Not Many Fathers - March 6

Good morning, Lord Jesus. From everlasting to everlasting, You always were and You always will be. And You are always with me. ...

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers ..." (1 Corinthians 4:15, NKJ).

Tom Monroe, one of the spiritual fathers of our city passed on from glory to glory yesterday morning, March 5, 2012. He was our elder statesman, an apostolic voice, and a father in the faith. He inspired me and so many others with his consistent faith, sound wisdom, and gentle spirit. He was a champion of the unity of the Body of Christ in our city and region. He was tireless in his exhortations to practical faith that first prayed and then became part of the answer to the prayers in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps above all, in the final season of his life, he passionately called us to our place of responsibility and authority as fathers in our families and fathers in our faith.

As one of his many sons in the Spirit, I'll truly miss him. And I'll seek to honor him, as his legacy lives on through the lives of those he encouraged and inspired. Like Simeon who would not pass on from this side of eternity to the next without seeing the Messiah, I praise God that Tom Monroe saw the beginnings and the birth-pangs of the great move of the Spirit he so passionately prayed for and was such an intimate part of (Luke 2:25-35). We entrust him now to You and into that great crowd of witnesses, looking on from heaven to see Your legacy and theirs come to pass in the fullness of time (Hebrews 12:1). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please join with me in holding the family of Tom and Gwen Monroe in your hearts and prayers through this season of both celebrating Tom's passing on to the great joy of heaven and also mourning our great loss from us here on earth.

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

"The First of All the Fruit" - March 1

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I will seek You first and Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. Let Your will be the first thought on my mind and Your name be the first word from my mouth, as I begin my day with You. ...

"When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for His name. You shall go to the priest who is office at the time and say to him, 'Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us' " (Deuteronomy 26:1-3).

Yes, Lord. Today I declare to You that I have come into the land that You swore to my ancestors to give to me. Today I declare that You are a good God, faithful to Your promises, tender in Your mercies, and steadfast in Your love. And today I declare that all I am and all I have belong to You. You are my Inheritance and I am Your possession.

And as I begin this day, I offer to You the first of the fruit of my heart, grounded in You and available to You for the harvest of Your Kingdom through my life today. In my morning prayer and then throughout the moments of my day, may I seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness (Matthew 6:33). I know everywhere that I will set the soles of my feet today is ground You've given me to possess and a spiritual atmosphere You've given me to impact (Joshua 1:3). So my first step is toward You and every step after is for You, as I take up my sickle and enter again into the harvest, to be about my Father's business. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Sylvia and I begin our long journey back to our Messiah Ministries home base in Lexington, Kentucky today. We had another exciting time of prophetic ministry speaking on preparation and prospering in the end times at Brady Community Church last night on our way home from Kerrville. Please keep us in prayer as we travel and let us know if your Church or Conference would like us to come to speak and miniser in the areas of inner healing, prophetic ministry, and dreams. Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, and support that allow us to minister at home and abroad. God bless you!

Fill Me to Fly - February 28

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You cause me to come alive. You awaken me to arise. You fill me to fly. Thank You for this day You've given me to live for You. ...

I hear Your Spirit writing a new song in my spirit, as I drop down into deep communion in my morning prayer with you today:

You cause me to come alive

You awaken me to arise
Then You fill me to fly

My days are Your days

Your ways become my ways
And You fill me to fly

My soul arise
My spirit fly
Soaring to the sky
My life is Your life
One day at a time in You

Your Kingdom come

Your will be done
In every adventure You bring
In every encounter I see
In every moment of this day I live for You

Yes, Lord. This is the song of my spirit today. Let this be the song of my spirit every day. "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). Fill me up and let me fly (Ephesians 5:18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Wow! Sylvia and I had an incredible night of ministry last night and are excited and expectant for another one tonight, as we look to see what the Lord will do! We already heard testimonies of how the Holy Spirit was moving in deep inner healing and extremely accurate prophetic encouragement. Please keep us in prayer as we speak again in Kerrville, Texas Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship ( www.impactkerr.com ) with inner healing and prophetic ministry. We so grateful to our great friends Bobby and Carolyon Zirkel for helping set these meetings up. Come join us if you can!

