Monday, July 11, 2016

Morning by Morning, July 11 - Awaken Me in the Morning

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I look and listen for Your leading, help me begin my day knowing I'm embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ... 

"Then the angel who spoke to me returned and awakened me, like a man awakened from his sleep" (Zechariah 4:9). It was good to get away and rest. And now it's good to return to the rhythms of my day. You taught me long ago that the most important part of the rhythms of my day is here in these first moments of my morning in my deep communion of prayer with You. "Let me hear of Your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way that I should go, for to You I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8). 

So come, Holy Spirit. Awaken me. Like a man awakened from his sleep, awaken my soul, stir in my spirit. Let my body come alive to arise and shine, refreshed and renewed, ready to embrace my identity and embark again on my destiny in this adventure of faith. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Order my steps and direct my path, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I'm excited to see what You will do, as I awaken and arise to follow You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


I pray the Spirit of the Lord will arise in your spirit, awaken your soul, and energize your body each day to embrace your identity and continue your destiny as the child of God and follower of Christ He created you to be, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. And thank you so much for your prayers for me and our family during my time away. It was good to be away and now it's good to be back with you on our journey of prayer, morning by morning. Thank you for joining me in the adventure! 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, June 27, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 27 - "I Will Give You Rest"
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading and waiting for the whisper of Your still, small voice, as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with you, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ... "He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest' " (Exodus 33:14). For the next two weeks, I'll be taking some time away from my daily routines and everyday tasks. I'll be taking a little more time with family, a little more time with sleep, maybe even a little more time where I don't talk to anybody, don't preach to anybody, don't try to fix anybody, but just let everybody be -- entrusting them all to You. Hopefully, I'll be taking a little more time to rest. If that's Your heart for me, help me not feel selfish or lazy or guilty or worried about everything that's not getting done or will need to get done when I get back. Help me rest. And let me know that Your Presence goes with me even when I'm not teaching and preaching and praying every waking moment of my day. Help me remember "the anointing which (I) have received from (You) abides in (me)" wherever I am, whatever I'm doing -- or even not doing -- because my anointing is Your Presence with me (1 John 2:27). So I'm anointed with Your Presence even when I rest. Help me rest in You today and for these two weeks. In fact, give me the grace to rest in You for rest of my life. "Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest is still open, let us take care that none of (us) should seem to have failed to reach it" (Hebrews 4:1). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



 I pray you will rest in the Lord and the anointing of His Presence, always with you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. And please forgive me if you're missing these morning devotionals every day while I'm away. I'll be at home and away with family, taking a little different routine for vacation time in the mornings. But I hope you'll still be with me on our journey of prayer together when I return. 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, June 24, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 24 - The Great Exit to Come
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord and Savior, God and King, Best Friend Forever, I want to begin my day speaking out Your name and listening for Your voice.  ... "As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.... And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now retrains it is removed. And then the lawless on e will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of His mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of His coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Everyone is talking about the "Brexit" -- the vote by the citizens of Britain yesterday to exit the European Union. There's great concern about the collapse of the currencies and the economies of the nations of the European Union now that Britain is removed through this exit. Those concerns are, of course, very valid. Certainly to be taken seriously. No doubt, there will be tremendous global impact and upheaval in light of this event that's been anticipated for some time -- an event longed for by many and also feared by many. But there is an exit that should give all the world so much more concern. There will be tremendous global impact and universal upheaval on the day of the great exit to come -- on "the day of the Lord" and the great exit of the Church of Jesus Christ from the face of this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:2). "For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.... Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:21-31). The Holy Spirit of the living God who lives in the heart of every believer of Jesus Christ is a powerful restraining Force in our world. Since the day of Pentecost, the Church has increased to reach into the nations of the world. That great move of God in earth will continue right until the end, for God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). But one day, "the end will come." And on that day, there will be a great exit. "For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). We can be encouraged with these words -- with the Word of God. Though those will be dark days, at the same time, the light of the glory of God will arise and shine upon the people of God as never before, as the Lord continues to seek to draw every last soul to Himself through His people who call on His name and trust in His grace (Isaiah 60:1-2; Hebrews 12:27). "People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.... Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Luke 21:26-33). Many long for that day to come. And many fear it. When the Holy Spirit of God abiding in the people of God is removed in the day of the great exit to come, nobody's going to be thinking about the "Brexit" or even the economy. On that day, everyone will be thinking about Jesus. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:27). Me, I'm looking forward to that great exit to come. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' (Revelation 22:17).
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be secure and confident in the peace and Presence of the Holy Spirit living in you, looking forward to the day of the coming of Christ, in Jesus' name. 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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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 23 - Come, King of Glory!
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and every moment of my day.  ... "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:7-10) Strong and mighty Lord, Lord of hosts, Lord of the armies of heaven, I lift up the gates of my heart; I lift up the doors of my soul, that the King of glory may come in. Come into my heart; come into my world; come rule and reign in Your power and might in all the earth. "For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! (Psalm 47:7) You are the King of glory. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). And "the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure" follow You in victory and power at Your command (Revelation 19:14). In Your glory, we embrace the manifest Presence of God (Exodus 13:21; John 1:14). King of glory, come manifest Your Presence, come display Your glory in me and my world today. "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Christ in my world, the King of glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray the King of glory comes into your heart and every moment of your day, manifesting His Presence, strong and mighty, in your life and our world, in Jesus' name. 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, June 22, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 22 - "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear Your voice as I seek Your face and wait in Your Presence in the communion of prayer -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news....  Follow Me...'" (Mark 1:14).
 
