"Beginning of Birth Pangs" 8-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I dedicate and consecrate my life and this day to You, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ... With the unfolding of the events in Israel and in Babylon, with the shaking of the heavens and of the earth in famines and earthquakes, with the increase of violence and darkness and lawlessness throughout every tongue and tribe and nation, we need You now as never before. As we declared in worship Sunday, "People need the Lord." We are experiencing "the beginning of the birth pangs" (Matthew 24.7). But we need not fear, we need not run, we need not hide. We need not sit back passively waiting for everything to fall down around us until we catch the glory train passing through in the middle of the night as our ticket of escape out of here. You are preparing Your people to shine as light in the midst of the darkness, to be the arms of Your security and Your love in the midst of the confusion and fear. Prepare us now that we may stand firmly and securely in these days that the seeds of both evil and righteousness are coming to full maturity in the lands of the earth and in the souls of men. You glory is Your manifest presence. And Your glory is present in the hearts of Your people whom You have prepared for this present darkness of these days. We do not stand alone, we stand in You as You stand in us. These are the days prophesied long ago: "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" (Isaiah 60.1-3). Let us not withdraw but advance in these days of the beginning of the birth pangs. Let us not sit back passively in resignation, retreat, and self-centeredness, but let us be Your light in the midst of the darkness, let us be rooted and grounded in Your love and firmly established in trusting faith. Let us be Your place of refuge for those who would humble themselves to come to You and call upon Your name. Let the nations see Your light shining in us, let them see the brightness of Your dawn rising in us at the dawn of the day of the Lord. "But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? And how are they to proclaim Him unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10.14-15). You are the Good News. Let it be written on our hearts and lived out in our lives for all to see, as You draw the nations to You through the people You have prepared in these times of great tribulation and of great harvest. "But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24.14). Come, Lord Jesus, come -- into our hearts and into our world. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Let God Arise!" 8-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are glorious, mighty, and powerful. And You live in my heart. Praise You, Lord! ... "Let God rise up, let His enemies be scattered; let those that hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy!" (Psalm 68.1-3). Arise in our hearts, O Lord. By the blood of the Lamb, we are cleansed of our sins and in You, we have become "the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5.21). The power of the enemy is broken by the victory of Your cross. Let our enemy be scattered -- scattered from our minds, our bodies, our lives. "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6.12). Let the enemy of our souls be driven away by the fire of Your glory arising within us. " 'Now I will arise,' says the Lord, 'now I will lift Myself up; now I will be exalted' " (Isaiah 33.10). If God be for us, who can stand against us? As You arise within us, we arise in the joy of Your victory. We celebrate the routing of our enemy by the glory and might and power of our God. This is the joy of the Lord that is our strength (Nehemiah 8.10). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Growing Up 8-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cause Your thoughts to be my thoughts, Your words to be my words. Little by little, and day by day, conform me into Your image and transform me into Your nature. ... My youngest son, Elijah, loves to dig my old cowboy boots and straw hat out of the closet. (No matter where they live and no matter what they do, every Texan still has a pair of boots and a cowboy hat somewhere in their closet). The boots come up to his waist and the hat swallows his head. He loves to go through the house roping the furniture and tying up the "bad cowboys." He wants to grow up quick so he can be a "real cowboy." He loves being three, but it seems he would love even better to be thirty. As we come to know You, Your Spirit comes into our hearts to begin to grow us up into Your nature. As we spend time with You and Your word, our thoughts become more like Your thoughts and our words more like Your words. We are growing up in spiritual maturity. At first, Your "boots and hat" are way too big and almost swallow us up. But You are gracious and You are patient, loving and correcting us, teaching and maturing us, little by little and day by day, as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3.18). Individually and as the body of Christ, "we must grow up in every way into Him, who is the head, into Christ," so that "all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the full measure of the stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4.11-16). We want to grow up to be like You, Lord. Help us be patient and gracious with who we are now, but never settling for less that who You want us to become. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain this Saturday night at 7pm for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the Chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Thank you for your prayers for our Healing Prayer Seminar in Versailles, KY this weekend. People have joined us from many different churches and traditions in the area to learn how to pray for others at the altar of the local church. Please cover us in prayer for our healing service tonight at the Versailles Methodist Church, 7-9pm. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Storms of Tribulation 8-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Transform me by the renewing of my mind as I submit my thoughts to You. Conform me by the shaping of my desires as I submit my will to You. Let me be silent now as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ... It's stormy outside. The wind and rain are blowing hard against the house. Many would say it's stormy inside -- inside our homes and inside our hearts. But storms bring rain when the land is dry and storms break away the dead branches that no longer bear life. Storms have a way a getting our attention and demanding our focus. They have a way of changing our agendas and redirecting our plans. They have a way of humbling our hearts and turning our thoughts to You. If they lead us to hold on more tightly to You, we can even thank You for the storms. "In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him" (Hebrews 5.7-9). These are the days of our flesh -- the days of suffering through our storms, even though we too are sons and daughters of God. Let them humble us to seek You and to obey You. As the storm clouds gather in these days, let them gather us to You. You are the source of our eternal salvation; You are our security and strength in the midst of every storm. Use the storms and suffering that comes with them to make us more like You, to draw us closer to You. "We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14.22, KJV). Let us not fear the tribulation or the storms or the suffering, let us fear the One who is Lord of the storm, in humble obedience and trusting faith. Only after the storm has worked its purpose in our souls, You will arise to rebuke it and declare, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4.39). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain this Saturday night (8/20) at 7pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington (2800 Tates Creek Rd) for our monthly, city-wide gathering of prayer, praise, and healing worship. Our team will be leading, while I am leading a Healing Prayer Seminar to pray for others at Versailles United Methodist Church this Friday night 7-9, Saturday 10-3, and with a healing service Saturday night 7-9. This is sponsored by St. Andrews Anglican Church (www.StAndrewsKy.org) and held at Versailles United Methodist Church -- all are welcome. Please write us for details. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

A Thief in the Night 8-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of the glory of Your presence fill my soul. May You increase as I decrease. May You speak as I listen. May You lead as I follow. ... "For you yourselves know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape. But you, beloved, are not in darkness for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of the light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness" (1 Thessalonians 5.2-5). "But you, beloved..." -- Lord, let us not forget the contrast of these words. We are in the world, but we are not of this world. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be Your people in the midst of this world to transform this world in the power of Your Spirit to the glory of our Father. Forgive when we forget the contrast; forgive us when we allow compromise and complacency to erase the distinctions between those who follow the world and those who follow the Word. You are the Word of God and You are the Light of life. "The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1.1-5). On the day of the Lord, the world will be surprised as You come suddenly and unexpectedly like a thief in the night. But we are not the world, and we are not to be surprised, according to Your Word. We are not in the dark, we are in the light; and You are our Light. "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life' " (John 8.12). Let us not be confused into thinking we are called to surprised in the darkness on the day of the Lord, but let us embrace our call to be found shining as lights in the midst of the darkness, filled with the light of Your Spirit, as beacons of hope pointing others to You. As You said to Your first disciples long ago, You continue to say to Your disciples today, "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become children of Light" (John 12.36). Yes, Lord. We embrace our calling as children of Light. Come let Your Light shine through us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain this Saturday night (8/20) at 7pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington (2800 Tates Creek Rd) for our monthly, city-wide gathering of prayer, praise, and healing worship. Our team will be leading, while I am leading a Healing Prayer Seminar to pray at the altar in the local church at Versailles United Methodist Friday night, Saturday, and with a healing service Saturday night. This is sponsored by St. Andrews Anglican Church (www.StAndrewsKy.org) and held at Versailles United Methodist Church -- all are welcome. Please write us for details. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Living in Him 8-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cleanse my thoughts in the blood of Jesus; purify my heart in the fire of Your Holy Spirit; draw me near into the arms of my Father. ... "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2.6-7). Each one of us who are called by Your name have made a decision along the way to put our hope and our trust in You. We have bowed our knees, believed in our hearts, and confessed with our mouths, "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2.11). We have welcomed Your Holy Spirit in us, the "Spirit of Jesus Christ," now living in our hearts and conforming us to Your nature, so that "living is Christ" (Philippians 1.19-21). Teach us how to live our lives in You; teach us how to be rooted and built up in You; teach us how to be established in the faith; teach us how to abound in thanksgiving. It cannot be by our will power or human strength; we can't make that happen. But as we humble ourselves to depend upon You and commit ourselves in trusting faith to You, Your Spirit is grounding us and strengthening us so that we may stand firm and bear fruit of Your nature in our lives. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts" (Zechariah 4.6). In these moments of prayer at the foundation of our day, these are moments of trust and dependence, moments of being established in the faith, moments of preparation and advance, moments of growing in maturity and strength by welcoming the presence and power of Your Spirit to live our lives to the glory of our Father. Father, be glorified in our lives -- by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain this Saturday night (8/20) at 7pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington (2800 Tates Creek Rd) for our monthly, city-wide gathering of prayer, praise, and healing worship. Our team will be leading, while I am leading a Healing Prayer Seminar to pray at the altar in the local church at Versailles United Methodist Friday night, Saturday, and with a healing service Saturday night. This is sponsored by St. Andrews Anglican Church (www.StAndrewsKy.org) and held at Versailles United Methodist Church. Please write us for details. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Terror is not Victory 8-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King of my heart and Lord of all I am. As best as I can, and all by Your grace, I commit this day and my life into Your hands. ... "Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; all day long foes oppress me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many fight against me. O Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56.1-4). In these troubling days, terrorists claim victory and murderers of women and children are exalted as heroes of their faith in the name of their god. Evil is called good; demonic strategies of terror are condoned and justified as necessary for peace. Yet evil will not be appeased and the perception of victory will only fan the flames of unholy war. When the stated goal of terror is to drive a people into the sea by any means necessary, nothing less will satisfy the lust for blood. Yet all was foretold long ago and all must come to pass until the day of Your glory -- the great and terrible day of the Lord. A great day for those who yearn for Your coming to redeem and restore our broken hearts and our broken world, and terrible for those who persist in choosing to resist Your Word and Your will. Yet, You are using even the suffering and persecution and evil of these days to open the blinded eyes to Your truth and open the hardened hearts to Your love. "See, I am sending My messenger to prepare the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight -- indeed, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like refiner's fire and fuller's soap; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the descendents of Levi and refine them like gold and silver until they present offering to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years" (Malachi 3.1-4). Holy Spirit, prepare our hearts as You prepare the way of the Lord. Remove confusion and bring understanding. Lord Jesus, our Messiah and Christ, let us be found faithful in prayer and in truth, standing in agreement with You and Your word rather than the world when You come in glory. Heavenly Father, give us Your wisdom and Your grace to understand Your will and Your ways. We pray for the day You will come and establish Your Kingdom forever in final victory throughout all the earth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain this Saturday night (8/20) at 7pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington (2800 Tates Creek Rd) for our monthly, city-wide gathering of prayer, praise, and healing worship. Our team will be leading, while I am leading a Healing Prayer Seminar to pray at the altar in the local church at Versailles United Methodist Friday night, Saturday, and with a healing service Saturday night. This is sponsored by St. Andrews Anglican Church (www.StAndrewsKy.org) Please write us for details. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Father's Love 8-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As Your Holy Spirit lifts the eyes of my heart to You, I see my Father. As Your Holy Spirit opens the ears of my spirit to hear Your voice, I hear the words of my Father. You are One -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and You desire to be one with us in the communion of prayer. ... "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love" (John 15.9). Help our minds to embrace this truth; help our hearts to receive this love. The same way the Father loves You is the same way that You love us. Teach us how to abide in this love -- to live in it and let it live in us, to let it become our life. Remove from us all sense of unworthiness and all confusion about this truth. Your Word reveals Your truth, and Your truth is You love us just as our Father loves You. We have not lived a sinless life as You have, yet You love us as our Father loves You. We have not fulfilled every purpose in perfect obedience to every call of our Father as You have, yet You love us as our Father loves You. Your love is not conditional upon our success, our obedience, or our goodness -- You just love us. And the measure of Your love is not dependent upon the measure of our righteousness, You love us all just as our Father loves You. And we can't begin to grasp how much our Father loves You -- nor can we begin to grasp how much You love us. But let this truth begin to seep down deep into our souls, to bring the sense of peace and security and intimacy in You that You intend by the truth of these words. As we do, we will become increasingly free to abide in Your love and to abide in You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Eyes on Israel 8-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word seep deep down inside of me, let the glory of the presence of Your Spirit rise up in me, as I watch and wait for You. ... It is amazing that the eyes of the world are continually turned to the tiny nation of Israel. It is no accident that all the people of all the nations are finding themselves increasingly unable to be neutral in their opinions about the fate of this nation. Let us be led by You in the forming of our opinions, let us be led by Your Spirit as we turn to You in prayer. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8.26-27). All has been foretold long ago, yet now we see it unfold before our eyes. In Your Word, the focus of the world turns to the nation of Israel and the city of Babylon at the end of this age. How exciting and how frightening it is to be alive in these days. Give us humility to seek You and seek our Your will revealed in Your Word as we make our choices and form our opinions. Let us not be led by politics but by Your presence, not by the wisdom of this world, but by the wisdom that comes from above. As the nations are gathered and sorted on one side of obedience or the other, let us be found in obedience to You. As the remnant of the faithful are found in You, no matter the cost, let us be found in that remnant. In humility we ask for wisdom, understanding, and direction, as we renounce the confusion that has come upon the mind of the world in these matters, in the name of Jesus. "The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. So you shall know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it" (Joel 3.16-17). Be our refuge, O Lord. Be the refuge and the stronghold of Your people. Let us not find our strength the approval of the nations but in the favor of our God. Let us stand with one another as we stand in You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Healing Prayer Seminar On Friday evening, August 19 from 7-9 p.m., and Saturday, August 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Andrew’s Anglican Church will host a two day seminar on healing prayer by Tommy Hays of Messiah Ministies, that will be held at the Versailles United Methodist Church. The event costs $10 and includes a boxed lunch. Invite your friends to attend this wonderful opportunity to learn more about healing prayer. Sign up at the information table or contact Mary Ann Duddy by email at Maduddy2@aol.com, or 859-873-9290 for more information. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Words from the Heart 8-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name out loud as the first word from my mouth this day -- "Jesus." Just speaking Your name begins to affect the spiritual atmosphere around me and it begins to affect the spiritual atmosphere of my soul. "Jesus...Jesus...Jesus." ... "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12.34). What we speak is evidence of what is in our hearts. Our words bear witness for us or against us, because our words bear witness of what is hidden in our hearts. As You said, "The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12.35-37). Purify our hearts and sanctify our tongues. Empower us to release life with our words and not death, to encourage and build up and not destroy and tear down. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18.21). There is a mixture of the treasure buried in our hearts, both good and evil, releasing a mixture of good and evil in the power of our words. Give us courage to see the evil that remains in our hearts and give us the humility to confess it before You, that You may forgive us and cleanse us, that You may change our hearts to be more like Your heart. Then the words we speak will be Your words of life. Then we will proclaim the name of Jesus because the nature of Jesus will be in our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Here I am 8-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am, to seek You, to listen, and to pray. Help me get quiet and get still. Give me patience to watch and wait in the silence of surrender, as Your Holy Spirit centers my heart and my thoughts on You. ... Here I am -- to watch and to wait Here I am -- to listen and pray Lead me Lord, by Your Spirit each day Lead me Lord, in the path of Your ways Yes, Lord. Thank You for this new song You've written on my heart this morning. How are we to lead others unless first we are led? How can we give away what we have not received? Fill us afresh with Your Spirit each day, so that You can pour us out to bring refreshing to the dry places. Form Your desires in our hearts each day, so that our desires reveal the desires of Your