Waves of His Will 7-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in the silence of surrender, I entrust myself to You in these first moments of my morning. Draw me into Your presence as I welcome Your presence in me. You say, "I am the Vine." I say, "I am one of Your branches. I abide in You as I welcome You to abide in me" (from John 15:1-5). … When I practiced law in Corpus Christi beside the Gulf of Mexico, I liked to spend some time at the beach every now and then. It was nice to relax in the sun and walk in the sand along the edge of the water. Stress seemed to wash out to sea with every wave. Sometimes I would wade out a little deeper and I could feel the draw of the water back into the sea after every wave would wash onto the beach. As I tried to walk, I would have to almost dig in with my steps to resist the flow of the water trying to draw me out to sea with the waves. So sometimes I would lay back in the water and kick up my feet with no resistance, just to flow with waves. These morning times of prayer are kind of like that the washing of the waves along the shore of my soul. There will be time to walk through the resistance of all the challenges that will come with the day, time to dig in and take a stand, time to press on when everything seems to flowing the other way. But these first moments of the morning are a time to lay back in Your arms, kick my feet up in trusting surrender to the flow of Your Spirit, and let You draw me out into the deeper waters of Your presence. Let the morning sun of the Son of God shine on my soul, and let the waves of Your Holy Spirit wash away the stress and strain of my own strength. Draw me out into the flow of the will of my Father today, as I abide in You and welcome You to abide in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayers this week while I'm ministering at Aldersgate in Springfield, Illinois. Today I will be teaching and ministering on the topic of Freedom from the Chains of our Past. I am also ministering on the prayer team and word gifts team for the general sessions. I wish you were all here in Springfield, Illinois with me! So please be with me in the Spirit through prayer. The Lord is moving powerfully! God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.org

Burning Heart 7-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let me know You more completely in every dimension of Your Being and let me receive You more deeply in every dimension of my being. … Most every Methodist knows the birth of our movement began on May 28, 1794 when John Wesley went to a Moravian prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. His heart was "strangely warmed" and set ablaze with a passion for You and for others in a depth of intimacy of relationship with You he had never known. Though at the time he even thought he was having an initial salvation experience, it seems to me and many others, from his later writings and the evidence of the fruit of Your Spirit in his life both before and after that encounter, that You baptized him in Your Holy Spirit in that moment of desperate surrender and humble faith (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5). I've come to the annual Aldersgate Conference again this summer to understand and receive a deeper measure of the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit in my life. Help me to drink deeply of Your Living Water through the ministries of teaching, preaching, prayer, and worship. Free me to worship You from the depths of my soul, unhindered and unrestrained by anything but the leading of Your Spirit. Let me catch up with some old friends who have become family. And anoint me to teach and pray with Your power and authority as I give away to others what You have given me. When I go home, refreshed and renewed from my time with You, let me be like those disciples who encountered You along the way and received a personal touch of Your presence -- "Were not our hearts burning within us!" (Luke 24:32). Yes, Lord. Let my heart be strangely warmed at Aldersgate again this year. Baptize me afresh in Your Holy Spirit and set me ablaze with a passion for You and for others in a depth of intimacy of relationship with You I have never known. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayers this week. I am ministering on the prayer team and word gifts team and I will be teaching and ministering on the topic of Freedom from the Chains of our past Friday. I wish you were all here in Springfield, Illinois with me! So please be with me in spirit through prayer. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.org

"Who am I?" 7-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lift me up into the heavenly places where I am seated in Christ with You at the right hand of our Father in Heaven (Ephesians 1:20 and 2:4-7). … "Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, 'Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far?" (1 Chronicles 17:16). To have the honor and the privilege to even come and sit before You is incredible. Then to know that You welcome me into Your presence and You even desire to hear my worship and praise and prayers is beyond comprehension. But even as I ask, like David, "Who am I?" it seems I hear You say, "You are My son. You are a child of God. I have brought you this far in the journey of your relationship of intimacy with Me, but I have so much further for you to go. Keep coming to and sitting before Me. Keep welcoming Me into the moments of Your day. This is the heritage of My children. This is the purpose for which I have created you. I am Love. And I have created you for a relationship of love with Me. You are greatly loved and You are always welcome in My presence." Thank You, Lord. You are my Father and I am Your son. I am a child of God. Keep drawing me nearer. Keep cleansing me of sin and shame and all that would try to hold me back from drawing near to You. Keep reminding me of who You say that I am. Keep reminding me of who You are and who You are to me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Tody, I will be joining the ministry team and teaching at the Aldersgate Annual Conference of the Holy Spirit in Springfield, Illinois the rest of the week: www.aldersgaterenewal.org Please keep us in your prayers and if you can, come join us! