Snatched Away 1-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me yield to Your will and walk in Your ways, in every area of my life. I have so far to go, but You are taking me there -- step by step and morning by morning. ... "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea" (Acts 8:39-40). Philip was so yielded to You that Your Holy Spirit was able to literally snatch him away from one place of ministry and position him instantaneously in another. There are no restrictions of time and space to You. Help me become so yielded to You that there are no restrictions in me. I want to proclaim the good news in the preaching of the Word and in the authority of prayer, whether in the spirit or in the body, everywhere I find myself positioned by You. I want to be so available to You and Your will that You can even snatch me up and send me out in Your supernatural ways. Where You lead me, I will follow. Where You send me, I will go -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com .Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Breaking Free 1-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior, my Healer and Deliverer and Redeemer. I bow before You, worship and adore You, as I watch and wait now for You in these first moments of a new day. ... "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind. For He shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron" (Psalm 107:13-16). This morning my pastor plans to begin a new series of messages for our church called "Breaking Free." And by Your grace and in Your power we will be breaking free from everything that holds us back for the fullness of our calling and destiny in You, personally and as a church. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). But we must humble our hearts to acknowledge our need. You are the One who shatters our doors of bronze and cuts in two our bars of iron, who breaks our bonds asunder in the power and anointing of Your presence, but we must find the humility to admit we need it, to admit we need You. You save from distress those who cry out to You in their trouble. Help us be transparent in our troubles, open with our struggles, and desperate for deliverance from our darkness and gloom. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). As never before, help us personally admit where we are broken and acknowledge where we are crushed, as we welcome You to draw near in Your power and presence. Come, Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus and steadfast love of our Father with the grace to forgive and the power to heal -- in my life and my church and as far as Your grace will go. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Impoverished and Empowered 1-6-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above all names. You are worthy of all praise. I praise Your name and seek Your face, entrusting my soul to mercy of Your grace. ... "He raises up the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor" (1 Samuel 2:8). As I encounter the challenges of my life, I am increasingly aware of my poverty of power apart from You. As I encounter the pain and wounds, the bondage and shame of others crying out to You through the ministry of prayer for healing and deliverance, I am continually confronted with the knowledge of Your truth that I have absolutely nothing to give or say of any help at all apart from any gift of Your grace and power of Your word You choose to offer through me. Those words of wisdom You spoke long ago ring more true to me every day: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But as I acknowledge my poverty and humble my pride, You open wide the windows of grace over every problem and pain, every burden and barrier I entrust to You in the surrender of faith. My troubles and the troubles of those I come alongside in prayer don't always immediately vanish -- but they are vanquished in the power of Your promises and the peace of Your presence. Fear is overcome by faith and stress is overcome by the sense of security You impart to our souls. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). You humble the proud, but empower the humble. You empower the impoverished. "Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him?" (James 2:5). Yes, Lord. I love You and I need You. Keep me poor in deepening dependence on You, that You many continually demonstrate Your power through my poverty. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, it seems lately the Lord and/or our baby have been waking me up early. Then I find myself concerned, even almost overwhelmed with concern for myself, my family, my clients, and my world. Sickness and disease, terrorism and hunger, Israel and Islam, earthquakes and hurricanes, lost souls and poverty, abortion, addictions, and preparing the way of the Lord and the coming of the King. As soon as I can, I try to allow the Lord to draw me to prayer and entrust it all to Him. Peace comes through prayer. His grace is sufficient for me. And it comforts me to know that by morning's light, you are joining me in prayer. Thank you and God bless you for joining me in the journey. I pray the Lord's peace through prayer in your journey. These are dark days, but the Light has never shined brighter for those with eyes to see and hearts to hear (Isaiah 60). The prayers of God's people led by His Spirit are some of the most significant ways His Light is shining in the midst of the darkness. (Now I can rest and get back to bed for a little "nap" before morning. Thanks for listening to this little extra prayer this morning. -- your friend and brother in the Lord, Tommy To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Covenant of Salt 1-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. With the words of an old hymn, I lift up my heart in worship and prayer to begin this day with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee." ... "All holy offerings that the Israelites present to the Lord I have given to you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and your descendents as well" (Number 18:19). In ancient times, salt was a mineral of great worth. It speaks of purity and preservation. The covenant of salt with the priests of God speaks of a calling to a persistent commitment of purity before You. