Thursday, April 25, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 25 - Carriers of the Presence of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior. And I thank You for coming into my heart, always abiding in my heart, every moment of every day.  ...

"To the priests Joshua said, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people" (Joshua 3:6).

The priests were to carry the ark of the covenant, representing the Presence of God among the people of God, across the Jordan River and into the promised land of their inheritance. And now that we are in Christ, You have poured out Your Holy Spirit upon all of us, abiding within us, so that we are all Your priests, serving our God (Revelation 1:6). Together, we are Your "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:1).

Now, together as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, we are honored and humbled to carry the Presence of God within us wherever we go - "(we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us)," which is "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). "God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

As we cross over whatever stands between us and knowing our identity and embracing our destiny in Christ, let us go forth in the knowledge of the truth that Your Presence goes with us and abides within us. In Christ, we are "vessels for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21, NKJ). And like Your priests in the days of Joshua, we are carriers of the Presence of God. By the power of Your grace, let us live our lives accordingly, in the knowledge of Your truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray you would constantly remember the truth that you are a priest of God and a carrier of His Presence, always abiding in you, wherever you go today and every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 24 - Humility and Honor

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You continue to conform me into Your image, morning by morning, moment by moment, one day at a time.  ...

"The Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses' " (Joshua 3:7).

Our true spiritual leaders are the ones You exalt, never the ones who exalt themselves. Those who strategize and strive for position may attain the title, but they will never have the authority that is necessary to lead the people of God into the inheritance of God. As Your Word commands us all, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.... Humbles yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:6-10).

Lord, help me keep my heart right. Help me shun the pride of self-centeredness and self-promotion. It's true that "a man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men" (Proverbs 18:16, NKJ). But even with all the gifts and graces You've given us to lead and nurture and disciple Your people, You alone call us into the place You've prepared for us to take our part in advance of Your Kingdom, all in Your time and all in Your way (Luke 14:7-11). So help me have that humble heart that You can honor however You choose for whatever purposes You will for my life and through my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray the Holy Spirit would continually work the humility of Jesus in your heart so your Father can honor you and position you in the places of love and leadership He has chosen for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Morning by Morning, April 23 - Camp Out before Crossing Over

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm looking and listening, watching and waiting, for Your leading as I begin my day deliberately with You.  ...

"Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, 'When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before...." (Joshua 3:1-4)

For three days the people of Israel were watching and waiting, looking for Your leading. In their own power and their own timing, they could have easily crossed the river into the land that You had already promised was theirs. But You were teaching them to learn to wait, to slay their impatience and put to death their presumption until they saw the ark of the covenant-the physical representation of Your spiritual Presence-moving before them to lead the way.

Lord, You know the way. You see the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. All things are always present to You. You already know every challenge I'll face and every battle I'll fight-the ones I'll win and the ones I'll lose, teaching me about You and about myself through every one. You already know every choice I'll ever make and every choice that will ever be made that will affect my journey through the land. But my part is still to choose well, as best as I can and all by Your grace. As You said through Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15).

While You've given me glimpses and foretastes of things to come, with great expectancy for Your promises in my spirit, like the people of Israel about to cross over into the land of their inheritance, I've never been this way before. And I don't want to go anywhere You're not going before me and not going with me. So give me patience to camp out until I see and sense the moving of Your Presence. Let my heart be Your ark, with my spirit in constant communion with Your Spirit. Then I'll know when it's time to awaken and advance into all You have prepared for me and those on the journey with me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend, may your heart be God's ark and your spirit be in constant communion with God's Spirit. May you see and sense the moving of His Presence, leading you into all the promises He has for your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, April 22, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 22 - To Know, Hear and Follow God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, as I begin my day in consciously deliberate communion in prayer with You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.... Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.... I am the good shepherd...." (John 10:2-11)

Lord Jesus, You are the gate of life. You are the good shepherd of all who know You and hear You and follow You. We are Your sheep, entrusted to Your care, desperately dependent upon You alone. We are Your own, just as You said:  "I am the good shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father" (v. 14-15).

But we cannot follow You unless we hear You; and we cannot hear You unless we know You. As we know You as our shepherd, we'll not be led astray by a stranger (v. 5). So Lord, how do we truly know You?

