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Join me in my daily journey of prayer. I write these each morning send them out fresh "Morning by Morning" to start each day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Subscribe to receive these prayers by email at Messiah-Ministries.org
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Morning by Morning, May 13 - The "Commander of the Army of the Lord"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords, the King of the Kingdom of God. Come rule and reign in my heart and throughout the moments of my day. ...
"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 worshiped, and he said to Him, 'What do You command Your servant, my Lord?' The Commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, 'Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.' And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15).
Lord Jesus, You are the Commander of the army of the Lord. You are the Holy One and wherever You stand is holy ground. Like Joshua, we are to fall on our faces in Your Presence and bow down in our hearts in worship, removing the shoes from our feet as the soil of our sin in the holy Presence of our holy God. And then, when we can speak, we are to seek Your guidance and Your command.
You appeared to Moses as a Flame of Fire in the burning bush before You would lead him and Your people through the wilderness as a Pillar of Fire (Exodus 3:2). And now You appeared to Joshua as the Commander of the army of the Lord before You would lead him and Your people into the possession of the land of their inheritance as their victorious Leader and courageous Commander. As You commanded both Moses and Joshua to remove their shoes on the holy ground where You came to meet them, You assured both Moses and Joshua that Your very Presence would be with them in their journey (Exodus 3:12).
You are all always all we need. You are the One who "fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22). You encouraged Joshua through the voice of Moses, "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). And You encourage each one of us-through Your Word, through Your Voice, and through those You bring into our lives-to know that You've already gone before us, that You'll always be with us, that You'll be all we need in whatever battles we'll face along whatever journey we're on.
You are our Holy Fire of the Presence of God and You are our courageous Commander of the army of the Lord. You are our All in All. So we need not fear or be dismayed, but rather "be strong and very courageous" in the ever-abiding Presence of our God (Joshua 1:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will be strong and very courageous, as the Lord always reminds You of His Presence and leads you into your inheritance. 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
Friday, May 10, 2013
Morning by Morning, May 10 - The Day "the Manna Ceased"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of all I am, all I have, and all I do. ...
"When the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the Passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year" (Joshua 5:10-12).
The manna was good. It was a gift from God to sustain Your people along their journey through the season of their wilderness. "Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed" (Exodus 16:18). You were teaching them to "understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes form the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
But now they were no longer in the season of their wilderness. They had crossed over in the Jordan into a new season. This was now the season of possessing their inheritance. So the manna stopped. Not because it was no longer good, but because there was more to understand. You were now bringing them "into a good land, a land of with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where (they would) lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from wholes (they would) mine copper" (Deuteronomy 8:7-9).
In this good land of their God-given inheritance, You promised them, "You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that He has given you" (Deuteronomy 8:10). And this good land, they were never to forget their good God, never to exalt themselves as if to say, "It's by our own goodness, our own wisdom, our own power that we have all these good things with the blessing and favor of God" (Deuteronomy 8:17). You warned them that the nation who forgets her God and would not obey His voice in the land of her inheritance would "surely perish" like every nation under the judgment of God (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).
Lord, let my nation and I be thankful for Your goodness every day. Let us remember Your blessings and Your favor in the land of our inheritance-never taking it for granted, never claiming in our pride we've deserved it or earned it by our own goodness, wisdom, and power. And let us grow up into spiritual maturity in our understanding of Your Word, no longer simply living on milk and manna, but the "strong meat" of "the word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5:13-14, KJV).
You've brought us into a good land. You're teaching to understand how embrace and eat of the blessings of the land. And though we've had our seasons of wilderness, give us eyes to see You, ears to hear You, and a heart to obey You in the season of our inheritance. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance" (Psalm 33:12, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will eat well in the land of your inheritance, the strong meat of God's Word, filled with the strong power of God's Spirit. May your nation and your spirit be blessed, as you trust in the Lord and obey His voice. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
We were so honored and blessed last night to have Max Lucado and Denalyn Lucado pray a father's blessing and mother's blessing over us at the last night of our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. We're forming another team out of this School for inner healing prayer ministry. Thank you for your prayers for us!
