"Not That Way, but My Way" - June 5, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 5 - "Not That Way, but My Way"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. First things first. And the first thing I want to do today is look to You and listen for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

What I believe I hear in my heart this morning is You saying, "Not that way, but My way." ...

 

Yes, Lord. If we're willing to wait and listen for You, You will show us the right way. "Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21).

 

There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Even when we seek to do the right thing, we can do it in the wrong way. Then even what was right becomes wrong. The ends do not justify the means. Both the ends of what we desire and the means of how we get there must be right. And You're the One who determines what is right -- both the right ends and the right means.

 

You're our Teacher and our Leader. Teach us Your ways that lead to life. Teach us Your ways that are right and true.

 

I'm remembering the scene of Peter taking up the sword in the Garden of Gethsemane to protect You from being arrested on the night You were betrayed. He cut off an ear of the temple guard. His heart was to protect You. He loved You. He wanted to stand up and speak out and take action on behalf of You. He was willing to fight and die for You (John 18:10).

 

But You rebuked him. The ends did not justify the means. Peter's way was the wrong way, even though his heart was in the right place to want to love You and protect You and stand up for You against all that was wrong coming against You and the injustice that awaited You.

 

You were teaching him, "Not that way. There's a better way. Trust God to teach you and lead you in His way." You told him, "No more of this!" (Luke 22:15) You commanded him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword!" (Matthew 26:52)

 

Then You healed the guard's ear and also rebuked the actions of the authorities, scolding them as well, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!" (Luke 22:52-53)

 

Lord Jesus, in this hour of the power of darkness seeking to cover our land, our hearts, and our minds, let there be Light. You are the Light in our world (John 8:12); and at the same time, You call us to be Your light in our world with the nature of Your character and Your Spirit in our hearts, our words, and our actions (Matthew 5:14).

 

Teach us the right way. Not the ways of our flesh, not the ways of our world, but the ways of God. Empower us in Your ways to stand up, to speak up, to love and to lead in the ways that honor Your name and draw all people to You. For as You are, so are we to be in our world (1 John 4:17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you be led by our Teacher and empowered His Spirit love and lead in His ways in the midst of this hour and power of darkness seeking to come upon our land and our world, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. May we join together in our prayers for America and the nations of our world to experience God's Spirit and power and love, in His righteousness and justice, and even in great revival and awakening in these days. God bless you, my friend! 

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer Devotional Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

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Stand Up, Speak Out, by the Right Spirit - June 4, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 4 - Stand Up, Speak Out, by the Right Spirit

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:3). Father, Your children are led by Your Spirit (Romans 8:14). I'm listening and waiting for Your leading, as I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ...

 

I join with my brothers and sisters across our country to stand up and speak out in protest against cruelty and injustice, against authoritarian abuse and societal neglect of foundational principles of equality and justice in our times. We're to be a nation under God, where all men are created equal, where there's liberty and justice for all. In the words of David, both shepherd and king, humbled by Your conviction of sin in his heart and exposed need of correction in his ways, "Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

 

As a nation, convict us and correct us, O God. Open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear the cries for justice and the demands for change. Give us the courage to act with clarity of vision and determination of spirit. Let us set our faces like flint toward making America a city on a hill and a light to the nations, where we honor our heritage and fulfill our calling with equality and justice for all.

 

Take away our heart of stony indifference and callous disregard of the injustice we see or pretend not to see. Give us a new heart, renewed by Your Spirit, awakened and alive in a revival of honor and respect, of righteousness and justice, of unity and equality as one nation under God.

 

As You spoke through the prophet Ezekiel to the heart of the nation of Israel to remember her destiny and fulfill her calling as a people of God and a light to the nations:  "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you, and make you follow My statues and be careful to observe My ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God" (Ezekiel 36:26-28).

 

Come, Holy Spirit of the Living God. Come change us and revive us. As we stand up and speak out in the power and authority of Your Spirit and Your name throughout our land -- speaking the truth in love and standing up for one another in unity and solidarity of commitment to what is right and what is just -- there will be no need nor tolerance of criminal violence and self-destruction. There will be no need nor tolerance of professional mobs, opportunistic crime, or murderous rage. The fires that burn will not be businesses, synagogues, churches, or cities but the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in the hearts of every American who boldly, fearlessly, faithfully stands up and speaks out for all Americans -- regardless of whatever.