A Tender Heart - February 27

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your light shine in my heart and guide my steps throughout the moments of my day. ...

"A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you, and make you follow My statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be My people and I shall be your God" (Ezekiel 36:26-28).

Sylvia and I have been speaking in Brady, Texas this past weekend at the First Methodist Church and at Brady Community Church on spiritual leadership and spiritual gifts. On the way to the meeting last night, we drove by the courthouse at the center of town and saw a big granite monument in the shape of the state of Texas. At the center was a bright red heart, declaring, "Brady, The Heart of Texas." Though it's a fitting declaration of this city at the geographical center of the state, it's also a fitting declaration of the vibrant heart of the people here as well.

At the same time, there is a sense of a spiritual dryness and even hardness in the region for those who need to know You and those who need to encounter Your intimate Presence and Your mighty power. During worship last night, it seemed I heard You say to this land, "I am breaking the hardness of your heart of stone, and I am giving you a tender heart, wide open to My Presence and My power and My love." As I shared this word, we came into agreement in Your declaration on behalf of this land and prayed it out as far as Your grace would go to the heart of this region, this nation, and this world.

Lord, break the hardness of our hearts. Give us Your tender heart. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit with us, in our generation throughout the earth (Psalm 51:10). Let it be so in Brady and let it be so in the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, continuing the ministry of Christ, with Your tender heart and in Your mighty power. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Thank You! for praying for us as we ministered in Brady, Texas this weekend. The Holy Spirit was moving mightily at our weekend conference. We were led to personally prophesy over every person at the meeting last night when the pastor of another local church invited us to come minister at his church.

Please keep us in prayer as we speak in Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship ( www.impactkerr.com ) with inner healing and prophetic ministry. Come join us if you can!

"The Breath of the Almighty" Gives Wisdom - February 24

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Mighty to save, mighty to forgive, mighty to heal, You are the Lord God Almighty. ...

"But truly it is the spirit in a mortal, the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding. It is not the old that are wise, nor the aged that understand what is right" (Job 32:8-9).

Your Holy Spirit, abiding within my human spirit, gives me understanding and teaches me what is right. Your breath gives me life, and Your guidance enables me to live it well. Neither the books I've read, the degrees I hold, nor the years I've lived make me wise in the wisdom of God - that only comes from the time I spend in communion with You. This is the "wisdom from above" (James 3:17).

So at the beginning of this day, before I open my mind to the thoughts of this world and the wisdom of this age, I open my heart and spirit to You. "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding ... for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; prudence will watch over you; and understanding will guard you" (Proverbs 2:6-11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Syliva and I are enjoying a few days in the guest house of great friends in Texas before our next ministry engagement. Please keep us in prayer as we minister in Brady, Texas at First UMC this weekend and Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship ( www.impactkerr.com ) with inner healing and prophetic ministry. Come join us if you can!

Reward of Rest - February 23

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I begin each day with these same words, my spirit rises up to awaken my heart into the communion of prayer with You - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...

"The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while'" (Mark 6:30-31).

You send us to go and do, to teach and minister in the authority of Your name and the power of Your Spirit. You're with us as we go, shaping our words and guiding our steps, sending us to be the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, ministering the love and power of Christ. You call us to spend and be spent in the service of Your Kingdom, for the glory of Your name, as we grow into maturity of spirit, being conformed to Your nature. And then You call us to "come away ... and rest a while."

There's a reward of rest for Your disciples. There's a deserted place where there's nothing to do and no one to teach. And when You call us to come away for that time and to that place, it's just as important to obey that command as it is to obey Your command to go and teach and do. Forgive us when we don't. Forgive us when we won't.

