Tuesday, August 06, 2019








































Morning by Morning, August 6 - The Power of Our Thoughts and Prayers in the Face of Tragedy
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to You, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
As I wait upon the leading of Your Spirit this morning, what comes to mind are the recent events going on in my world. There's terror and murder, wickedness and evil, taking place here in my home state of Texas and across the country in Ohio. It's not only here at home but also in varying measures across our land and around our world in these darkening times. Your Word prophecies that evil, lawlessness, and darkness will increase (Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 24:12). And so it is.
In the throughs and turmoil of another national tragedy, there's much anger and angst, fury and fear, chaos and clamoring for change and for control of what seems like a world spinning hopelessly out of control. But when everything is being shaken, Your Word and Your Spirit remind us to look to the One who is never shaken (Hebrews 12:27). 
Your Word and Your Spirit remind us to look to the Rock who is our Strength -- "The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock in whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold.... In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears" (Psalm 18:1-6). And when we pray, when we cry out to You in desperation and in faith, You hear us, You answer us, and move mightily on behalf of us -- "The Lord also thundered in the heavens and the Most High uttered His voice. He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; He flashed forth lightnings and routed them ... and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord! (Psalm 18:12-15)
Not only to You move mightily on our behalf, You stir us to action to do our part in Your power -- "For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God? -- the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe. He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.... For You girded me with strength for the battle.... The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation! .... You delivered me from the violent! For this I will extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name!" (Psalm 18:31-49)
Yes, terror and murder, wickedness and evil, are increasing in these darkening times. But at the same time, our God reigns! And our God arises! And not only do You reign and arise for us, You also reign and arise through us, as we call on Your name and answer Your call to display Your light and Your glory here in the midst of the darkness of our world -- "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!" (Isiah 60:1-3)
So Father, I'm a little put out with the people who say they're offended by my thoughts and prayers. I'm a little irritated by their insinuations and innuendos that my faith is without action, that my thoughts have no meaning, and that my prayers have no power. The truth is I am the light of the world because the Light of the world lives in me! (Matthew 5:14) The truth is my prayers move mountains because my faith moves Your heart! (Mark 11:22-25) The truth is when we humble ourselves in prayer and take our stand in faith, as the people of God who are called by Your name, You move in our hearts, You speak through our thoughts, You arise in our spirits, and You heal our land! (2 Chronicles 7:14) 
Our thoughts and our prayers, expressed in humility and faith, choosing to trust You and praise You through every tragedy we face are the most powerful "weapons of our warfare" we have! (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) So "Let God arise! Let His enemies be scattered! Let those who hate Him flee before Him! ... So let the wicked perish at the Presence of God but let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God! ... To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old. Indeed He send out His voice, a mighty voice! Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:1-35) 
As You arise, we arise because You arise within us (Colossians 1:27). You will give us the courage and the wisdom we need to display Your glory through our lives and in our land. We are not defeated but more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). We will not be overcome for we are overcomers in You (Revelation 12:11). As You encourage us long ago, You continue to encourage us today -- "In the world you will have much tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). 
So by the power of Your grace, I will not be intimidated or afraid. And I will not be backing off of my thoughts and prayers for suffering people of my land or for hope of my world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be unintimidated and unafraid in your thoughts and your prayers, trusting in the One who has overcome and is overcoming through you the murder and terror, the wickedness and evil, in these darkening times of our world, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

      

Thank you for joining with me on this journey of prayer -- Morning by Morning! 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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Monday, August 05, 2019

Morning by Moring, August 5 - Walking in Agreement with God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You first and the Kingdom of God to begin my day in the right place, with You in the right place in my day (Matthew 6:33). ...
 
"Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" (Amos 2:3 NLT)
 
I want to walk with You today, my Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. I want to walk in agreement with You -- step by step, moment by moment, throughout the moments of my day.
 
But rather than setting my path and asking You to walk with me, I'm asking You to set my path and allow me to walk with You. Let Your Word and Your Spirit guide my steps. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak.... Yes, the Lord will give what is good.... Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway" (Psalm 85:8-13 NKJV). "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).
 