 

Evil will be confronted in every form. Righteousness and justice will be demanded and exalted and finally received in the hearts of a people and of a nation who has turned again to God. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12). Healed is the land who humbles her heart to pray and repent and then acts in persistent determination, obedient faith, and unrelenting pursuit until the job is done and the victory is won (2 Chronicles 7:14). Not by our own might, not by our own power, but all by Your Spirit, O Lord our God (Zechariah 4:6). Lord, let it be so -- here in my heart and here in our land. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit of the Living God to stand up and speak out, to turn to God in prayer and step out with God in faith until the job is done and the victory is won in our hearts and in this land, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. May we join together in our prayers for America and the nations of our world to experience God's Spirit and power and love, in His righteousness and justice, and even in great revival and awakening in these days. God bless you, my friend! 

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer Devotional Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Overcoming in the Character of Christ - June 3, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 3 - Overcoming in the Character of Christ

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the One who is "named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Fill me and my land with Your Peace today. ...

There's nothing we'll ever face that You've not already faced. There's nothing we'll ever face that You've not already faced for us. Whatever we face, whatever we endure -- we face it with You, we endure it with You, we overcome it with You, because You've already overcome it for us.

Injustice. Riots. Murder. Oppression. Violence. Rage. Senseless Destruction. Rejection and temptation to despair. You faced it all. You endured it all. You overcame it all. And now You call us to give it all to You (1 Peter 5:7).

"Now that we know what we have -- Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God -- let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all -- all but the sin. So let's walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help" (Hebrews 4:14-16 from The Message).

O Lord, our God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- we need You. We need Your mercy. We need Your help. We need You to come show us the way, to come show us how to pray, to come show us how to stay true to Your character and nature in our hearts as we overcome what we face in these days. We need You to come as our Christ in the midst of our chaos, to come as our Messiah in the midst of our mess.

Even as we ask, we know You hear (1 John 5:14). Even as we seek, we know we'll find (Jeremiah 29:13). You'll provide all the wisdom we need (James 1:5) and all the courage we lack (Joshua 1:6).

By the power of Your Spirit empowering Your people, in the anointing of Your abiding Presence and grace, we will be found faithful in You instead of fearful in our world, courageous to speak up and stand firm, bold to confront and overcome -- all in the power of Your truth and Your love. For the power and the character of Your love in us "does not rejoice in in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; (it) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:6-8).

With You by our side (Matthew 28:20), with Your Spirit filling us up inside (Ephesians 5:18), we will keep our character, we will hold fast to our love, we will speak out in truth, and we will overcome whatever we face and whatever confronts us in our hearts and in our land in the power and authority of Your name (Philippians 2:10). Whatever we overcome in Your name develops Your character in our hearts: 

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:1-5). 

Fill us with Your hope and form Your character in us, as we overcome and stand firm in Christ today. The Spirit and the character of "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you be empowered by the grace and the Spirit of God to overcome in the character of Christ all that you face in your heart and all that we face in our land, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. May we join together in our prayers for America and the nations of our world to experience God's Spirit and power and love, in His righteousness and justice, and even in great revival and awakening in these days. God bless you, my friend! 

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer and Proclamation Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy and Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy and Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

"Not by Might, Nor by Power, but by My Spirit" - June 2, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 2 - "Not by Might, Nor by Power, but by My Spirit"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of Kings and Lord of Lords, come rule and reign in my heart and my land today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

As I listen for Your leading this morning, I can't help but think of the chaos going on in cities across our country. Violence and hate are poured out like gasoline on dry wood ready to erupt in the flames of anarchy and civil war. But at the same time, Your Holy Spirit is being poured out in the hearts of all who humble themselves to call on Your name and seek Your face and cry out in prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14).

 

Violence and murder are never the answer to violence and murder. Chaos and anarchy are never honest expressions for the disgust and disdain for the cruelty and injustice we face and demand to be uprooted and purged from our land.

 

As we pray for wisdom to know what to do, we remember these ancient words that are ever faithful and true:

 

"'Not by might, nor by power, but by my My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

 

Neither the might of the authorities nor the power of the fist, neither the might of abuse of power nor the reckless power of looting and rioting will set things right in our land or in our hearts. Only Your Spirit can set things right. Only Your Spirit can move hearts and give wisdom to allow needed voices to be heard and needed action to be done.

 

By Your Spirit, the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:5). By Your Spirit, greater is the One who is in us than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). And by Your Spirit, the kingdoms of this world must become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15).