But thank You for the refreshing and rest that comes when we do. You know when we need it and give us grace to receive it. We don't have to worry that our rest will last too long or that You'll forget to send us back into service again (v. 6:37). So we can rest without guilt or concern in the reward of these moments when You call us to come away with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Syliva and I are enjoying a few days in the guest house of great friends in Texas before our next ministry engagement. Please keep us in prayer as we minister in Brady, Texas at First UMC this weekend and Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship ( www.impactkerr.com ) with inner healing and prophetic ministry. Come join us if you can!

Think Rightly - February 22

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, KJV).

Lord, help me think rightly in my heart-about You, about others, about myself. My thoughts shape my choices, and my choices shape my identity.

I want to know who I am as You know me. So keep renewing my mind and transforming my nature, so I can be all You've created me to be and accomplish all You've created me to do (Romans 12:2). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I minister in Brady, Texas at First UMC this weekend and Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship with inner healing and prophetic ministry. Come join us if you can!

Spiritual Gifts - "Let Us Use Them" - February 21

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill my spirit, soul, and body with the fullness of Your Presence. ...

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, in liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:6-8, NKJ).

You've given us spiritual gifts with spiritual power. Each one is expression of Your Spirit abiding within us and ministering through us. They are a part of our identity, and they are necessary to fulfill our destiny. So "let us use them."

How are we to use them unless we know what they are? How are we to use them unless we know what they're for? How are we to use them unless we know how?

A father loves to "give good gifts" to his children; and our Heavenly Father loves to "give good gifts" to us (Matthew 7:11). You've given gifts to each of us that fit who we are and what we're called to do. Together, our individual gifts fit together as the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, to continue to the ministry of Christ (John 20:21). "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" (Romans 12:4-5).

Lord, show us our spiritual gifts. Awaken them and activate them with us. Equip us and anoint us to use them according to our calling for Your purposes in our generation. Align us and empower us as Your body to prepare Your bride to display Your glory throughout the earth (Isaiah 61:1-3). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I minister in Brady, Texas at First UMC this weekend and Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship with inner healing and prophetic ministry. Come join us if you can!

"On That Day" - February 20

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord; I want to see You. ...

"On that day living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of theme to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will become King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be One and His name One" (Zechariah 14:8-9).

There will be a day when every prophecy will be fulfilled. There will be a day when Your Kingdom has come and Your will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. There will be a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). There will be a day when the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). That day will be "the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through His holy prophets" (Acts 3:21).

We live between this day and that day. We live in the age between the day of Your first coming and the day You'll come again with fire blazing from Your eyes and the declaration of "King of kings and Lord of lords" emblazoned on Your thigh (Revelation 19:11-16). Every day, every breakthrough, every salvation, every healing, every deliverance, every sign, every wonder is a foretaste today of that day to come-"a foretaste of future glory" (Romans 8:23, NLT).

One day You'll come in glory in the skies (1 Thessalonians 4:16). But every day between this day and that day You want to come in glory in our hearts. "For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21). "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). So come, Lord Jesus, come. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.' And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the Water of Life as a gift" (Revelation 22:17). So while we wait with eager longing with all creation for that great and glorious day to come, we praise You and thank You for every day of Your Kingdom and Your Power and Your Glory in our lives now. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I minister in Brady, Texas at First UMC this weekend and Kerrville, Texas on Monday and Tuesday night at Impact Christian Fellowship with inner healing and prophetic ministry.

"Set Your Mind and Heart to Seek" - February 17

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with Your Spirit and my mind with Your thoughts, as I begin my day in communion with You. ...

"Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Go and build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord" (1 Chronicles 22:19).

To set my mind and heart to seek You is a choice. To go and build a place for Your Presence is a choice. A spiritual life is not a passive life. And the intimacy of spiritual communion is the great gift and blessing of those who passionately pursue You with all they are and all they have. " 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:24-25).

