Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me humble my heart in the sight of the Lord, that You may draw me up into the embrace of Your Presence in the communion of prayer. …
“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray …” (Ephesians 3:14-19).
I bow my knees before You to pray. To bow my knees is to bow my heart, to bow my will. To bow my knees is to say I acknowledge Your place of authority in my life—not just my life as a whole, but the moments of my life as they unfold day by day. To bow my knees is to say I trust You and Your love for me. “I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness; for You have exalted Your name and Your word above everything. On the day I called, You answered me, You increased my strength of soul” (Psalm 138:2-3).
As I bow down low, You lift my spirit high. As I surrender to You my will, my thoughts and my desires, You empower me with Yours. You exchange my dirt for Your gold, my rags for Your riches, my sins for Your mercy. You draw me out of my meager world I struggle to manage in my own strength and establish me in the surpassing greatness of Your glorious Kingdom, where You clothe me in Your righteousness and empower me with Your authority as a son of God. This is “the hope to which He has called (us), which are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurably greatness of His power for us who believe, according to the working of His great power” (Ephesians 1:18-19).
For this reason, I bow my knees to pray. For this reason entrust all that I am and all that I have to You, Lord God Most High. “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. O that today you would listen to His voice!” (Psalm 95:6-7) In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give to our Ministry: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
“Abba! Father!” - Jan 11
Good morning, Lord Jesus. All I am and all I have, I entrust into Your care. …
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a child, and if a child, also an heir, through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).
Abba! Father! Daddy! I’m You’re son, not a slave. I’m Your child, not just part of Your creation. You know every cry of my heart. You know need of my life. You even know every hair on my head. And You care. You care deeply—even more than I can imagine.
You want to hear my questions. You want to heal my hurts. You want to lift my burdens, encourage my hopes, and inspire my dreams. You are at work in ways I do not see, moving in ways I cannot feel. All because You care for me and I am infinitely important to You. To realize that is not pride, it’s humility. It’s not thinking more highly of myself than I should, It’s thinking rightly of myself as You desire. “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
You a God who cares. You a God who’s a perfect Father and a merciful Savior and a Best Friend. So in obedience and faith, I cast all my cares on You, because You care for me. Take them from me, Daddy. I’m Your child and I need Your help. I know You hear me when I call. And I know help is on its way. As I do, I breathe in deeply of the Spirit of Your Son, the Spirit of Christ within me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). I breathe in hope of the glory of Your manifest Presence, ever abiding with me—my Father and Friend, my Constant Companion, who never leaves me nor forsakes me, who is always with me (Hebrews 13:5). And in that peace, all anxiety must flee away. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give to our Ministry: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a child, and if a child, also an heir, through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).
Abba! Father! Daddy! I’m You’re son, not a slave. I’m Your child, not just part of Your creation. You know every cry of my heart. You know need of my life. You even know every hair on my head. And You care. You care deeply—even more than I can imagine.
You want to hear my questions. You want to heal my hurts. You want to lift my burdens, encourage my hopes, and inspire my dreams. You are at work in ways I do not see, moving in ways I cannot feel. All because You care for me and I am infinitely important to You. To realize that is not pride, it’s humility. It’s not thinking more highly of myself than I should, It’s thinking rightly of myself as You desire. “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
You a God who cares. You a God who’s a perfect Father and a merciful Savior and a Best Friend. So in obedience and faith, I cast all my cares on You, because You care for me. Take them from me, Daddy. I’m Your child and I need Your help. I know You hear me when I call. And I know help is on its way. As I do, I breathe in deeply of the Spirit of Your Son, the Spirit of Christ within me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). I breathe in hope of the glory of Your manifest Presence, ever abiding with me—my Father and Friend, my Constant Companion, who never leaves me nor forsakes me, who is always with me (Hebrews 13:5). And in that peace, all anxiety must flee away. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give to our Ministry: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wisdom from the One Who Knows - Jan 10
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I give You my heart, mind, soul, and strength. …
“Before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
Before I pray, You already know the desires of my heart. Before I speak, You already know the petitions forming in my thoughts. You already know everything about me, in every dimension of my being and in every moment of my life—past, present, and future. You already know the temptations I’ll face, the opportunities I’ll have, and the choices I’ll make. And whether I acknowledge Your Presence, seek Your help, embrace Your guidance or not, “You are there” with me, just as You have always been there with me, and always will be there with me, through it all (Psalm 139:8-12).
So I would be a fool to fail to begin my day without seeking Your face and welcoming Your embrace. I would be a fool to fail to bow my will to Your wisdom and entrust the moments of my day to Your leading. “Those who trust in their own wits are fools; but those who walk in wisdom come through safely” (Proverbs 28:26). “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).
To seek to “understand what the will of the Lord is” is the wisest and most important choice I will make today. That’s why I want it to be my first choice and my continual choice throughout the moments of my day. Why would I not willingly trust the One who answers before I call and knows my needs before I speak? Why would choice, instead, to foolishly trust in myself alone, denying the wisdom of the ages that’s available to me for the asking? (James 1:5)
These ancient words are forever true: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones…. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding…. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who retain her…. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble…. Surely He gives scorn to the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools” (Proverbs 3:5-35, KNJV).
Lord, I need Your grace and Your wisdom. Let me know Your will so I call walk in Your ways. I welcome You to continually put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart by the leading of Your Holy Spirit throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give to Our Ministry: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
“Before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
Before I pray, You already know the desires of my heart. Before I speak, You already know the petitions forming in my thoughts. You already know everything about me, in every dimension of my being and in every moment of my life—past, present, and future. You already know the temptations I’ll face, the opportunities I’ll have, and the choices I’ll make. And whether I acknowledge Your Presence, seek Your help, embrace Your guidance or not, “You are there” with me, just as You have always been there with me, and always will be there with me, through it all (Psalm 139:8-12).
So I would be a fool to fail to begin my day without seeking Your face and welcoming Your embrace. I would be a fool to fail to bow my will to Your wisdom and entrust the moments of my day to Your leading. “Those who trust in their own wits are fools; but those who walk in wisdom come through safely” (Proverbs 28:26). “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).