heart. Form Your thoughts in our minds each day, to that the choices we make are made more with the mind of Christ. This is a process and a lifestyle of a lifelong journey. Here's where the journey begins each day -- here in the place watching and waiting, listening and praying, entrusting our hearts and our minds to You again each day in the first moments of the morning. "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. Then when call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile" (Jeremiah 29.11-14). Yes, Lord. You honor our choices in the freedom of the will You have given us. We can choose how to spend our time, how to begin each day. We can choose each day whom we will serve. When we choose our own path instead of Yours, by Your principles and by our choices, we are driven away from intimacy with You and we are exiled into a place that is far from Your presence. Gather our hearts and gather our thoughts back to You. You will not force us, You will not override the freedom of the will You have given us; but You call us to come and to seek, to listen and pray. As we seek You, we will find You. As You restore us and renew us, You will release us again into the plans of Your purpose. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

International Justice Mission 8-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name be exalted in all the earth and here in my heart. I turn my thoughts to You in these first moments of the day. ... "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1.17). Yeshi prayed in the Spirit last night in our city-wide, intercessory prayer group Margaret Therkelsen faithfully and sacrificially has led every week for over twenty years. We turn our hearts to You in praise and then in the silence, then in the spirit of intercession we begin pray for our city and region and the nations as Your Spirit leads. Yeshi is one Your faithful intercessors, an Ethiopian woman, who has seen much and endured much through the brokenness of the world, yet prays with a purity of heart and fervency of Your Spirit with her eyes firmly fixed on You. Though her words were English, it was the voice of Your Spirit crying out for the oppressed, crying out for those who are crying out to You to be rescued from their oppressors. Through her, You were opening our eyes to the suffering and oppressed in Sudan and Ethiopia and throughout the earth who are suffering and tormented by abuse of power and cruelty of selfish greed, by hatred and racism, by the unimaginable evils of wicked men. I know You begin to move heaven and earth when You hear her pray, and I know You begin to move my heart. You were confirming in my heart a call to another depth of the ministry of deliverance. You've been teaching me and empowering me to teach us others how to take our authority in Christ to break the yoke of demonic oppression from the necks of Your children, that they may be free to fulfill their destiny in You. But lately You've been calling me as well to join others in the physical deliverance from oppression as well as spiritual deliverance. Just as You share Your gospel of salvation to others through Your people, just as You minister Your healing love through Your people, You also desire to rescue the oppressed through Your people. The oppressed are crying out to You, and You are crying out through Your intercessors, to send Your people to bring deliverance from physical and governmental oppression -- children sold into slavery, women forced into prostitution, widows cheated out of their security, and men bound by forced servitude for debts they will never be able to repay. They cry out to You to expose injustice and all the forms of oppression and cruelty, even in the face of laws intended for their protection, while law enforcers abuse their power for their own wicked gain and cruel lust. You look from heaven for someone to stand in the gap, to hear their cry, to answer Your call for deliverance, and to take up their cause. Though You could do it with a blast of Your power from heaven, You have chosen to do it through Your people, as in every other form of ministry on earth. You've been moving on my heart to take my part in obedience to Your call to answer the cries and prayers of the oppressed. In September, I will travel again to India, this time as a lawyer rather than as a deliverance minister -- or rather a different kind of deliverance minister. Our team will work with the base team of the International Justice Mission there to gather evidence and pled our case using the laws of their nation to expose injustice and set the captives free -- mostly women and children sold or forced into bonded labor. They have almost lost hope, yet You have heard their cries for freedom. They may not know it yet, but their hope is in You, Lord Jesus Christ. Though Your ministry of deliverance from oppression through this small team of Christian lawyers may only affect the lives of a few people, it will affect the lives of those people for all eternity. Here I am, Lord -- send me. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'd appreciate your prayers as our team prepares for this mission to India August 31 through September 11 with this ministry of Christian lawyers, International Justice Mission: www.ijm.org Please be praying for my old law partner in Texas to answer the call to the mission the Lord is preparing for him at the right time. He knows who he is and so does God. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Fresh Wineskins 8-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with the fullness of Your Spirit. ... "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins" (Mark 2.22). Father, You desire to fill us each day with the new wine of Your Holy Spirit. But to fill us afresh each day, we must turn afresh to You each day. You pour Your new wine into fresh wineskins -- the wineskins of our hearts. They are fresh because they are continually being filled up and poured out -- filled up with Your Spirit in the place of prayer, then poured out to others as we rise and go forth to be vessels of Your Spirit in the world. Some may not understand. Some may sneer that we are "filled with new wine" as they see the joy of the Lord on our faces and hear the words of the Spirit from our mouths. But it will be the fullness of Your Spirit that has filled us afresh with Your presence and power from on high each day (Acts 2.13). Let us "be filled with the Spirit" afresh each day as we open the new wineskins of our hearts to You afresh each day (Ephesians 5.18). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our ministry address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Days of Preparation 8-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my strength and shield, my strong tower. I put my faith and hope in You. ... "These are days of preparation." Yes, Lord. What we experience in small measure now, we will experience in full measure then. As much as we think we have known, we have known but a foretaste -- a foretaste of revival, of the harvest of souls, of the signs and wonders of God; and a foretaste of tribulation, of persevering in the face of persecution, of being Your light in the midst of the darkness. Prepare us now that we may prosper then. Purify our souls and quicken our spirits, hone our faith and teach us to pray. Help us learn to listen for the leading of Your voice and to respond in obedience to Your command. Align us and position us, teaching us to trust You and one another, as we look to You and cover each others' backs. Sharpen the weapons of our warfare and instruct us in the keys of Your kingdom. Let it be said of us in the day of Your coming, Your "bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19.7). Though the seals be broken, the trumpets sound, and the bowls be poured out, yet will we shine as Your light in the midst of the darkness, yet will we stand firm under shadow of the Almighty, in the great harvest of souls at the end of this age. The world will look to those who are standing firm in the faith, fearless in the face of it all, because we have known and understood Your Word and Your ways, fully putting our faith and trust in You. Tribulation began in the garden when sin entered the earth, and it has increased, progressed, and even accelerated until it will grow into full maturity at the end of this age; yet so has faith, wisdom, and grace. Use the tribulations of today to prepare us for those to come tomorrow, and use those that come tomorrow to prepare us for those to come each day after that. Let us stand firm in the faith, trusting in You. Open the eyes of our heart to see Your plan and receive Your preparation. These are days of preparation -- let us not waste them, let us not fear them, but let us embrace them as we embrace You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our ministry address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Humility 8-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart to receive You and open my eyes to seek You, as I welcome You into my life again this day. ... It seems You are saying, "Humility is desperate dependence upon God. Pride is dependence upon yourself." Yes, Lord. Slay our pride and work Your humility into our hearts. Teach us how to humble ourselves in Your sight, so that You may lift us up (James 4.10). True humility is not self-deprecation or denying the gifts and favor of God on our lives, but an awareness and acknowledgment that You are the source of everything of worth in our lives. Pride is just the opposite -- acknowledging what is of worth without acknowledging that You are One who is worthy of the praise. Father, You have revealed Your heart and Your nature and Your will to us in Jesus Christ. And You work Your will into our nature by Your Holy Spirit, who is teaching us and changing us, to conform us into the image of Christ and to restore us to the image of God. Jesus taught us by His example the path and the power of humility. He "humbled Himself" in Your sight and in submission to Your will, so that You "exalted Him." This is the "same mind" that You desire that we have -- this "same mind" in us "that was in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2.5-11). This is the mind and the heart that is desperately dependent upon God. This is the place where we come to the end of ourselves, to only speak what we hear You speaking and only do what we see You doing. This is the place where we become more like You each day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our ministry address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Desperate for Your Love 8-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Shine the light of glory into the depths of my soul as I lift my face and open my heart to You this day. "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4.6). ... You woke me with Your Spirit singing a new song in my spirit this morning-- a song of urgency and determination, a song of desperation. ... O Lord, I seek You O Lord, I need You I'm desperate for Your love For Your power from above I need to feel You To know that You're real too I'm desperate for Your love For Your power from above I'm need a breakthrough I need to get through I'm desperate for Your love For Your power from above And I will not give up until I know that You are here That You listen and You hear. And I will hold on tight on to the altar of Your love Until I know Your power from above I'm desperate for Your love. "When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even the more loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him here.