Set the Compass of My Soul 7-30-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. May You increase as I decrease. May You be the center of my attention and the focus of my worship in these first moments of my morning. ... "These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord" (Zechariah 8:16-17). Convict me when I'm tempted to lie. Restrain me when I'm tempted to stir up strife. Prompt me when I'm tempted to stay silent in the face of injustice, oppression, and need. Let my words and my actions reveal the nature of a heart and mind entrusted to You today. "May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You" (Psalm 25:21). Set the compass of my soul toward the true north of Your Word and Your ways. Help me chart my course throughout my day by the leading of Your Spirit. It all begins here in these fist moments of worship and prayer, as I yield my unrighteousness to Your righteousness, my human spirit to Your Holy Spirit. "The way of the righteous is level; O Just One, You make smooth the path of the righteous. In the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait for You; Your name and Your renown are the soul's desire" (Isaiah 26:7-8). 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

"Sowing of Peace" 7-29-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Spirit, Son, come abide in me as One, as I watch and wait for Your leading today. ... "For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all things. Just as you have been a cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong" (Zechariah 8:12-13). The seeds You have sown will all bear fruit in their time. But for a seed to bear fruit, first it must die (John 12:24). And then there will always be a season that looks like the opposite of the harvest to come. But it will yield its fruit and give its produce in its time. In the land of Israel, You have sown Your seeds of peace and blessing. In that same field, the enemy has come in by night to sow his seeds of chaos and cursing, seeds of false peace and confusion, but when the seeds have grown and matured to harvest, You will reap Your harvest as the enemy's harvest is exposed and consumed (see Matthew 13:24-30). In Your timing and Your way, this land that has known so little peace will know the One who is the "Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6). A remnant will persevere in the power of Your strength and persevering prayer. You "will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts shall be called the holy mountain" (Zechariah 8:3). They will be a blessing to the nations and "rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest" (v. 9:3). As You open the skies of heaven to give its dew, nurture the seeds You have sown in their hearts and ours. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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

"Apple of My Eye" 7-28-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I make any choices today, either in surrender to You or sin against You, I dedicate and consecrate my mind, my will, and my emotions to You alone. ... "Truly, one who touches you, touches the apple of My eye" (Zechariah 2:8). These words have been on my heart for two days now: "Pray for the apple of My eye." Yes, Lord. Of Jerusalem, You declare in Your Word, "I will be a wall of fire all around it, says the Lord, and I will be the glory within it" (v. 2:5). I join my prayers with the hearts of the people You are moving with passion to pray for the peace and security of all the people affected by the land and the promises of the children of Abraham. Look upon Jerusalem with fire in Your eyes and the sword of Your Word in Your hand. Be a wall of fire, cleansing within and consuming without. You are "a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). And You burn with a passion for Your people and burn with wrath against the spiritual enemies of her soul bent on her destruction and Your shame. But in the end -- in Your timing and Your way, having fulfilled Your purposes -- it is Your glory that will remain and Your "holy city, the new Jerusalem" that will shine, as Your enemies and hers are consumed forever in fire (Revelation 21:1-8). "Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst" (Zechariah 2:10-11). The circumstances and sins throughout all the generations of all the people with desire and passion for this land complicate matters beyond human reasoning and human resolution. We hardly know how to pray. But "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). So in obedience to Your call, I seek to sense the leading of Your Spirit to pray with passion for the protection of the people who are the apple of Your eye. And I pray for the people of the many nations who shall be Your people, joining themselves to You on that day -- even in the days of consuming fire -- as You come and dwell in the midst of our hearts, now and forever. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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