To seek to “understand what the will of the Lord is” is the wisest and most important choice I will make today. That’s why I want it to be my first choice and my continual choice throughout the moments of my day. Why would I not willingly trust the One who answers before I call and knows my needs before I speak? Why would choice, instead, to foolishly trust in myself alone, denying the wisdom of the ages that’s available to me for the asking? (James 1:5)
These ancient words are forever true: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones…. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding…. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who retain her…. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble…. Surely He gives scorn to the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools” (Proverbs 3:5-35, KNJV).
Lord, I need Your grace and Your wisdom. Let me know Your will so I call walk in Your ways. I welcome You to continually put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart by the leading of Your Holy Spirit throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give to Our Ministry: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Friday, January 07, 2011
“My God Has Become My Strength” - Jan 7
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I bow low in awe of Your majesty and draw near in wonder of Your intimacy. …
“My God has become my strength” (from Isaiah 49:5).
My God … has become … my strength. As Your Spirit leads me to read through this passage of Scripture this morning, my thoughts can’t move beyond these words. My God … has become … my strength.
In the eyes of the world, this would be a declaration of weakness, dependence, vulnerability, servitude. And so it is. But it’s a willing declaration made from whom one who’s come to believe You are the One who is worthy to be the center of his life. It’s a complete dedication of heart, mind, soul, and strength to the One who knows best and always has his best interest at heart. And it’s a deliberate decision to trust in You instead of himself or anyone else or anything else to be Lord of his life.
The prophet Isaiah’s words describe a heart of deep humility—the deliberate decision to be desperately dependent upon God. He’s discovered that humility is greatest key of the Kingdom of God. Nothing draws the grace of God, opens up the heavens of God, and embraces the favor of God like the heart of humility before God. “But He gives all the more grace; therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ ” (James 4:6). You taught the Apostle Paul this same powerful spiritual principle: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me… for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
“My God … has become … my strength.” Isaiah’s words are personal—“My God.” His words acknowledge the journey of faith in the unfolding process of time and steady transformation from deepening trust—“has become.” And his words speak of the steadfast, confident assurance that he has resolved to live his life in the power of Your Spirit rather than dependence upon his flesh—“my strength.”
O Lord, my God. You are my God, just as You are Isaiah’s and Paul’s. You’re the God of every prophet and apostle, every disciple and servant, every son and daughter. The truth is You are the God of us all, whether we acknowledge You or not. But it is our choice to choose whether You will become our strength, whether we will deliberately choose to be desperately dependent upon You in humility and faith. So by whatever measure of humility and grace You’ve given me, I make my choice and my declaration with these spiritual models of men of faith who have gone before me—“My God has become my strength.” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
“My God has become my strength” (from Isaiah 49:5).
My God … has become … my strength. As Your Spirit leads me to read through this passage of Scripture this morning, my thoughts can’t move beyond these words. My God … has become … my strength.
In the eyes of the world, this would be a declaration of weakness, dependence, vulnerability, servitude. And so it is. But it’s a willing declaration made from whom one who’s come to believe You are the One who is worthy to be the center of his life. It’s a complete dedication of heart, mind, soul, and strength to the One who knows best and always has his best interest at heart. And it’s a deliberate decision to trust in You instead of himself or anyone else or anything else to be Lord of his life.
The prophet Isaiah’s words describe a heart of deep humility—the deliberate decision to be desperately dependent upon God. He’s discovered that humility is greatest key of the Kingdom of God. Nothing draws the grace of God, opens up the heavens of God, and embraces the favor of God like the heart of humility before God. “But He gives all the more grace; therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ ” (James 4:6). You taught the Apostle Paul this same powerful spiritual principle: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me… for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
“My God … has become … my strength.” Isaiah’s words are personal—“My God.” His words acknowledge the journey of faith in the unfolding process of time and steady transformation from deepening trust—“has become.” And his words speak of the steadfast, confident assurance that he has resolved to live his life in the power of Your Spirit rather than dependence upon his flesh—“my strength.”
O Lord, my God. You are my God, just as You are Isaiah’s and Paul’s. You’re the God of every prophet and apostle, every disciple and servant, every son and daughter. The truth is You are the God of us all, whether we acknowledge You or not. But it is our choice to choose whether You will become our strength, whether we will deliberately choose to be desperately dependent upon You in humility and faith. So by whatever measure of humility and grace You’ve given me, I make my choice and my declaration with these spiritual models of men of faith who have gone before me—“My God has become my strength.” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Servants in Whom God will be Glorified - Jan 6
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call on Your name and listen for Your voice. …
“Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb, He named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me a polished arrow, in His quiver He hid me away. And He said to me, you are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:1-3).
Isaiah was a boy, who grew to be a man, who came to know he was created and called by God with purpose and destiny for his life. He was both a son and servant of God. And so was the nation of people of whom he was born and to whom he was sent. He was chosen. And his nation was chosen. They were chosen to be means of the revelation of Your love and mercy for us all. As You said of Isaiah and his nation, “It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (v. 49:6).
And as Israel’s Redeemer and Messiah, as the Redeemer and Messiah of us all, the Light and Salvation of all nations, You embraced Isaiah’s words and calling and destiny as a foretaste of Your own—yet in a dimension and fulfillment that Isaiah could not have fully known. As both Son of Man and Son of God, You would be the Son and Servant of God, You alone would be the Salvation of God that reaches to the end of the earth, to the people of all nations and all generations (Matthew 12:17-21; Luke 4:17-19; John 12:41).
And now the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of the Living God, dwells in each of us who are called by Your name, embracing Your gift of Salvation and Redemption for us and our world. “You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). In that sense, we each can also see the words and calling and destiny of Isaiah as a foretaste of our own, in the unique way You have created and called each one of us to reveal Your love and light to the world around us: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Yes, Lord. By the mercy and mystery of the power of Your grace and love, may I carry Your message of salvation and redemption wherever You call me or send me as one of Your lights in this world, because the Spirit of the One who is the Light dwells in me. As You said to Your first disciples and to all who would follow You throughout the ages, “You are the light of the world … let your light shine before others …” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is our calling and destiny, to be fulfilled as Your servants, Your sons and daughters by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us (Matthew 28:18-20). Isaiah knew his calling and destiny. So did You. And we are to know ours. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
“Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb, He named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me a polished arrow, in His quiver He hid me away. And He said to me, you are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:1-3).
