The Gift and Choice of Humility Instead of Pride - November 7

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look up to You and set my mind on things above with the first thoughts of my day. ...

"In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, and He answered him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not respond according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.... Hezekiah had very great riches and honor.... Hezekiah prospered in all his works.... God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart" (2 Chronicles 32:27-31).

Our pride draws Your wrath, yet our humility draws Your riches. In Your mercy, You allow the sicknesses and sufferings, the trials and tribulations of our lives to test us and show us the pride that remains in our hearts. And in the process, Your heart is not to condemn us, but to free us; not to break our spirits, but to crucify our flesh; not to wound our pride, but to put it death. Then we can truly live and truly prosper in the fullness of our destiny for the glory of God. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10, NKJV).

Like the gift of faith, we need the gift of humility. We can love You because You first loved us, and we can trust You because Your Spirit first reveals Your nature to our hearts. It's the same with humility that slays our pride. We can choose to humble ourselves in Your sight because You give us the grace to see our need to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. "For it is God Who is at work in (us), enabling (us) both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

So I thank You for the testing and the trials that come to us all in our journey of faith. They are never pleasant at the time, but they produce the fruit of Your righteousness in us-right relationship with God, with one another, and within ourselves. It's the loving guidance and holy correction of our perfect Father Who wants the very best for each one of His children (Hebrews 12:4-13).

We are Your children, as we are moved and empowered by Your Spirit to die to the pride of our independence, self-centeredness, selfishness, and desire for control apart from entrusting ourselves completely to You. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-if in fact, we suffer with Him so that we also may be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:14-17).

Christ is always our example. So Christ is our example to make our choice in response to Your gift of grace in humility as well. "Let the same mind be in (us) that was in Christ Jesus ... He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him ..." (Philippians 2:5-11).

When we humble ourselves in Your sight, You lift us up. As we learn to completely entrust our lives to the One Who completely cares for us, we are set free from fear and filled with faith; we are healed from our sicknesses and forgiven from our failures. And like Hezekiah, who humbled himself from the pride of his heart, we position ourselves for You to honor and prosper our lives for the glory of Your name and the advancement of Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, the more I continue the ministry of inner healing and spiritual formation, along with my own personal journey of faith toward spiritual maturity, I have a growing belief that humility is perhaps one of the greatest keys of the Kingdom of God we've been given in Christ (Matthew 16:19; Philippians 2:5-11). I pray for the humility of Christ to fill your heart and ask you to pray this for me, as we journey in prayer together. God bless you and prosper you, even as your soul prospers! (3 John 2)

Please keep us in prayer, as Sylvia and I travel to San Antonio, Texas to minister together this week in healing prayer and prophetic ministry. Please let us know if your church or community would like to make arrangement for us to come to your area as well. God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"Continue in the Faith" - November 4

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I worship You in spirit, soul, and body and welcome You into every moment of my past, present, and future. ...

"After they had proclaimed the Good News to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, 'It is through many persecutions that we must enter the Kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:21-22).

Every day, Your Holy Spirit strengthens my soul and encourages me to continue in the faith. Every day, Your Holy Spirit leads me on and draws me in to enter the Kingdom of God. And Every day, Your Holy Spirit anoints me and empowers me to proclaim the Good News and help make disciples wherever I am and wherever You send me. This is the mission and the ministry of all the sons and daughters of God (Matthew 28:18-20).

Thank You for every one of Your disciples who have strengthened me and encouraged me along the way. And I pray now for the continuing journey of faith of each of the lives You've allowed me to touch with the truth and power of the Good News of this Gospel of the Kingdom of God. "And this Good News of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friends, thank you so much for joining with me in this journey of prayer. Sylvia and I are home now from our Encounter Wales! ministry trip with Heather Butler. We praise God for the souls that were saved and the lives that were changed by the healing love of God these past three weeks. We're so encouraged to see how the Lord has moved everywhere He sent us, and we have many invitations to return. Thank you for being part of our team through all your prayers. God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"Astounded at the Greatness of God!" - October 31

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit; be One within me, as I abide in You and You abide in me. ...

"While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God!" (Luke 9:42-43)

Last night at the men's meeting at the Elim Church in Wells, southern England, a father filled with gratitude for the greatness of God handed me a note from his son. It said, "Thank you for praying for me this morning. (It) made me feel good." Praise God!

