Morning by Morning, May 31 - Defeating the Kings of Darkness

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Teach me Your ways and empower me to live them, step by step and morning by morning.  ...

"Meanwhile, these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.... And Joshua said, 'Roll larger stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Do not let them enter their towns, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.' When Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great slaughter on them, until they were wiped out, and when the survivors had entered the fortified towns, all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah; no one dared to speak against any of the Israelites" (Joshua 10:16).

In our spiritual battles, pre-figured prophetically by Israel's battles for her promised land, there are kings of darkness that have to be captured and bound in order to plunder their kingdoms and possess the inheritance of freedom and peace You've promised for us in Christ (Colossians 1:13). In the context of deliverance from spiritual oppression, You said, 'But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how else can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered" (Matthew 12:28-29).

We battle kingdoms of deception, pride, fear, shame, rejection, bitterness, sickness, brokenness, and everything else that's anything less than Your perfect will in our lives. It's the battle for the abundance of life You've promised for our inheritance against the one who comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). So You call us to submit every area to You through confession and repentance, through embracing Your truth and rejecting our enemy's lies, through Your healing and our deliverance, to embrace all You've intended for us even as we daily engage the enemy of our souls (James 4:7).

The sins and wounds, the lies and curses, the false identities and the defiled destinies of our lives are our battlegrounds. But You lead us and empower us to pursues our spiritual enemies in the victory of the cross and the power of the blood of Jesus. You teach us to take authority over these kings and their kingdoms, these strong men and their strongholds, to silence the voice of our accuser and declare the praises of our Deliverer (Revelation 12:10-12).

You've won our victory and now we participate with You by faith to embrace the truth of what's been done and won for us in Christ so that Your victory becomes our victory (Colossians 2:15). Praise You, Jesus, for the victory of Your cross and the power of Your blood! You have crushed our enemy under our feet as we stand in Christ and Christ stands in us (Romans 16:20). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  I pray you will be empowered by God to embrace all that's been done and won for you in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

You or someone you know might be encouraged by my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance available through our ministry web site: www.messiah-ministries.org  These are some of my stories and the lessons I've learned through my first fifteen years of full time ministry in healing and deliverance.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 30 - The Day the Sun Stood Still

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You today.  ...

"On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel, 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, n the valley of Aijalon.' And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.... There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel" (Joshua 10:12-14).

On the longest day of history, "Joshua spoke to the Lord" in prayer and then Joshua spoke to the sun with authority. As the Son of Man, You spoke to the Father in prayer and then spoke to the sea with authority (Mark 4:39). As the children of God, You invite us to seek Your face and Your will in prayer and then speak to the mountains with authority (Mathew 17:20). Your Word even declares to us, "Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).

In the communion of prayer, we hear what our Father is saying and see what our Father is doing (John 5:19).  And from the place of prayer, we move into the place of authority by the power of Your Spirit and the authority of Your name (Luke 9:1-2). Apart from You we can do nothing, but never have to be apart from You. And with Your life abiding in us and our life abiding in Yours, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

We are never to presume upon Your power. We never to foolishly squander the gift of faith. But You have created us and called us to take our place and position as children of God and disciples of Christ to actively participate with You in the advance of Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Your sovereignty You've chosen to even entrust the power of the life and death in our tongues (Proverbs 18:21). You invite us to speak to You in prayer and speak to the earth with authority (Matthew 16:18-19). "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth He has given to the children of men" (Psalm 115:16, KJV).

With humility before You in prayer and boldness before You in faith, may the Body and Bride of Christ understand and employ the authority You've entrusted to us. "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.... We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves...." (Romans 8:19-23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  may you know the heart of God expressed through your prayers and the authority of God expressed through your words, in submission to His perfect will and ways through your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 29 - The Sword of the Spirit and Hail from Heaven

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Consume me with Your holy Fire. Set me ablaze with a passion for You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"As (the armies of the five kings of the Amorites) fled before Israel, while they were going down the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down huge stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; where were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword" (Joshua 10:11).

Joshua's battle was a physical battle against flesh and blood, but our battle is a spiritual battle against all that would keep us from knowing our identity and our destiny in Christ as children of God, living into the fullness of the promises of God. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).

In the battle against the Amorites, Joshua and the armies of Israel pursued their enemies with swords in their hands but also with prayers in their hearts. While they were warring on earth, You were warring from heaven. They slew their enemies with swords while You slew their enemies with hail.