In the power of Your grace, I willingly choose to set my mind and heart to seek the Lord my God. I willingly choose to build a place for Your Presence to come and dwell within my soul. I gratefully embrace this gift of Your goodness for all who choose to seek after You. You are the God who "rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering this week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Come to The Fountain Tonight, 2/17 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This week Doris McCray will be leading. Hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Resolved to Do the Will of God - February 15

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my King, my Lord, my Savior, my Master, and my Friend. You are my All in All, here at the beginning and throughout every moment of my day. ...

"Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own" (John 7:17).

Those who resolve to do Your will are those who discern what is Your will. Many say they want to know Your will for their lives, but how many are resolved to obey what they hear and live what they know?

As I seek Your will for my life, help me be resolved, help me be committed to not only find Your will, but also to follow Your will. Help me to truly trust You to know what's best for me. I choose to believe by faith that as I do, I will hear You more clearly and follow You more closely.

As I deliberately choose to completely surrender my will to Your will, trusting my thoughts to Your thoughts and my desires to Your desires, You will keep changing me to become more like You. The more I die to my will that's apart from Your will, the more I will "discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). In the power of Your grace, help me resolve for this to be my way of life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering this week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Come to The Fountain This Friday Night, 2/17 at 7 pm for our ministry's montly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This week Doris McCray will be leading. Hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Expressed and Unhidden Love - February 14

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this Valentine's Day that much of the world celebrates love, I remember that You first loved me. ...

"Better is open rebuke, than hidden love" (Proverbs 27:5).

In healing prayer ministry, I often hear the pain of a son who says, "I never heard my dad say he loved me" and the pain of a mother who says, "My children never call any more even to let me know they care." And so many times, I pray with those whose marriages were once full of passion and life, only to have grown cold and stale or broken apart.

Love is meant to be expressed. Love is meant to be lived. We all need to hear it; and we all need to say it. Love that's hidden - never acknowledged, never expressed - is hardly love at all. If it is love, it's a very painful love that leaves very empty hearts and very deep wounds.

Lord, release a heart of courage in the earth today. Empower Your people with the courage to quit hiding our love - love for You and love for one another. Let words be spoken; let feelings be expressed; let love be known. Let the silence of hidden love be broken and the power of revealed love be released. "For (You have) not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Happy Valentine's Day, my Friends!

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering this week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Come to The Fountain This Friday Night, 2/17 at 7 pm for our ministry's montly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This week Doris McCray will be leading. Hosted in the Chapel at Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Know When It's Time - February 10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your peace fill my heart and Your hope rise in my spirit, as I start this day grounded in Your Word and listening for Your Voice. ...

" 'Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for My time has not yet fully come' " (John 7:8).

Lord, I need to know when it's time - when it's time to go and time to stay, when it's time move forward and time to sit tight, when it's time to join in with others and time to stand alone. I need to be at the right place where You've positioned me, with the right people with whom You've aligned me, for the right purposes to which You've called me. But I also need it all to be in Your time, for it's in Your time that You have made all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Sylvia and I are excited to ministering next week at the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries near Nashville. I'll be speaking on the Restoration of Creation and Transformation of Culture. (www.aldersgaterenewal.org) Please keep us in prayer and we pray for your restoration and transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"From There" - February 9

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and call on Your name. I wait in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit. ...

"Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope" (Hosea 2:14-15).

There's hope in every valley. There's always a way back home no matter how far we've gone. Even in the wilderness of our discontent or disobedience, You keep reaching out to us, keep speaking to us, keep calling us to come and embrace Your mercy and grace.

It's "from there" - from wherever our choices have led us or our circumstances have found us that You still offer to give us all we need to sustain us and fulfill us, if we would only humble our pride to admit our need of Your guidance and grace in our lives. You are our Door of Hope - "Christ Jesus our Hope" (1 Timothy 1:1).

Your door is always open; Your hope is always there. You embrace us where we are and provide for all we need. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort (our) hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Passing Through the Challenges - February 8

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit. Draw me near, Heavenly Father. I worship You, Lord God Almighty, in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being. ...

"When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl Him off the cliff. But He passed through the midst of them and went on His way" (Luke 4:28-30).