It seems I hear You say, "My son, You know Me as you spend time with Me. I am always with you; I never leave you and never forsake you. But you must also spend time listening for Me, learning to hear My voice. And even those who listen often and know Me well must always continue to press in more closely and learn to listen more carefully. All of this is to be treasure to you, part of the joy of the journey with Me."

Yes, Lord. Let my time with You be a priority of my day and a place of primacy in my life. Even though You are with me always, throughout all the moments of my day, every day of my life, I also need to take time to deliberately, consciously seek Your face and listen for Your voice. I need to highly esteem this priceless treasure You've given me to hear Your voice as a child of God on my journey of faith. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My friend,  may you be drawn into a continually deeper place of intimacy with God, to know, hear and follow our God with great joy on your journey with Him. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, April 19, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 19 - "Sanctify Yourselves" for the "Wonders" of God

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

"Then Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you' " (Joshua 3:1).

When we sanctify ourselves - when we willing choose in faithful surrender to totally entrust ourselves to You and Your will and Your ways for our lives - we prepare the way of the Lord to do wonders among us. But before You work Your wonders among us, You want to work Your wonders within us. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification.... For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects no human authority but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).

Before You released Joshua to lead Your people into the promised land, You prepared them for the battles they were to face and the inheritance they were to embrace by preparing their hearts first - from the inside out. A mighty army without the Mighty One in their hearts would falter and fail.

And the same is true for us. The Kingdom of God will never advance through us unless we allow the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God within us. "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). "For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).

Lord, sanctify my heart. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Encourage me, enable me, and empower me to will what is right and then to do what is right, because Your Holy Spirit at work within me is causing my nature to become more like Your nature (Philippians 2:13). Help me to embrace Your sanctifying process of making me more like You each day (Romans 8:29). Help me keep my eyes on You so that You can change me into Your image from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18). I want to be ready to cross over into the fullness of my inheritance and see the mighty wonders of the Mighty One all along the way. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit of the living God "sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

I join my prayers with yours for all who are shaken and hurting from the terroristic attack in Boston and the catastrophic plant explosion in Texas. May our God who is good turn around all that was intended for evil and use it for good, calling our nation and all nations to our knees in prayer to hear His voice and follow His Spirit through the difficult and dark days, with many tribulations, through which we "enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, April 18, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 18 - "View the Land"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. So as I start this day in the communion of prayer with You in every Dimension of Your Being - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit - I welcome You into every dimension of my being-spirit, soul, and body.  ...

"Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, 'God, view the land, especially Jericho.... (When they returned) they said to Joshua, 'Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us" (Joshua 2:1).

Through prayer and prophecy in our walk with You and with one another You often give us a glimpse of what lies ahead on our spiritual journey into the land of our inheritance You've promised to us in Christ (1 Corinthians 14:1). You don't show us more than we need to know nor less than we need to know. As sons and daughters in our trusting relationship of faith with You, We are on a "need to know basis."

And unlike the spiritual counterfeit practices of fortunetellers and psychics, You alone determine what we need to know, as well as who and how You choose to show us.  "Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it - the Lord is His name:  Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:2-3).

So as You allow me to "view the land" that lies ahead to the measure I need to know, help me trust in You for all I don't know, resting in the peace that You know best and always want the best for me. "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him' - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may the Lord show you great and awesome things you didn't expect, as He leads You by His Spirit and opens your eyes to view the land of your inheritance the God you love has prepared for you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

I join my prayers with yours for all who are shaken and hurting from the terroristic attack in Boston. May our God who is good turn around all that was intended for evil and use it for good, calling our nation and all nations to our knees in prayer to let Him show us all we need to know and see to fulfill our destiny and embrace our inheritance, all by His grace and love for us.
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, April 16, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 16 - Prosperous and Successful in the Land of Our Inheritance

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill me up with Your abiding Presence in my spirit, soul, and body.  ...

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful" (Joshua 1:8).

Through by personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I now have Your "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" which "has set (me) free from the law of sin and death" written in my heart (Romans 8:2). By the power of the grace of God, my life is now "a letter of Christ ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). Through Christ, You have now fulfilled Your prophecy in me and all who entrust their lives to You:  "I will give them one heart, and put a new Spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may follow My statues and keep My ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezekiel 11:18).