"Let Us Go Up to the Mountain" 7-27-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On 7-27, I feel drawn to Psalm 27:7. And here I find Your call to prayer for me today. ... "Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 'Come,' my heart says, 'Seek His face!' Your face, Lord, do I seek" (Psalm 27:7-8). ... As You hear me, I hear You. Your Holy Spirit is stirring in my human spirit a song of seeking and surrender in worship and prayer: My Messiah, My Savior, You’re my Everything. Mount Moriah, Mount Zion, I come to the mountain of my King. I seek You, I need You, I worship and sing. You hear me, You're near me, To Your arms I will cling. Yes, Lord. To Your arms I will cling, safe and secure, surrendered and serene in the arms of my King. You came to David on Mount Moriah, and there You called Solomon to build Your temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). On Mount Moriah, You called Abraham to offer himself and all he held dear in the trusting surrender of worship to You (Genesis 22:2). This is the holy mountain, consecrated and cleansed by acts of holy surrender and sacrifice of heart and soul in worship of You. This is site of Jerusalem, the City of Peace, the City of David, the City of God on this mountain of Zion (Psalm 76:2; 2 Samuel 5:7; Psalm 46:4). You are "the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion" (Isaiah 8:18). This is the mountain of surrender, purchased and made holy by the blood of the Lamb at Calvary's hill, where You surrendered Your life for ours (Luke 23:33, KJV). Let this holy hill speak of our holy hearts surrendered to You in eternal worship in response to Your eternal sacrifice. "Glorious are You, more majestic than the everlasting mountains" (Psalm 76:4). "Many peoples shall come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the city of Jacob; that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3). "So you shall know that I, the Lord, your God, dwell in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy...." (Joel 3:17). Messiah of Moriah, Savior of Zion, Christ of Calvary, my God and my King, I surrender my life as a living sacrifice in response to Your sacrifice of love for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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

"One Spirit with Him" 7-26-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Three Persons of the One, True, and Holy God -- You are All in One, and You are my All in All. I worship You and welcome You into every area of my life this day and every day. ... "The Father and I are One.... I am God's Son.... The Father is in Me and I am in the Father" (John 10:30-38). My Father, my Friend, my Savior and Lord, I want to see what You are doing and hear what You are saying. I want to obey what You are commanding and go where You are leading. I want my will to be conformed to Your will and my ways to be conformed to Your ways. I want to be more like You each day, as You increase and I decrease. As I behold You and worship You, having no gods before You, I am being changed by You, "being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Come, Holy Spirit. Make me more like Jesus, Who is One with the Father and One with You. Continue to purge my heart and purify my soul of all that does not yet bear the image of Christ -- and I confess there is much. But I also confess that by the grace of God, I am on the journey. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ has made me His own" (Philippians 3:10-12). I can't do it -- and, in fact, it would be sin to even try it -- apart from You and the power of Your Spirit working in me to make me more like You. But I am not apart from You. The Father and the Son have come to make their home in me by their Holy Spirit now living in me, now teaching me, now transforming me from glory to glory, morning by morning and day by day (John 14:23-26). This is the Peace and Power of God You leave with me and Who lives within me (v. 14:27). This is "the Spirit of Christ" living in me (Romans 8:9). This is "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" -- the glory of every Person of Your Presence -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- living in me and living through me for the glory of Your name (Colossians 1:27). By the astounding mystery of faith and miracle of Your grace, I am united with You; and "anyone united with the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is Your Word. Help me understand it, yield to it, embrace it, and live my life believing it is true -- because it is. 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

"Only Believe" 7-25-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Keep adjusting my world-view into line with Your truth. Keep adjusting my worldly ways into line with Your ways. ... "Do not fear, only believe" (from Mark 5:36). In a sense, fear is a choice and so is faith. Your power and Your truth are available for me and my needs. My part is to choose to agree with You. You give me the desire and the ability to choose, but ultimately I must choose to agree with You or not, to submit my will and my ways to Yours or not. I can choose fear or I can choose faith. I can choose to live my life as if the Words of Your Bible are true or not. You said through Moses, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and holding fast to Him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). Likewise, You said through Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve ... but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). And You said through Elijah, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him..." (1 Kings 18:21). By Your grace, I choose to believe and to follow You. I ask You to work in me the desire and the power to align my thoughts with Your thoughts and my desires with Your desires, to live my life as best as I can in submission to Your Word and Your will. "For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). I renounce fear, and I choose faith. All by Your grace and all in Your power, I choose to believe. 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