He was a young boy, struggling with panic and fear about being bullied at school. He was too fearful to come up for prayer, so we went to him. He wasn't ever able to turn his face toward us from his father's side, as we prayed for him to know the safety and security of the Father's embrace. But Your perfect love began to cast out all his fear (1 John 4:18). Then You began to replace his stress, anxieties, and fears with Your power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Thank You, Lord Jesus! We are "astounded at the greatness of God!"

As he goes to school today, Father, fill him with Your peace and shelter him under the mighty right hand of Your protection. No matter what foes he may face, remind him that the One who stands firm within him is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). I pray this for all the children who face these struggles at school. And I pray this same peace for all who may have to face the taunting and torment of those who need to know the love of God in Jesus Christ. Like Stephen, whose faith began to change the heart of Saul, may faith arise in the face of fear to begin to bring conviction and repentance to hearts of the tormenters (Acts 7:54-60). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, we've had a very intense but wonderful few days of ministry in a Spiritual Renewal meeting near Swansea in south Wales, then at the Elim Church in Wells in southern England with a women's meeting, a men's meeting, and Sunday worship. The Holy Spirit has been moving mightily with salvation, healing, deliverance, and prophetic ministry. Thank you so much for your prayers for us! We couldn't carry this message of hope and the healing love of God at home and abroad without our wonderful prayer covering.

Sylvia and I have a day off today in Wells, before catching our train tomorrow for the airport in Manchester and a very early flight home the next day. We've said our goodbye's to Heather, Bob, and Pedr Butler of Angelsey, north Wales, who have been so wonderful to host us and arrange all these meetings for us. Please keep them in your prayers as well, and you will be in ours'. God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"Mighty Ones Who Do His Bidding" - October 26

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, lead me in Your ways, and live through me today. ...

"The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His Kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, obedient to His spoken word. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers that do His will. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Psalm 103:19-22).

Thank You for Your holy angels-the hosts of heaven, the mighty ones, who do Your bidding, who are obedient to Your spoken word, who are Your ministers who do Your will. Thank You for sending them to watch over me, even as they continually behold the face of the Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10). Thank You for assigning them to minister alongside me and to battle in the heavenly realms for me and for those You desire to comfort and encourage through me (Daniel 10:12). "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)

Like Your holy angels, I am part of Your creation-created to love You and embrace Your love, created to obey You and embrace Your will. We are part of the works of Your hands, part of the reign of Your dominion. O Lord, I bless You with all my soul. I honor You with all I am and all I have. And like Your holy angels, let me be faithful to bow at Your throne, to welcome Your Kingdom, and to do Your bidding today, as I am obedient to Your spoken word and led by Your Holy Spirit. 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 us as we travel through Wales this week in ministry. Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys Tomorrow, we'll be travelling down to South Wales to preach on Friday night, then go to Somerset in southern England to lead a retreat on Saturday and preach on Sunday. Please keep us in prayer for the Lord's protection to be upon us, His provision to sustain us, and His power and love to flow through us.

At home, we would welcome your prayers to cover our ministry through some financial challenges. But we know our God is faithful and will bring us through as we keep our eyes on the Lord and humble ourselves to listen for His voice. Please keep us in prayer, and we are praying for you too! God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

God's Heart for Businessmen and Women - October 25

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're my Savior; You can move mountains; You are mighty to save. I give commit this day into Your hands. ...

"As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at a tax booth; and He said to him, 'Follow Me.' And he got up and followed Him. As He sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' Be when He heard this, He said, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners'" (Matthew 9:9-13).

Three hands went up in the air to pray to receive You as their Lord and Savior last night at a dinner meeting of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Association at Anglesey, Wales! Sylvia shared her testimony from her years as a business owner and financial advisor, while I shared mine from my years as a trial lawyer. Your Holy Spirit drew each of them there to that place in the hotel restaurant and there to that place in their hearts to say: "Yes, Lord Jesus; I give my life completely to You, with full assurance of my salvation in the peace of my heart." Praise God!

Lord, You're not willing that any should perish, but that all would repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). You want all to know they can be forgiven of every sin, freed from every burden of guilt and shame, and draw near to God through the sacrifice of Christ (John 3:16). And when You bring Your businessmen and women into Your Kingdom, You intend to express Your Kingdom through their lives in their business world. And so "the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15, NKJV). Praise God!