Lord, help me meditate on Your Word, coming alive inside of me by Your Spirit, day and night. Order my steps and direct my paths so I can act in accordance with all that You're writing on my heart, aligning my thoughts and my desires, aligning my will and my ways with Yours. Then I will prosper in the ways of the Kingdom of God; then I will be successful to fulfill my calling and destiny in Christ. Then I will "cross over" into the fullness of my inheritance in Your promises (Joshua 1:11). Then I will be able to embrace the fullness of my inheritance in Christ, along with all the Body of Christ, advancing into Your Kingdom, as "children of God, and if children, the heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit within you cause the law of the Spirit of life in Christ to rise up in your thoughts and desires, as our God makes your way prosperous and successful for His purposes through your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, April 15, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 15 - No Rest Until All Rest

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading.  ...

"To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 'Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the warriors among you shall cross over armed before your kindred and shall help them, until the Lord gives rest to your kindred as well as to you, and they too take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan to the east' " (Joshua 1:12-15).

Some of the tribes of Israel had already received possession of their inheritance in the land on the east side of the Jordan River, while the rest of Israel had not yet crossed over the Jordan to take possession of the land on the west side. But You didn't want those who had already received their possession to stay back and just rest in the blessings of their own inheritance until all their kindred, their brothers and sisters of the family of God, received their inheritance as well. So You called the warriors to arise and cross over into battle to possess the land of inheritance so that all the people of God could enter into the rest of God. There was to be no rest until all were at rest.

Our faith is personal. But it is also a faith expressed in community. We're not only called to look out for ourselves and our own spiritual journey of faith, we're also called to look out for one another, to come alongside one another in our journey to be more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). We are called to be disciples, but we are also called to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19).

So Lord, as Your Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, moving forward and crossing over to enter into the fullness of all the inheritance we possess in Christ by the promises of God, continue to free us from selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride. Continue to deliver us from the mindset that "It's all about me," even in the journey of our own spiritual life.

As You said long ago, "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" (John 15:12-13). Then we will find Your rest, as we see those You've entrusted to our care and aligned with us in our journey enter into their rest as well. This is how we fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples by first obeying the Great Commandment to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
Tommy,  may you enter into the fullness of your inheritance in Christ as you're also at work and at war in the Spirit on behalf of those entrusted to your care and aligned in in your journey to enter into theirs as well, all by the power of the grace of God. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, April 12, 2013

Morning by Morning, April 12 - "Prepare Your Provisions"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear You more clearly and follow You more closely.  ...

"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 'Pass through the camp, and command the people:  'Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God give you to possess' " (Joshua 1:10-11).

You are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:14). You are the Lord who provides all we need, when we need it. "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father" (James 1:18, NLT). You are a good Father who loves to give good gifts to Your children (Matthew 7:11).

But at the same time, You also call us to "prepare (our) provisions." To advance into our inheritance and see the Kingdom of God advance through our lives, we have to take time to prepare what You've provided.

First, we have to take time to see what You already provided and take time to thank You for it - even thanking You for bringing us through the hard times and difficult challenges that You've used to make us who we are and to help prepare us for the times and challenges to come. Second, we have to take time to learn how to use and begin to grow into maturity with what You've provided. And third, we have to allow You to align us and our provisions with the provisions and people You've chosen to be a part of our next advance.

Preparing our provisions is part of our "three days" of the life-long transformation cycle of the crucifixion of our flesh into the resurrection of life in You. That's how we begin to continually "cross over" from death to life, from where we've been to where You're taking us, from the wilderness of our past into the inheritance of our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray you would be prepared with every provision of God to keep crossing over and advancing into the fullness of Your inheritance. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Our ministry team at Rapha God Ministries is getting away for a weekend retreat at the lake this weekend. Please keep us in prayer to grow together as a team and refreshed and renewed by the Spirit of God. I pray for times for renewal and refreshing for you and those the Lord is aligning with you to prepare to for the advance of His Kingdom through your life.
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Morning by Morning, April 10 - "Taking Possession of the Land"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy One, Faithful One, Loving One, Merciful One, make me more like You today.  ...