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but You desire all to have a heart seeking holiness -- a persistent holiness of heart and life, lived out day by day by the grace of Your blood cleansing our sins and purifying our hearts. The priesthood of the Old Covenant is now fulfilled in Christ. And so now it is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit of Christ living through us, the priesthood of all believers (Romans 8:9). "To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:5-6). Just as all the holy offerings the priests presented to the Lord were offerings You Yourself gave them to present, all I have to offer You is what You have given me to offer. All that I am and all that I have belongs to You. I am no longer my own, but "bought with a price" by the blood of the Lamb, now living in me as "a temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Anything in me that is holy and pure is only holy and pure by the cleansing of Your blood and the filling of Your Spirit. But through Your blood and by Your grace, I offer my life a living sacrifice in an eternal covenant of commitment to You, preserved forever in the power of Your love and commitment to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Always Here 1-4-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name, seek Your face, and listen for Your voice. ... It seems I hear You say, "I am here. I am always here, always near. Don't question that, don't doubt that. You don't have to do anything or say anything. I am always here. I never leave you. I never forsake you." Yes, Lord. Thank You for Your constant presence, here in my life and here in my heart. Thank You for the power of Your promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Even in times when it seems You are distant or absent or indifferent, it is the limitation of my perception, not the reality of Your truth. As You said to Israel ever in a time of her rebellion and sin, so You say to each of us each day: "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on My name' " (Isaiah 65:1). Thank You for Your persistent grace and unfailing love. By Your grace, I want to persistently seek You and call on Your name. Without any limitations of false perceptions, I want to know that You are always near -- because You always are. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/ . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

"Wait Quietly" 1-3-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my head and my heart before You to listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25-26). Before I rise and go about my day, I wait for You. Before I look at what lies before me today, I seek You. I quiet my soul in the silence of surrender, watching and waiting for the leading of Your Spirit. My flesh wants to get up and go, but my spirit says, "Wait." It humbles my pride and crucifies my flesh, but it brings my body into submission to my soul and my soul into submission to my spirit and my spirit into submission to Your Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Now the mind, will, and emotions of my soul will not lead, but will follow the lead of my spirit, in communion with Your Holy Spirit. Now I can better sense Your leading and better hear Your voice as I go about my day, discerning Your will to choice my way. This is a blessing of waiting quietly before You in the first moments of my morning. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of this blessing. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/ . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Unveiled Faces 1-2-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart so I can follow You into my day. ... "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding Your likeness" (Psalm 17:15). Apart from You, I have no righteousness. But I am not apart from You. You are abiding in Me and I am abiding in You. By the cleansing of Your blood and the mercy of Your grace, You cause me to become "the righteousness of God" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). You have lifted the veil of my sin so that I may behold Your face. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (v. 3:18). As I awake this morning to seek Your face and behold Your glory, You are changing me into Your image. We become like what we worship. I worship You, that I many become more like You. Thank You for being patience with me as You transform me in this life-long process of sanctification "from one degree of glory to another." And thank You for blessing of incredible breakthroughs and baptisms of Your Holy Spirit in the moments of complete surrender and complete sanctification along the way. As I follow You in the journey, keep my heart sensitive to the conviction of my sin and hungry for the consuming of Your Fire. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you all for your prayers for Nanny. She's doing great now! I pray you are off to a great start this new year. No matter what circumstances we face, God is with us through them all! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Purged and Cleansed, Forgiven and Freed 1-1-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I celebrate the beginning of this new morning of this new year in the communion of prayer with You. ... "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:7-10). I woke up this morning with the desire to be purged and cleansed of all unrighteousness -- to begin this new year with clean hands and a pure heart. Almighty Father God, Creator of heaven and earth, by Your grace that comes through the cleansing of the Blood of Jesus and the purging of the Fire of the Holy Spirit, I commit and commend, I dedicate and consecrate my spirit and soul and body, my family and friends and relationships, my hopes and plans and dreams, my gifting and calling and destiny, my finances and possessions and resources, my past and present and future, my generations past and my generations to come, every dimension of every realm of my existence to You -- my Lord, my Savior, and my God. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I entrust myself to You and Your Lordship of my life in complete submission and trusting surrender. I confess and repent of all my sins. I want to be purged and cleansed, forgiven and freed, as I begin this year in the journey of faith. I pray for and I receive Your forgiveness and grace, Your healing of all wounds and deliverance from all evil -- that my flesh would be crucified with Christ, that my heart and soul would be purged and cleansed, that I would be filled with the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. I bring to the foot of the Cross and under the Blood of the Lamb all levels and layers of selfishness, self-centeredness, self glory, pride, presumption, insecurity, fear, doubt, unbelief, stubbornness, rebellion, rejection, self rejection, condemnation, shame, lust, impurity, immorality, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, greed, jealousy, laziness, sloth, gluttony, addictions, perversions, deviations, complacency, passivity, manipulation, control, deception, confusion, criticism, idolatry, excuses, self righteousness, self deception, defensiveness, hardness of heart, dullness of conscience, weariness of spirit, and everything else that Your Holy Spirit brings to mind now or in the days of this new year ahead. I choose to hold nothing back, but freely submit all that I am and all that I have to You. I renounce in the name of Jesus everything that would hold me back from being holy and whole by the power of Your love and plan for me and my life. And I choose to embrace Your will and Your ways by Your grace. You are worthy of my trust and I willing commit my life and this year into Your hands -- Your nail-scarred hands. This is my desire: "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20). "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). "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). "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (v. 4:3). Yes, Lord. I ask You to do this and keep giving me the courage to keep asking -- step by step, layer by layer, morning by morning. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I invite you to continue to come along with me on the journey again this year, as I begin my fourth year of Morning by Morning. I pray these morning prayer will be a blessing and encouragement to you. Please forward these along to anyone who might be interested in starting off each day centered on Jesus in contemplative prayer. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

"I Come to the End" 12-31-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. You are my All in All. I watch and wait in surrender and silence for the leading of Your Spirit into the arms of my Father. ... "In Your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them -- they are more than the sand; I come to the end -- I am still with You" (Psalm 139:16-18). I have come to the end of another year of the journey of faith in prayer with You. Morning by Morning, I have settled in to my chair, opened my journal and my heart, lifted my face and spirit, and called on Your name to watch and wait in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit. "I come to the end -- I am still with You." I come to the end, and You are still with me. You never leave me, nor forsake me. All that I endure, You have endured with me and within me by unending presence of Your Holy Spirit abiding in me as I abide in You. Though You have not willed all that I have experienced this year, You have used it all as a means of Your grace to continue Your labor of love to conform me into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-30). You have known every challenge that would come, every choice that would be made, and Your power to redeem all that would happen, no matter the source. I need not fear any of the things that are written in Your book of my days, because I know by faith the assurance of Your peace that my name is written in Your "book of life" (Revelation 20:12 and 21:27). Thank You for walking with me through this year. Thank You for being there to walk with me through the next. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for joining with me in the journey this year. I pray these morning prayers have been a blessing and encouragement to you as we have sought to surrender our lives into the hands of God every day, as He has led us in His journey for us -- making us more like Him every day, by His grace and in His power. I would appreciate your prayers for my grandmother, Edna Hays. She is 87 years old and we call her "Nanny." She came up to Kentucky from Texas to spend Christmas with us. But Friday night she suddenly had severe shortage of breath and had to go into the hospital, struggling with congestive heart failure. She is very peaceful now and should be back with us in a couple of days. She is a strong woman of prayer and faith, and I know the Lord has many more years for her to pray "on site with insight" here on earth with us through these last battles of these exciting days. We need one another's prayers. And I pray for you and all those you love to pray through and press on to the end of our calling for our generation to the glory of our King and His Kingdom. God bless you, my friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Legacy of Faith 12-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I rise in my spirit to take Your hand and walk another day of the journey of faith with You. ... "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you" (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy lived a legacy of faith, passed down to him through the generations, as his grandmother and mother lived out that faith before him and taught him how to live out that faith for himself. As we celebrated the life of Dora Caldwell yesterday with her family, we saw the power and witness of a legacy of faith passed down and lived out through those she loved. She was a woman of prayer. And yesterday she must have been so pleased to see her prayers answered and her legacy live on as the name of her Savior and Best Friend was proclaimed from the lips and hearts from those she loved so much. Lord, give me Your grace to live a life of prayer and faith that will live on in a legacy of faith in those I love. Let me not just live for today, but live for You. Her family said Mrs. Caldwell lived a life of "JOY" -- Jesus first; Others second; Yourself last. Help me learn to live that way. Let Your legacy and hers live on in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