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Praying in the Spirit 7-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I set aside my prayers and wait on You for Your prayers. … "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but hat 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). I do not know how to pray as I ought. So, I look to You and listen for Your leading. You search my heart and You know my weaknesses and my needs. You searches the hearts of those for whom I'm interceding and You now their weaknesses and their needs. And then You intercede through me with sighs too deep for words, with intercession beyond my comprehension, but with prayers according to the will of God. As You begin to bring people and circumstances to my mind now, I give you my heart and I pray in Your Spirit according to Your will. … … As I pray, these are words and sighs in the groaning of the Spirit, yearning for the will of God to be done, for the kingdom of God to come on earth -- and in these lives of each person and each need You are bringing to mind -- as it is in heaven. I don't know the words You are praying, but the thoughts that come to my mind as I pray in the Spirit are thoughts of freedom … healing … breakthrough … restoration … hope … peace … cleansing … joy. I agree with Your will to release Your word and Your power into each of these lives by the power of Your Spirit. And I thank You for those who pray for me in the power of Your Spirit when You bring my face to their minds according to Your will. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Praying Friends, thank you for joining with me in prayer in ministry to the people here at Christ Church in Fairview, Illinois. Last night the Lord moved deeply in our hearts touching and healing deep wounds as He was binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free. Thank you for joining with me through your intercession in this ministry of prayer and proclaiming God's Word in the power of His Spirit. I'll be speaking with pastors this morning from other churches in the area on the ministry of inner healing and deliverance. Please keep us in your prayers. God bless you! Wednesday, I will be joining the ministry team and teaching at the Aldersgate Annual Conference of the Holy Spirit in Springfield, Illinois the rest of the week: www.aldersgaterenewal.org Please keep us in your prayers and if you can, come join us! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Bread upon the Waters 7-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. … "Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back" (Ecclesiastes 11:1). You have given me the bread of Your words of life. You have nurtured me and strengthened me, You are growing me into maturity. And every day You send me to share with others what You have given me, even as I learn from others what You have shared with them. In the giving, there is receiving. And the measure we give will be the measure we receive. As You said, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (Luke 6:37-38). Keep teaching me Your ways, keep leading me in Your will, keep transforming me into Your nature -- little by little, step by step, day by day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching and teaching at Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois outside of St. Louis this Sunday through Tuesday: www.connectingwithchrist.com Then I will be joining the ministry team and teaching at the Aldersgate Annual Conference of the Holy Spirit in Springfield, Illinois the rest of the week: www.aldersgaterenewal.org Please keep us in your prayers and if you can, come join us! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Extravagantly Glorious and Abundant Life 7-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I’ve come to Fairview Heights, Illinois to share Your words of truth and life with the people here this morning and over the next few days. So open my heart to hear Your words and open my spirit to receive Your life so that I can share what I receive. … “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). Abundant life is so much more than living on life support. Abundant life is living the fullness of life in the very face of death – in the face of the thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (verse 10:10a). We don’t live life in a vacuum. We live it out day by day, morning by morning, in the midst of a world submitting to the rule of the evil one. But we need not fear, for You have overcome the world and You have defeated the evil one. Give us courage then to confront death with life, to cast off our artificial means of just surviving and just getting by. Awaken us to live the extravagantly glorious and abundant lives You have created us to live. Like Lazarus, let us cast off our death clothes as You roll away the stones that have sealed our tombs. Release the Spirit of Your resurrection life into every area of our lives as You drive death, our enemy, from our lives (John 11:1-44). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching and teaching at Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois outside of St. Louis this Sunday through Tuesday: www.connectingwithchrist.com Then I will be joining the ministry team and teaching at Aldersgate Annual Conference of the Holy Spirit in Springfield, Illinois the rest of the week: www.aldersgaterenewal.org Please keep us in your prayers and if you can, come join us! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Voice of the Good Shepherd 7-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Good Shepherd and Your sheep hear Your voice. You have called me as one of the sheep of Your fold. In these first moments of my morning, help me hear Your voice and Your voice alone. Help me follow You and You alone. ... "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all of his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers. ... I am the good shepherd" (John 10:1-5 and 11). Lord, how do I learn to discern Your voice from the voices of the thieves and bandits who are strangers pretending to be my shepherd and friend? ... It seems I hear You say: "My sheep know My voice because my sheep know Me. You know Me because You spend time with Me, and in spending time with Me you know My nature. My nature is love and My nature is life. My nature is truth and My nature is peace. My nature is encouragement and My nature is hope. When I come in to the gate of your heart, I come in to give you life -- abundant life. When the thief comes in, he comes to bring discouragement and death, destruction and fear. Test the voice you hear. Know Me, and in knowing Me, you will also recognize your enemy, the thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy." Yes, Lord. Forgive me for the times I have given in to deception. Forgive me for the times I have failed to test the thoughts and impressions and voices that come pressing in to my heart and soul. Forgive me for times I have confused Your nature with the thief's nature and judged Your ways as his ways. Remind me of Your nature, renew me in our relationship, refresh me in the knowledge of Your love for me and Your purpose for my life. You are my Good Shepherd. And by Your grace, I want learn and grow to be a more discerning and obedient sheep. Help me hear Your voice and follow Your lead. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching and teaching at Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois outside of St. Louis this Sunday through Tuesday: www.connectingwithchrist.com Then I will be joining the ministry team and teaching at Aldersgate Annual Conference of the Holy Spirit in Springfield, Illinois the rest of the week: www.aldersgaterenewal.org Please keep us in your prayers and if you can, come join us! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.comcd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org

Favored one of God 7-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn to You and call on Your name. I lift my eyes to the heavens and turn my soul to You. I start this day with You so that You will know I welcome You to walk through this day with me. ... "Remember me, O Lord, when You show favor to Your people; help me when You deliver them; that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory in Your heritage" (Psalm 106:4-5). Your favor is Your hand of grace -- Your protection, Your provision, Your power. When I fall far short of Your glory, Your favor lifts me up and presses me on. When I disappoint myself and others, Your favor reminds me to hear Your words of encouragement, that I am still Your child and there is much You have done and much more You will do through my life that the others and I can't always see. When I feel confused about the uncertainties of the present and the anxieties for the future, Your favor reminds me that I am one of Your chose ones -- those who have chosen to receive Your free offer of grace and love to all -- and that You have chosen me to fulfill a purpose and calling and destiny that depends much more on You than on me. So as best as I can and all by Your grace, in humility and in faith, I ask for and I receive Your favor. I choose to find my glory in Your heritage, to be available to You to use my life as You will. Just keep letting me know that You remember me. Just keep reminding me that You love. Just keep encouraging me that You have chosen me. Deliver me from all discouragement and doubt. Establish me in the confident hope and unfailing grace of Your favor. You are all the protection, the provision, and the power I will ever need. In You, I am a favored and chosen one of God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Sound and Blameless" 7-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Lord of my spirit, Lord of my soul, Lord of my body. Be Lord of all. ... "May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). You are faithful and You will do this. By Your healing power, You will keep me sound. By Your forgiving grace, You will keep me blameless. As I keep choosing to keep submitting and surrendering my life into Your hands, You keep sanctifying me -- purifying my heart and cleansing my soul, preparing me for the coming our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the life-long process of spiritual transformation -- conforming my will to Your will and my nature to Your nature. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (verse 4:3). When will You sanctify me, Lord? When will I be sound and blameless before You? Only when I get to heaven? No. Your Word says You desire to sanctify me now -- "at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." You are a holy God, and You are coming for a holy people, surrendering by Your grace to Your will and submitting by Your grace to Your Lordship in our spirits and souls and bodies. As we choose this, You are faithful and You will do this. "And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" (verse 3:13). Strengthen my heart in holiness today. Keep giving me the desire to be sound and blameless at Your coming. Conform my will to Your will and transform my nature into Your nature more every day -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Birth of a Nation 7-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the ruler of the nations and one day all will walk in Your light and bow to Your glory (Revelation 21:24). All by Your grace, I choose to walk in Your light and bow to Your glory today. ... "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). Today we celebrate the birth of our nation on July 4th, 