"There remained among the Israelites seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. So Joshua said to the Israelites, 'How long will you be slack about going in and taking possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?" (Joshua 18:3)

Father God, You sent Your people into their promised land to possess it and take dominion over it as their inheritance. You spoke to Joshua to lead Your people into the land You were entrusting to them, saying, "My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your feet will tread upon I have given you, as I promised to Moses" (Joshua 1:2-3).

The journey of Israel speaks to us of our journey. Their sins and failures, their victories and conquests, speak to us as a witness and testimony to assist us in our spiritual journey into our inheritance in You. "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11).

So today it seems You are speaking to us, as You spoke to them:  "How long will you be slack in going in and taking possession of all I have entrusted to you?"

Lord, show each one of us, both personally and in the communities of relationship You have established in our lives, what is our inheritance in heaven and on earth. Show us where You have strategically positioned us in this season of our lives, with both responsibility and authority, to participate with You in trust and submission to Your will and Your ways to see the fullness of our inheritance established in our lives. Show us who You have called to come alongside us to take the land of our inheritance. Show us the gifts and calling You've given each of us, to fit together in unity among all of us, to grow up "to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

Let us not hold back in fear or confusion. Let us not be deceived by false humility or self-centered pride. Let us not passively wait for You to do something You've already commanded us to do by the leading and power of Your Spirit abiding within us as the Body of Christ in obedience to our Father. Let us not hesitate too long, even as we patiently wait for Your word to move ahead. Let us be humble to seek You and faithful to follow You.

And let us take comfort in our hearts from the words You spoke to Joshua, our example, as You sent him and Your people to take possession of their inheritance:  "No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.... 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 1:5-9). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray you would know the territory the Lord has set apart for you as your inheritance, to be blessed by God and be a blessing to others, that you would be strong and courageous as you hear and follow the Lord. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

We'll be continuing our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church on Thursday Nights. We have over 65 students and 15 of our leaders to equip and train more teams for prayer ministry! Please keep us in prayer and make plans to come on join us in the future as you are able. DVD's and CD's are available from past Messiah Ministries Schools of Ministry Level 1 Level 2 along with other resources for balanced, Biblical teaching and equipping on Healing, Deliverance, and Prayer along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance (www.messiah-ministries.org/resources).

 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Morning by Morning, April 9 - "Kings and Priests"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Be King and Lord of my life today.  ...

"And they sang a new song, saying:  'You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your Blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth' " (Revelation 5:9-10, NKJ).

By the Blood of the Lamb, You have forgiven us and saved us and redeemed us. By the Blood of the Lamb, You have also called us and established us to be Your "kings and priests" on the earth - in submission to Your will, in the abiding communion of Your Presence, and in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us know our identity and fulfill our destiny, as the Body of Christ on this earth, more and more every day.

We need to grow in our understanding of our identity as Your kings. In every area of our own lives and in every domain of authority You've entrusted to us, we have both authority and responsibility to see the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our God and Christ, as Your will and Your word is released through our lives, changing the spiritual atmosphere around us. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth He has given to the children of men" (Psalm 115:16).

We need to grow in our understanding of our identity as Your priests. We minister to You, we worship and honor You, we offer ourselves to You as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1). We are "a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). And at the same time, we also minister to Your people in the specific spheres of influence where You've strategically positioned us through the unique diversity of gifts You've given each of us. "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God ... that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever" (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Together as one in the Father, one in Christ, one in the Holy Spirit, we are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own special people, that (we) may proclaim the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). As best as we can and all by Your grace, let us understand and fulfill all You've created and called us to be in this intimate bond of love in You. "To Him who loves us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:5-6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may you grow in your understanding and walk in your identity authority as a king and priest of our God more and more every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

I heard a powerful prophetic word on this topic of being God's kings and priests last night from Cheryl Ann Needham at a home gathering. The Lord is still stirring the importance of this message in my heart this morning and I pray He will stir it up in your heart as well.

We'll be continuing our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church on Thursday Nights. We have over 65 students and 15 of our leaders to equip and train more teams for prayer ministry! Please keep us in prayer and make plans to come on join us in the future as you are able. DVD's and CD's are available from past Messiah Ministries Schools of Ministry Level 1 Level 2 along with other resources for balanced, Biblical teaching and equipping on Healing, Deliverance, and Prayer along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance (www.messiah-ministries.org/resources).