The first commands You spoke as You began Your ministry as the Son of Man, filled with the Spirit of God, were "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
And I believe those are still Your commands. That's still Your invitation to all who are willing to hear and trust and obey. "Repent. Believe. Follow Me."
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Keep stirring in my heart to keep turning to Jesus, to keep believing the truth of the good news of God, and to keep following the One who is the King of the kingdom of God. When I'm tempted to turn back to the ways of this world and the desires of my flesh, empower me to embrace the goodness and grace of the One who faithful to bring to completion the good work He began in me. When I'm temped to doubt the goodness and grace of the One who created me and loves me and longs to be with me, empower me to trust ever more deeply in the steadfast love and tender mercy of the One who suffered and died for me. And when I'm tempted to distraction, complacency, intimidation or neglect to share the goodness and grace of our God with a hurting and broken world, empower me to rise again and walk in the steps of the One who leads the way to abundant life, now in this age and in the age to come.
 
Lord Jesus, by the power of the grace of God at work within me, I choose this day to repent, to believe, and to follow You. Give me the grace to do the same every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray the Holy Spirit of God will move in your heart every day to repent and believe and follow Jesus, in Jesus' name. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). 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, June 21, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 21 - Come Make Me One
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. O Lord, my God, You are One and You are holy. I worship You in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being to begin my day in communion with You.  ...
 
"I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17:20-23).
 
I hear a new song of worship You're writing in my spirit rising up in my heart right now in prayer and praise.  ...
 
You are in me.
I am in You,
Living in me
As I live in You.
 
Faithful and true
Holy and One,
You are my Father.
I am Your son.
 
Holy, Holy,
Holy and One
Faithful Father
Calling Your sons.
 
Spirit and bride,
Father and sons,
Savior of sinners
Live forever as one.
 
One in Your Spirit,
One in the Lord,
One in our hearts,
One in Your world.
 
Come live through me
As I live in You.
Come make me more,
More and more like You.
 
I am Your son.
I am Your bride.
I am Your temple.
I am Your light.
 
Come live in me.
Come love through me.
Come shine through me.
I'm forever in You.
 
You are my Father.
You are my Friend.
You are my Savior.
You are my Beginning and End.
 
You are so holy,
So faithful and true.
I give my heart,
I give my life,
I give my all,
Completely to You.
 
Come make me one
Forever in You.
 
Yes, Lord!  Come make me one, forever in You. "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them" (1 John 4:12-16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will be one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- a "son" of God and "bride" of Christ, forever one in 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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Monday, June 20, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 20 - "Greatly Beloved"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my spirit arise and draw near into communion with You in our morning walk of prayer -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"He said to me, 'Daniel, greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I am going to speak to you. Stand on your feet, for I have been sent to you.' So while he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. He said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words" (Daniel 10:11-12).
 
Like Daniel, by the grace of God, I am beloved as well. Like every child of God, I'm one of "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:12). Like Daniel, I'm "greatly beloved" because You love me greatly (John 3:16). And like Daniel, You know my name and You hear my prayers.
 
Sometimes there may be a great battle being waged in the spiritual realm between the time of my prayers and the time of Your answer (Daniel 10:13). But there's no battle greater than Your great love for Your greatly beloved. "Our God is greater" (2 Chronicles 2:5). "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is (Your) steadfast love toward those who fear (You)" (Psalm 103:11).
 
Storms may rage, darkness may fall, angels and demons may war, the earth itself may rock and reel until the mountains tremble and shake, but You and Your love for Your greatly beloved will always remain (Psalm 136:1-26). Your faithfulness and love is forever revealed and revered through the sacrifice of Christ for us (1 John 4:9).
 