Isaiah was a boy, who grew to be a man, who came to know he was created and called by God with purpose and destiny for his life. He was both a son and servant of God. And so was the nation of people of whom he was born and to whom he was sent. He was chosen. And his nation was chosen. They were chosen to be means of the revelation of Your love and mercy for us all. As You said of Isaiah and his nation, “It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (v. 49:6).
And as Israel’s Redeemer and Messiah, as the Redeemer and Messiah of us all, the Light and Salvation of all nations, You embraced Isaiah’s words and calling and destiny as a foretaste of Your own—yet in a dimension and fulfillment that Isaiah could not have fully known. As both Son of Man and Son of God, You would be the Son and Servant of God, You alone would be the Salvation of God that reaches to the end of the earth, to the people of all nations and all generations (Matthew 12:17-21; Luke 4:17-19; John 12:41).
And now the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of the Living God, dwells in each of us who are called by Your name, embracing Your gift of Salvation and Redemption for us and our world. “You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). In that sense, we each can also see the words and calling and destiny of Isaiah as a foretaste of our own, in the unique way You have created and called each one of us to reveal Your love and light to the world around us: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Yes, Lord. By the mercy and mystery of the power of Your grace and love, may I carry Your message of salvation and redemption wherever You call me or send me as one of Your lights in this world, because the Spirit of the One who is the Light dwells in me. As You said to Your first disciples and to all who would follow You throughout the ages, “You are the light of the world … let your light shine before others …” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is our calling and destiny, to be fulfilled as Your servants, Your sons and daughters by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us (Matthew 28:18-20). Isaiah knew his calling and destiny. So did You. And we are to know ours. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Walls of Division Come Down! - Jan 5
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steadfast and sure, mighty and majestic, You the One I totally trust. Welcome into my heart and every moment of my day. …
“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Last night we met to plan with our diverse team to plan our annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit that You’ve called our ministry to lead for several years now. It seems You’ve led us to unite together in prayer, from across all the diverse streams and traditions of our city-wide church and region to seek Your face, as we encounter Your Presence together in prayer, praise, and proclamation. And every year, You’ve come to speak to us and impart into us Your vision and purposes for Your Church in our region in the coming year in a way that stirs our hearts and revives our souls to seek to fulfill our commission with renewed passion for You and the people You’ve called us to love and serve.
We’ve never seen such racial diversity and unity of Your Body coming together for this Prayer Summit. And the fervent expectancy of encountering Your Presence and experiencing Your power, as we hunger and thirst to welcome and embrace Your Holy Spirit to transform us and our communities is higher than I’ve ever known. “How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!… For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore” (Psalm 133, NKJV).
In all our planning and preparation, in every moment of this Prayer Summit, may Your name, Lord Jesus, be high and lifted up. Your name is the cry and creed that unites us as Your Body in this city and region and throughout all the earth. And when Your name is high and lifted up, when we exalt You alone and the sacrifice of love You’ve poured out for us upon the cross, You draw all people to You (John 12:32). When we come together in the bond and unity of Your Holy Spirit as the Body of Christ, You move in power to draw the souls of men and women to You as Lord. As You prayed long ago in Your time on this earth as both Son of Man and Son of God, “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:20-21).
Last night, as we listened together for Your voice, I believe I heard You say, “Bringing down the walls of division, raising up a wall of prayer.” Lord, let it be so. Let our unity in the Spirit bring down the spiritual walls of division among us in the spiritual realm of our city and region. Raise up Your wall of prayer around us, opening up Your heavens over us. As You spoke Your Word through two of our leaders: “See, I have inscribed you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:16). “A day for the building of your walls! In the day the boundary shall be far extended” (Micah 7:11).
Yes, Lord. Bring down our walls of division; raise up Your wall of prayer—here and around the world, throughout the Body of Christ. Let us be one in Your Holy Spirit as You and our Father are One. Let our prayers and praise be continually before You. Extend the boundary of our hearts with love for You and the people of our land You’ve entrusted to us to love and serve. Let Your Kingdom come within us and through 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, please keep us in prayer the weekend of February 4-5, 2011 for our 4th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit. This year our ministry will be leading this gathering hosted with Pastor Richard Gaines at Consolidated Baptist Church on the northwest side of Lexington, Kentucky ( http://www.consolidatedbaptist.org/ ). If you're in our region, please come and spread the word--it will be Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. A flyer with tentative schedule will be available soon. May the Lord move in the power of His Presence for revival and awakening in your city and region, as well as ours! God bless you!
“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Last night we met to plan with our diverse team to plan our annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit that You’ve called our ministry to lead for several years now. It seems You’ve led us to unite together in prayer, from across all the diverse streams and traditions of our city-wide church and region to seek Your face, as we encounter Your Presence together in prayer, praise, and proclamation. And every year, You’ve come to speak to us and impart into us Your vision and purposes for Your Church in our region in the coming year in a way that stirs our hearts and revives our souls to seek to fulfill our commission with renewed passion for You and the people You’ve called us to love and serve.
We’ve never seen such racial diversity and unity of Your Body coming together for this Prayer Summit. And the fervent expectancy of encountering Your Presence and experiencing Your power, as we hunger and thirst to welcome and embrace Your Holy Spirit to transform us and our communities is higher than I’ve ever known. “How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!… For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore” (Psalm 133, NKJV).
In all our planning and preparation, in every moment of this Prayer Summit, may Your name, Lord Jesus, be high and lifted up. Your name is the cry and creed that unites us as Your Body in this city and region and throughout all the earth. And when Your name is high and lifted up, when we exalt You alone and the sacrifice of love You’ve poured out for us upon the cross, You draw all people to You (John 12:32). When we come together in the bond and unity of Your Holy Spirit as the Body of Christ, You move in power to draw the souls of men and women to You as Lord. As You prayed long ago in Your time on this earth as both Son of Man and Son of God, “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:20-21).
Last night, as we listened together for Your voice, I believe I heard You say, “Bringing down the walls of division, raising up a wall of prayer.” Lord, let it be so. Let our unity in the Spirit bring down the spiritual walls of division among us in the spiritual realm of our city and region. Raise up Your wall of prayer around us, opening up Your heavens over us. As You spoke Your Word through two of our leaders: “See, I have inscribed you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:16). “A day for the building of your walls! In the day the boundary shall be far extended” (Micah 7:11).