In our spiritual battles against the kings and their kingdoms ruling the strongholds that hinder us from embracing the fullness of our inheritance, we make our choices and speak our words; we pray our prayers and assert our authority (Ephesians 6:18). We wield "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). First we submit ourselves to God in our heart and our heads, then we can resist our enemy, and then he must flee (James 4:7). We reject the lies of our enemy and embrace the truth of our God (John 8:32).  "We take every thought captive to obey Christ" as we take up "the weapons of our warfare" to align ourselves with Your "divine power to destroy strongholds"(2 Corinthians 10:3-5). 

We live out in our spiritual journey these prophetic pictures and spiritual lessons from the battles of Joshua as we follow Yeshua. As we pursue the enemy of our souls down the slope of our thoughts and out of our heads back to hell where he belongs with the word of God on our lips and the will of God in our hearts, You rain down hail from heaven on his head to crush him under our feet. This is part of the land of our inheritance as the children of God. As Your Word has promised:  "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (Romans 16:20). Praise God! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  may you see the God of your salvation rain down hail from heaven on the head of the enemy of your soul and establish you in the land of your inheritance in Jesus' mighty name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 28 - No Treaties for False Peace

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, conform me to Your nature, and lead me in Your ways.  ...

"But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done in Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning.... So the leaders took their provisions, and did not ask direction for the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them..." (Joshua 9:3-15).

In a prophetic picture of our journey with God into the fullness of our inheritance in Christ, You told Joshua and Your people to take possession of the land and none of their enemies would be able to stand against them (v. 1:4-6). But You also cautioned them to continuously seek Your leading and honor Your laws as they advanced into their destiny by the favor and grace of God (v. 1:7-9).

When they sought You and obeyed You, things went well for them. And when they did not, things did not go so well. When they encountered the Gibeonites, they failed to seek Your face and listen for Your voice; and they were deceived by their enemies into making a false peace. They found themselves with their hands tied by their compromise and treaty with their enemies, unable to drive them out of that area of their inheritance (v. 9:18-19).

All that happened to them is intended to be an example to us in our spiritual journey and our spiritual battles against our spiritual enemies that would keep us from possessing the fullness of Your promises and living into the fullness of our inheritance (1 Corinthians 10:6). So forgive us when we fail to seek Your direction and follow Your leading. Forgive us when we compromise with our enemies and fail to drive them from our lives, making a false peace that only ensnares us and entraps us from fully obeying You and keeps us from fully possessing all the promises we have in Christ.

Instead, help us be found faithful to seek Your face and follow Your will. Whether our spiritual enemies are our own flesh in the areas of our own hearts not yet willing to fully yield to the will and ways of God or the spiritual forces of evil coming to steal, kill, and destroy, let us not compromise or make treaties that only leave a false peace for the moment, while cheating us out of our inheritance. "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  may the Holy Spirit lead you always to seek the Lord's face and listen for the Lord's voice, protecting you from compromise with the enemies of our soul. May you live into the fullness of your inheritance in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 23 - Taking Time to Honor God at the Altar of Our Hearts

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart and my thoughts with Yours, O God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.... And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. All Israel, alien as well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord ...as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at first, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to al that is written in the book of the law" (Joshua 8:30-34).

Joshua and Israel crossed over the Jordan into their promised land to begin the battles to take possession of their inheritance. They soon saw victory at Jericho and defeat at Ai. Then through confession, repentance, and forgiveness, they went up again into battle at Ai and saw victory. Now it was time to humble themselves before Your altar and gather around the ark of Your Presence to honor You as their God and the Source of their victories and their inheritance. Like Moses before him, Joshua was to "bless the people" by leading them to align their hearts and their minds with Your Word, as he spoke the Word of God into their spirits.

Lord God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You are the God of Israel and the God of all who willing choose to humble themselves before You to seek Your face and welcome Your Presence into our hearts to yield to Your Word and Your ways in our lives. You are the God who wants to bless our spirits and awaken our hearts to arise into newness of life every day and embrace the fullness of our inheritance in You as children of God.

