Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Morning by Morning, July 16 - Strengthened in the Lord
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In response to Your invitation and grace, I enter in to the holy of holies of Your Presence, here in the communion of worship and prayer, to begin my day with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
 
"But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6).
 
How do I strengthen myself in You, Lord?  ...
 
As I listen for Your leading, I believe I hear You speaking in my heart:  "By the power of My grace, you strengthen yourself in Me when you humble yourself before Me. When you are weak in Me, then I am strong in you. When you willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon Me alone, I rise up in you to encourage you and empower you, to lead and guide you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness and when you humble yourself in My sight, I lift you up." ...
 
Yes, Lord. Your Word comes to mind:  "He gives more grace. Therefore He says:  'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:6-10 NKJV). "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Corinthians 12:8).
 
I strengthen myself in You when I allow You to make me strong, when I allow You to be my Strength. Then You make me strong to face the day, to resist the devil, and to live into my destiny in You -- as best as I can and all by the power of Your grace.
 
So now, as I get up from prayer chair and step out of my prayer closet into my day, I am "strong in the Lord and in the power of (Your) might!" (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV) "You have armed me with strength for the battle!" (Psalm 18:39) "Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle; my Rock and my Fortress, my Stronghold and my Deliverer, my Shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under me! ... Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" (Psalm 144:1-15) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you strengthen yourself in the Lord today by the power of His grace in you -- strong in Him to face the day, resist the devil, and live into the fullness of your destiny in Him, 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, July 15, 2019

Morning by Morning, July 15 - Longing for My Heavenly Habitation
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- as I begin my day passionately pursuing Your Abiding Presence. ...
 
"Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. For in this tent we groan, longing to be further clothed with our heavenly habitation if indeed, when we have taken it off, we shall not be found naked. For while we are in this tent we groan and are weighed down, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the One who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment" (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5 NAB).
 
My Father, You renew me day by day, step by step, layer by layer. You're faithful to bring to completion the good work You've begun in me. And even when I feel weary or discouraged or weighed down, You use even that to remind me that You're not finished with me yet. You have something more, something greater, something I can't even begin to comprehend -- "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."
 
You've given me Your Sprit who bears witness with my spirit that there's more -- more than I can see right now, more than I can know right now, even more than I can bear right now. And it's Your very Spirt who is groaning within me for more, "longing to be further clothed with (my) heavenly habitation."
 
No wonder I can feel naked or lacking or less than I'm created to be -- some days more than others, despite every good and perfect gift You've already lavished upon me in all Your mercy and grace. But it's just an expression from the depths of "(my) inner self" that I am in the process of "being renewed day by day" into the image of Christ, with the heart of my Father, by the transforming power of Your Holy Spirit at work within me. 
 
You've "prepared (me) for this very thing." My step by step journey through this sliver of eternity here on this earth is Your plan to work this out in me for this very thing. Christ in me, the hope of glory -- the Abiding Presence of Christ in me, the nature and character of Christ being formed in me to display Your glory through my life surrendered to You as a holy, living sacrifice (Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:29 and 12:1; Isaiah 60:1-2).
 
So morning by morning, day by day, step by step, I surrender to You and Your plan for me. I yearn for Your Presence and lean into Your leading. I long for more -- more of You being formed in more of me, more of my heart becoming more of Your home, Your "heavenly habitation" here on earth, here in me, as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you keep longing for your heavenly habitation as the Holy Spirit keeps groaning in you for more of all he has for you, both now and throughout all eternity, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Friends, it's good to be back with you on our journey of prayer after spending some time away these past two weeks on our family vacation. I pray you're having a great summer! Thank you for joining with me in this journey, morning by morning. It's good to be back in my "prayer chair" to share this part of my daily devotional time with 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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Friday, June 28, 2019

Morning by Morning, June 28 - The High Place of His Presence
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. Lead, Lord, for I am following. I want to begin my day listening for Your leading, watching and waiting in Your Presence, deeply in the communion of worship and prayer. ...
 
"After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.' At once I was in the spirit..." (Revelation 4:1-2).
 