Yes, Lord. Bring down our walls of division; raise up Your wall of prayer—here and around the world, throughout the Body of Christ. Let us be one in Your Holy Spirit as You and our Father are One. Let our prayers and praise be continually before You. Extend the boundary of our hearts with love for You and the people of our land You’ve entrusted to us to love and serve. Let Your Kingdom come within us and through 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, please keep us in prayer the weekend of February 4-5, 2011 for our 4th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit. This year our ministry will be leading this gathering hosted with Pastor Richard Gaines at Consolidated Baptist Church on the northwest side of Lexington, Kentucky ( http://www.consolidatedbaptist.org/ ). If you're in our region, please come and spread the word--it will be Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. A flyer with tentative schedule will be available soon. May the Lord move in the power of His Presence for revival and awakening in your city and region, as well as ours! God bless you!
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
The Unfolding of Creation - Jan 4
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I give You my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I give You my spirit, soul, and body. I give You my all, because You gave Your all for me. …
“The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
In the beginning, You said, “Let there be light;” and there was light. At the moment of conception in my mother’s womb, You said, “Let there be Tommy;” and there was me. Your words bring to life all that there is. And just like at the very beginning of creation or the very beginning of me, Your words also contain all that will unfold to display the fullness of Your creation in the fullness of time (Psalm 139:16). “How weighty to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (v. 139:17).
Your words contain the genesis of what will become revelation. Your words give illumination to what will become impartation. They are the conception that will become consummation. They are both the seed and the soil of what will become the full harvest of our lives and all creation, as Your words unfold with like a tiny acorn that unfolds into a mighty oak tree.
Give me patience to wait for the unfolding of Your words You’ve imparted and implanted within me. Give me spiritual sensitivity to keep directing my focus and opening my heart to the light they bring. Give me expectant faith for the unfolding of Your words for my life this new year and this new season. And give me the simple wisdom to understand my part to prepare and position and participate, as best as I can and all by Your grace, in the unfolding of Your plans for my life in the unfolding display of Your creation. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
“The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
In the beginning, You said, “Let there be light;” and there was light. At the moment of conception in my mother’s womb, You said, “Let there be Tommy;” and there was me. Your words bring to life all that there is. And just like at the very beginning of creation or the very beginning of me, Your words also contain all that will unfold to display the fullness of Your creation in the fullness of time (Psalm 139:16). “How weighty to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (v. 139:17).
Your words contain the genesis of what will become revelation. Your words give illumination to what will become impartation. They are the conception that will become consummation. They are both the seed and the soil of what will become the full harvest of our lives and all creation, as Your words unfold with like a tiny acorn that unfolds into a mighty oak tree.
Give me patience to wait for the unfolding of Your words You’ve imparted and implanted within me. Give me spiritual sensitivity to keep directing my focus and opening my heart to the light they bring. Give me expectant faith for the unfolding of Your words for my life this new year and this new season. And give me the simple wisdom to understand my part to prepare and position and participate, as best as I can and all by Your grace, in the unfolding of Your plans for my life in the unfolding display of Your creation. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Monday, January 03, 2011
“It is Well” - January 3, 2011
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to begin this day and the journey of this new year here in Your Presence, yielded to Your Spirit, surrendered to Your will, committed to Your way. …
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 2-4).
It is well with my soul when I walk in the truth. And I know that it brings Your heart joy whenever You see my faithfulness to the truth. Just as I know it breaks Your heart in those moments when I am less than faithful to all that’s in Your heart for the choices of my life. And I praise You for this truth of Your steadfast love and tender mercies, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). As we commit our hearts to walk in the paths of Your righteousness, You never cease to keep guiding our hearts back to the way that leads to life. “For though they fall seven times, they will rise again” (Proverbs 24:16).
So in these first days of this new year, I entrust again my heart and commit again my path to the wisdom and the way of the One who is “called Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11). Let my prayer and my commitment, all by the grace You give, bring You joy today and throughout the days to come. Quickly draw me back if I begin to stray, quickly convict me of my sin if I falter or fail, quickly embrace me again as I allow my heart to follow to leading of Your Spirit in to an ever-deepening place of intimacy and trust in the arms of my God. Throughout all the days of the journey to come this new year, let it be well with my soul because I’ve entrusted my soul to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
God bless you, my friend, as you begin this new year with your heart and soul committed to Christ. Thank you for joining my in the journey of prayer, as we look with expectant faith to see all the Lord will unfold in our lives this year! May it be well with your soul!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Morning by Morning, Dec 31 – First and Final Word of Love
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. You are one God in three Persons, revealing three dimensions of Your Being, all united in pure and perfect love. And I have this lifetime and all the rest of eternity to seek You and love You, in response to Your perfect love for me. …
“So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:16).
This morning I’ve come to the end of another year of my journey of prayer—seeking Your face, listening for Your voice, following Your leading, as I seek to begin my day deliberately, intentionally centered in Christ, embraced by the Father, and filled with the Holy Spirit morning by morning. Most of these mornings, I’ve journaled my prayers in the expression of my heart of my best understanding of Yours. And every morning, You’ve drawn me into the place of excited expectation to listen to hear what You would speak to my heart and stir in my spirit. Thank You for the gift of this daily adventure and the blessing of calling me into this journey of prayer.
But after all the Scriptures, images, conversations, and encounters we’ve had in our communion of prayer along the way, You’ve brought me back to this foundational Word in these closing moments of this year: “God is love.” That’s really the heart of it all, the foundation, the cornerstone, the bedrock, the be all and end all of coming to know You in the communion of prayer and the journey of life. This is the alpha and omega of knowing You. This is the beginning and end of any journey with You. As You said long ago, everything You’ve ever said to us through Your written Word or prophetic words are rooted and grounded in this nature of Your Being (Matthew 22:37).
So as I write these last words of this past year in my journal of prayer with You, I sing to You this simple song You’re writing now on my heart in my time with You. …
As I seek Your face
And embrace Your grace
I know I need Your love
More than life, more than breath
More than doing right or anything else
I know I need Your love
And I thank You Lord
For Your steadfast love
It is who You are to me
More than faithful, more than true
More than Your Word and all that’s good
I know You are Love to me
Yes, Lord. I know You are Love to me. Love is Your first and final word for me. Love is Your eternal word for me. And for all who will embrace You on the basis of Your love for them (John 3:16). I thank You for loving us enough to reveal to us this truth of who You truly are. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
To Subscribe: www.messiah-ministries.org/home
To Give: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Preparing to Spring Forth in the New Season - Dec 30
Good morning, Lord Jesus. With clean hands and a pure heart, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and purified by the fire of the Spirit, draw me up to the mountain of the Lord through the communion of prayer. …
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Thank You for the lessons of this past year. Thank You for the opportunities to grow in grace, to dig deep in humility, to reach out in love. Thank You for walking with me through every valley, standing with me through every fire, and climbing with me to every peak. You’ve never left me, never forsaken me; You’ve always been faithful be here with me through it all. And I know by faith and by experience that that will never change. Praise You, Lord—my God and Savior, my Maker and Master, my Constant Companion and Best Friend.