 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Monday, April 08, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 8 - "Clothed with Power from on High"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I You, Lord - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and I thank You for first loving me.  ...

"The He opened their minds to understanding the Scriptures, and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what My Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:50).

In these first moments of my morning, I wait for You - for You to open my mind to Your Scriptures, for You to fill my heart with Your Spirit, for You to clothe me with Your power from on high. I want to be Your witness wherever I am and wherever You send me.

Thank You for Your kindness that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). Thank You for Your grace and mercy that covers me with forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who continues to proclaim this Good News of the Kingdom of God to my human spirit so I can live out the peace and joy of this Good News every day, carry it everywhere I go, and share it with everyone You bring across my path in every way You lead. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may you be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, and clothed with God's power from on high to be His witness through your life today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

We've had an incredible weekend, hungering and thirsting for God in prayer and being filled afresh with His Holy Spirit at our weekend Prayer Retreat on Healing at Kingswood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas. Pastor Brad and his leaders are already making plans for next time to keep pressing in to know and experience intimacy with God and the power of His Holy Spirit. I pray the same for your church community. Please pray the same for me.
  
We'll be continuing our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church on Thursday Nights. We have over 65 students and 15 of our leaders to equip and train more teams for prayer ministry! Please keep us in prayer and make plans to come on join us in the future as you are able. DVD's and CD's are available from past Messiah Ministries Schools of Ministry Level 1 Level 2 along with other resources for balanced, Biblical teaching and equipping on Healing, Deliverance, and Prayer along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance (www.messiah-ministries.org/resources).

 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Friday, April 05, 2013


Morning by Morning, April 5 - Abiding in Grace, Obeying in Love

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit; be One within me, as I abide in You and You abide in me (John 15:4). ...

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love ..." (John 15:7-10).

It's by Your grace that we can abide in Your love. And at the same time, Your grace does not replace Your call to obey You in love in order to abide in Your love.

Lord, how does that relationship of grace and obedience come together, so we can abide in Your love? ...

It seems I hear You say, "My grace is My freedom and My favor. It's my freedom that you may freely, willingly choose to follow Me as My disciple. It's my favor that you may know that I Am the One who is at work within you, empowering you to will what is right and to do what is right, in obedience to Me and My words of Spirit and Life abiding in you."

Yes, Lord. "For it is God who is at work in (me), enabling (me) both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). That's the difference between law and grace. That's the difference between trying to be good and doing good in my own power verses being good and doing good by embracing Your power at work within me. That's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). "For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set (me) free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans 8:2). Thank You for Your promise that "whoever finds Me finds Life and obtains favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 8:35).

My holy and heavenly Father, I can abide in that truth and obey that commandment, all by the power of Your grace at work within me through the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I seek to embrace Your freedom and Your favor to will and to do what is right, according to Your words abiding in me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  may you abide in the love and power and grace of God to will and to do what is right, bearing much fruit through your life to the glory of God. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

We had an awesome start last night for our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church. We have over 65 students and 15 of our leaders to equip and train more teams for prayer ministry! Please keep us in prayer and make plans to come on join us in the future as you are able.DVD's and CD's are available from past Messiah Ministries Schools of Ministry Level 1 Level 2 along with other resources for balanced, Biblical teaching and equipping on Healing, Deliverance, and Prayer along with my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance (www.messiah-ministries.org/resources).

I'm excited to be speaking this weekend at our Conference on Healing atKingswood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas. Please come join us if you can and keep us in prayer if you can't. We're excited to see what God will do.
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Thursday, April 04, 2013

Morning by Morning, April 4 - "My Times are in Your Hands"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait in silence before You, waiting on the leading of Your Holy Spirit, here in the embrace of My Father, here in the communion of intimate prayer.  ....

With a hungry heart
And a thirsting soul
I seek Your will
I want to know

With a deep desire
And a humble prayer
I seek Your face
I know Your there

My times
Are in
Your hands

My days
Are in
Your plans

I belong to You

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for stirring in my human spirit with these words of trust and surrender You're writing in my heart this morning...