Some days are more stressful than others. And we all have stressful days, challenging circumstances, and confrontational encounters. That's when we need the power of Your grace to pass on through the midst of it, to just go on our way. That's when we need to take a deep breath of Your Holy Spirit, take a long drink from Your Living Water, and set our face toward the high ground of the Most High.

It seems it's easier to be like You when things are going well, when circumstances are calm, and when everyone is nice and speaking well of us. But those are probably not the times we really grow in spiritual maturity. Those are probably not the times we have a chance to really come to know just how much we really need Your wisdom, Your patience, Your correction, and Your forgiveness. It's when we really blow it that You teach us humility to admit we were wrong. It's when we really lose it that You remind us how far we have to go in our journey to be more like You.

"One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city" (Proverbs 16:32). Help us, Lord Jesus, grow in the power of Your grace to be slow to anger, controlling our temper, looking to You as our example to pass through the challenges that would get ourselves and our witness thrown off a cliff.

"Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11). Help us, Lord Jesus, look to You and overlook the opportunities to stumble and fall in our journey of faith. And if we do, help us be quick to repent and ready to learn. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Daniel, Noah, and Job - February 7

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come fill my heart with Your love and my mind with Your truth. Help me be more like You today. ...

"The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, when a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine against it, and cut off from it human beings and animals, even if Daniel, Noah, and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 14:12-14).

Though there is sin in the land, You want righteousness in our hearts. Though judgment comes to the land that refuses to hear Your voice and rebels against Your ways, there is salvation and safety for those who turn to You and call on Your name. Rather than send Your judgment, Your heart is to pour out Your mercy; but You cannot bless rebellion, even as You send out Your call to repentance: "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die ...?" (v. 33:11)

Like Daniel, let us stand courageously for Your truth and Your ways (Daniel 6:10). Like Noah, let us find favor in Your sight by hearing and obeying Your voice (Genesis 6:8). Like Job, let us set aside our self-righteousness and pride to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord so that You can lift us up into the security of Your righteousness and the healing of Your restoration (Job 42:6).

O Lord, it is "not without cause" that Your judgments come against our lives and our land in our rebellion against Your ways (Ezekiel 14:23). So pour out Your Spirit of repentance upon us. Open our ears to hear and our eyes to see. Awake us to arise and turn again to You, that we might live well and walk in Your ways in this land You've entrusted to us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Thank You so much for all your prayers for us during our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry last week. It was our largest Level 2 Course yet! The Holy Spirit moved mightily to bring healing, deliverance, and prophetic words to us, while being equipped and trained to minister to others. Sylvia and I also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD:

www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

The Holy Spirit is preparing the Bride and Body of Christ. We so excited to be a part of it!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Do Justice, Show Mercy, Do No Evil - February 6

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Kingdom come; let Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven, throughout the moments of my day. ...

"The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another' " (Zechariah 7:8-10).

Do justice. Show mercy. Do no evil. Your word to us today is as it has always been. "But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord sent by His Spirit through the former prophets" (v. 7:11). And sadly, our response today is as it has always been.

Lord, forgive us. Deliver us from stubbornness and pride, disobedience and rebellion. Give us a heart to trust You and Your ways, to know You know what's best and what will make us most fulfilled.

I hear You writing the words of a prayer in the cry of song that You want to hear from our hearts:

With humble hearts
And lifted hands
On bended knees
We take our stand

We call out on Your name

We cry out for Your grace

 Because You are the One

Who knows what we need
Because You are the One
Who comes to those who believe

Yes, Lord. Open our ears; soften our hearts. Help us desire to listen; help us be able to hear. Help us believe and then live as though we do. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, Thank You so much for all your prayers for us during our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry last week. It was our largest Level 2 Course yet! The Holy Spirit moved mightily to bring healing, deliverance, and prophetic words to us, while being equipped and trained to minister to others. Sylvia and I also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

The Holy Spirit is preparing the Bride and Body of Christ. We so excited to be a part of it!