Lord, use my life in whatever sphere of influence You send me and strategically position me each day. Let Your light shine in me and shine through me to bring others to You. I want to shout for joy with the angels of heaven over every person who comes to faith in You! (Luke 15:10) Keep sending me to my neighborhood and sending me to the nations, with hope in my heart to see souls saved in Your name and lives changed in Your power. 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 us as we travel through Wales this week in ministry. Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys At the end of this week, we'll be travelling down to South Wales to preach on Friday, then go to Somerset in southern England to lead a retreat on Saturday and preach on Sunday. Please keep us in prayer for the Lord's protection to be upon us, His provision to sustain us, and His power and love to flow through us.

At home, we would welcome your prayers to cover our ministry through some financial challenges. But we know our God is faithful and will bring us through as we keep our eyes on the Lord and humble ourselves to listen for His voice. Please keep us in prayer, and we are praying for you too! God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

Return, Rebuild, Restore, Renew - October 24

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Rock and Refuge-my "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). ...

"Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish My name.' They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and Your strong hand. O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give success to Your servant today ..." (Nehemiah 1:8-11).

Praying and preparing for the fresh bread of Your Word for the church in Holyhead, Wales Sunday morning, Your Holy Spirit brought to mind the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall and the twelve gates of Jerusalem. It seemed to be a picture of the Body of Christ in this hour, as well as so many principles and applications for our communities and personal lives. We are Your servants and Your people; You have redeemed us by Your great power and Your strong hand. Yet in many ways, we are scattered and divided, weary and oppressed, confused and discouraged. And Your Word to us, as it was to Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem, is always "Return to Me."

Thank You for the grace You always give us and the invitation You continually extend to us to come and return to You. As we return to You, You rebuild, You restore, and Your revive. If we stumble, You lift us up. If we get lost, You lead us home. If we feel empty, You fill us up. You keep on redeeming us, keep on saving us, keep on bringing us through in Your great power, with Your strong hand to the place You've chosen to establish Your name through our lives. "God chose (us) as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in truth. For this purpose, He called (us) through the proclamation of the Good News, so that (we) may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2Thessalonians 2:13-14).

O Lord, hear our prayer as Your Church, the Body of Christ on this earth. In this pursuit, "give success" to Your servants, Your sons and Your daughters, today. By the grace of God, we return to You to obey Your will and follow Your way. Let "the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" rise upon us and shine through us-personally, in our communities, and throughout Your Church on this earth. "Arise, shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!" (Isaiah 60:1) In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys

The Holy Spirit is giving us fresh words in the messages, prophetic ministry, and prayer ministry wherever we go, corporately for the body and personally for the people! Last nigth, the Lord gave us specific prayers and prophetic words for everyone who came to the evening service in Holyhead. I praise God for the gift He's giving Heather as a prophetic psalmist to sing the song of the Lord every people in such a personal way and for the gift of such accurate and specific prophetic words He has given Sylvia as we pray for the people.

Tonight, Sylvia and I will be speaking at the Full Gospel Businessman's meeting in Valley, Wales, with an altar call for salvation, as requested by the leaders. At home, we would welcome your prayers to cover our ministry through some financial challenges. But we know our God is faithful and will bring us through as we keep our eyes on the Lord and humble ourselves to listen for His voice. Please keep us in prayer, and we are praying for you too! God bless you!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"Hope Continually" - October 21

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord, my Savior, my Best Friend, I welcome You into my heart and into my day. ...

"But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise Your righteousness, Yours alone.... You Who have done great things, O God, Who is like You? You Who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth, You will bring me up again. You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again" (Psalm 71:14-21).

I've seen "many troubles and calamities;" but I've also seen great breakthrough and deliverance. I've seen much injustice and evil, but I've also seen astounding generosity and mercy. I live in a broken, fallen world, hurtling along in the throes of the age-old process of Your restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). But in the midst of this world and all the challenges that come with it every day, "I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more."

"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You" (Psalm 56:3). Whenever I am confused, I will listen to You. Whenever I am hurting, I will embrace You. If I am brought low, You will lift me up again. If I lose my way, You will lead me home again. You have always done great things for me; You have always shown me Your mighty deeds. So "I will hope in You continually, and will praise You yet more and more. O God, Who is like You?" None, there is none like You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night October 21 at 7 pm, led by Messiah Ministries and hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, Kentucky. Linda Dulin-Moore will be leading in the service this month, and Kerry Dorrell will be leading in worship. Come and be refreshed, refilled and restored in the presence of the Lord! All are welcome!