We will begin our Level 1 School again over two weekends in June. Please let us know if you'd like to come join us. DVD's and CD's are available on the web site from prior Messiah Ministries' Schools if you're not able to join us, along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance -- and other resources for equipping in prayer, inner healing prayer ministry, and spiritual warfare
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Thursday, May 09, 2013
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Wednesday, May 08, 2013
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Tuesday, May 07, 2013
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Monday, May 06, 2013
Morning by Morning, May 6 - No Return, No Surrender, No Retreat
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your name be on my lips and Your nature be in my heart. ...
"The priests who bore the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people came over in haste.... About forty thousand armed for war crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.... When the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the priests' feet touched dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before" (Joshua 4:10-18).
Once Your people crossed over the Jordan, there was no return and no retreat from the battle before them. You brought them out of their wilderness and into their inheritance, intending for them to never go back after crossing over.
They were "armed for war." And the ark of Your Presence and Your promises was with them. As You caused the waters of the Jordan to flow and flood again behind them, You expressed Your heart to encourage theirs' that You intended no return, no surrender, and no retreat before the enemies of their inheritance in the land You'd given them.
Lord, prepare me for the battles I'll face as You lead me forward to secure the promises of my inheritance. By the power of Your grace, I will not fear, for You are with me (Isaiah 43:5). By the power of Your grace, I will not look back, not turn back, and not hold back. As You said, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). In my heart let there be no return, no surrender, and no retreat. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray the Holy Spirit would stir in your spirit with a passion for Christ and the advance of His Kingdom with the grace to never return, never surrender, and never retreat. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
I believe we can only win the battles we face on the outside as we are winning the battles we face on the inside. This is the message of my CD series on Spiritual Warfare -- Fighting the Good Fight of the Faith, recorded live at Christ for the Nations in Dallas. And this is the message of my DVD series from the Mens' Retreat -- Free to Be Like Jesus, recorded live at a Men's Retreat in Georgia. You can order these resources and others on prayer, healing, spiritual warfare, and preparing the Body and Bride of Christ for the Coming of the Lord atwww.messiah-ministries.org
We'll be continuing our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio tonight and then beginning our Level 1 School over two weekends in June. Please let us know if you'd like to come join us. DVD's and CD'sare available on the web site from prior Messiah Ministries' Schools if you're not able to join us (www.messiah-ministries.org).
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Morning by Morning, May 2 - National Day of Prayer - Remembering Our Dependence on God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my heart and open my spirit to seek Your face and listen for Your voice in these first moments of my morning to begin my day with You alone. ...
"When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 'Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood, carry the over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight'.... This may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever" (Joshua 4:17).
On this National Day of Prayer for our Nation, You are reminding me how Joshua crossed the Jordan and Washington crossed the Delaware. Both were men of prayer. Both were on their knees before their God seeking Divine protection of those entrusted to them and Divine victory for the cause assigned to them.
For both, the battle was won. Joshua led Israel to cross over the Jordan and enter their promised land to begin the possession of their inheritance. And Washington led the Continental Army to cross over the Delaware to change the course of the War for Independence and establish America as one nation under God. As the famous portrait of General George Washington on his knees after his victory proclaims, our independence as a nation is only the result of our dependence upon God.
Just as Israel was called to take twelve stones from the place of their Divine provision and set them down as an eternal memorial to the goodness of God for the generations to come, let America remember the goodness of our God who established us as a nation dedicated to God.
Lord, forgive us where we have forgotten You. Convict us where we have turned away from You. And remind us of our identity and destiny to be a nation called to honor You. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance" (Psalm 33:12, NKJ).
On this National Day of Prayer, let us humble ourselves in the sight of our Lord that You may awaken us to remember our identity and yet fulfill our destiny. Across this land, may we join together with the sons and daughters of God across every land in every nation to embrace the promise of Your Covenant of Revival for the nation who prays and repents to embrace their inheritance in the Lord: "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I join with you in humble prayer before the Lord our God for our nation and the people of God from the nations of this world to remember our dependence upon God. Let us humble our selves and pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways to call on His name and embrace His will for our lives and our nation. Let the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God and His Christ. God bless you, my friend! And God bless America!
Thank you for joining with us for our Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at last night. The Lord was moving mightily among us with spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. I pray for His great blessings in your church community! Please pray the same for me. I'm sorry for the apparent problems with the Live-Stream last night.