Let us take time every day in the altar of our hearts to remember You are the Source of everything good in our lives and You are the Authority to guide every step along the way of our journey into spiritual maturity. As Your Word declared long ago and still blesses our spirits today:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My Friend,  united in Christ as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord with those the Lord has called to be aligned with you for the battles of these last days, may you overcome every enemy of your inheritance that may unite against you, in Jesus' mighty name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 23 - Taking Time to Honor God at the Altar of Our Hearts

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart and my thoughts with Yours, O God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.... And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. All Israel, alien as well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord ...as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at first, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to al that is written in the book of the law" (Joshua 8:30-34).

Joshua and Israel crossed over the Jordan into their promised land to begin the battles to take possession of their inheritance. They soon saw victory at Jericho and defeat at Ai. Then through confession, repentance, and forgiveness, they went up again into battle at Ai and saw victory. Now it was time to humble themselves before Your altar and gather around the ark of Your Presence to honor You as their God and the Source of their victories and their inheritance. Like Moses before him, Joshua was to "bless the people" by leading them to align their hearts and their minds with Your Word, as he spoke the Word of God into their spirits.

Lord God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You are the God of Israel and the God of all who willing choose to humble themselves before You to seek Your face and welcome Your Presence into our hearts to yield to Your Word and Your ways in our lives. You are the God who wants to bless our spirits and awaken our hearts to arise into newness of life every day and embrace the fullness of our inheritance in You as children of God.

Let us take time every day in the altar of our hearts to remember You are the Source of everything good in our lives and You are the Authority to guide every step along the way of our journey into spiritual maturity. As Your Word declared long ago and still blesses our spirits today:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My Friend,  may the Lord bless your spirit with His words of Spirit and Life stirring in your heart, as He directs your paths this day and every day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 22 - Until Our Spiritual Enemies are Utterly Destroyed

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen for Your voice and follow the leading of Your Spirit.  ...

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Stretch out the sword that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand.... When Joshua and all Israel saw that that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was rising, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.... For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the sword, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the livestock and the spoil of the city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the Lord that He had issued to Joshua" (Joshua 8:26).

Today our battle is not against human flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil of "this present darkness" coming against the identity and destiny we have in Christ (Ephesians 6:12). They come "only to kill and steal and destroy" in order to keep us from having the fullness of our inheritance You prepared for us that we "may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

So we are to listen for the strategies You give us. Just as you brought down the walls of Jericho with a shout, but set an ambush against Ai, we must learn to be sensitive to Your voice to hear Your strategy for the battle at hand. Our battles may be against fear or false identities, depression or disease, sin or shame, addictions or afflictions, or anything else that's anything less than all You've created us to be in the fullness of our inheritance. And our strategies may be to watch and wait, to shout and sing, to charge ahead or change our attitude, or anything else You speak to our spirit as we listen for the leading of Your voice in obedience to Your command (John 10:4).

Through every battle, we must always remember to keep our eyes fixed on the "Commander of the Army of the Lord" (Joshua 5:14). We are not to be passive in the battles, but have a vital part to actively participate in the advance of Your Kingdom - first within us and then through us - as we stretch out the sword of Your Spirit, which is the Word of God, until our spiritual enemies are utterly destroyed (Ephesians 6:17).

With the heart of David, we are to declare by the power of the grace of God, "I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed. I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For You girded me with strength for the battle; You made my assailants sink under me" (Psalm 18:37-39).

No matter how impossible the odds may seem or how entrenched our spiritual enemies may be, we must always remember, "the weapons of our warfare" are spiritual and mighty (2 Corinthians 10:4). And we must never forget, "The Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (1 Samuel 17:47). The battle is already won through the victory of the cross (Colossians 2:15). Now we join in victory with God to agree with Your Word and Your Spirit to see that victory enforced through every battle we face along our journey into the fullness of our inheritance of spiritual maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:13). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  may you hear the strategies of the Lord and obey His commands until you see every spiritual enemy utterly defeated through the victory of the cross in every area of your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 21 - Devoted to Resurrection not Destruction

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and here in my day.  ...

"So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land. But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things. Achan ... took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites" (Joshua 6:27-7:1).

Israel won a great victory at Jericho. But she did not honor You in her victory. Rather than destroy everything in the city You told them were "devoted to destruction," they kept some for themselves and hid them away (v. 7:11). They thought they could continue to win their victories in the power of Your name without submitting in obedience to the character of Your nature. But they soon found out at their very next battle against the city of Ai that they were wrong, when they were easily defeated by their enemies and sent running away in shame (v. 7:4-5).

You explained to Joshua, "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings. Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you" (v. 7:11-12).