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys

We had an incredible time of teaching and ministry, leading a conference on healing prayer ministry with the RiverDee Community Church in Flint, North Wales, this past weekend: http://riverdeecommunitychurch.org.uk/

We've been invited to continue developing a strong relationship of ministry between us. This coming weekend, we will be in ministry at a church in Flint on Saturday and another church in Holyhead on Sunday throught the day and evening. We'll be speaking at the Full Gospel Businessman's meeting on Monday night, with times of pesonal prayer ministry all along the way. Please keep us in prayer! God bless you,

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"The Ancient Paths" - October 20

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside Your still waters, in Your paths of righteousness, as You restore my soul, for Your name's sake. ...

"Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16).

As I begin this new day, I stand at the crossroads and look. As I go forward, throughout the moments of my day, with every encounter and every choice, I will continue to stand at the crossroads and look. I will look to see which way to go. And in a way, the crossroads are always the same-Your way or some other way.

So as I stand and as I look, I need to ask which way is Your way. Your way is "where the good way lies." You are "the Ancient One" (Daniel 7:22). And You desire to lead me in "the ancient paths"-the paths that are tested and true, laid out by You since before the foundation of time. These are "the paths of righteousness" that "lead me beside the still waters" where You "restore my soul" (Psalm 23:1-3, NJKV).

Sylvia and I spent a couple of days in the little mountain village of Betws-y-coed in North Wales. Each morning, we walked down the hill from the home where we were staying and over to the village. To get there we had to journey down the road, by the farm house, through the sheep gate, across the pastures, and on the bride over the river. Our path was an ancient one-well worn by centuries of generations and journeys. And though it was narrow, and in places a little muddy, it was tested and true, cleared of any obstacles to block our way to where we chose to go.

Lord, help me choose well where to go each day and throughout the moments of my day. Remind me to stand and look and ask, before I venture out on my own. Show me the ancient paths, tested and true, as I journey on for Your name's sake. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night October 21 at 7 pm, led by Messiah Ministries and hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd., Lexington, Kentucky.

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys

We had an incredible time of teaching and ministry, leading a conference on healing prayer ministry with the RiverDee Community Church in Flint, North Wales, this past weekend: http://riverdeecommunitychurch.org.uk/

We've been invited to continue developing a strong relationship of ministry between us. This coming weekend, we will be in ministry at a church in Flint on Saturday and another church in Holyhead on Sunday throught the day and evening. We'll be speaking at the Full Gospel Businessman's meeting on Monday night, with times of pesonal prayer ministry all along the way. Please keep us in prayer! God bless you,

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

God’s Thoughts in My Mind - October 17

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name. So I speak out Your name as my first word in these first moments of my day. ...

“Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy” (Nehemiah 7:5).

Nehemiah was a spiritual leader, divinely called and strategically positioned to rebuild the city and the hearts of the people of Jerusalem (v. 2:4). And one of the ways You led him in his leadership of others was to put Your thoughts in his mind and Your desires in his heart. You gave him “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” in order to know Your will and understand Your leading for the divine assignments You entrusted to him (Ephesians 1:17).

Lord, I need Your wisdom. I’m to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is,” and I’m to “set (my) mind on things that are above, not things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). I want to see what You’re doing and hear what You’re saying. I desire for my plans to align with Your purposes and for my steps to be ordered by Your Spirit.

So as I begin each day seeking Your face, listening for Your voice, and discerning the leading of Your Spirit, I open my mind to Your thoughts and open my heart to Your desires. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” if we will humble ourselves to seek and listen for Your leading (1 Corinthians 2:16).In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys

We had an incredible time of teaching and ministry, leading a conference on healing prayer ministry with the RiverDee Community Church in Flint, North Wales, this past weekend: http://riverdeecommunitychurch.org.uk/ We've been invited to continue developing a strong relationship of ministry between us. Thank you so much for your prayers for us! God bless you,

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"The Oil of Gladness!" - October 14

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You each day. ...

"Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions" (Psalm 47:7).