Now that the experiences and encounters of this past year are a part of who I’ve become, all filtered through Your hands and redeemed by Your grace, prepare my heart and soul for the year to come. Increase the sensitivity of my spirit to perceive what You are doing. Open the eyes of my heart to see all You want to show me in Your wisdom and settle my soul in peace to rest in Your goodness and faithfulness for all that You choose not to show me.
Give me courage to let go of the former things You’re leading me to entrust to Your ever-unfolding plans and boldness to embrace the new thing You’re preparing for me in the season ahead. As it begins to spring forth, let me not shrink back, but spring forth with it in expectant faith. I have no doubt that by this time next year, I will again be with You in prayer that I “might declare (Your) praise” (v. 43:21). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray for God's Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for the days and season to come in this next new year of your life. May the Lord fulfill all His plans through your life, as He fills you with the "righteousness and peace and joy" of His Kingdom within you (Romans 14:17). God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey of prayer!
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
"Flee to Egypt" - Dec 28
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You. Help me start this day and every day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ...
"Now after (the wise men) had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy Him.' Then Joseph got up, too the Child and His mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had spoken by the Lord through the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I have called My Son' " (Matthew 2:13-15).
Even the plans of God can be opposed by men. And yet, even the opposition of man is part of the plans of God. The murder of Joseph and Mary's Child was never in the heart of God, but God always knew that murder would be in the heart of Herod. So God sent His word through His angel in a dream to His children to respond in obedience to save the life of Christ and fulfill His plans.
Did Joseph have the freedom of will to respond? Did Mary have the freedom of will to gather her Child and follow her husband to a foreign land away from her family to raise her Child among a people she didn't know? Did Herod have the freedom of will to humble his soul, renounce the murder in his heart, and honor this Child who was said to be born King of the Jews according to the Word of God?
Somehow in the mystery of Your sovereignty and our freedom, You know our choices, yet our choices are real. Your very nature and the nature of Your plans for our lives require our freedom: God is love; and You've created us for a relationship of love. Love requires freedom, because love without freely choosing to love is not love at all. So You could not be who You are, creating us in Your image, for a relationship with You in Your nature without the freedom of will that love requires (1 John 4:16).
Yet in Your sovereignty and infinite knowledge that sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end, You have always known every choice we will ever make. Your prophetic words of what will take place are merely an expression of what You have known to have always been true even before the unfolding of those events in the fullness of time. Joseph and Mary's choices were real. Herod's choices were real. Even the angel's choice to go share the message of God in a dream to Joseph was real. Any could have chosen to obey or disobey the choices You set before them, but their choices and ours are a reflection of our trust in You and our love for You in the freedom You've given us in the sovereignty of Your will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; John 15:10).
And Herod's heart to destroy Mary's Child to thwart the plans of God is also a prophetic picture of the spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of men and women throughout all generations: "The the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to His throne; and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished .... Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated ..." (Revelation 12:4-8).
Lord, thank You for the freedom You've given me to choose to love--love that's reflected in my choices to trust and obey. You have plans for my life, and there's a spiritual battle for the destiny of my soul and the fulfillment of Your plans. The same is true for us all (Jeremiah 19:11; 1 Peter 5:8). But You will be sending forth Your word and sending forth Your angels in ways I don't always know to stir in my heart and move in my life to accomplish Your plans--plans You've always known, all in the light of the choices I will always have (Psalm 139:16). Love will allow nothing less.
Sometimes Your love and Your plans may command me to even "flee to Egypt"--to places that may seem far away from what seems like the plans for my life. But Egypt may be necessary to preserve and prepare my life for the fulfillment of my destiny. It may be that it's "out of Egypt" that You desire to call forth Your son when You call me to come in the fullness of time. You already know whatever I'll face in the journey of my life. So let me be ready to choose to flee or to come however You command out of Your love and Your plans that I choose to belief are perfect for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute or Order our Ministry Resources
from Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
"Now after (the wise men) had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy Him.' Then Joseph got up, too the Child and His mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had spoken by the Lord through the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I have called My Son' " (Matthew 2:13-15).
Even the plans of God can be opposed by men. And yet, even the opposition of man is part of the plans of God. The murder of Joseph and Mary's Child was never in the heart of God, but God always knew that murder would be in the heart of Herod. So God sent His word through His angel in a dream to His children to respond in obedience to save the life of Christ and fulfill His plans.
Did Joseph have the freedom of will to respond? Did Mary have the freedom of will to gather her Child and follow her husband to a foreign land away from her family to raise her Child among a people she didn't know? Did Herod have the freedom of will to humble his soul, renounce the murder in his heart, and honor this Child who was said to be born King of the Jews according to the Word of God?
Somehow in the mystery of Your sovereignty and our freedom, You know our choices, yet our choices are real. Your very nature and the nature of Your plans for our lives require our freedom: God is love; and You've created us for a relationship of love. Love requires freedom, because love without freely choosing to love is not love at all. So You could not be who You are, creating us in Your image, for a relationship with You in Your nature without the freedom of will that love requires (1 John 4:16).
Yet in Your sovereignty and infinite knowledge that sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end, You have always known every choice we will ever make. Your prophetic words of what will take place are merely an expression of what You have known to have always been true even before the unfolding of those events in the fullness of time. Joseph and Mary's choices were real. Herod's choices were real. Even the angel's choice to go share the message of God in a dream to Joseph was real. Any could have chosen to obey or disobey the choices You set before them, but their choices and ours are a reflection of our trust in You and our love for You in the freedom You've given us in the sovereignty of Your will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; John 15:10).
And Herod's heart to destroy Mary's Child to thwart the plans of God is also a prophetic picture of the spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of men and women throughout all generations: "The the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to His throne; and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished .... Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated ..." (Revelation 12:4-8).
