Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 14 - Day of Love
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your heart -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- as I begin my day seeking Your face and listening for Your voice.  ...
 
This is the day we celebrate in our culture as Valentine's Day -- the day of love. And You are Love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).
 
Lord, teach me to love in the way You love. And allow me to experience love in the way You intended love to be. "Love is patient; love is kind... Love never fails.... And now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:4-13).
 
May my spirit respond to Your Word.  ...
 
And also I sense a personal, humorous expression forming in my thoughts:
 
Love is patient; Love is kind.
Love is consuming like a flame,
But never too needy or clingy; and Love never whines.
 
Love is always faithful; Love is always true.
Love never fails,
And never, ever runs out on you.
 
Love goes before me; and Love has my back.
Love surrounds me and abounds around me,
While Love always seeks to keep me on track.
 
Love is higher than a mighty mountain.
Love is deeper than the sea.
Love is an overflowing fountain
of all that is good and God in this world to me
 
Above all, Love is the expression of the heart of God,
So let Love be the expression of God's heart in me.
 
Lord, hear my prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you be filled with filled and overflowing with the love of God today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. Happy Valentine's Day! 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, February 13, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 13 - Spirit of Wisdom
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart with Your desires and my steps with Your path for my life today.  ...
 
"Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?  '... Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right.... Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.... I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.... Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death" (Proverbs 8:1-36).
 
As best as I can and all by Your grace, I diligently seek You and Your wisdom, O Lord. I wait and watch and listen, that You may shape my heart and my mind with Your wisdom and understanding, so I can walk in Your ways that lead to the fullness of life in You. "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy" (James 3:17).
 
Your Word invites me to pursue "a spirit of wisdom and revelation as (I) come to know (You)" (Ephesians 1:17). Help me grow in Your wisdom, as I grow in the intimacy of my relationship with You. So I choose to pursue "Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).
 
Your Word promises, "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you" (James 1:5). I admit I do lack Your wisdom in so many matters. And at the same time, I accept Your invitation to seek and receive Your wisdom as I seek You. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You fill me with the Spirit of the One who is Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, as you pursue Christ Himself and allow Him to put His thoughts in your mind and His desires in your heart, conforming your nature to His nature more every day, 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, February 09, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 9 - Eternal Perspective of God's Eternal Purpose
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart, here at the start of my day.  ...
 
"This was in a accordance with the eternal purpose that He has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:11-12).
 
Give me an eternal perspective. You are at work in all things to accomplish Your eternal purpose. Keep a sense of eternity in my heart, trusting You to make everything beautiful -- restored, redeemed, and fulfilled -- all in Your time and all in Your way (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  
 
Keep giving me the grace to "look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Keep giving me the grace to "walk by faith, not by sight" -- trusting in Your eternal purpose in all things, in my life and all around me in my world (2 Corinthians 4:7).
 
All eternity is always, already present to You. And in Your eternal plan and purpose, all is well. Your word and Your will shall prevail. And Your word and Your will is always good. "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations!" (Psalm 100:5)
 
As You have decreed in Your Word, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill My intention.... I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have planned, and I will do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11). So let the good word and the good will of Your eternal plan and purpose give me boldness and confidence, peace and security, even excitement for the unfolding adventure, through faith in You with Your eternal perspective in my heart. In You, I can always say, "It is well, for my God is always at work to accomplish His good will in me and my world." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you rest and may all be well with your soul, as you trust by faith in God's eternal purpose in your life and your 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, February 08, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 8 - Lean In to the Spirit
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch and wait for Your leading, as I worship You in spirit and truth -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"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).
 
Help me grow in the grace of sorting out the difference between trusting in You with all my heart and leaning upon my own understanding. Help me learn to discern when I'm placing the priority upon my own thoughts in my own mind to gain my own understanding, instead of placing the priority upon first seeking You with all my heart. He me learn to listen first with my spirit instead of my soul (Hebrews 4:12). I want to lean in to Your Spirit instead of leaning on my own understanding. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:13).
 
