one of Your children (Jeremiah 29:11). ...

My Father, You know all about me. You've created me and saved me. You've loved me and corrected me. You've called me and anointed me, encouraged me and inspired me, equipped me and empowered me. You always go before me and You're always with me. You know every hair on my head and every hurt in my heart. You know every step that I'll take and every misstep I've taken. And yet You love me with "an everlasting love" (Isaiah 54:8).

The Bible says there came a time when "the Lord was sorry that He had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart" (Genesis 6:6). I know I've grieved You to Your heart at times. I wonder if You were ever sorry You made me. ...

But even as I write those words here in my journal, I immediately hear You speaking to my heart. It seems I hear You saying: "No, My son. I chose to create you and never forsake you, even as I have chosen each one of My children. You are created in My image, but destined to struggle through your issues on your spiritual journey to maturity in Me. When you stumble and fall, when you falter or fail, I still love you and help you and even cause you to become more desperately dependent upon Me so that I can display My glory more completely through you. This is My way. This is My will -- that My children learn to trust Me and love Me and know My love for them on their journey to learn to love in the time they have on this earth."

Yes, Lord. "For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). You desire that I would "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of (my) mind, so that (I) may discern what is the will of God -- what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

Though humankind grieved You, at the same time "Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord" (Genesis 6:8). And by the power of Your grace through sacrifice of Christ, we are Your children who find favor in Your sight, despite all our sins and failures and all that grieves Your heart with us. "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us this ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). In Christ, we are the message -- through our changes hearts and changed lives by the power of the grace of God at work within us! "So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making Hi appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20).

You want to bring me to the place here in my heart and soul where I am free to no longer live for myself, but live for You (2 Corinthians 5:15). And in living for You and allowing You to live in me, I am becoming more like You. "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one Spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is the way of life and the will of God You've chosen for me and every one of us. "God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). Lord, in desperate dependence upon You alone -- upon the One who knows me well -- make me more like You today, as I learn to love more like You today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you know how much God loves you and longs to live through you, making you more like Jesus as you learn to love more like Him each day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 14 - Loyalty and Love - "The Bride has Made Herself Ready!"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit. Be One within me and make me more like You today. ...

"I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go" (Song of Songs 3:4). "Let us rejoice and be glad ... His bride has made herself ready! (Revelation 10:7)

We just returned from my oldest daughter's wedding. I had the great joy of walking her down the aisle and the great honor of leading her and her beloved in their wedding vows. I believe You led me to share and pray from this passionate, romantic love story in the heart of the Bible from the Song of Songs. Truly Elizabeth and Sergey found the one their soul loves. They found love and Love found them. And from the first flicker of a flame in their high school romance a dozen years ago, "with one glance of (her) eyes" she had "ravished (his) heart!" and his heart never stopped burning for her (v. 4:9).

They wanted a simple but spiritual wedding at her aunt and uncle's mountain home in the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee, with mostly family and a few of their closest friends to mark and seal this sacred moment. And at times the emotions of their hearts almost overwhelmed the capacity of their voices to speak the solemn words of loyalty and love. But with pure hearts, surrendered to God and one another, they entrusted themselves to the sacred journey of learning to "love one another deeply from the heart" all the days of their lives (1 Peter 1:22).

Their covenant of love is to be a picture of Your covenant of love with us and ours with You (Ephesians 5:32). It's to be an "everlasting covenant" sealed by the promises and empowered by the grace of our "everlasting God" (Genesis 9:16; Isaiah 40:28). You are our Bridegroom and we are Your bride (Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 22:17). And just as we celebrated the joy of this beautiful bride and her bridegroom, we long for the day all heaven and earth will proclaim, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, His bride has made herself ready!" (Revelation 19:7 NAB) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you know in your heart that with one glance of your eyes you ravish the heart of your Beloved and He loves you with an everlasting love, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, please join with us in your prayers for Elizabeth and Sergey Shutt as they begin their journey of loyalty and love together as husband and wife!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257