Lord, thank You for the freedom You've given me to choose to love--love that's reflected in my choices to trust and obey. You have plans for my life, and there's a spiritual battle for the destiny of my soul and the fulfillment of Your plans. The same is true for us all (Jeremiah 19:11; 1 Peter 5:8). But You will be sending forth Your word and sending forth Your angels in ways I don't always know to stir in my heart and move in my life to accomplish Your plans--plans You've always known, all in the light of the choices I will always have (Psalm 139:16). Love will allow nothing less.
Sometimes Your love and Your plans may command me to even "flee to Egypt"--to places that may seem far away from what seems like the plans for my life. But Egypt may be necessary to preserve and prepare my life for the fulfillment of my destiny. It may be that it's "out of Egypt" that You desire to call forth Your son when You call me to come in the fullness of time. You already know whatever I'll face in the journey of my life. So let me be ready to choose to flee or to come however You command out of Your love and Your plans that I choose to belief are perfect for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute or Order our Ministry Resources
from Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Monday, December 27, 2010
“Overwhelmed with Joy!” - Dec 27
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my thoughts and at the heart of my desires. …
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the Child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising, and have come to pay Him homage’ … When they had heard the king they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy! On entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:1-11).
All the heavens declare Your glory. All of nature is a sign of Your sovereignty. The very stars You created rose in the sky to align in rare majesty to proclaim Your coming. And those who were wise to read the signs of their times saw prophecies of old come to pass in their lives. “… For so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the ruler of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler who is to shepherd My people Israel’ ” (v. 2:5-6).
I wasn’t there to look up in the heavens to see Your star. I wasn’t there to come and kneel at Your feet in the little town of Bethlehem. I have no treasure chests to open up to You and no costly gifts to lay down before You. But when I read Your story and think of Your birth and all that that means for me and for all You came to save in the mercy of Your love, I’m also just as overwhelmed with joy! God with us, Emmanuel. Jesus, the Salvation of all! As they say, “Wise men still seek Him.” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
God bless you, my friend in this season of joy! I pray that no matter what season you're in and whatever the signs of your times, you will know the peace of Christ and the joy of the Lord, as you embrace His abiding Presence with you.
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Saturday, December 25, 2010
“Born this Day!” - Dec 25
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Happy Birthday! …
“ ‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped on bands of cloth and 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 2:11-14)
Glory to You, Lord God! Fill our hearts and all the earth with Your peace again this morning. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light! … For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:2-6, NKJV). Let all the earth rejoice! Emmanuel, God is with us!
And as children around the world wake from their beds and hurry to see waits gifts are waiting for them, as mommys and daddys around the world delight to give good gifts to their children, as friends and family love one another and rejoice with each other in every tribe and tongue and nation today, let us remember the Gift of God this happy morn—the Gift of this Child who restores our hearts to child-like faith at the wonder of the love and grace of our God. Glory to God in the highest, and earth, peace, goodwill toward men and women, boys and girls, young and old, celebrating this day in all the joy of the Spirit of Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Thursday, December 23, 2010
“Good News of Great Joy” - Dec 23
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill my spirit, soul, and body with the fullness of Your Presence as I begin my day with You. …
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord’ ” (Luke 2:8-11).
Are we still terrified by the glory of the Lord? Or do we casually take it for granted? Are we still bringing good news of great joy for all the people? Or have we made it terrifying news of great judgment for all the people we don’t think have what it takes for the glory of the Lord to shine all around them?
You are our Savior, not our shamer. You bring salvation, not condemnation. Your salvation is great news, not bad news. You are a Gift of God, not a burden of God. And this is the season we celebrate the gift of Your salvation, the birth of our Savior and Messiah, with great joy! And it's not meant to be great joy for some people, but “great joy for all the people.”
Pour out Your Spirit of Joy in these days. Break into our hearts again in a way that restores our sensitivity to the wonder and majesty of the glory of Your Presence. Send Your holy angels to surround us; send Your Holy Spirit to fill us. Then send us out to share this great news You’ve meant to bring great joy to all the people we see. May they see Your Spirit of Joy in us. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Born in the Manger of Humanity - Dec 22
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to see You. Open the ears of my heart to hear You. Now I watch and wait in the silence before You, as You draw me into the communion of prayer with You. ...
"While they were there, the time came for (Mary) to deliver her Child. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7).
You lay in a manger, not a mansion. You were surrounded by animals, not armies. You humbled Yourself to be born as human child from the womb of a humble woman, not descending as God in all Your glory from heaven. You chose to be born in the manger of humanity. What contrast to all the mythologies of the so-called gods of the various cultures of the earth. You are the God, so secure and mighty in Your identity and glory, that You desired to set aside the glory of heaven to humble Yourself in human form, to live among us as one of us, to show us the nature of life lived in deepest intimacy with God (Philippians 2:5-8).
"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.... From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made Him known" (John 1:14-18).
In this Christmas season, when all the world seems to be exceptionally open to hear the story and come to see the Child who born in the manger, let us look closely to see Your heart for us. Let us see the One who makes known to us "the Father's heart." Your heart is humble and tender to draw near to us as we draw near to You (James 4:8). In the birth of Christ, You have drawn near to us in the very nature of us, that we could best understand Your heart toward us. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ ... that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them ..." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Yes, Lord. Let me embrace this Christ Child who has come to reconcile me to God and God to me. Let me embrace the One who has humbled Himself to draw near to me so that I may draw near to Him. "O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries:
"While they were there, the time came for (Mary) to deliver her Child. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7).
You lay in a manger, not a mansion. You were surrounded by animals, not armies. You humbled Yourself to be born as human child from the womb of a humble woman, not descending as God in all Your glory from heaven. You chose to be born in the manger of humanity. What contrast to all the mythologies of the so-called gods of the various cultures of the earth. You are the God, so secure and mighty in Your identity and glory, that You desired to set aside the glory of heaven to humble Yourself in human form, to live among us as one of us, to show us the nature of life lived in deepest intimacy with God (Philippians 2:5-8).
"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.... From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made Him known" (John 1:14-18).