On Angels' Wings 7-24-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me under the shadow of the Almighty and into the shelter of the Most High. Send Your holy angels to surround me and uplift me into the arms of the security of Your presence (from Psalm 91). ... "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name. When they call to Me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, And show them My salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16). I do love You, Lord. And I do trust in the promises of Your protection. You are my rock and my refuge, my dwelling place. You are my strength and my security. You lift me up on angels' wings and subdue the enemy of my soul under my feet (v. 91:11-13). You not only rescue me from trouble and deliver me from evil, You choose to honor me as a son and satisfy me with the fullness of Your salvation. Yesterday, my five year old son, Elijah, said out of the blue, "Dad, next time I go preach with you, I feel like the Lord is putting some words in my head to say." I asked what the words were, and he said, "When you are weak, I am strong." Yes, Lord. I receive Your prophetic words of truth and life through my son. "Whenever I am weak, then I am strong" because Your power is made perfect in my weakness, as I depend upon You to be my strength and my power (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). No matter what comes this day or any day, I put my hope and trust in You alone, knowing You are fighting for me and protecting me in ways I may not always see. I thank You now for who You are and all You do, even in the times when I don't even know it. 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

Prophecy in the Power of Love 7-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your face is the first thing I seek; Your name is the first thing I speak, as I choose to begin this day with You. ... "Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophecy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). To prophecy is to hear and speak Your words for Your purposes in the power of Your love. You call us each to strive for this gift of prophecy especially, above all other spiritual gifts, as we pursue the path of love. To hear Your words of life and truth and to speak them into one another's lives is a manifestation of Your love and encouragement You desire to express through us. "Those who prophecy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" (v. 14:3). In Your sovereignty, You have chosen to encourage and comfort Your people through Your people as a means of Your grace by the gifts You give. "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 4:10-11). And how will we know what to speak, unless we first listen? How will we be able to listen, unless we first set aside the time it takes to seek Your face and listen for Your voice in the silence of surrender to Your will? "Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21). Lord, I choose to obey Your command to pursue love, to strive for spiritual gifts, and especially to prophecy. Work in me the humility to listen before I speak, the yearning to seek You before all else, the compassion to speak the truth in love, the sensitivity to know how to speak in the way that brings life and hope, the wisdom to know when to speak and when to pray, and the courage to obey the prompting of Your Spirit. "So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Work in me Your nature to be Your ambassador, faithfully representing the Father's heart the mind of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit as I prophecy Your words of truth and life in love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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

Completely and Continually Filled with the Holy Spirit 7-22-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my thoughts, the desire of my heart, and the foundation of my day. ... "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-20). When Your Word says "be filled with the Spirit," the verb tense is a continuous command. You call us and command us to be filled with Your Spirit. It literally means "to be being filled continually." In times like these past few days of seeking and singing, worshiping and welcoming Your Holy Spirit into every area of our hearts and minds and souls and strength in almost everything we say and sing, the cups of our human spirit are overflowing beyond measure with the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. You have changed the water into wine (John 2:9). You have restored unto us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12). But let it not be just a powerful moment of prayer at the altar or a gentle nap resting in the Spirit on the floor, let it be a lifestyle of continually seeking You and receiving You, worshiping You and welcoming You into the fullness of our lives and we embrace the fullness of You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May we be completely and continually "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19). 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 of prayer and ministry at the Aldersgate Conference of the Holy Spirit this year. The presence and power of the Lord has been overflowing with His love for His children. I pray a double portion and more of all we have received to you and your family, your church, your ministry, and your community, in Jesus' name. Thank you for your ministry of encouragement and support that allow me to experience and help others experience the loving, powerful presence of God in ways like this. 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