Your goodness makes me glad. Your faithfulness fills me with joy. And though there are days of struggles and straining, though there are even seasons of wilderness and desert, there are also these times of gladness and joy that stir up my spirit and brighten up my life. "For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy!" (Psalm 92:4)

Anoint me with gladness today, O Lord. Fill me with the joy of the Lord, and let the joy of the Lord be my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Wherever You send me, let the oil of gladness flow out of my spirit and release the power of Your joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys Frinday and Saturday, we will be hosted at River Dee Church in Flint, North Wales; then at Heather and Bob Butler's home church, Elim Pentecostal Church, in Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey, North Wales. Please keep us in prayer! God bless you,

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

Intimately Present - October 13

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of Heaven and Earth, be Lord of my life and every moment of this day. ...

"He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' And he said to Him, 'If your Presence will not go, do not carry us up from here' " (Exodus 33:14-15).

Wherever I go, wherever You send me, I want Your Presence to go with me. I know You're already there long before I get there and I know You'll be there long after I leave. Yet at the same time, it's also true that You go with me.

You are the God Who is both omnipresent, yet also intimately present. Though You hold all the world in Your hands, You also stretch out Your hand to touch my heart. Though You carry all the thoughts and prayers of all Your children in the immensity of Your divine mind, You also know my every thought and hear my every prayer. Thank You that I can rest in both the certainty of Your infinite omnipresence and the intimacy of Your constant Presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, Sylvia and I are ministering with our good friend Heather Butler in Wales and England the next few weeks in a variety of settings Heather has arranged for us. www.ourchurch.com/member/keys Frinday and Saturday, we will be hosted at River Dee Church in Flint, North Wales; then at Heather and Bob Butler's home church, Elim Pentecostal Church, in Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey, North Wales. Please keep us in prayer! God bless you,

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

"Be Thou My Vision" - October 10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart ...

"And He said, 'Hear My words: When there are prophets among you, I the Lord make Myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams. Not so with My servant Moses; He is entrusted with all My house. With Him I speak face to face-clearly, not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the Lord' " (Numbers 12:6-8).

You've chosen in Your sovereignty to create us to live in this season of time that You've poured out Your Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and Your daughters prophesy, Your young men see visions and Your old men dream dreams (Acts 2:17). All Your children are led by Your Spirit (Romans 8:14). Like Moses, we all are invited to draw near to You as You draw near to us, to seek Your face, listen for Your voice, and embrace Your love (James 4:8). And as we look up to behold Your form with an unveiled face and unhidden heart, You are changing us into Your image, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Be my vision, Lord. By the mercy of Your grace, lift me up to the mountain of Your Presence with clean hands and a pure heart to seek Your face (Psalm 24:3-6). I receive Your invitation and embrace Your welcome. And from this place of Your Presence in the communion of prayer, I want to go wherever You send me, carrying this Spirit of Christ within me (Colossian 1:27).

Today, You are sending Sylvia and me to Wales for a few weeks of prophetic ministry and prayer ministry with Heather Butler, one of Your prophetic psalmists, among the people of this ancient Celtic land. And as I look to You and listen for Your leading, I keep hearing in my spirit the words of this ancient Celtic hymn:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy Presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Lord, You are my Vision. You are the High King of Heaven and yet, You humble Yourself to dwell in Your children by Your Spirit and send us forth to carry Your message of love and power by Your grace. You are first in my heart, as I go forth in Your faith. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Please keep us in prayer as we go!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org

Present with the Power to Heal - October 7

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Everlasting Father, my Wonderful Counselor, my Prince of Peace, and my Mighty God. I look to You and listen for Your leading, as I start my day in the communion of prayer. ...

"I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will call you by your name" (Isaiah 45:2-3).

Yesterday afternoon at our School of Ministry, Your Holy Spirit disrupted my teaching with a moving of Your power in an unexpected time of healing prayer and prophetic ministry. Praise God! You were making crooked places straight, destroying strongholds, uprooting bitterness, and driving out spirits of torment, infirmity, and pain. You were aligning spirits, souls, and bodies, redeeming the distortions of the past and restoring them to Your created order. One woman's spine was straightened as she stretched her arms to the heavens in praise! What a holy mess as "the power of the Lord was present to heal!" (Luke 5:17, NKJV)

You were encouraging us to step out in faith, to risk speaking prophetic words and praying healing prayers, as we discerned Your Spirit's leading. You were empowering us to be the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, to continue to the ministry of Christ. Just as You said to Your first disciples, so You continue to speak to all Your disciples, "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.... Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21).

