Striking the Ground in Prayer with the Arrows of Victory - August 18, 2020

Morning by Morning, August 18 - Striking the Ground in Prayer with the Arrows of Victory

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You today. ...

 

Sunday Night, as our city and region joined in another “solemn assembly” of prayer and repentance, faith and hope, standing in the gap by bowing on our knees before You on behalf of our people and our land in humility, united as one, You were speaking to us and leading us. One of Your prophetic words that came to us was an image from Scripture of King Joash striking the ground with arrows according to the word of the Prophet Elisha:

 

“Elisha said to (King Joash), ‘Take a bow and arrows’; so he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, ‘Draw the bow’; and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. Then he said, ‘Open the window eastward’; and he opened it. Elisha said, ‘Shoot’; and he shot. Then he said, ‘The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them.’ He continued, ‘Take the arrows’; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, ‘Strike the ground with them’; he struck three times, and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him, and said, ‘You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck own Aram until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Aram only three times’” (2 Kings 13:15-19).

 

Your word came to us that our gatherings in prayer on behalf of our city and region were taking the arrows of prayer and prophetic declaration to strike the ground entrusted to us. Every time we strike the ground, You’re releasing victory! You’re pushing back the darkness! You’re opening Your heavens! You’re changing hearts and changing minds and changing the outcome of our battles!

 

Lord, let it be so. Like King Joash, when we gather together as one body, one church, in Your name, You grant us kingly, governmental authority over our land. Like the Prophet Elisha, when we listen for Your word and join Your word with our prayers, as when “Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands,” You send forth Your arrow of victory, “the Lord’s arrow of victory!”

 

Give us courage and persistence to not stop striking this ground until we have “made an end of it.” Give us Your grace, as one with You and one with each other, to keep listening, to keep praying, to keep proclaiming Your Word by Your Spirit in our city until the spiritual enemies of the Kingdom of God over our land are “struck down,” never to rise again in the power and authority of the mighty name of Jesus (Psalm 110:1; Ephesians 1:22; Philippians 2:9-11). As Your Word declares in prophetic promise: “The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet!” (Romans 16:20) 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 be courageous and persistent in your prayers according to God's words for all those entrusted to you in your land to see the victory of the Lord, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

Watch the August 16th Sunday Night Gathering led by Max Lucado from This Past Sunday Here:

PraySA 2020 | Aug 16, 2020

Pakistan Ministry through Skype Internet Ministry.

Thank you so much for all your prayers for our Pakistan Ministry Saturday at the Pastors and Leaders Meeting! We had some technical challenges, but pressed through. Praise God! Powerful times of teaching and ministry with the Pastors and Leaders! Many tears and much joy through the times of ministry after the teaching sessions. Went from Midnight to 4:30AM our time. He said they were extremely encouraged and want much more! I mostly spoke into their personal journey with God with the idea of David's 5 Smooth Stones in his "Shepherd's Pouch" the Holy Spirit showed me in my devotional time:

1. The Word of God  (Hebrews 4:12)

2. Faith and trust in God (Hebrews 11:6)

3. Intimacy with God (John 15)

4. Security in our Identity as Children of God (Romans 8)

5. Our Confidence in God to Fulfill His Purposes in our Lives (Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:10).

Sling of faith; release of the stone with authority and power; rock that hits it's mark and brings down the giants (Fear and Intimidation / Death and Sickness / Persecution and Oppression)

Finished with speaking about taking Authority from story Moses in Exodus 14 and prayers of Impartation and Anointing (Romans 1:11 / 1 Timothy 4:14 ) 

We couldn't do this kind of ministry without you! Praying God's blessings and great joy upon you!

 

August 24th will be our Next Outdoor Evangelistic Crusade in Pakistan where we have seen hundreds saved every month in our partnership with Pastor Fazal in a different village outreach each month through our Skype Internet Ministry. Please keep us in prayer!

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!

"Five Smooth Stones" - August 14, 2020

 Morning by Morning, August 14 - "Five Smooth Stones"

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of all I am and all I do, as I seek to begin my day grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit. ... 

"Then (David) took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew new to the Philistine.... When the Philistine drew nearer to meet with David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David's hand" (1 Samuel 17:40-50). 

As I began this year in a week of fasting and prayer with some friends, You gave me a vision of the "five smooth stones" of David. That was long before we knew anything about all the challenges and battles we were soon to face in our nation and around the world and in my personal life. But in that vision, You were showing me there would come a time when we would run to the battle and face our giants just as David ran to the battle to confront Goliath. This morning, as my city in San Antonio continues to run to the battle in prayer in our citywide gatherings of prayer and repentance, in solemn assembly of calling on Your name in worship and praise, in spirit and truth, in humility and unity, together as one blood in one faith in our God and Father of all, You're reminding me of those "five smooth stones" again. 

These "weapons of (our) warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). These "weapons of our warfare" are not weapons of prejudice and pride, murder and violence, looting and lawlessness, intimidation and fear, chaos and control, isolation and division, rebellion and idolatry. These "weapons of our warfare" are not the physical weapons of this world, but the spiritual weapons we wield in humility and faith, in obedience and repentance, in the sensitivity and submission to Your Word and Your Spirit to pray in Your power and speak with Your voice, as we walk in love in the opposite spirit of the enemies we face. We "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). 

The "five smooth stones" in our "shepherd's bag" that are to be ready to be slung in our "sling" of faith to hit the mark and bring down the giants we face You were showing me that morning are these: The Word of God; faith and trust in God; intimacy with God; security in our identity as children of God; and our confidence in God to fulfill the purposes of God in our lives. 

No doubt there are others, but these are the ones You're highlighting to me and perhaps for these times and these battles we face together as the Body and the Bride of Christ. These are the stones we're to carry in our bags to the battles we face, in courage and confidence in You, our Shepherd and Warrior and Mighty Giant Slayer. By the power of Your grace at work within us, may we sling the one that hits the mark to bring down the giant we face -- in our lives, in our cities, in our nation, in our world -- all in Your way, all in Your time, all for Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be empowered to overcome every giant you face with the "stones" the Lord has provided for you as you run to the battle in humility and courage and faith, 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. 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

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!

"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!