"Where is the God of Elijah?" 7-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. ... "Elisha kept watching and crying out, 'Father, father!' The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!' But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He picked up the mantel of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, 'Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' " (2 Kings 2:12-14). The next generation is crying out, "Where is the God of Elijah?" They are hungry for the supernatural, hungry for the spiritual, hungry for God. You have put that hunger in their hearts. It is almost insatiable, but it will be filled. Whether it is filled with the experiences and encounters with the God of glory or the god of this world depends in large part on our response to Your calling for our generation. Like Elisha, they are crying out "Father, father!" Will we hear their heart cry of our sons and daughters -- both those of our flesh and those of our spirit? Will we pass on the mantel of the wisdom and power You have released and imparted to our generation, with a heart that their generation will go farther than we ever could, even farther than we ever dreamed? Will we pass on the "double portion" You've put in their hearts to long to have with each succeeding generation (v. 2:9, KJV). Will our mantel be worth passing on? Will we humble ourselves to desire to see them surpass us? Will we pray and equip and impart and model and lead until they experience and encounter the God of Elijah? Will we settle for nothing less than knowing You in the fullness of Your power and glory ourselves? By Your grace, I say, "Yes, Lord -- for myself and for my generation, as far as Your grace will go, and for the generation You choose for us to father with Your Father heart." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for us at the Aldersgate Conference of the Holy Spirit, called to renewal of the church. Last night the young people led us in worship and testimony of their hunger for God and radical passion for what's real and what matters. May we both follow them and lead them as the Lord leads us. 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

Cleansed and Holy Bride 7-20-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy are You, and worthy of all praise. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- I worship You and honor You and welcome You into my heart and my thoughts, my desires and my day. ... "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to Himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind -- yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27). You are a holy God, seeking a holy people. You are a holy groom, seeking a holy bride. We can't make ourselves holy -- not by our works or our efforts or by wishing it were so. But we can choose by Your grace to be made holy -- to submit to the cleansing and washing of Your Word, to yield to the heat of Your will as Your Holy Spirit irons out the wrinkles our self-centered will. Under Your loving care making us to become who we were created to be, we will be clothed in the splendor of Your glory. As Your prophesied in Your Word long ago: "I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you, I display My holiness before their eyes. ... I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness. ... A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. ... I will put My Spirit within you. ..." (Ezekiel 36:23-27). Yes, Lord. Let is be so in our day. Let it be so in me this day. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching and ministering again today on Spiritual Transformation through Inner Healing and Deliverance; serving on the Word Gifts Team helping discern and test prophetic words to be shared during worship; and praying with people personally on the Prayer Ministry Team after the worship services during the day and each evening here at the Aldersgate Conference. God is making us hungry and satisfying that hunger with His powerful presence! Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support that allow me to minister in this way. May the Holy Spirit fill you and your church and community with the presence and power of the Lord! 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

To You Alone 7-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning, I lift my face, my prayers, and my praise to You alone. ... To You alone. There is no one but You. To You alone. All others fade from view. Here I come and give my heart, Here I seek You from the start, Here I know You'll never part. Here there is no one but You alone. ... "For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere Your name. I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever" (Psalm 86:10-12). Yes, Lord. My world will begin to draw at my heart as soon as I rise from my place of prayer. But first I entrust my whole heart to You. I seek You and worship You with an undivided heart, wholly focused and surrendered to You. Let Your heart become my heart, so that as the world draws upon mine, they will be drawing upon Yours. Let Your ways be my ways and Your truth be my truth, as I glorify Your name with my life through Your grace this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, the Lord is building a deep hunger and thirst for His presence here in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas for the national conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries this week: ARM-Aldersgate Conference on the Holy Spirit '07 We have had tremendous times of deep worship and prayer in the pre-conference preparation. People have come from over thirty-two states so far. I would really appreciate your prayers for us. Today, I will be teaching an equipping session on Spiritual Transformation through Inner Healing and Deliverance; serving on the Word Gifts Team helping discern and test prophetic words to be shared during worship, and prayer with people personally on the Prayer Ministry Team after the worship services each evening. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support that allow me to minister in this way. May the Holy Spirit fill you and your church and community with the presence and power of the Lord! 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