Continue to go before us-leveling the mountains of our fears and faithlessness, our doubts and unbelief. Continue breaking in pieces the doors that shut down and shut out the moves of Your Spirit through the Body of Christ. Continue cutting through the bars that attempt to restrict and imprison the power of God to sometime in the past or someplace far away. Continue giving us the treasures of Your spiritual gifts and graces You long to display through Your people who have Your heart and who are called by Your name in the power of Your love.

Let us no longer hold back, but boldly "press on toward the goal of the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature be of the same mind.... Only let us hold fast to what we have attained" (Philippians 3:14-16). In our generation and throughout our nations, let God arise and let the Body of Christ "come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the full measure of the stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please keep us in prayer for our Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry this week in Lexington! My wife Sylvia Jackson Hays will be teaching today on activation of prophetic ministry and prophetic dream interpretation. Please let us know if your church or community would like us to come speak on these topics of equpping for prayer and prophetic ministry. We're off to a great start, with healing already happening among our students in a weighty Presence of God's glory in our times of worship and prayer. This is our Messiah Ministries' 4 Day School for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to arrange for us to come speak: www.messiah-ministries.org

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2

4-Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

Contend for the Faith We Share - October 6

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit. I worship You, Lord, in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You, Lord, into every dimension of my being. ...

"Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the faith we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3).

With every believer of every nation and every generation, I share a faith. With all the saints of heaven and all the saints on earth, I share a faith. With those You used to write Your Word, with those who've been willing to lay down their lives, and with those who are willing to live their lives for You today, I share a faith. It's a faith that believes that You are God and You are good. It's a faith that believes that You are love and You love us. It's a faith that believes that You love us so much that You took upon Yourself all our sins and failures, all our sicknesses and diseases, all our curses and consequences, that we might be free from everything that would hold us back from a loving relationship with You and being all You created us to be.

And this faith we share is a faith that's worth fighting for, worth dying for, worth living for. By the power of Your grace, I willingly choose to answer Your call to "contend for the faith." In the name of Jesus, I renounce and reject all passivity and complacency, all hesitation and timidity, all fear of rejection and failure; and I embrace this faith that's founded in the One Who can never falter and never fail, Who has always loved me and always will. "Now to Him Who is able to keep (me) from falling, and to make (me) stand without blemish in the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever" (Jude 24-25). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please keep us in prayer for our Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry this week in Lexington! We're off to a great start, with healing already happening among our students in a weighty Presence of God's glory in our times of worship and prayer. This is our Messiah Ministries' 4 Day School for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to register on-line: www.messiah-ministries.org

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2

4-Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

"Set Me Secure on the Heights" - October 5

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord; and I thank You first for loving me. Out of that love, I want to live for You and the glory of Your name today. ...

"For Who is God except the Lord? And Who is a rock besides our God?-the God Who girded me with strength, and made my way safe. He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has supported me; Your help has made me great" (Psalm 18:31-35).

Your Word says, "Your help has made me great." Is it true, Lord, that it's in Your heart for my life to help me to make me great? It somehow seems a little prideful, arrogant, or self-centered; it even seems a little sacrilegious to think about You making me great. You are God, and You are great.

It seems I hear You say: "My son, you are great because you are My child. That is your identity; that is your greatness. I save you and sanctify you; I strengthen you and support you; I train you and equip you to live out your great destiny because of your great identity in Me."

Thank You, Lord. Help me see myself and each of Your children as You do. "Set me secure on the heights" of this truth of Your Word. I renounce in the name of Jesus all false-pride, false-humility, and false-religion that would say anything less than what Your Word says of me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please keep us in prayer as we begin our Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry today in Lexington! Our Messiah Ministries' 4 Day School for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to register on-line: www.messiah-ministries.org

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2

4-Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

"My Soul Waits in Silence" - October 4

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of all that I am and all that I have. ...

"For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:5-8).

When I rise in the morning to sit in the silence to listen for Your voice, I'm entrusting my heart and thoughts to You. Everything else becomes dim in my view for these first few moments of the morning, when You alone are my focus. Here in the silence of surrender, here in the time of trusting, I reset the priorities of my life to remember that You alone are my rock and my salvation; You alone are my fortress and refuge; You are alone are my deliverance and honor; You alone are my God.

