"Lean In. Look Up. Be Lifted Up." - August 13, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 13 - "Lean In. Look Up. Be Lifted Up."

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear what's on Your heart; help my heart become more like Your heart -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ... 

As I wait and listen, I hear in my heart, "Lean in to Me. Look up to Me. Be lifted up in your spirit into My Spirit, above all that I put beneath you by the power I've put within you." ... 

Yes, Lord. This Word from Your Scripture comes to mind to confirm Your word in my heart: 

"You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once live among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and sense, and we were by nature children of wrath, like anyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:1-7). 

As I "lean not" on my own understanding, but lean in to You and trust in You, You lift me up, You raise me up with You in the heavenly places of Your Presence. You make me alive. You cause me to thrive. And instead of the spirit of the world at work within me, the Spirit of God is now at work within me.  In the kindness of Your love and riches of Your grace, You take away the passions of my flesh and give me the passions of Your Spirit. You change my fallen nature into Your resurrected nature, as You make me alive in Christ, with the Spirit of Christ alive in me. 

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set (me) free from the law of sin and death.... For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.... But (by the power of the grace of God at work within me, I am) not in the flesh; (I am) in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (me).... 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)!" (Romans 8:1-11)

Thank You, my Father, for all Your loving kindness and tender mercies! Thank You, Lord Jesus, my Lord and Savior, for Your sacrifice of Your blood that I can have such forgiveness and freedom! Thank You, Holy Spirit, that I can be lifted up into the heavenly places above all that would pull me down or pull me back into the ways the world and the flesh and the devil to be filled up with the very Presence and Spirit of the Living God who lives in me! 

Yes, Lord. Thank You for this Power You've put within me. Make me more like You today. For as You are, so am I to be (Romans 8:29; 1 John 4:17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you lean in, look up, and be lifted up in the embrace of Your Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Spirt of the Living God makes your heart more like His heart today, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

Pakistan Ministry through Skype Internet Ministry.

Friends, please keep us in prayer this coming Saturday. I'll be speaking a word of encouragement and equipping for a Pastors and Leaders Conference in Kasur City, Pakistan through our Skype Internet Ministry with our ministry partners in Pakistan. Praying for a great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit! (It will be Saturday for them and Friday night for me). God bless you and thank you for your partnership with us in ministry!

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. We're meeting in the parking lot of Freeman Coliseum. Join us Next Sunday Night, August 16th at 7:00 PM! (Gates open at 6:00) Register your carload at PraySA.org

Livestream available too for those out-of-town.

Watch Last Sunday Night's Gathering Here:

PraySA 2020

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!

"Greater Things!" - August 12, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 12 - "Greater Things!"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day, as I seek to begin each day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ...

 

"When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said to him, 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!' Nathanael asked Him, 'Where did You get to know me?' Jesus answered, 'I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.' Nathanael replied, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' Jesus answered, 'Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.' And he said to him, 'Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man!'" (John 1:47-51)

 

Nathanael wanted to know how You got to know him. But You knew all about Nathanael -- not only where he was standing under the fig tree, but also where he was standing in his heart. He was one without deceit, one without guile, one who was ready to come and believe that the very Son of God was with him and knew him, one who was ready to come and see the heavens and the hearts that would be opened in the presence of the One who knows every heart.

 

For one who was ready to see, ready to believe, ready to receive, he would "see greater things than these." So it is with everyone of us who are ready to see, ready to believe, ready to receive. "Greater things" are yet to come!

 

Come, Holy Spirit! Fill my heart today with expectant faith for the greater things that are yet to come. Father, You're not done with me or my city or my nation. There's so much more You have in store for us as the Body and Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding and thriving, aligning and shining, as one with You and one with each other as Your disciples and ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation wherever we are and everywhere You send us. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us this ministry of reconciliation.... So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us!" (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

 

As the worship song of declaration for citywide revival proclaims: 

 

You're the God of this city. 

You're the King of these people. 

You're the Lord of this nation. 

You are!

You're the Light in this darkness.

You're the Hope to the hopeless.

You're the Peace to the restless.

You are!

There is no one like our God.

There is no one like our God.

Greater things have yet to come!

Great things have yet to be done!

In this City!

Greater things have yet to come!

Greater things are still to be done here!