Like Israel, we have to learn we have no power over our spiritual enemies when we continue to harbor the sin of the things devoted to destruction in our hearts. Like it or not, there is a relationship between spiritual victory and spiritual purity. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:7-10). "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:7-8).

Because they refused to put away the spoils of sin, the Israelites had "become a thing devoted to destruction themselves" (Joshua 7:12). But rather than reject them or leave them in the state of defeat they had chosen and caused to come upon themselves, You encouraged them through Joshua, saying, 'Sanctify yourselves ..." (Joshua 7:13). You exposed their sin and removed it from them (v. 7:22-26). Then they were able to defeat the very enemies they were previously powerless to overcome (Joshua 8:1-29).

Lord, as the Body and Bride of Christ, convict us of the sins we harbor in our hearts, cleanse us from the things devoted to destruction. Sanctify us and purify us, that we may have Your nature in our hearts and Your victory in our lives. Let us be a people devoted to resurrection rather than destruction. Let us be devoted to You in every dimension of our lives, to know Your peace in the fullness of our inheritance:  "May the God of peace Himself sanctify (us) entirely; and may (our) spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonian 5:23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  I pray you will be set free and sanctified from everything that would bring you defeat in your spiritual journey to maturity in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 15 - Shouts of Joy and Victory

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Perfect Peace, my Abundant Joy, and my Unfailing Love. I welcome You all that is less than perfect, lacking in abundance, and wavering in persistence. You are All I need, my All in All.  ...

"To the people Joshua gave this command:  'You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall you utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.... On the seventh day they rose early, at dawn, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, 'Shout! For the Lord has given you the city..." (Joshua 6:10-16).

The people of Israel were obedient and patient at the Battle of Jericho, waiting until Your command to act according to Your Divine strategy, crafted for this particular battle. No matter what taunts or intimidation may have come from their enemy, Your people keep silent until Your command to shout. But through their obedience with their words and actions, they were able to declare:  "(The Lord) Most High is wonderful... He defeated nations for us and put them under out control. He chose the land we would inherit... God has risen with a shout of joy; the Lord has risen as the trumpets sounded!" (Psalm 47:2-5, NCV)

As with Israel, in our own spiritual journey the battles we face are never exactly the same. So the strategies You give us and the lessons You teach us require our obedience and patience, to listen for Your voice and obey Your command. Then with "shouts of joy and victory" from hearts made right through the grace and goodness of our God, we can celebrate that "the power of the Lord has won the victory; with his power the Lord has done mighty things" for us (Psalm 118:15, NCV). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend,  I pray you will shout with joy and victory when you see the mighty things the Lord does for you, as you wait patiently and advance obediently at His command into your inheritance in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 14 - God's Supernatural Power, Our Natural Obedience Good morning, Lord Jesus. O Lord, my God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-You are majestic and mighty, worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. I give You my full attention and my first attention, here in these first moments at the foundation of my day.  ... "Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no one came out and no one went in. The Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers. You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days, with seven priest bearing seven trumpets of rams' hors before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. When they make a long blast with the ram's horn as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, they all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat and all the people shall charge straight ahead" (Joshua 6:1-5). On the first day of the first battle to take possession of their inheritance in the promised land, You were teaching Israel and their leader, Joshua, the power and necessity of humility and faith, to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon God alone. You were teaching them their victories would be supernatural victories by supernatural means, but would also require, at the same time, their active participation by natural means, in obedience to Your timing and Your ways. City walls don't naturally come down "with a great shout"-no matter how many times you march around them blowing trumpets. They come down when God says they'll come down. Yet, at the same time, would those walls have come down if the priests and warriors would not have obeyed Your command to march around the city with the ark, to blow the trumpets, and to shout together at the time You said? Your will required their participation. Your supernatural power was made manifest through their natural obedience. And You told Joshua and the people You had already handed the city over to them. You had already given them this land as their inheritance, already determining that everywhere they would set the soles of their feet would be their possession (Joshua 1:3). It was finished, accomplished, complete, all according to Your word and Your will. But at the same time, would they have possessed the land and received their inheritance if they would not have obeyed Your command to cross over and physically possess the land? Your will required their participation. Your supernatural power was made manifest through their natural obedience. Lord Jesus, You taught us to pray to our Father in heaven, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2-3). Though Your will and Your promises are established forever in heaven, our part is to actively participate through prayer and obedience, with humility and faith, to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. We have a great inheritance, confirmed by astounding promises through our identity and destiny in Christ. It's available to us through Your supernatural power, but it only becomes ours through our natural obedience-all by Your grace, all in Your time, and all in Your way. In Jesus' name I pray Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend,  I pray you will embrace the spiritual principles of humility and faith, with natural obedience in alignment with the Lord's supernatural power and perfect will, to embrace and live out the fullness of your inheritance in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!  Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

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

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

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

(www.messiah-ministries.org).