By the power of the grace of God, let me live out this song in my life today. "I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hand ..." (Psalm 31:14-15). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray you'd know with all your heart that your times are in the hands of our God -- and that's a really good thing because He really loves you a lot. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Thank you for your prayers and for those who joined in by live-streaming for our Evening of Healing with Max Lucado Last Night at Oak Hills.Everyone was speaking about the deep sense of the Presence of God and many, many people came for prayer. We've already been hearing wonderful reports of God's healing love. I love hearing today that several churches and home gatherings got together to watch and then had personal healing prayer ministry afterwards. I heard an awesome testimony today of how a marriage was saved last night through deep forgiveness between a couple and also deep inner healing of a child-hood abuse that had never been discussed with anyone before Jesus healed the husband and then the marriage. Praise God!

Please keep us in prayer was we begin our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministry on Thursday Nights being hosted at Oak Hills Church.

I'm excited to be speaking this weekend at our Conference on Healing atKingswood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas. Please come join us if you can and keep us in prayer if you can't. We're excited to see what God will do.
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Live-Stream Evening of Healing w Max Lucado & Tommy Hays Tonight 7PM CST


Please join us tonight by Live-Stream on your computer or cell phone at 7PM CST for an Evening of Healing at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.
http://oakhillschurch.com/live-stream/  Please forward this link on to anyone who may be interested and keep us in prayer.

I'm excited to be preaching again with Max Lucado at their main Crownridge Campus of Oak Hills Church. Our Rapha God Ministries Prayer Team will be joining the Oak Hills Prayer Team and Elders to pray personally for everyone at the altar. We'll also have a bilingual message in Spanish and Spanish-speaking prayer teams.

Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't. May the name of Jesusbe high and lifted up as we encounter the healing love of God in spirit, soul, and body. May you also experience the Lord's power and Presence as you join with us remotely, in person, or through prayer.

God bless you, my friend!
  
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, April 3 - "My Lord and My God!"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the One "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). One day You will come in Your glory in the clouds, and this morning I ask You to come in Your glory in my heart (1 Thessalonians 5:16).  ...

"But Thomas ... was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.' A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Do not doubt but believe.' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe'" (John 20:24-28).

Thomas was honest about his doubts. And You were not quick to immediately answer all his questions. You waited a week to let him wrestle with his doubts. You let him have his time to wait out the consequences of his choice and the vow he made in the pride of his heart - "I will not believe unless ..." (v. 25).

But then in Your timing and in Your way, You met him where he was. You came to him and allowed him to encounter You in the way he must have needed in heart. You called him by name and confronted his doubts. And in that moment in Your Presence, doubting Thomas had a change of heart and a change of theology, as he worshipped You with one of the highest Biblical affirmations of Your Divine Nature in all of Scripture as Lord and God (v. 28).

Yet even then, You affirmed Your highest blessings for those would never have the chance to see You with their natural eyes and never have the chance to put their fingers in the nail marks of Your hands, but would choose by faith in their hearts to believe in spite of their doubts.

Thank You for coming to me in the ways I've needed. Thank You for meeting me where I am. By the grace of God, I choose to believe. And by the grace of God, I declare with Thomas and all Your disciples throughout all generations, "My Lord and my God!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
  
  
My Friend,  I pray for Divine Encounters with Jesus in every way you need Him to be Lord and God in your life. May your doubts be conquered through faith in Christ. May you be blessed as one who believes. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Please come join us by live-streaming or in person for an Evening of Healing with Max Lucado Tonight, April 3 at 7 PM at the Crown Ridge campus of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio (www.oakhillschurch.com/live-stream) I'll be sharing a short message on healing of spirit, soul, and body and then our Rapha God Ministries prayer team with be joining the Oak Hills Church prayer team for all who want to come for personal prayer ministry. The Spanish-speaking Prayer Team will be available too.

Please keep us in prayer was we begin our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministryon Thursday Nights being hosted at Oak Hills Church.

I'm excited to be speaking this weekend at our Conference on Healing atKingwood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas. Please come join us if you can and keep us in prayer if you can't. We're excited to see what God will do.
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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