In this Christmas season, when all the world seems to be exceptionally open to hear the story and come to see the Child who born in the manger, let us look closely to see Your heart for us. Let us see the One who makes known to us "the Father's heart." Your heart is humble and tender to draw near to us as we draw near to You (James 4:8). In the birth of Christ, You have drawn near to us in the very nature of us, that we could best understand Your heart toward us. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ ... that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them ..." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Yes, Lord. Let me embrace this Christ Child who has come to reconcile me to God and God to me. Let me embrace the One who has humbled Himself to draw near to me so that I may draw near to Him. "O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Reply to Tommy Hays: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe or Contribute to Messiah Ministries:
"Preparing the Way of the Lord
... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502, USA
www.messiah-ministries.org
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Right Place, Right Time - Dec 21
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with great tidings of comfort and joy in the abiding peace of Your Presence. …
“Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a Child” (Luke 2:4-6).
Joseph and Mary were strategically positioned in the right place at the right time for a mighty move of God in their lives—the birth of Christ. Did they know of the prophecy centuries before that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah, their Child? (Micah 5:2) Or were they just obeying the political orders of the secular government that seemingly ruled their nation ?(Luke 2:1) Ultimately, no matter what Mary and Joseph were thinking, no matter what Caesar was thinking, You were thinking You wanted the Son of God to be born in Bethlehem. And so He was (Luke 2:7).
Lord, let every day be a day You are strategically positioning me for Your purposes in my life. I want to be in the right place at the right time for every mighty move of God that You’ve prophesied or planned to come to pass. I don’t yet fully understand the tension between Your sovereignty and our freedom, between the plans we make and the plans You make that come together in fulfillment of what You’ve always known all along. But I do know that it was not until “the fullness of time had come, (that) God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children” (Galatians4:4-5).
So Lord, I entrust myself to the fullness of Your timing and the fulfillment of Your plans, as best as I can and all by Your grace. I want my free choices to align with Your sovereign will. Use all the authorities and circumstances of my life to guide my heart and my steps into the fulfillment of Your purposes. Put Your thoughts in my mind. Put Your desires in my heart. Let me lean not on my own understanding, but trust in You with all my heart, acknowledging You in all my ways, that You may direct my path (Proverbs 3:5-6). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Comment or Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe, Contribute, or Order Resources: www.messiah-ministries.org
Friends, please prayerfully consider Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving, as you join with us in our ministry to others. Your support and encouragement is truly needed and greatly appreciated: Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, KY 40502; on-line at www.messiah-ministries.org ; or by phone at 859-317-1591. God bless you and Merry Christmas! --Tommy & all of us at Messiah Ministries
Friday, December 17, 2010
Season Between Conception and Birth - Dec 17
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. I draw near to You and You draw near to me, as deep calls to Deep and spirit calls to Spirit. …
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name’ ” (Luke 1:46-49).
Between conception and birth, pregnant with the purposes and destiny of God for her life, Mary’s eyes were on You. Mary’s soul soared and her spirit rejoiced. Her calling was a high calling, with high responsibilities and high pressures. And the burdens she would endure in the journey of days to come in fulfillment of her calling for the sake of Christ would “pierce (her) own soul” (v. 2:35). Yet Mary rejoiced. Mary glorified God.
And in that season between conception and birth, Mary was able to see that she was both lowly and favored, both a servant of God and the mother of her Savior. She was blessed by the great things of God that You were forming and shaping inside her womb and inside her heart. By the power of Your grace, she was not afraid of what she couldn’t know was to come, but rejoiced that she was chosen to carry the purposes of God for her life, as she “pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
Lord, let my soul magnify the Lord. Let my spirit rejoice in my Savior. Though I am Your lowly servant, humbled in my humanity and my desperate need of Your mercy and grace every moment of my life, I am also a son of God. Like all of Your children, my calling is high and my destiny is great—I am being conformed into the image of Christ through every challenge to my calling and every distraction to my destiny, as I persevere in faith for the sake of Christ (Romans 8:29).
There may be things that will pierce my soul. There may be people who will break my heart. There may be days when I stumble and fall. But by the grace of God, my soul will magnify the Lord; my spirit will rejoice in my Savior. For the Lord my God has done great things for me. You have favored me with the knowledge of my identity in Christ and a sense of purpose and destiny for the sake of Christ. You have done the same for each of us who are called by Your name and have given our hearts and our lives to You. Let all generations called us blessed, because we are blessed with the favor and grace of our God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Comment or Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe, Contribute, or Order Resources: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Friends, please prayerfully consider Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving, as you join with us in our ministry to others. Your support and encouragement is truly needed and greatly appreciated. Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, KY 40502; on-line at http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ ; or by phone at 859-317-1491. God bless you and Merry Christmas! – Tommy
Come to The Fountain This Friday Night! Dec 17 at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly, citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise & Healing Worship. All are welcome! Come drink deeply from the Living Water as we worship God in Spirit and Truth, welcoming His healing Word and Presence into our lives and the burdens on our hearts. This month, Jeff Green will be leading in worship and Linda Dulin will be leading in prayer, while I’m speaking at The Vineyard Church in Lexington for Celebrate Recovery. The Fountain is led by Messiah Ministries and hosted monthly in the Chapel at Centenary Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, KY 40502. If you’re in our area, please come with a friend and spread the word!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Words of God in a Dream - Dec 16
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I come with all the faithful to adore You, Christ the Lord. …
“… [A]n angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ … When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her for his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son; and he named Him Jesus” (Matthew 1:20-25).
The angel of the Lord spoke with the authority of the Lord to Joseph. You speak to us in many ways. Sometimes You speak through Your written Word; sometimes You speak through the words of our friends, our family, and those we trust to speak into our lives; sometimes You speak through our circumstances; sometimes You speak through the moving of Your Holy Spirit in the thoughts of our minds and the desires of our hearts; sometimes You speak through dreams or visions or prophetic signs; sometimes You speak through angels and other messengers of God You send at critical moments in our lives and in the lives of Your people in the progressive journey of Your plan for our world.