A Life Lived in Christ 12-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and honor You. I entrust my life and this day to You. ... "Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there will My servant be also. Whoever serves Me, My Father will honor" (John 12:26). Today we will celebrate and mourn the passing of one of Your servants and saints, Dora Caldwell. To her last day, she prayed with others and saw Your hand in her life. She knew You well and You knew her well. She followed You and served You in the grace and the light You freely gave her. On these days when we pause and look at the lives of others, it causes me to pause and look at my life as well: When all is said and done, When at last my race is run, What will You think of me? When there's no room for regrets, When there's no time for amends, What will You think of me? When it doesn't matter what others say, When I won't have another day, What will You think of me? I'll be embarrassed of some things, I'll be glad of other things, But the most important thing, Will be what did I think of You. Did I trust You with my life, Did I receive Your sacrifice, Did I live my life for You? I can know this very day, What You'll think of me on that day, As I entrust my life to You. You'll see me through Your blood, You'll know me by Your love, And I'll spend my eternal life with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"No Returns, Please" 12-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. With a thankful heart, I receive the gift of the grace of Your presence abiding in me and I abide in You. ... "Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet 'in a little while, the One who is coming will come and not delay; but My righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.' But we are not among those who shrink back and are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved" (Hebrews 10:35-39). On the day after Christmas, the stores will be filled with people taking back their gifts. They may have expressed joy in the moment of unwrapping the gift, but down inside they did not really ever receive it. They may have appreciated the thought of the giver, but took no thought for the gift. So the gift is returned -- once accepted, but no longer received. But all Christmas gifts speak of the one true Gift. As God the Father, You humbled Yourself as God the Son, to be conceived in human flesh by God the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). You gave to us the greatest Gift we could ever receive, longing we would embrace Your Gift of Grace with the joy of children on Christmas morning. "He came to what was His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God" (John 1:11-12). Father, thank You for Your Gift of Your Son through Your Spirit. I receive Your grace to embrace Your Gift -- to never return it, never spurn it, never try to earn it -- but simply to receive it with child-like faith and Christmas morning joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Happy Birthday, Jesus 12-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Happy Birthday! ... "Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:10-14, NKJV). Though the Word of God is from everlasting to everlasting, on this day we celebrate that "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14, NKJV). Lord Jesus, You are the Word of God -- eternal as One with the Holy Spirit and the Father, yet at the same time, humbling Yourself and "coming in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7, NKJV). Truly this was a miraculous sign and wonder -- the Creator of heaven and earth humbling His Self to be born as a Babe in a manger. "Fall on Your knees! On hear the angel voices!" I humble myself before You this day, Christ the Lord, my Savior. I praise You with all the heavenly host and all who call on Your name throughout all generations to celebrate the One who is "full of grace and truth." Glory to God in highest! And on earth, peace and goodwill toward men! In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Prepare Him Room 12-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I make room for You in my heart and welcome You into every area of my world this day. ... "With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before Him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). In the Christmas hymn Joy to the World, we sing, "Let every heart prepare Him room." Christmas Eve marks the time we prepare our hearts with great anticipation of Your coming. Like John the Baptist who came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord, come Holy Spirit, and prepare the way of the Lord in my heart today. Fill me with anticipation and excitement to receive my Father's Christmas Gift -- the gift of Christ the Lord into the world and into my heart. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Merry Christmas, my friends! May the Lord fill you with the fullness of His joy in this season of anticipation and hope. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Blessed by Believing 12-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I face the stress of the season today, I wait in the silence of surrender before You now. ... "Blessed is she who has believed that there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord" (Luke 1:45). Mary believed and received Your words of calling and destiny for her life. She was blessed, and in her obedience of faith, she blessed You. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Mary pleased You because she believed You. Let my life please You. Give me grace and faith to believe You for the fulfillment of all You have spoken to me by Your Word and by Your Spirit. Like Mary, let me "accomplish all things" in Your power, according to the purpose and plan You have set for my life "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:3-14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Holy Habitation in Zion 12-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and my Savior. I bow before Your heavenly throne and welcome You here on to the throne of my heart. ... "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation: 'This is My resting place forever; here I will reside for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless its provisions; I will satisfy its poor with bread. It's priests I will clothe with salvation, and its faithful will shout for joy. There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed One. His enemies I will clothe with disgrace, but on Him, His crown will gleam" (Psalm 132:13-18). In this season of the celebration of Your first coming as the Christ Child, all the eyes of the world are turned toward Zion -- the mountain of the city at the center of the land of Your birth, Your ministry, Your death, Your resurrection, and Your return. "Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her" (Ezekiel 5:5). As we think of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Galilee and Nazareth, let us remember to pray for this land and its people at the center of the earth. Though there has been great rebellion, there will be great renewal. Though there has been great violence, there will be great victory. Though there have been great threats of great destruction, there will be great restoration. So, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as Your Word commands us: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6). I pray for the people of "the city of God" to turn their eyes to You and behold their Messiah (Psalm 46:4). I pray for the day of peace that will come on the day of Your return to Your "resting place forever" as Your people declare, "Blessed in the One who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:39). On that day, I will join all its faithful to "shout for joy" when Your "crown will gleam" by the praise of Your people. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Messiah of Bethlehem 12-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I center my thoughts on You as I lift up my heart in prayer. ... "But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you will come forth for Me One who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.... and He shall be the One of Peace" (Micah 5:2-5). From everlasting to everlasting, You are Lord. You are the Messiah who has come forth to establish Your eternal throne in the hearts of all people (Revelation 11:15). You are the fulfillment of every prophecy of Your coming (Acts 3:18; 18:28). You are the "Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7:9). You are the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). You came in humility on the hay of a manger in Bethlehem and You are coming in glory in the hearts of Your people -- all people who call upon Your name. Come and rule in Israel. Come and rule in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Messiah is Coming" 12-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You, Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- into my heart and my day. ... "The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). 'When He comes, He will proclaim all things to us.' Jesus said to her, 'I am He, the One who is speaking to you' " (John 4:25-26). Lord Jesus, You are the One who proclaims all things to us. You are Yeshua HaMoshiach -- Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. You are "the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). You are still coming, still speaking, still proclaiming Your Word of truth and life to us. You are the Word made flesh -- both exalted as Son of God and humbled as Son of Man -- having no beginning and no end as Son of God, yet at the same time conceived by the Holy Spirit in the human womb of a virgin girl (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11). " 'She will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us' " (Matthew 1:21-23). Thank You for coming, and thank You for coming again soon. And in between these two great days, thank You for being with us, for being with me -- this day and every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Our Great God and Savior" 12-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with the hope and anticipation of Your presence in my life today. ... "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave Himself up for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:11-14). Lord Jesus, You are "our great God and Savior." I wait for "the blessed hope" of the manifestation of Your glory. Keep redeeming me from all iniquity, keep purifying me from all defilement of my sin and the sins of others against me, keep training me to renounce impiety and worldly passions. By Your grace and in Your power I want to live my life in a way that honors You -- self-controlled, upright and godly. This is why You have appeared in the flesh, "bringing salvation to all." Help me embrace the fullness of Your salvation for me through the cleansing of Your blood and the power of Your Spirit to the glory of our Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Mighty Warrior God 12-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Strengthen my spirit in these morning moments of prayer. Gird up my heart in faith to face the battles I will face today for the sake of Your name. ... "The Lord is my strength and my might, and He has become my salvation; this is my God and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name" (Exodus 15:2-3). Moses and the people sang this song of praise as they stood in wonder at the shores of the Red Sea. Their enemies charged against them, shouting taunts of terror to melt their hearts in fear: "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them" (15:9). But it was Your hand that drew the sword of Your Word. "You blew Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters" (15:10). You defeated the enemies of Your people in the face of certain destruction. Then their hearts could not contain the songs of praise and shouts of joy for the strength and power of Your salvation. "Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power -- Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy!" (15:6). You are my strength and my might. Come in power to defeat the enemies of my soul. Stretch out Your mighty right hand, O Lord. Deliver me from destruction and establish me in the victory of Your salvation. You are love, but You are also a warrior -- a mighty warrior who's love for Your people consumes our enemies and silences their taunts. Arise in Your power and let Your enemies be scattered. "This is my God and I will praise Him!" In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com