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39). 
 
No, in all these things, Your love never fails. Your love never changes. You know my name and You hear my prayers, for I am greatly beloved by the Lord my God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will always know just how greatly beloved you are -- that the God who is higher than any other knows your name and hears your prayers. 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, June 17, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 17 - The Voice and the Presence of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in the ways of life in Christ today.  ...
 
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary!'  She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, 'Robbouni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to Me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord!'; and she told them that He had said these things to her" (John 20:16-18).
 
In the midst of her grief and sorrow, her confusion and doubts, Mary needed a personal encounter with her Savior. And in the shards of her shattered dreams, You came to her and spoke to her. At sound of Your voice, speaking her name, she turned to You and all of that vanished away.
 
In that moment, Mary couldn't hold You physically in her arms, but she could hold forever in her heart. Your words, Your voice changed her forever in that encounter of Your Presence. And she couldn't wait to share her experience of her encounter with God-- the living Presence of the living Christ. She wanted everyone to know she had seen her Lord and heard Your voice.
 
Mary's life would never be the same. You are the Word of God (John 1:1). And one word from Your voice into our hearts changes everything. You want us to know Your Word and hear Your voice. "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:4).
 
In Your Presence and the power of Your voice, You invite us to embrace the promises of Your Word:  "They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.... He will come and save you.' Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.... Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away!" (Isaiah 35:1-10)
 
You give us the grace to invite You into every moment of our lives, promising to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). You invite us today and every day to "hear (Your) voice," set free forever from "an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12-15). When we do, like Mary, we will want everyone to know that we have seen our Lord and heard Your voice. And we will want everyone to know they can too -- even "today," even right now (Hebrews 4:7). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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



I pray you will embrace the Presence of the Lord and hear His voice speaking to your heart and changing hour life from the inside out. 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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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 16 - Humility to Learn and Grow
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ... "Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him asked and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who though grace had become believers, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus" (Acts 18:24). Apollos was eloquent and bold, longing to lead people to Jesus and the Way of the Lord. He knew his Bible and taught with accuracy and authority, with passion and power. But at the same time, he was still willing to learn. His humility allowed him to grow in maturity.  In time, Apollos would have quite a following, even affirmed in his ministry as a leader among Peter and Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12). The Apostle Paul wanted Apollos to "lack nothing" in his ministry to share the hope and grace of God wherever he went (Titus 3:13). So it would seem no matter how popular or beloved he became, he kept his heart right and his focus clear. With the spiritual leaders of his day, he was a team player, seeking to build the kingdom of God and not his own. "(Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose ... God's servants, working together" (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). Lord, give me humble heart to continue to learn and to grow. Show me my part and my place, when to plant and when to water, where to be and who to be with, working together with the servants of God to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my heart and my world, in our generation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be continue to learn and grow, knowing your identity and fulfilling your destiny as a beloved child of God and faithful servant of God, in Jesus' name. 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, June 15, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 15 - We Need More
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my thoughts and desires, of all I am and all I do.  ... "The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut" (Matthew 25:8-10). Thank You for the lamp of Your Word. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Thank You for the oil of Your Spirit. "(We) have been anointed by the Holy One.... (And) the anointing that (we) received from (You) abides in (us)" (1 John 2:20-27). So in Christ, we each have the lamp of Your Word and the oil of Your Spirit. "(We) are not in the flesh; (we) are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in (us). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him" (Romans 8:9). But at the same time, we need to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). There will be times in our lives when we need more of the oil of Your Spirit. There will be times when we're tempted to waiver and doubt, times when it's harder to hold on and press through, times when it seems like it's "midnight" all around us and our "Bridegroom (is) delayed" (Matthew 25:5-6). We need more -- more of You, more of Your Spirit, burning in us so we never face a day when "our lamps are going out" (Matthew 25:8). We need to be "wise" and we need to be "ready -- always ready for You and ready for whatever the midnight moments of our lives may hold (Matthew 25:10). Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me afresh every day. Less of me and more of You. Let the will and the ways of Christ in me increase, as my will and my ways decrease in trusting surrender to Your abiding Presence in my life (John 3:30). I want to be wise and I want to be ready. I want to be "baptized with the Holy Spirit" every day (Acts 1:5). And I look forward to the day when we will say, "Let us rejoice and (be glad), for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready!" (Revelation 19:7) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be filled afresh with the oil of the Spirit, baptized in the Holy Spirit every day, as you keep entrusting and surrendering your heart and your life to the Holy One with His light of His Word as a lamp to your feet, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     

Friends, Thank You so much! for keeping me in your prayers as I was teaching and ministering in Athens, Georgia near the campus of the University of Georgia at the 2016 Athens College of Ministry Transformed! conference and with my great friends at St. James United Methodist Church in Athens. It seemed like a non-stop flow of the Holy Spirit, starting early and finishing late every day until I returned yesterday, in a great adventure of faith. There many signs of God's power and love. I could never do this kind of ministry without all your prayers and encouragement! Thank you for being with me on the journey!