You invite me and all Your children to trust You first, to seek You first, to "seek first the kingdom of God," rather than the kingdom of our own understanding, our own wisdom -- letting You lead the way, rather than letting the thoughts from our own minds lead the way. This is to have "the mind of Christ" rather than the mind of man (1 Corinthians 2:16). Then, confidently trusting in the promise of Your Word, we can trust You to "direct (our) paths" (Proverbs 3:6).
 
Lord, how do I lean in to Your Spirit?  ...
 
It seems I hear You saying, "My son, you lean in to Me and My Spirit when you consciously, deliberately seek to listen from your spirit. This is the deep of your spirit crying out to the deep of My Spirit -- deep to Deep, heart to Heart, spirit to Spirit. Then you are allowing Me to form My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart, so I can direct your paths -- not because I am forcing you to follow, but because you are allowing Me to lead."
 
Yes, Lord. Help me grow in this grace. "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). Unite me with You more every day. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I seek to live my life each day trusting in You with all my heart and learning to lean not on my own understanding. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

May you grow in the grace of learning to lean in to the Spirit of God instead of first leaning on your own understanding, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   
Friends, I m excited to be continuing my weekly teaching series tonight, based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance at Life in the City United Methodist Church in Austin. Please keep us in your prayers to learn and experience the healing power of God's love and grace. I pray for that same transforming power and grace in your life and ministry as well!

 



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, February 07, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 7 - Secure in the Sovereignty of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear what's on Your heart, as I begin my day centered in Your presence and grounded in Your Word, filled with Your Spirit and seeking to walk in Your ways.  ...
 
The world is whirling,
The storms are swirling,
But I am secure in You.
 
The temples of men are teetering,
The kingdoms of this world are wavering,
But I am secure in You.
 
When all that can be shaken is shaken,
And all that can be fallen is fallen,
I will be secure in You.
 
"I love you, O Lord, my Strength.
(You are) my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer,
my God, my Rock in whom I take refuge,
my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold."
 
When all is said and done, You will remain forever,
And by the power of Your grace, I will remain in You,
For I'm always secure in the sovereignty of God.
 
Thank You for these words You're writing in my heart and sealing into my soul this morning. You were David's rock of security, and You are mine (Psalm 18:1-2). 
 
As we look and see all the clamor and chaos around us, it's good to know -- and You're so faithful to remind us -- that You are ultimately in control and You eternally have a plan. That plan is good (Jeremiah 29:11). And You are God -- "For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar -- the Lord of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 51:15). 
 
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28). In the security of Your sovereignty, I give You thanks in reverence and awe this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you be steadfast and secure in the sovereignty of God, knowing His plans for you are good and He is in control to accomplish His good purposes through your life, 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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Monday, February 06, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 6 - "The Image of the Invisible God"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and welcome You into my heart and into my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, also that He might come to have first place in everything. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:15-20).
 
All the fullness of God dwells in You. You are the image of the invisible God. You are "the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very Being" (Hebrews 1:3). To see You is to see the Father, to know You is to know the Father, for You and the Father are One (John 14:9). 
 
And by the astounding grace of God in the incomprehensible mystery of faith, You live in us by Your Spirit (John 14:17). As You promised to Your first disciples, You promise every disciple, "On that day you will come to know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:15).
 
Just as all the fullness of God dwells in You, that's Your desire for us. You long for us "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that (we) may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). In Christ, we are "to be conformed to the image" of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). "Whoever says, 'I abide in Him, ' ought to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:6). "Because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:16).
 
Come, Holy Spirit -- "Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). Come, Holy Spirit -- "Promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). Come abide in me that I may be "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Make me more like Jesus today -- expressing more of the Father heart of God through the love of Christ, as I live this day in the power of Your grace. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT). "And this is the secret:  Christ lives in (me)" (Colossians 1:27 NLT). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit today -- the Spirit of Christ, the Promise of the Father -- as He makes you more like Jesus each day to display the heart of God through your life into your 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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Friday, February 03, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 3 - "The Joy of the Lord"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in Your path of life today.  ...
 