 

Even right now, Your Spirit is moving the hearts of Your people who are called by Your name across this land and around the world. In the unity of agreement with our voices in prayer, You command Your blessing of Spirit and Life (Psalm 133; Matthew 18:19). In repentance and prayer, in prophetic intercession and apostolic proclamation, in desperate dependence upon You alone as the only One who can change hearts and renew minds and set things right, we bow our knees and lift our eyes to the hills of Heaven, where our help comes from, where our strength comes from, where our answers come from (Psalm 121:1).

 

Prayer is not passive. Faith is not futile. Prayer and faith move mountains and move the heart of God (Mark 11:22-24). Prayer and faith are not begging God to do something He doesn't want to do. No, prayer are faith are the means of God's grace to come into agreement as His ambassadors on earth, as His children of God, that He can do exactly what He wants to do on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; Romans 8:26-27).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. It's not by might, nor by power, but only by Your Spirit that we will see You set things right, that we will see Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, here on earth and here in our hearts and here in this land. Come make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19). Come shine Your Light and display Your glory, with Your power and Your might, in the very midst of this darkness we face and this darkness You will defeat. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

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

My Friend, may you join with me and all your brothers and sisters around the world to humble your heart in prayer and faith before the Lord our God, who will pour out His Spirit and make a way where there seems to be no way in our hearts and in our land, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. May we join together in our prayers for the United States and the nations of our world to experience God's Spirit and power and love, in His righteousness and justice, and even in great revival and awakening in these days. God bless you, my friend! 

 

 

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer and Proclamation Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with Our God through these Times - June 1, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 1 - Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with Our God through these Times

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen up for Your voice to begin my day centered in You -- grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit. ...

 

As I join with my praying friends around the world in these darkening   days of riots and vengeance, of calling for justice that rightly needs to be addressed and asserted, but also of escalating into what could quickly become anarchy and chaos, I cry out to You for Your wisdom and intervention. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before Your face" (Psalm 89:14). 

 

You are still on Your throne! And both righteousness and justice are the foundation of that throne. Righteousness is important to You and so is justice; but in Your wisdom and Your ways, You establish Your righteousness and assert Your justice through speaking the truth in love. For no lie can stand in the light of Your truth and no evil force of the world, the flesh, or the devil can withstand the power of Your love.

 

As I join with those around our world who bow our hearts before You and turn our eyes toward You to lead us through these days as those who choose light rather than darkness, who choose good rather than evil, who choose hope rather than despair, this Scripture comes to mind from the prophet Micah:

 

"And what does the Lord require of (us) but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with (our) God" (Micah 6:8).

 

These are ancient words, but they are tried and true. We're to seek justice. For justice is in Your heart. And at the same time, we are to love mercy. For mercy is also Your heart. Not just justice. Not just mercy. But both justice and mercy.

 

So how do we do that? How do we live that out? How do we confront the injustices of our times in the light of Your truth, but also with mercy and compassion in the power of Your love? ... Only by walking humbly with our God.

 

To walk humbly with You is to admit we don't have the answers on our own, we don't have the power on our own. We can't set things right or even make ourselves right on our own. Apart from You, we can do nothing (John 15:4). Even our most righteous acts, apart from You, are as filthy rags, stained with the stench of the sweat of our flesh instead of the aroma of Your Spirit (Isaiah 64:6).

 

To walk humbly with You is to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. It's to cry out to You for Your justice, for Your mercy, for Your wisdom, for Your ways. It's to humbly welcome You to put Your thoughts in our minds and Your desires in our hearts. It's to pray that for our leaders and for ourselves and then to act in the power of Your grace in what You speak to our hearts. For even faith, without the works of our words and our actions by the leading and power and grace of Your Spirit, is meaningless, unproductive, unfruitful, and dead (James 2:26).

 

So Word of God speak! Spirit of God come! Empower us to pray in humility and faith. Then empower us to stand up and speak up as we lift up Your name, filled up with Your Spirit. Then the winds of chaos will not prevail. Then the waves of turmoil will subside. Then justice and mercy will be restored. 

 

Lord, let this be our desire. Let this be our prayer and proclamation in expectant faith. Let this be a worldwide witness of Your resurrection Pentecost power to overcome evil with good, to overcome hate with love, to overcome chaos with peace, here in this land and here in our hearts and to the ends of the earth! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you be empowered with the Holy Spirit to do justice, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God as you stand up and speak up in prayer, in proclamation, and in every way the Lord would lead you through these times in His resurrection Pentecost power, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. May we join together in our prayers for the United States and the nations of our world to experience God's righteousness and justice revealed in Jesus Christ. God bless you, my friend! 

 

 

Listen and join me in today's Prayer and Proclamation Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!