 

Yes, Lord. God of this city, God who knows our hearts, God who opens up the heavens, let the greater things yet to come and greater things yet to be done come forth here in my heart, here in my city, here in my nation, here in my world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

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

My friend, may you live into all "the greater things" the Lord our God has for you and for your city, as He opens up His heavens and pours out His Spirit in great revival and awakening in our land and our world, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Join us Next Sunday Night, August 12 at 7:00 PM! Register your carload at PraySA.org

Watch the Sunday Night Gathering from Last Night Here:

PraySA 2020

Pakistan Ministry through Skype Internet Ministry.

Friends, please keep us in prayer this coming Saturday. I'll be speaking a word of encouragement and equipping for a Pastors and Leaders Conference in Kasur City, Pakistan through our Skype Internet Ministry with our ministry partners in Pakistan. Praying for a great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. (It will be Saturday for them and Friday night for me). God bless you and thank you for your partnership with us in ministry!

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!

My Dream of Revival Last Night! - August 11, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 11 - My Dream of Revival Last Night!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Come rule and reign in my heart and every moment of my day. ...

 

"And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17).

 

Last night I had a dream. I'm not 60 until next summer, but I guess I'm getting old enough to qualify as one of Your dreamers! Most of my mornings at the breakfast table are spent trying to discern and interpret my wife's dreams. She dreams interesting dreams almost every night -- many times about someone we're going to pray for the next day or something going on in our world or in the world of someone in relationship with us. 

 

But last night, I got to be the one with the interesting dream! I'm not saying it was necessarily prophetic or a word from You, but I am saying I woke up excited to ponder it and share it with my wife Rocio. (For my friends listening in on our prayer time, her name is pronounced "Roh-see-oh" with the emphasis on the "see," as in the town in Spain and in the Spanish translation of Psalm 110:3 of "the dew of the morning"). She's my morning dew!

 

My dream last night was about revival in our city! I'm still trying to discern whether it was a dream from You or just a dream from the desires of my heart. Either way, I'm stirred up and moved to pray even more passionately and intensely for revival in my city and my nation! For a long time, the cry of my heart has been, "Lord, don't leave me out of whatever You're doing!"

 

In my dream, I was with a group of people at a meeting and my friend Rick came to tell us he had some great news. He was really excited! And as he was telling us what happened, all of sudden I was also watching the scene he was describing as if I had been there, looking on. He was like a teacher or principle at a school, opening the door for two young girls to walk outside. As they walked through the door, one said to the other, "I can't go then. San Antonio is going to be in revival in September." Our group at the meeting was very excited and wondering, "Can it be so?" And I woke up excited, asking the same thing in my heart and excited to share it with Rocio.

 

As it turns out, I have a lot of meetings these days with a small group praying for revival and now planning for times of citywide prayer for revival in our city. We just had our first major citywide gathering Sunday night, out in the parking where they host the San Antonio Rodeo and the San Antonio Spurs. We're calling this movement "PraySA." This first time was a "park and pray" kind of gathering, in a "solemn assembly" to repent and pray together as one in our city, to seek Your face and hear Your heart that You might heal our land, being led by Max Lucado (Joel 1:14; 2 Chronicles 7:14). 

 

As it turns out, my friend Rick is our volunteer team leader for prayerfully and wisely coordinating the plans we believe You've been showing us. It would be just like him to be out in the city in a position of teaching and leading and helping our children, opening doors for them, but also hearing their hearts. And it would be just like him to get so excited to come and share this great news of revival coming to our city. In September! Lord, let it be so!

 

As I think about the young girl saying, "I can't go then" it makes me think of the priority she was placing on the revival. Whatever else it was that she was being invited to go do, she was firmly, decidedly saying, "I can't go then." She was not going to miss out on what God was doing! She was not going to miss out on His revival -- in San Antonio. In September. Lord, let it be so!

 

The Scripture came to mind of Luke 9:57-62 when You were calling Your disciples to come and follow You. There were other important things they could be doing, but You called them to put their hearts into following You, to not miss out on what You were doing in their days.

 

We don't know what "revival" may look like -- whether it comes in San Antonio or anywhere else, whether it comes in September or any time else. But what I do know is there is a "revival" stirring in me right now!

 

Come, Holy Spirit! Come, Lord Jesus! Come, my Father and gather us up into Your arms and lift us up to shine like a city on hill, as You answer the passionate prayers of a people who are called by Your name for a great move of Your Spirit in our days! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!