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. From the recorded journals and writings of those who made history at that time, history cannot deny that You were on their minds. In signing their names and sealing their oaths of independence on that day, they also affirmed their dependence upon You: "And for support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance upon Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." You are Divine Providence. And there is no honor that is not sacred honor. Blessed is the nation and blessed is the people who remember to honor You. "And now, Almighty Father, if it is Thy holy will that we shall obtain a place and name among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be enabled to show our gratitude for Thy goodness by our endeavors to fear and obey Thee. Bless us with Thy wisdom in our counsels, success in battle, and let all our victories be tempered with humanity. Endow, also, our enemies with enlightened minds, that they become sensible of their injustice, and willing to restore our liberty and peace. Grant the petition of Thy servant, for the sake of Him whom Thou hast called Thy beloved Son; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done" (General George Washington, private prayer of June 1779 from his headquarters on the Hudson River). Restore us in Your righteousness; forgive us of our sins; remind us of our calling and destiny as a nation who proclaims liberty, fights for freedom, and lives in honor. Like all people of all nations, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But You desire Your mercy to triumph over judgment. And You desire to redeem and restore as You remind us of Your hand of Divine Providence that reaches out to every nation who will humble herself to take it. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12, NKJV). In our celebrations today, may we also remember to humble ourselves to take Your hand and praise Your name for the blessing of our birth and the faithful fulfillment of our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries. orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Seeing is Believing 7-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By the Holy Spirit of the Living God living in me, I come to the Father through Jesus the Son. Lord my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I want to seek You more deeply and find You more completely in the journey of growing in relationship with You. ... "Then Jesus cried aloud: 'Whoever believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And whoever sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me should not remain in the darkness.' " (John 12:44-46). You have not created me and called me merely to understand You or assent to the doctrines about You, but to seek to see You. And in seeing You, I come to know You and to believe in You. As the old sayings go, "Seeing is believing" and "I'll know it when I see it." But the darkness of this broken, fallen world blinds our eyes to the truth of Your presence and Your nature, keeping us from seeing You and knowing You as You truly are. Father, You are Spirit, and those who seek to know You and worship You must seek You in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). So You have entered our darkness in the nature of Your Son. As Your Spirit prophesied of Your coming long ago, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined" (Isaiah 9:2). Now through Your Spirit, You are pushing back the darkness to open the eyes of our hearts to see You and believe You (Ephesians 1:17-19). In the nature of Your Son who has lived among us to show us Your face and who is living among us by Your Spirit to seek Your face, You are "the light of the world" (John 8:12). Darkness has to hide by the coming of the glory of Your light. "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). Father God, as I see Your Son, I see You. As I see His nature, I know Your nature, for the Father and the Son "are One" (John 10:30). I know You as I see You. And then seeing is believing. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's on inner healing, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Belief and Obedience 7-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name and seek Your nature. ... "The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath" (John 3:35-36). There is an inseparable connection between belief and obedience. We cannot really believe without also obeying and we cannot really obey without believing. Faith in the Son of God includes both trusting and obeying. Lord, help me trust more; help me obey more. Father, draw me more deeply into Your love of Your Son by Your Spirit. Keep giving me the grace to trust Him and obey Him. As I keep putting my faith in Your Son, His life becomes my life and His nature becomes my nature. And I grow in my understanding of my identity as a son of God -- created to endure Your pleasure and not Your wrath. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

My Life-line 6-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I turn my eyes to challenges of they day, I first turn them to You. Now is when I receive the wisdom and the strength that will carry me through this day. ... "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4). On a popular television game show, the contestants try to give the right answer to the questions in order to keep progressing to the end. When they really get desperate, and no longer think they can make the right choice on their own, they turn to one of their "life-lines" for help. There have been many times when I have live my life like that game show -- trying to do it on my own until I get desperate enough to ask for help, to use my life-line. But You have been teaching me the peace that comes with desperately depending upon You from the very beginning. You are my Life-line. You are the right answer to every question I will encounter this day. I don't want to even try to answer the questions and meet the challenges I will face today in my own wisdom or strength apart from You. And I don't have to. I turn my face and my heart to You in desperate dependence upon Your help and Your life, for I have chosen for my life to be hidden in Your. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Buildings of Blessing 6-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet and listen for Your leading as I spend the first moments of this morning with You. ... Our church needs a new roof. The estimates for repair have been staggering, and the idea of diverting funds from ministry to materials is overwhelming. But as we use the building You have entrusted to us, You are reminding us it is not a building we honor, but You. It's not a building we serve but the people You bring to the building as a place and a means of Your ministry to them. Our building is a blessing only to the degree we use it to bless those outside our building who need to come inside a living and personal relationship with You. As we were praying about that and the other challenges we face as a church yesterday, the image came to me of another building where You were ministering. That building was an obstacle to ministry for the friends of a paralyzed man who couldn't get in to see You and receive Your healing words and Your healing power. So they tore the roof off of that building (Luke 5:18-19). Lord, tear the roof off of everything in our lives and our churches that hinder us from our mission of sharing You and Your Word and Your power with all who need You. Remove the false ceilings, break down the barriers, and open up the heavens over our heads -- even if You have to tear the roof off to do it. Let this challenge not be a distraction but a means to our destiny. In the ways of Your kingdom, You'll give us a new roof as we pray for open heavens. Long ago, a torn-up roof led to a mighty demonstration of Your power to forgive sins and heal lives. "Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe" (Luke 5:26). We glorify You for Your goodness. We stand amazed in Your presence. We are filled with awe at Your grace to forgive and Your power to heal. Let our lives be Your temple and let our hearts be open to Your heavens, so that our buildings will be blessings for all people. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Welcome 6-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Father God. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I welcome You, Lord, in every dimension of Your Being here into dimension of my being this day. ... "Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him" (Luke 8:40). In the original language of this verse, the word "welcomed" means to receive gladly. Every day, I want to be waiting for Your return and every day I want to be receiving You gladly into my life. One day You will return in glory in the skies, and every day between now and then You want to return in glory in our hearts. Your glory is Your manifest presence. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- come manifest the glory of Your presence in my life today. I wait for You eagerly and welcome You gladly. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Riches of Life 6-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call You Lord, because I choose to submit to Your lordship in every area of my life, as best as I can and all by Your grace. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Be my King. Be my Lord. ... "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19). The two riches men in the world recently announced they are giving incredible proportions of their time and their riches to help the lives of others. Whatever their motives or their circumstances, one thing seems clear -- they are seeking to find fulfillment in something other than what they have. And they each seem to have so very much. In the journey of my life, there have been times when I have been rich and times when I have been poor. But You have shown me over and again the measure of my wealth is not the measure of my joy. My treasure is found in trusting You. You know just what I need to find fulfillment, peace, and joy. And when I am willing to trust You in that, letting my focus be Your focus and my priorities be Your priorities, You richly provide everything I need for my enjoyment of life -- "the life that really is life." That kind of life may be lived out even in the most horrendous circumstances and challenging struggles, but it is a life of the joy of Your presence and Your pleasure that I have found my "good foundation for the future" in the treasure of trusting You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Power of the Word of God 6-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are mighty. You are powerful. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I trust in the might of Your power. I submit to the authority of Your name. ... In the struggles of ministry, Moses questioned the extent of Your power, and therefore doubted the authority of Your word. But You simply looked at him and loved him, then You resolved to show him the power of Your name and the faithfulness of Your word. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not' " (Numbers 11:23). Forgive me for the times I question Your power and doubt Your word. Forgive me for the times I look at the struggles longer than I look to You, submitting to their lordship rather than Yours. You are not a weak God, nor a complacent God. You are involved in every area of my life and in the lives of those around me. You are mighty and You are powerful. And every word You have ever spoken to me in my spirit and to me through Your Scripture will come to pass. In Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way, I will see that Your word for me is true. I will see the glory and the power of Your Word and my King. "For the Kingdom of God depends not on talks but on power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Steady as a Rock 6-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old song says, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."