Display Your Glory 7-18-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Abide in me, I pray. ... "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. The brightness was like sun; rays came forth from His hand, where His power lay hidden" (from Habakkuk 3:3-4). Last night at dusk, everyone was astounded by the glorious clouds, golden with Your sun. We've gathered here for our annual Aldersgate Conference of the Holy Spirit with the theme, "Display Your Glory." And You already are. With anticipation in our hearts for these days of worship, prayer, and equipping to come, it's as if Your cloud of glory and pillar of fire has settled over us in these mountains of Arkansas (see Exodus 13:21). Lord, let the brightness of Your glory fill our hearts with Your Spirit. As Your glory covers the heavens, may the earth be full of praise here and everywhere. We "have heard of Your renown" and we "stand in awe of You." Come in Your glorious presence and power -- "In our own time revive it; in our own time, make it known" (Habakkuk 3:2). Stretch forth Your mighty hand and display Your glory and Your power -- the power of Your love unveiled in the hearts of Your people. This is our hope. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Romans 5:5). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas for the national conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries this week: ARM-Aldersgate Conference on the Holy Spirit '07 I would really appreciate your prayers for us. I'm exciting to be leading the Word Gifts Team this year, helping discern and test prophetic words to be shared during worship; teaching an equipping session on Spiritual Transformation through Inner Healing and Deliverance; leading a prayer session in pre-conference; and serving on the Prayer Ministry Team. Please come join us if you can, pray for us if you can't, and make plans to come next year. 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

Patient and Positioned 7-17-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Father and my Friend, my Lord and my God. I worship You and welcome You in Spirit and in Truth. ... "May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, and my you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Colossians 1:11). It seems I hear You saying, "Be patient and be positioned." Yes, Lord. I want to be ready to go, ready to move at Your command, strategically positioned for such a time as this. And at the same time, I want to be patient to allow You to fully prepare me and as You prepare and position every one and every thing to advance in alignment with Your will, in Your timing. You prepare my heart for love and You prepare my hands for war. It's out of love that You lead us to war in the glorious power of Your strength, binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free, as "priests of the Lord" and "ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61:1-7). Then we "shall possess a double portion and everlasting joy shall be [ours]" (v. 61:7). So give me grace to be patient as You position me and prepare me to take my place with the others You have called to come so that we will be ready to go. "Through faith and patience" we "inherit the promises" and "realize the full assurance of hope to the very end" (Hebrews 6:11-12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be leaving for the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas today for the national conference of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries this week: ARM-Aldersgate Conference on the Holy Spirit '07 I would really appreciate your prayers for us. I'm exciting to be leading the Word Gifts Team this year, helping discern and test prophetic words to be shared during worship; teaching an equipping session on Spiritual Transformation through Inner Healing and Deliverance; leading a prayer session in pre-conference; and serving on the Prayer Ministry Team. Please come join us if you can, pray for us if you can't, and make plans to come next year. 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

"Children of Light" 7-16-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my body in submission to my soul, and my soul in submission to my spirit, and my spirit in submission to Your Holy Spirit. ... "Jesus said to them, 'The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light" (John 12:35-36). You are like the Sun in many ways -- steadfast and secure, the center of our world, full of fire, and sending forth Your light. Without You were are in darkness, with no growth, no life, and no hope. But we are not without You. And the light of Your glory touches our soul and warms our heart to awaken life. As in our experience of the Sun, we can arise to greet You in the coming of Your glory each day. We can walk in Your light as children of light, thankful for the glory of Your presence. Or in a spiritual sense, we can reject Your light, pull the covers of darkness over our heads, and lay there in a bed of self-pity and slumber. You give us the choice. Some will love darkness more than the light (John 3:19). But this day, by Your grace, I choose to walk in Your light because, by Your grace, I am a disciple and a son of Your light. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy HaysCome to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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 Law of Compensation 7-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and welcome You into my spirit and my day. ... "It may be that the Lord will look on my distress, and the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing of me today" (2 Samuel 16:12). Shemei cursed David, but David would not return the curse; instead he released it You, seeking Your compensation and consolation instead of his own. My friend Ann was speaking to me of "the law of compensation," which must work something like this. You love to take the brokenness and injustice of our lives and redeem it all for our good and Your glory. As Job learned, suffering is just suffering, unless we entrust it to You. At the end of his sufferings, You compensated him with twice as much as he had before -- but with infinite understanding of the power of Your grace and Your heart to redeem (Job 42:10-17). A hard life is just a hard life, unless we allow Your Spirit into the ages and moments of our lives to draw out the pain and pour in Your love, teaching us through our troubles, and anointing us to touch the lives of others through the experiences of our sufferings. Just as You lead us to overcome evil with good, You love to bring good out of evil, healing out of brokenness, wisdom out of the weariness of enduring the struggles and suffering of life in a broken, fallen world full of broken, fallen people. Even You, in the mystery of the incarnation as You chose to be humbled in humanity, were made "perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10). As You willingly hung upon the tree of the cross, You became a curse, so that every curse against us would be broken (Galatians 3:13). At the heart of any spiritual law of compensation if the fact that You have paid it all. But like the grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies, the sacrifice of a life lived for You will "bear much fruit" (John 12:24). Thank You for Your sufferings, that I may receive the infinite compensation of Your extravagant grace. 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