Give me grace to be more sensitive to the promptings of Your Spirit, more trusting of the wisdom of Your Word, and more obedient to the sense of Your direction in every decision I make and every step I take. Your will be my destination and Your presence my constant companion on my journey. Fulfill Your Word in me today:  "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21). On our daily adventure of faith, I'm excited to see where You will lead! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you walk in agreement with God -- more sensitive to the prompting of His Spirit, more trusting of the wisdom of His Word, and more obedient to the sense of His direction, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    
Thank you for joining with me on this journey of prayer -- Morning by Morning! 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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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Friday, August 02, 2019

Morning by Morning, August 2 - Becoming a "Man of God"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in these first moments of my morning, I enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
 
"As for you, man of God, shun all this (the "many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction"); pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witness" (1 Timothy 6:11-12).
 
With all my heart, I want to be a man of God. But even as I pray this out to You, I have to admit there are still some places in my heart that can easily be drawn into the "many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9). The truth is -- if I'm really honest with myself and with You -- there's still much of my flesh that still needs to die, much of my selfishness and plain old self-centered pride that needs to embrace deeper humility, fuller surrender, and greater dependence upon You alone as the Source of all the need and the Standard of all I'm called to be.
 
So I do make the good confession that I deeply desire to be a man of God. And at the same time, I make the honest confession that I still have a long way to go. I do take hold of eternal life in You and I do need You to take hold of every part of my heart that stills desires a worldly life in me.
 
I'm so thankful that You know me and You know all about me, yet You love me and You are for me. I take comfort and encouragement in the unending promise and unfailing grace of Your Word:  "For He know how we were made; He remembers that we are dust.... But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:14-17).
 
I do fear You, Lord. Despite all my sins and struggles, I seek to honor You, to reverence You, to trust You, and obey You -- as best as I can and all by Your grace while You are still at work in me. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him ... (helping me moment by moment and day by day to) hold firmly to the word of life" (Philippians 2:13-16 NLT).
 
Like David, I want to be "a man after (God's) own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). By the power of Your mercy and love, I want to be the man of God You created me and called me to be. "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within (me), will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" -- You'll be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6 NLT). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you become the man or woman of God you were created to be, all by the power of God's grace at work within you, trusting He who began a good work in you will faithful to complete it, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   
Friends, many have suggested that I put these prayers that I write and send out from my morning devotional time each day into a book. Great idea! If you'd like to order one where we've collected one year's worth of my prayer devotionals into two different editions, you can order either the first edition (from the earlier years) or the second edition (from more recent years) of Morning by Morning through Amazon. Thank you for your encouragement and God bless you in your daily journey of prayer!

 




 



My Latest Book!
Friends, I'm excited we've recently published an updated version to my book Free to Be Like Jesus! -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance endorsed by Max Lucado, Andy Reese, and Randy Clark.

  

   
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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Thursday, August 01, 2019

Morning by Morning, August 1 - The Potter and the Clay
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In worship and praise, I watch and wait for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
 
"O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are the work of Your hands" (Isaiah 64:8).
 
In the times when my world seems like it's spinning out of control, You remind me that I'm still spinning on Your Potter's wheel. In the times when I'm feeling like nothing more than a lump of clay, You remind me that I'm still being shaped into someone You're creating with Your very hands. 
 
The spinning is necessary for the shaping. And I'm not spinning out of control, I'm surrendering to Your complete control. "Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so (am I) in (Your) hand," my Father God (Jeremiah 18:6). 
 
I have to admit, I don't like the spinning. And sometimes the shaping is hard to bear. But I trust You to make something beautiful, something perfectly designed for it's purpose, something that brings great joy to You and will bring great fulfillment to me. May You delight in what You create with Your hands in my life "fit for its purpose" (Isaiah 54:16). "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).
 
You're the Potter and I'm Your clay. You're my Father and I'm Your son. Lord have Your way in me. In Your mercy and love, according to Your good plans, keep spinning me and shaping me in Your hands through every experience and encounter of my life -- morning by morning, moment by moment, turn by turn on Your Potter's wheel. One day when You're done, I know I'll love who I've become. "I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work (in me) will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" -- You'll be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you trust in the mercy and love of Your Father, who is shaping you and your life into something beautiful and perfectly designed to bring great joy to Him and great fulfillment to you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 
Many have suggested that I put these prayers that I write and send out from my morning devotional time each day into a book. Great idea! If you'd like to order one where we've collected one year's worth of devotionals into two different editions, you can order either the first edition (from the earlier years) or the second edition (from more recent years) of Morning by Morningthrough Amazon. Thank you for your encouragement and God bless you in your daily journey of prayer!

 




 



My Latest Book!
My Friend, I'm excited we've recently published an updated version to my book Free to Be Like Jesus! -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance endorsed by Max Lucado, Andy Reese, and Randy Clark.

  

   
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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