And as I pour out my heart before You and open up my heart for You, You draw near and hold me close. You lift my face and fill me up. You remind me that You know all about me-every need and burden, every worry and fear, every sin and failure, every hope and desire. You remind me that You're for me. "If God is for (me), who can be against (me)? (Romans 8:31) Then it's from that place of knowing Your steadfast love, Your constant gaze, and Your abiding Presence, that I rise and go forth to meet the day-trusting in the One Who alone is God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2

4-Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

It's not too late to sign up for our 4 Day School starting Wednesday! We're excited that the registrations for our upcoming Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry indicate this may be our biggest class ever! Please come join us in Lexington in October for our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to register on-line: www.messiah-ministries.org

"A Tree of Life" - October 3

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day and every day knowing I'm embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12).

Lord, let my desires be Your desires. Let my longings, be Your longings. When You fulfill the desires that are consumed with Your desires and satisfy the longings that are driven by Your longings, they are a tree of life for me. They are like a tree planted by the waters that does not wither in the dry seasons and does not break in the storms. They bear the fruit of a life filled with peace and love and joy, no matter what challenges and circumstances may come.

You are the God Who "fulfills the desire of all who fear Him" and the God Who "watches over all who love Him" (Psalm 145:19-20). You are the God Who wants Your joy fulfilled in us (John 17:13). And You are the God Who invites us, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Every day may not be like this day. But this day, my heart is full of gratitude and peace and joy. I woke up in my warm bed, next to my loving wife, after a wonderful night of fulfilling ministry with our New Life Community of friends with the home group from our church. My children are healthy and have Jesus in their hearts. I have productive work to do today that will make a difference in peoples' lives, as I help them trust You with their burdens and pain to be whole and free in the power of Your name.

Today, I have a confident hope in my heart that You are at work in my life, fulfilling the desires and satisfying the longings that You have placed there to guide my steps along the path of Your plan for my life. It's all by Your grace. Thank You for this day that You've given me the grace to recognize the fruit of this tree of life that's flourishing exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2

4-Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

It's not too late to sign up for our 4 Day School starting Wednesday! We're excited that the registrations for our upcoming Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry indicate this may be our biggest class ever! Please come join us in Lexington in October for our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to register on-line: www.messiah-ministries.org

The Place of Sacrifice and Surrender - September 30

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my face and open up my heart to welcome the King of Glory into the moments of my day. ...

"At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Oman the Jebusite, he made his sacrifices there" (1 Chronicles 21:28).

David lifted up his prayers, and You sent forth Your answers. David offered up his sacrifices from his heart, and You sent forth Your fire from heaven (v. 26). David found a place to honor You with his petitions, and You met him there to honor him with Your Presence. When we draw near to You, You draw near to us (James 4:8).

When we find the place where You answer our prayers with the fire of Your Presence, we want to sacrifice there. That's the place where we are moved to offer to You all that we have and all that we are. That's the place where we want to live our lives wholly surrendered to You. That's the place where we willing choose, as best as we can and all by Your grace, "to present (our) bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is (our) spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1).

For David, it was a place on the earth at the threshing floor of Oman the Jebusite. For us, it's a place in our hearts where Your Holy Spirit threshes out our flesh from Your Spirit, our thoughts from Your thoughts, our desires from Your desires. It's the place where we come with humility and faith in the example of our Lord to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

Lord, let me find that place of perspective and purpose. Let me find that place of sacrifice and surrender. Let me find that place where You send Your fire from heaven and Your answers to my prayers throughout the moments of my days in the journey of faith. Thank You so much for all the ways You've been answering my prayers with Your Presence and power. It makes me want to sacrifice more and surrender all, trusting You with all my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

For those who can't come join us in person, we have our Level 1 and Level 2 4 Day Schools of Spiritual Ministry available on DVD, as well as my books and our other ministry resources: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

It's not too late to sign up for our 4 Day School starting Wednesday! We're excited that the registrations for our upcoming Level 1 School of Spiritual Ministry indicate this may be our biggest class ever! Please come join us in Lexington in October for our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry for equipping and impartation in healing prayer ministry and prophetic ministry. Scholarships are available as needed so all can come. Please see our Events Calendar on the web site for details or to register on-line: www.messiah-ministries.org