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, June 10, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 10 - The Spirit of Love
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for the joy of knowing You love me. Wow, sometimes it's good to just stop and take a moment and say those words out loud. "I am loved by God. ... My God loves me.  ... O, Lord, my God, You love me. Wow, let those words sink into my soul a little deeper today, as I begin my day in the communion of prayer with You -- the God who loves me.  ... "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way:  God sent His only Son in to the world so that we mighty live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this:  that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:7-17).  God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- You are God and You are Love. And You have given us Your Spirit -- the Spirit of Love, who abides in us. By Your Spirit within us, You are making us more like You. As You are, so are we in this world (v. 17). You long for Your Spirit of Your Love to be in us and in our world:  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). Thank You for reminding of Your love for me. As You said long ago, "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). Thank You for pouring Your Spirit of Love into me. Now let Your Spirit of Love flow through me and touch the lives of those in the world around me who desperately need to know Your saving love, Your everlasting love, Your Spirit of Love today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be know how deeply you are loved by God today allow his Spirit of love to flow through you and change the world around you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     

Friends, please keep me in prayer as I teach and minister in Athens, Georgia near the campus of the University of Georgia at the 2016 Athens College of Ministry Transformed! conference.  I'll be speaking on Free to Be Like Jesus! -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance. I'll also be preaching and ministering at St. James United Methodist Church in Athens this weekend. All are welcome. Please come join 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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Wednesday, June 08, 2016

Morning by Morning, June 8 - Learning to "Abide," Living in Christ
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart and the moments of my day.  ...
 
"Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither an you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).
 
What could be more important than learning to abide in You? You said if I abide in You, You would abide in me, and I would bear much fruit.
 
So much of the time, we get that so wrong. We tend to focus on the fruit, when You said to focus on You. We tend to focus on what we're doing for You instead of how we're living in You. It's like seeking first to build the kingdom of God instead seeking first You and our right relationship with You (Matthew 6:33). It's like trying to do so many good things instead of seeking the One Thing that makes all things work together for good. It's like trying to do it all ourselves instead of letting You do it all through us. And ultimately, all that we do apart from You, no matter how good or helpful it may seem at the time, amounts to nothing of eternal significance. Just like You said long ago, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
 
So teach me to abide in You. Teach me to seek You first and focus most on my relationship with You.
 
Lord Jesus, as I seek to abide in You right now in the beginning of my day, what do You want me to hear or see or sense in this moment? ...
 
It seems I hear You saying in my heart:  "You abide in Me as you open your heart to Me, allowing Me to abide in you. That's the key. Allow Me to abide in you. Welcome my Spirit within you. Embrace my life within your life. Allow Me to put My thought in your mind and My desires in your heart. Allow Me to express My words, My power, My heart, My nature through your life. I am the Vine. You are one of My branches. Seek to be one with Me, one in the Vine, and My Spirit will flow through your life. Then I will cause My fruit to be borne through you. Let your focus and your passion be upon abiding in Me. Then trust Me to bear My fruit through your life. Not by your power, not by your might, but by My Spirit."
 
Yes, Lord. That's sounds like You speaking to me, as I seek to discern Your voice from my own thoughts, the leading of Your Holy Spirit from the merely the desires of my own human spirit. As I test these words first against the Word of God, these Scriptures come to mind:  "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21 NKJV). "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20). "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
 
So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I seek to abide in You, Lord Jesus Christ. You are the Vine and I am one of Your branches. As I begin this day and life out the moments of my adventure of faith, I want to be embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit -- abiding in You as You abide in me. Let this be more than a moment, but a lifestyle of living in You and allowing You to live through me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays



I pray you will be stirred by the Spirit of God to abide in Christ in a lifestyle of abiding and living in Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     


Friends, please keep me in prayer as I travel to Georgia to teach and minister at the 2016 Athens College of Ministry Transformed! conference.  I'll be speaking on Free to Be Like Jesus! -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance. I'll also be preaching and ministering at St. James United Methodist Church in Athens this weekend. All are welcome. Please come join us!  


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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!
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