We'll be continuing our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio tonight and then beginning our Level 1 School over two weekends in June. Please let us know if you'd like to come join us. DVD's and CD's are available on the web site from prior Messiah Ministries' Schools if you're not able to join us (www.messiah-ministries.org).
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Live-Stream Healing Service Tonight with Max Lucado & Tommy Hays
Please join us tonight by Live-Stream on your computer or cell phone at 7PM CST/ 8PM EST for an Evening of Healing at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.
Please forward this link on to anyone who may be interested and we welcome you to join with 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 after the message. We'll also have a bilingual and Spanish-speaking prayer teams.
Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't. May the name of Jesus be 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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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Morning by Morning, April 30 - Done with Death, Alive in Christ
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. I'm bought with the price of Your Blood and filled with the peace of Your Spirit. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin this day with You in the holy communion of prayer. ...
"So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of the harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the seas of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan" (Joshua 3:14-17)
The waters of the Jordan were cut off as far back as Adam, just like all our sins are cut off as far back as Adam when we cross over into newness of life in Christ. "If, because of (Adam's) trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).
As I follow the ark of Your Presence into the promised land of my inheritance, I don't want to take sin with me. "Death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). And I'm done with death. I'm alive in Christ! "For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
In the land of my inheritance, there is newness of life! "Therefore we have been buried with (Christ) by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin" (Romans 6:4-7).
I'm crossing over because I'm crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Sin is forgiven and death is defeated. Those waters are cut off from me as far back as Adam. Praise God! Hallelujah! Now encourage me and empower me - from the inside out, by the Spirit of Life abiding in me - to live this out every day, as I live into the fullness of my inheritance in You (Philippians 2:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray for you'd be encouraged and empowered from the inside out, by the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in you, to live free from sin and death in the newness of life you have in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Please join us in person or by Live-Stream for our monthly Evening of Healing with Max Lucado and Tommy Hays at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge campus at 7PM CST Wednesday May 1st (www.oakhillschurch.com). Our Rapha God Ministries prayer team will be joining the OHC prayer team and elders for personal prayer ministry for all who desire spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in the name of Jesus. Please keep us in prayer and may the Holy Spirit minister the healing love of our Father to you and those on your heart in Jesus' mighty name.
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Monday, April 29, 2013
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Friday, April 26, 2013
Morning by Morning, April 26 - "Draw Near and Hear"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Consume me, that I may be one with You, one with the Body of Christ, and one in ministry to all the world until we feast with You at Your heavenly banquet in final victory. ...
"Joshua then said to the Israelites, 'Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God' (Joshua 3:9).
We need to draw near to hear. We need to consciously choose to come close. We need to make time to give You time, to surrender in silence, to watch and wait, to listen for Your leading. You deserve nothing less. You are worthy of our worship and we honor You when we open our hearts to You with our full attention.
I want to start my day on the sure foundation of Your Word and in deep communion with Your Spirit. And right now, O Lord my God, with an open heart and my full attention, I draw near to You to hear Your words in these first moments of my morning. ...
It seems I hear You say: "You are right, My son, to draw near to Me in a deliberate way, as best as you can and all by My grace. Many rely on My promise that I am with them always. And so I am. But I also desire My children to seek Me with all their hearts, with all their minds, with all their souls, with all their strength. This is intentional worship, focused prayer in the deep humility that draws My grace and embraces My Presence."
Yes, Lord. Let these intentional moments of my morning belong to You. Help me keep them holy, set apart for You, careful to guard my time as an offering I can surrender to You as worship. Then keep me in this communion of prayer throughout the moments of my day, as You order my steps and guide my path. You're always with me, but I also want to always keep drawing nearer to You and keep hearing Your words. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, may the Holy Spirit guard your heart and your time to consciously come into the communion of prayer to hear the words of the Lord and be led by His Spirt throughout the moments of your day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Please let me know if you'd be interested in my teaching on thePrayer Life of Elijah. It's the "the spirit and power of Elijah" that prepares the way of the Lord -- in our hearts and in the earth for the coming of Christ (Luke 1:15; Matthew 17:11). This CD Series recorded live from one of my Prayer Revivals is available with our other books and resources on prayer and healing on the resources page of our web site:
I hope you'll be encouraged and inspired with what I believe the Lord has taught me. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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
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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