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

My friend, may the Holy Spirit stir up a great revival in your heart, that you may be a carrier of revival in your city and your nation, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Join us Next Sunday Night at 7:00 PM! Register your carload at PraySA.org

Watch the Sunday Night Gathering from Last Night Here:

PraySA 2020

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!

Our Prayer for Revival in Our City - August 10, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 10 - Our Prayer for Revival in Our City

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be here in my heart, here in my prayers, here in my worship and my words, as I begin my day centered in You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...

 

"Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6)

 

Last night, my wife Rocio and I joined in prayers of humility and repentance, thanksgiving and praise, faith and hope, with our brothers and sisters from across our city. It was called PraySA. And it was a time to come park and pray, a time of sacred assembly, a time to come together as the citywide church of our community. The parking lot surrounding the part of the heart of our city that hosts the San Antonio Rodeo and the San Antonio Spurs with filled with prayer and praise to our God.

 

There were no violent protests, but passionate prayers. There was no division and destruction, but forgiveness and unity. We came together as one in sacred assembly, in holy surrender, in trusting faith to cry out to God for revival in our hearts and in our land.

 

One of our parts was to help discern and share the heart of people praying and texting in their prayers, their prophetic words and visions, their expressions of their hearts and their sense of the heart of God, leading us through this time. Max Lucado led us in prayer from his knees in personal and generational repentance, with prayers of forgiveness and mercy, of unity and love, seeking peace and healing, along with spiritual leaders of color from our community, but all of one blood in the one Spirit of our God. And with many voices, moved by the One Spirit who abides in the hearts of Your children, we wept and prayed, we rejoiced and praised, we sounded the shofar and lifted up a shout. And we turned to You as we called on Your name, together as one.

 

We believe You heard our prayers. We believe You've moving in our city. We believe You're pushing back the darkness and opening up the heavens to birth awakening and revival in us and in in our land. For Your Covenant of Revival remains for all to hear and embrace and engage: "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

 

This was not a one-day event, but an every-day encounter. This was not a revival on our calendar, but an awakening in our hearts. This was not focused on any one church or ministry, but on a movement in the hearts of Your people who are called by Your name to let our voices and our prayers be heard. We'll be meeting and praying again at the same place next Sunday night to keep pressing in and crying out and praying for You to keep pouring out Your Holy Spirit in us and in our city and throughout our land.

 

But as we pray, we are taking hold of Your promises to hear and to move in Your power, Your mercy, and Your love: "And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). Thank You, Lord! Let it be so! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you and your city turn to God in repentance and prayer for revival and awakening in your heart and in your land, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

           

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Watch the Sunday Night Gathering from Last Night Here:

PraySA 2020

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!

You're the God of This City - August 7, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 7 - You're the God of This City

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your heart, as You align my thoughts with Your thoughts and my desires with Your desires -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for You. Be our Arm every morning, our Salvation in the time of trouble.... The Lord is exalted, He dwells on high; He filled Zion with justice and righteousness; He will be the stability of (our) times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.... 'Now I will arise,' says the Lord, 'now I will lift Myself up; now I will be exalted.... Hear, you are who are far away, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might! ... Your eyes will see the King in His beauty!' ... Look on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals! ... There the Lord in majesty will be for us.... For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Ruler, the Lord is our King; He will save us!" (Isaiah 33:2-22)

 

You're the God of this city. The city that honors You is like Zion. The city that honors You is filled with justice and righteousness, with stability in times of trouble, with abundance of salvation and wisdom and knowledge, "for the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure."

 

As we humble our hearts to bow before You, as we lift up our eyes to seek You and worship You, we will see You in Your beauty. We will see You and honor You as our Judge, our Ruler, and our King! When You are lifted up, when You are exalted, You will draw all people to You -- those who are near to You and those who have been far away from You. They will come! They will worship! And they will be saved!

 

Lord, let it be so in our hearts and in our city. Let these times of trouble become our time of salvation! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you and your city turn to God as Judge and Ruler and King, that He may be your Salvation in times of trouble and that the fear of the Lord may be your treasure, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

         

 

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Watch our Short Video Call to Prayer here:  

Pray SA - Park and Pray

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. Sign up and come join us! PraySA.org

If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

 

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!