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart, get up, He is calling you' " (Mark 10.47-49). We are trained to be self-sufficient and independent, to not need anyone or anything. It's implied that we are to suffer in the silence, to not make a scene, to go with the flow and not make waves. But You call us to be desperate, to desperately need You, to be utterly dependent on You. You desire a people who are willing to make a scene in shameless desperation, crying out for Your presence and crying out for Your power. Lord, make us more desperate for You -- desperate for Your love, for Your power from above. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'd appreciate your prayers for us. I'm teaching personal prayer ministry of inner healing and deliverance at Cornerstone Church in Paducah, Kentucky, teaching it by doing it with the prayer teams. Please pray for breakthroughs in the power of God's love. And I pray for breakthoughs of God's power in your life. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our ministry address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Children of Glory 8-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name be exalted in all the earth and here in my heart. ... "It was fitting that God, for whom and through who all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to called them brothers and sisters" (Hebrews 2.10-11). You know our sufferings because You have endured the sufferings of this world, as You humbled Yourself in the likeness of human flesh and blood (Philippians 2.5-8). In all that we face, in all that we endure, You have gone before us and You are now going through them with us, as You bring us to glory. The refiner's fire of the sufferings and ordeals of this age becomes the fire of Your glory, as You sanctify us and perfect us through all that we endure in the brokenness of this age. "We are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be gloried in Him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us" (Romans 8.16-18). You are bringing many children to glory -- not wasting a moment of our sufferings, but using every opportunity to make us more like You. Though in our flesh and earthly wisdom, we would choose another means, but this is means You have chosen, for Yourself and for us. Give us faith and give us courage to look to You, to hold on to You, and to follow You, as You bring us through. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our ministry address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com God bless you!

Spirit of Zerubbabel 8-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Wake me each morning with Your Word in my spirit. Let Your Word by a lamp for my feet and a light to my path to guide the steps of my day. ... "The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth day of the month. Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, saying I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of the kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and their horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of a comrade. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you says the Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2.20-23). In these days, You are shaking the heavens and the earth, and all that is not built upon the foundation of Your truth will crumble and fall, so that only what is true remains (Hebrews 12.25-29; Matthew 7.24-27). The false kingdoms of this world and the evil one who sits on the throne of these kingdoms will be destroyed (Revelation 2.13; Luke 1.52; Isaiah 14.1-23). You entrusted dominion of this earth to the sons of man -- speaking of male and female alike, throughout all the generations (Genesis 1.26-31). Yet we, as a people, relinquished our authority through the disobedience of our sin (Genesis 3.1-24). Since that time, the "ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient" sits enthroned in the false temple of our praise every time we sin in our pride and rebellion against Your word and Your will, "following the course of this world" (Ephesians 2.1-3). The "god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4.4). Through his deception and our sin, the "king of Babylon" has stolen our birthright and snatched away the signet ring of our authority, to establish the throne of his government among the nations and kingdoms of this world who submit to his authority by rejecting Your authority (Isaiah 14.3-21). But in these last days, You are stirring the spirit of Zerubbabel, the governor of Your people, to establish the government of Your Kingdom again in the earth and throughout eternity. Even his name means "children of Babylon," which speaks of the reversal of the curse and the redemption of our souls. Though we were children of the evil one as sons of disobedience, blinded by his deception, we are being restored and redeemed by the light of Your truth and the blood of Your Lamb. We are rising in the power of Your Spirit to receive the signet ring of Your authority, to rule and "reign on earth" as Your kingdom of priests and kings, once again enthroning You in the temple of our praise (Revelation 5.9-10). The government of this world will rest again upon Your shoulders, and of Your kingdom there shall be no end (Isaiah 9.6-7). "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11.15). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Praying friends, I would appreciate your prayers as I travel to Conerstone Church in Paducah, KY for a series of personal prayer ministry appointments to minister inner healing and deliverance with their prayer teams and then preach on Sunday. The Lord is cleansing and purifying His bride for His coming. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe contact me at Messiah Ministries -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Join us at The Fountain on the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm. Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!Daily archives of my devotional at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and at: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Our Shepherd and Shelter 8-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You strengthen me as I rest in You. You teach me as I seek Your wisdom. You make me more like You as I behold You. ... In the Revelation of Jesus that You showed to John to encourage Your disciples of all generations, he saw "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!' " (Revelation 7.9-10). And all the heavenly beings fell on their faces and worshiped God. We fall on our faces and worship, Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are the source of our salvation -- salvation from sin, from fear and terror, from sickness and infirmity, from all the power of the wickedness of the world, the flesh, and the devil -- as we turn our eyes to You and open our hearts to You and fall down in worship before You. John asked who these where, who were gathered from every people and language of the earth in the worship of God for the gift of salvation. One of the heavenly beings answered, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship Him day and night within His temples, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them....For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd...." (Revelation 7.13-17). Shepherd us and shelter us, Lord. Lead us through every ordeal we may ever face in a broken, fallen world that is shaken and purged under the consequences of the sins of the generations of the earth. Teach us how to "live in the shelter of the Most High" and how to "abide the shadow of the Almighty" as we trust in You alone as our "refuge" and "fortress" in the days of trouble (Psalm 91.1-2). May we join those from every nation who are thankful and safe, worshiping You for our salvation before Your throne forever, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe contact me at Messiah Ministries -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Join us at The Fountain on the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm. Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Worthy is the Lamb 8-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy are You, Lord, and worthy is Your name. You are worthy of "honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5.12). ... Your Word speaks about tremendous judgment to come upon the earth in the last days. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, written through John, speaks of these judgments being written on a scroll sealed with seven seals. John "saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?' And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it" (Revelation 5.1-4). "As it is written, 'There is no one who is righteous, not even one;' " for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3.10 and 23). Yet, as John wept that there was no one worthy to take up and open the scroll, his eyes were turned to You, as one of the heavenly beings declared, "See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals" (Revelation 5.5). Lord Jesus, You are worthy to release the judgments of God, for You have paid the price through the sacrifice of Your sinless life for us, that we might know mercy in the day of judgment. All who call upon Your name, in repentance and in faith, will know Your mercy instead of Your judgment on that day. "The Scripture says, 'No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on Him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' " (Romans 10.11-13). For all who call upon Your name, in humble repentance and trusting faith, Your "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2.13). As You open the seals and release Your judgments, Lord, "in wrath may You remember mercy" (Habakkuk 3.2). Prepare our hearts now that we can join in the "new song" of those who fall down in worship before You: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slaughtered and by Your blood You ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to God, and they will reign on the earth" (Revelation 5.9-10). "Worthy is the Lamb" (Revelation 5.12)! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I have been writing a book this summer on principles of inner healing and deliverance in the Holy Spirit's preparation of the bride of Christ for the coming of the Lord. Please pray for me to get this finished and published, while not neglecting the rest of the ministry, all in the way the Lord plans. And I pray for you to fulfill all He is calling you to do in this hour, all in His way and all to His glory. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe contact me at Messiah Ministries -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Join us at The Fountain on the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm. Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!Daily archives of my devotional at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com