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.messiah-ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com  

Morning by Morning, May 9 - Positioned for Battle Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name. And I speak out Your name over every moment of my day.  ... "At that time the Lord said to Joshua, 'Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.' ... When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. The Lord said to Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away from the disgrace of Egypt.' And that place is called Gilgal to this day" (Joshua 5:2-9). You brought Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and across the Jordan into the land of their inheritance. They were "armed for war" and positioned "for battle" (v. 4:13). Their enemies' 'hearts melted" before them at the signs and wonders of their God until "there was no longer any spirit in them (v. 5:1). But before they were ready to engage their enemies before them, they needed You to engage their enemies within them. Their ancestral generations were bound by the bondage and slavery of "the disgrace of Egypt" (v. 5:9). Then their forefathers refused to embrace the word of the Lord for their lives to enter into the freedom and blessings of their promised land, "flowing with milk and honey" (v. 5:6). So "the warriors" of the past generation died in their wilderness without ever entering in to possess the land and receive the blessings of their inheritance in God. "So it was their children, whom (God) raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised" (v. 5:7). So before the first battle for their destiny in the new land and the new season You set before them, they needed to wait in the camp until they were circumcised in their flesh and healed in their hearts (v. 5:8). Before they could win the battles on the outside, they had to first win the battles on the inside. So it is with us. We need forgiveness and freedom from every disgrace of our past and every part of our generational inheritance that was less than Your will and our destiny (1 Peter 1:18). We need to allow You to strip away our flesh and prepare our hearts to be tender before You and sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit. "Real circumcision is a matter of the heart-it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God" (Romans 2:29). Then we'll be positioned for battle, armed for war, and ready to advance into the fullness of our inheritance in Christ. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend,  I pray you will be positioned for battle, freed from the flesh and healed in your heart, to advance into the fullness of your inheritance in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!    We'll be completing 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, along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance --  and other resources for equipping in prayer, healing ministry, and spiritual warfare (www.messiah-ministries.org). Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Morning by Morning, May 8 - Spiritual Battles, Spiritual Weapons, Spiritual Victory Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy is Your name. You are worthy to be praised. And I welcome You into every moment of my day.  ... "When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the Israelites" (Joshua 5:1). All that happened in the journey of Your people in their flesh and blood under the Covenant of the Old Testament speaks to us about our journey as Your people in our spirit under the Covenant of the New Testament. "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). They battled the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites. We battle the kings of pride, deception, bitterness, fear, rejection, lust, idolatry, greed, infirmity, guilt, shame, and everything else that would try to rule and reign as king in our hearts instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. "For people are slaves to whatever masters them" (2 Peter 2:19). Our enemies are spiritual enemies. "For our struggle is not against enemies of the blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Our weapons of warfare are spiritual weapons. "Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3). And our victory in the Lord is a spiritual victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15:57) So let the hearts of our spiritual enemies melt in fear before us. "Even the demons believe-and shudder" (James 2:19). O Lord God, You are an awesome God! And we shout Your praises and declare Your victory in our hearts and over our enemies. "Say to God, 'How awesome are Your deeds! Because of Your great power, Your enemies cringe before You. All the earth worships You; they sing praises to You, sing praises to Your name.' Come and see what God has done; He is awesome in His deeds among mortals!" (Psalm 66:3-5) Praise Your holy name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend,  I pray you will look and see the victory of the Lord over every enemy of your soul by the power of the blood of Jesus. May the hearts of your spiritual enemies melt before you and the Lord our God advances His Kingdom within you and through you. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!    We'll be completing our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio this week 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, along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance --  and other resources for equipping in prayer, healing ministry, and spiritual warfare (www.messiah-ministries.org). Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Healing from the Inside Out www.messiah-ministries.org     Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries 4 Dominion Drive, Building 1 San Antonio, Texas 78257 www.RaphaGodMinistries.com