Welcome Worth the Wait 7-14-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's good to be home and I welcome You to be at home in me. ... "Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all waiting on Him" (Luke 8:40). They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. Though someone may not ever be far from our thoughts, they can be far from our embrace. Yet love uses even that to strengthen it's bond. Love is stronger than death and stronger than distance. The waiting increases the wanting, and the wanting makes the welcome worth the wait. We are waiting to welcome You here in the embrace of our world. You said "I will come again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also" (John 14:3). One day You will return in glory for Your glorious bride. You will "descend from heaven" and we will be "caught up in the air" to meet You and welcome You in the fullness of our longing embrace. Then "we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Between now and that day, may our hearts grow fonder, as we watch and wait to welcome Your return. As the trumpets sound and the angels shout, the welcome will be worth the wait. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, that you so much for your prayers for safe travel, fruitful ministry, and provision and protection at home. God is good and He is faithful. And thank Him for the blessing of calling you to join me in the journey of prayer. God bless you and your families and ministries! 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

"Upon All Flesh" 7-13-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word fill my soul. ... You are the Word who fills my soul with Your presence and Your power by Your Spirit. ... "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.' So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders; and when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again" (Numbers 11:24-25). The days of Moses in the wilderness foreshadowed Your days on the earth. You came down by the cloud of Your Spirit, conceived in the womb of Mary as Son of God and Son of Man. You began to speak the words of God because You are the Word of God. You gathered to Yourself those who would receive the same Spirit You had. You "gave them power and authority" to hear and obey Your words (Luke 9:1). But Your will was not only for them, but for all who would come and receive, then go and obey. So You gathered "seventy others" and gave them the same power and authority to go and obey in the power of Your same Spirit. Now in these days, You have poured out, and You are pouring out, Your Spirit "upon all flesh" -- not just the one, no just the few -- but upon all the flesh of Your body, the body of Christ in the earth (Acts 2:17). In the power and authority of that same Spirit that raised You from the dead, we will hear and obey Your words, as Your Word and Your Spirit live in each of us. By the Spirit of Christ living in us, You have answered the desire of Moses' heart, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!" (Numbers 11:29). We are all to seek Your face, all to listen for Your voice, all to obey Your words. We are to speak what You give us to speak and do what You give us to do. We are to live our lives in constant communion with You -- not one or a few, but all of us You are calling by name and filling with Your Spirit. We are the flesh of Your body on earth (1 Corinthians 12:12). Lord, as I position myself to listen for the leading of Your Spirit, what are You speaking to me today? It seems I hear You say: "Steady your heart in the security of My love. Be ready to move, available to Me, as an instrument in My hand. My hope is within you; My courage is within you. Many will need to see My hope and My courage in the steady, secure hearts of My people." Yes, Lord. I choose by grace to be ready and available to You. Keep giving me hope and courage in the steady security of Your love. Let it be obvious to me and obvious to others. In Your power and by Your Spirit, let me be one of Your beacons of light in the darkness to come and one of Your rocks of refuge in troubled seas because my eyes and my heart are fixed on You. Prepare me now so that I will be ready then. Teach me how to hear, how to speak, how to trust, and how to obey. Teach me to be steady and secure in You alone. Teach us all who are the flesh of Your body, upon whom You are pouring out the presence and the power of Your Spirit in these days. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I spent the night with some dear friends with Healing House Ministries at their home near the base here in the mountains of North Carolina -- www.healinghouse.org It seems there is such peace in this place and an open heaven here to hear so clearly the Lord's voice. I pray He would open the heavens above your homes and your hearts as You listen for the leading of His voice. God bless you!