But whenever You speak and however You speak, You expect us to discern Your word to be truth. Because not every word we hear, every dream we have, every thought and desire formed in our mind and heart, or every spiritual encounter or experience is from You. You command us, “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We are to “weight what is said” (1 Corinthians 14:29). But when we test it and weight it and discern it as from You, we are to trust You and obey You and the word You have spoken to us through whatever means You have chosen in Your sovereignty and wisdom to speak. That’s just as true even if it’s spiritual, supernatural, intangible, unmeasurable, unverifiable unrepeatable; even if it comes through an angel in a dream, rather than through black and white words on a paper. That’s why You call it faith—“the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Through the angel in the dream, You “commanded” Joseph to name his Son “Jesus.” “And Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him … he named Him Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25). We don’t hear a lot about Joseph in the Bible. But we do hear this: A very young man was chosen by God to be the one who named the Savior of the world. Though he didn’t receive a decree from Caesar, get a word from a prophet, or even a prayer from his pastor, he knew he heard God speaking to him. He was convicted in his heart of what he hadn’t yet seen with his eyes, and he chose to act in faith in obedience to the word he believed he heard.
A father’s words are a father’s blessing. And a father’s name for his son speaks of the purpose and calling and destiny for his life. Through this young man named Joseph, the Father named His Son “Jesus”—meaning “the salvation of God”—“for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). What an honor You gave to Joseph, this young man of such strong faith, who was willing to believe he heard the words of God in a dream and was willing to obey them, as best as he could and all by Your grace. Lord, let it be so in me, in response to however You choose to speak. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Comment or Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe, Contribute, or Order Resources: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Friends, please prayerfully consider Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving, as you join with us in our ministry to others. Your support and encouragement is truly needed and greatly appreciated. God bless you and Merry Christmas! – Tommy
Come to The Fountain This Friday Night! Dec 17 at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly, citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise & Healing Worship. All are welcome! Come drink deeply from the Living Water as we worship God in Spirit and Truth, welcoming His healing Word and Presence into our lives and the burdens on our hearts. This month, Jeff Green will be leading in worship and Linda Dulin will be leading in prayer, while I’m speaking at The Vineyard Church in Lexington for Celebrate Recovery. The Fountain is led by Messiah Ministries and hosted monthly in the Chapel at Centenary Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, KY 40502. If you’re in our area, please come with a friend and spread the word!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Joseph’s Mercy for Mary - Dec 15
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of all the moments of my day. …
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins’ ” (Matthew 1:18-21).
Joseph was “a righteous man.” But his righteousness was revealed in his heart of mercy. His righteousness was not the self-righteousness of insisting upon the judgments of the law with harshness and legalism. His righteousness came from one who knew God more personally, more intimately; he was one who was “unwilling” to do what the law seemed to require and what he felt people seemed to expect. Rather, he was willing to express his love through his mercy, even though his heart was broken and his emotions were raw, in the face of his deep disappointment with this one he valued and trusted so much.
Before Joseph ever knew the truth about Mary’s Child, the truth of his own heart was revealed. It was only after Joseph resolved in his heart to show mercy to Mary that the angel appeared to reveal the truth of all the facts that Joseph didn’t know. It’s the heart of mercy, not judgment, that draws the Presence of the Lord. It’s the heart of mercy, not judgment, that allows us to hear the truth and live in the way that honors God, as we honor those He brings across the path of our lives.
The heart of mercy, not judgment, is at the heart of God. And it’s to be our heart as well. “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Freely we have received Your mercy and freely we are to give (Matthew 10:8). You command us, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). You remind us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
Lord, like Joseph, let me have a heart of mercy. Let me be unwilling to judge or condemn. Let me grow in Your righteousness, not my self-righteousness. Let me never assume I know all the facts and harden my heat in judgment, rather than opening my heart in mercy. And if I’m led to speak the truth in love, let it be Your truth spoken in Your love, only as You lead with Your heart to redeem and restore. After all, that’s what Mary’s Child has come to do for us. “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high has broken upon us!” (Luke 1:78) In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
To Comment or Reply: TommyHays@aol.com
To Subscribe, Contribute, or Order Resources: http://www.messiah-ministries.org/
Friends, please prayerfully consider Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving, as you join with us in our ministry to others. Your support and encouragement is truly needed and greatly appreciated. God bless you! -- Tommy
Come to The Fountain This Friday Night! Dec 17 at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly, citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise & Healing Worship. All are welcome! Come drink deeply from the Living Water as we worship God in Spirit and Truth, welcoming His healing Word and Presence into our lives and the burdens on our hearts. This month, Jeff Green will be leading in worship and Linda Dulin will be leading in prayer, while I’m speaking at The Vineyard Church in Lexington for Celebrate Recovery. The Fountain is led by Messiah Ministries and hosted monthly in the Chapel at Centenary Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, KY 40502. If you’re in our area, please come with a friend and spread the word!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Filled with Joy! - Dec 14, 2010
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I give You the offering of my first thoughts of my first moments of this new day. …
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there was be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord’ ” (Luke 1:41-45).
Spirit to spirit, heart to heart, deep to deep (Psalm 42:7). The child in Elizabeth’s womb and the Child in Mary’s womb were filled with the Spirit of God. And the stirring of Your Spirit stirred up the expression of joy. “In Your Presence there is fullness of joy! (Psalm 16:11)
We need Your joy in our world today. I need Your joy in my world today. The expression of joy is an evidence of presence of the Kingdom of God within us. “For the Kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Fill me afresh with Your joy today—not joy that everything around me is perfect and wonderful, but joy that the Spirit of Your Presence abides within me and flows out from me.
Let the Spirit of God within me leap for joy with the Spirit of God with my brothers and sisters of the family God everywhere I go today. Let us rejoice, even in the midst of a world that doesn’t feel like rejoicing. Let us not be overcome by the doom and gloom of the world around us, but let us overcome that doom and gloom with the joy of the Lord flowing our of our hearts. You speak to our hearts, encourage our souls, and stir up our spirits “that (our) joy may be full” (1 John 1:4, KJV). Fill us with the fullness of Your joy today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Friends, please prayerfully consider Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving, as you join with us in our ministry to others. Your support and encouragement is truly needed and greatly appreciated. God bless you! -- Tommy
Come to The Fountain This Friday Night! Dec 17 at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly, citywide gathering for Prayer, Praise & Healing Worship. All are welcome! Come drink deeply from the Living Water as we worship God in Spirit and Truth, welcoming His healing Word and Presence into our lives and the burdens on our hearts. This month, Jeff Green will be leading in worship and Linda Dulin will be leading in prayer, while I’m speaking at The Vineyard Church in Lexington for Celebrate Recovery. The Fountain is led by Messiah Ministries and hosted monthly in the Chapel at Centenary Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, KY 40502. If you’re in our area, please come with a friend and spread the word!
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