"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
 
Lord, let Your joy be my strength today. The joy of the world is fleeting, but Your joy is deeply satisfying. The joy of our flesh flashes a way in a moment, but Your joy remains and endures. Your joy makes my spirit glad. Your joy makes my heart sing. Your joy is my strength.
 
So Lord, what is the difference between the joy of the Lord and the joy of the world?  ...
 
It seems what I hear You speaking in my heart and bringing to my mind is this:  "My son, My joy is an expression of My heart in yours. As you allow the things that delight Me to become your delight, you are filled with My joy."
 
Yes, Lord. But what about all the troubles and struggles all around me in my world every day?  ...
 
"My joy is never unmindful of the tragedy and brokenness of My world. But My joy is resilient because I see the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. I know that My light always overcomes all darkness. So let the things that break My heart break your heart, but also let the things that bring Me joy bring you joy. My joy in your heart is powerful and strong. Let My joy be your strength each day."
 
Yes, Lord. I'm remembering the words You said to Your first disciples, "I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). Help me discern and process these words I believe You are speaking into my spirit today. In the power of Your grace, help me grow into a deeper understanding and experience of "the joy of the Lord." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May the joy of the Lord be your strength today, in Jesus' name. May you grow in the depth of understanding and experience His joy in your heart, knowing it is His will in your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  




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

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Thursday, February 02, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 2 - From Rejection to Redemption
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Rule and reign in the authority of Your name, here in my heart and every moment of my day.  ...
 
"Now Jephthah the Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, was a mighty warrior" (Judges 11:1).
 
You created Jephthah with calling and purpose and destiny. As with all Your sons and daughters, his life was in Your hands and his future was in Your plans "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). One day Your Spirit would come upon him and he would be Your mighty warrior to deliver Your people from the oppression of their enemies (Judges 11:29, 33). Like each of the judges before Israel had a king, he was an imperfect, but prophetic picture of the One who could come to deliver us from the oppression of our spiritual enemies -- our righteous Judge, our mighty Deliverer, our merciful Savior (1 John 3:8; Ephesians 6:12).
 
But at the same time, Jephthah as also born into some battles he would have to face. He was conceived in sin and would grow up in shame, under the burden of rejection from his own family and community (Judges 11:2). He would finally be driven out and run away to surround himself with the wrong crowd and even come to lead them, when his rejection turned to rebellion (Judges 11:3). Even then, his God-given gifts of leadership and tenacity would cause him to rise to the top and lead others into victories, no matter the circles he travelled in or the circumstances he found himself in -- "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).
 
There would come a time when Jephthah's family and community would have to humble themselves to ask him for help and he would have an opportunity to humble himself to forgive them and accept (Judges 11:4-11). Humility was the key to his community's deliverance and humility was the key to his restoration, redemption, and vindication. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10 NKJ).
 
Like Jephthah, You've created all of us with purpose and calling and destiny, but You've not placed any of us in the setting of a perfect life, full of perfect people. Instead, we live in a broken, fallen world; and we are surrounded by broken, fallen people. We all need Jesus -- our Deliverer -- who comes to heal our brokenness and forgive our fallen-ness, who comes to rescue us in the fullness of life in Him from the oppression of the enemy of our souls coming "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). But as we entrust ourselves to You, our enemy will never have the last word over our identity or our destiny, as You cause "all things (to) work together for good for those who love (You), who are called according to (Your) purpose" (Romans 8:28).
 
You know my battles and my burdens, Lord. Give me humility and grace to turn to You and remember who You say that I am. I am what You have made me, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which (You) have prepared beforehand to be (my) way of life" (Ephesians 2:10). Nothing will separate me from Your love (Romans 8:38-39). "No, in all these things (I am) more than (a) conqueror through Him who loved (me)" (Romans 8:37). And by the power of the grace of God, in the power of the Spirit of God, alive and at work within me, I will be confident in my identity and fulfill my destiny. He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


I pray you will live into the fullness of your calling and destiny in Christ, overcoming everything that ever say otherwise, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 


Friends, thank you so much for your prayers for us at the First Wednesday Worship and Prayer Service last night.  I shared this message and we had an awesome time of worship and healing in the Presence of the Lord! I pray the say for you! 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

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