Patience in the Process 7-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By Your Spirit, out of my heart will flow rivers of living waters today as Your Word has promised (John 7:38). But first I need to come and sit with You awhile beside Your still waters of this beautiful lake in the midst of Your beautiful creation. Here in these first moments of the morning, You restore my soul and order my steps for the day. ... "An estate quickly acquired in the beginning will not be blessed in the end" (Proverbs 20:21). Someone has said you should begin with the end in mind. I begin this day with You in mind because in the end I want to be like You. That's the purpose of every moment of every day through the celebrations and sorrows, temptations and triumphs, challenges and changes of life -- to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). But this work of transformation is not an instantaneous miracle of a moment quickly acquired. It's the journey of a lifetime, choosing to walk in the paths of Your righteousness by choosing to walk with the Righteous One. When I stumble, You pick me up; when I'm weary, You carry me; when I get lost, You come and find me. But You are the God who sees the end from the beginning. All time and space are present in Your hands. You see who I will become because You see who I am. I am a child of God, growing up into maturity -- "to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Thank You for being patient with me in the journey. Help me to be more patient with myself and even more patient with You. But help me keep persisting and persevering in the journey of this lifetime. In the end, I will be blessed when I see You fully as You are "face to face" and thank You for the journey of making me more like You each day (1 Corinthians 13:12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for your prayers for my teaching ministry with the Methodist ministers from all over the southeast region here at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. My teaching workshops are filled and they are taking almost all my resources because the Lord is releasing such a hunger for depth in understanding the nature of the spiritual battles within and without. If you would be interested to study or teach out of my outline, I'm attaching it. God bless you and your ministry as you fight the good fight of the faith. 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 Clash of Swords 7-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the communion of prayer, let the fire of Your Spirit consume my soul until we are one. "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). ... "When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, 'Alas, master! What shall we do?' He replied, 'Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.' Then Elisha prayed: 'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17). This morning I'm looking across the lake to the beautiful Smoking Mountains of North Carolina. But the despite the beauty I see with my natural eyes and the quiet sounds of the morning I hear with my natural ears, I hear the clash of swords in the heavenly realm. Ironically, in the peaceful beauty of this paradise, You've called me to train warriors for battle, to train and equip them to wield "the weapons of our warfare" (2 Corinthians 10:4). And I thank You for the angelic hosts, who are as warriors in "chariots of fire" who join me in the battle every day, as I turn my face and my heart to You in prayer (Daniel 10:10-21). "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). "Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, obedient to His spoken word" (Psalm 103:20). So I thank You for Your warring angels; and above all, I thank You for the victory of the cross now enforced in our lives through the power of the blood of Jesus. The clash of swords is sound of victory in the heavens. "Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my Rock and my Fortress, my Stronghold and my Deliverer, my Shield in whom I take refuge who subdues the peoples under me" (Psalm 143:1-2). "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with victory. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands ... this is glory for all His faithful ones. Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 149:4-9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayer for me and the ministers from the southeastern region of the U.S. coming to this Methodist ministers' conference at Lake Junaluska, NC. I'm really excited and honored to have this opportunity to teach on Wednesday and Thursday, but no doubt there will be spiritual battles as I prepare and teach on this important but controversial topic: "Spiritual Warfare -- The Battle Disciples Can't Ignore; Fighting the Good Fight of the Faith" www.sejumc.org/MinistersConference2007.pdf 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