... "I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:1-2). Like a solid rock that never moves, You are steadfast and true, unchanging and unmoving. I find my strength in Your strength, my courage in Your courage. As I look to You, my heart is steadied and still. I am comforted and encouraged in the security of the stronghold of Your covenant with me. In You, "I shall not be moved" (Psalm 62:6, NKJV). In You, I take my stand to face with faith whatever comes -- steady as a rock, stead in the Rock. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Love Casts Out Fear 6-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By Your grace and in Your power, I choose to depend on You. Be my wisdom, be my strength. Be my Father and my Savior. Be my Lord, my God, and my Best Friend. ... "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that 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 glorified with Him" (Romans 8:14-17). It is the spirit of slavery that always tries to draw me back in to fear -- fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of trusting. But it is the Spirit of Adoption -- the Holy Spirit of the Living God living in me -- who is always trying to draw me forward into the fullness of the future to fulfill my calling and destiny in You. I am a son of God, and You are my Father. I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. Your Spirit bears witness with my spirit of the deepest bonds of relationship with You in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By grace, You have chosen to identify Yourself with me; and by faith, I have chosen to identify myself with You -- in suffering and in glory, in failure and in success, in this world and in the world to come. Keep giving me faith to live in this truth. Keep giving me grace to live in this bond of trust by Your love for me as Your child. Faith in Your love for me breaks the power of all fear and delivers me from every spirit of slavery. "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:17-18). Abba, Father! Keep casting out my fear and keep filling me with Your love. As You do, You are casting out every unholy spirit and filling me with Your Holy Spirit, for You are Perfect Love. "God is love, and those who abide in God abide in love, and God abides in them" (1 John 4:16). Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- keep abiding in me as I keep abiding in You, all by Your grace and all in Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends of Tommy Hays and Messiah Ministries, Please prayerfully consider giving joyfully and generously to the ministry of the Lord through Messiah Ministries as He leads you. Like a missionary, I raise my own funds for the work of our ministry. Our calling and vision is to do our part in the power of His Spirit to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free (Isaiah 61; Luke 4)! Messiah Ministries ... Ministering the Healing Love of God, Preparing the Way of the Lord. Our Address for Contributions and Ministry is: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Our website: www.messiah-ministries.org Thank you and God bless you! Subscribe/Unsubscribe at MessiahMin@aol.com Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Kingdom is Near 6-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I submit and entrust my life to You, let there be more of You and less of me, more of Your nature and less of my nature -- morning by morning and day by day. ... You sent out seventy disciples -- not just twelve -- into Your harvest of souls, saying, "Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:1-3). But even though You warned them You were sending them to "the wolves," You told them to begin their ministry to the people by speaking words of peace rather than judgment, first giving people the chance to welcome Your disciples and Your message of hope and life through faith. "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you" (verse 10:5-6). The peace of Your presence is within us, as Your disciples. As we go to the places You send us, we are not offering people ourselves, we are offering them You. But at the same time, we offer them You through us -- through the peace of Your presence living in us and flowing through us by Your Holy Spirit. As we abide in You and allow You to abide in us, our nature becomes more like Your nature, our words become more like Your words, and then the peace we offer is Your peace You are offering through us. It's all about You -- but amazingly, You offer Yourself through us -- those You have called and discipled and sent to proclaim with authority and to demonstrate with power that "The kingdom of God has come near to you" (verse 10:8-9). By the grace and the mystery of Your Spirit living in us, You said, "Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me, and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me" (verse 10:16). And there are consequences for our choices -- the choices we make to go where You send us and to do what You command us, as well as the choices they make to welcome us or reject us, to share in Your peace or not. There will come a day of Your "judgment" for each of us, based upon the choices we make in the light of Your grace (verse 10:14). Lord, give me grace to choose well -- first in welcoming and receiving those You send to bring Your peace, and then in going out into Your harvest to share the peace of Your presence I have welcomed into my soul with others -- even to "the wolves" You warned me I would encounter along the way. Keep me close to You, starting each day and continuing each day in You, so that it is more and more Your true nature and Your true message that others have a chance to welcome or reject. Let it be Your kingdom and not my kingdom that "has come near" (verse 10:9 and 10:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com