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"In the Shadow of the Almighty" - February 2

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord; and I thank You for first loving me. ...

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust' " (Psalm 91:1-2).

I want to live every moment of every day in the shelter of the Most High. I want to continually abide in the shadow of the Almighty. That's where I belong; that's where I am strong. That's where I am safe and secure, connected in communion, dwelling in the depths of Your love and power. You are my refuge; You are my fortress. You are my God, in whom I trust.

This week we've been teaching and experiencing the transforming power of Your healing and deliverance at our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry. These are some of my favorite times of ministry - to be learning and growing in an atmosphere of hunger for more of You and more of Your impartation and activation of the spiritual gifts You're awakening within us to minister the power of Your love in the authority of Your name. Every class is different and we never know what to expect, as we learn Your principles of the Kingdom of God and see You demonstrate them in our lives in Your power.

But all that we learn and all that we experience is really just a way to draw closer to You. It's in Your Presence that we are safe and healed and free. It's in the deep communion of our human spirits with Your Holy Spirit that we are anointed and empowered to be the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, moved by Your love in the ministry of Christ. So draw me closer today than ever before; and help me lead others into that deep place in Your shelter and under Your shadow. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I begin teaching our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry this week! We also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD: www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"Commander of the Army of the Lord" - February 1

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit. Be near, Heavenly Father. ...

"Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing before him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 'Are You one of us, or one of our adversaries?' He replied, 'Neither; but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to Him, 'What do You command Your servant, my Lord?' " (Joshua 5:13-14).

Lord Jesus, You are the Commander of the army of the Lord. You are our Commander in Chief; we are Your army-an army of servants and sons, worshippers and warriors, the children of God in human flesh, sent forth to advance Your Kingdom at Your command.

Lord, what is Your command for me today?

As I watch and wait, Your Spirit is bringing Your Word to mind: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another" (John 15:12-17).

There are battles to fight and cities to take (Joshua 6:20). And everywhere You send us to set the soles of our feet in the physical realm and to touch with the power of our prayers in the spiritual realm is ground You have already given into our hands, if we will trust You and obey You (Joshua 1:3). Yet these battles are fought and these cities are taken through the power of love - loving You, loving one another, willing to lay down our lives for Your sake and for the sake of one another. Learning to choose full surrender to You and self-sacrifice for others is our training and commission for this spiritual war (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

This is Your command to Your army. These are our marching orders and our battle plan. These are the weapons of our warfare and the assurance of our victory. As You have with every army in every generation, You call us to battle and spur us on to victory with this command: "I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

And with You armies of old, we respond to Your command: "All that You have commanded us we will do, and wherever You send us we will go" (Joshua 1:16). "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144:1). May we arise and go into battle today with these weapons of our warfare in the power of Your love - proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free (Isaiah 61:1). Trusting and obedient, strong courageous, may we advance today at Your command. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Friends, please keep us in prayer as Sylvia and I begin teaching our 4 Day School of Spiritual Ministry this week! We also offer this Course in other communities, so please let us know if your church or group would like us to come. We also have Level 1 and Level 2 from past sessions on DVD:
www.messiah-ministries.org/resources

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Shield of Faith and Breastplate Prayer - January 31

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - You are a mighty God, merciful and forgiving, faithful and true, holy and loving are You. ...

"When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this is I know, because God is for me" (Psalm 56:9, NKJ).

You are for me, O God. And if God be for me, who can be against me? You are my Advocate, my Champion, my Best Friend. You are mighty to save, gracious to forgive, and ready to answer when I cry out to You and call on Your name.

When You arise, my enemies are scattered. When You move mightily on my behalf, my spirit is confident in the security of my God. This I know. Of this, I am sure.

Great is Your faithfulness; mighty is Your power; deep is Your love. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). You are my shield of faith before me (Ephesians 6:16). And You are my rear guard behind me (Isaiah 52:12).

In the knowledge and faith of Your Presence ever with me - before me, behind me, all around me and within me - I join in St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer today:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation....

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org