In the mercy and love of Your grace, I feel like every morning when sit down here in my prayer chair to have my personal time of communion with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You open up the door of heaven and call me up in the spirit into the high place of Your Presence. Here, You speak to my heart. You renew my mind. You refresh my soul. You awaken my spirit. And You set before me the open of door that invites to me come enter in to Your embrace before we step out on the journey through the moments of my day. Just like in the words of my grandmother's favorite song, You walk with me and talk with me and tell me I am Your own, when I come to You alone in this garden place of worship and prayer.
 
Here in this high place of Your Presence, all the other "high places" and "everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God" must come down (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV). Here in this high place of Your Presence, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV). Here in this high place of Your Presence, I "lift up my eyes on high and see (the One who) is great in strength, mighty in power ... the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of earth ... (who) gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless ... (that I) renew (my) strength (and) mount up with wings like eagles (to) run and not be weary, (to) walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:26-31).
 
It's here in the high place of Your Presence that You, my heavenly Father, as You fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit, where I know and embrace the truth that You have made me "alive together with Christ -- by grace (I) have been saved -- and raised (me) up with Him and seated (me) with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7). Because I am in Christ and Christ is in me (Colossians 1:27), I'm also "seated (with) Him at (Your) right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And (You) put all things under His feet and (have) made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all!" (Ephesians 1:20-23).
 
It's only here in the high place of Your Presence, that I can even begin to comprehend all You have done for me and all that You're doing in me, that I may begin to "know what is the hope to which (You have) called (me), what are the riches of (Your) glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of (Your) power for us who believe, according to the working of (Your) great power" (Ephesians 1:17-19).
 
Lord, take me higher still! The higher You take me the better I can see, the farther I can see, the more clearly I can see with the eyes of heaven from Your eternal perspective. Here in the high place of Your Presence, You open the eyes of my heart with "a spirit of wisdom and revelation" so I can see You and all You desire me to see in myself and my world through the eyes of Your truth and the security of who I am in You and who You are in me (Ephesians 1:18).
 
What a door that stands open to me every day! What a gift You're so ready to give to all who will answer Your call to come up here with You, to let You take us by the heart and lift us up in the spirit into the high place of Your Presence! Here I am, Lord -- coming up here with You today, ready to stay up here with You every day -- for (You) are with (me) always" so I can always be with You! (Matthew 28:20) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you keep coming up into the high place of the Presence of God, learning to live there in His heavenly realm, always in Christ and Christ always in you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Friends, we will be away for some family time away the next two weeks, so I am may not be sending out my daily prayers from vacation. We'll be going up to "the high place" of the mountains in Ruidoso, New Mexico where Mom lives! But I join with you in prayer to experience the Presence of God every day. Thank you for joining with me in this journey, morning by morning. 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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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Morning by Morning, June 27 - "Strong in Spirit"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King of my heart and Lord of my life, as I entrust all the moments of my day into Your care -- my Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit of the Living God.  ...
 
"'And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.' The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel" (Luke 1:76-80).
 
John the Baptist "grew and became strong in spirit." For him, there was not a magic moment, a breakthrough day, a powerful prayer meeting, or anointed impartation from the man of God in town that day or at the conference across the country he travelled to see. For him, he "grew." For him, he "became strong in spirit." It was a process.
 
No doubt, there were many powerful, spiritual encounters along the way --like the day he leaped for joy in his mother Elizabeth's womb when she was "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41). For John himself, "even before his birth he (was) filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:15). But those divine encounters and spiritual breakthroughs were all in the context of a long journey to grow up in maturity and become "strong in spirit" -- just like us, a life-long journey with breakthroughs along the way.
 
Thank You, Lord, for every divine encounter and every spiritual breakthrough along the way of my journey of faith in You. Thank You for every prayer meeting, every worship service, every healing, every deliverance, every anointing and impartation, and every place and moment I've encountered Your Presence. From even before I was conceived and through my birth and salvation and baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit and all the other encounters and blessings along the way, You have been at work in me, just as You are in every one of Your children. Like You said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..." (Jeremiah 1:5). But I also thank You for the slow, steady journey where You've been growing me -- little by little, layer by layer, step by step, morning by morning -- to become "strong in spirit."
 
You kept John "in the wilderness until the day" when You finally said "It is time" (Luke 1:80). And looking back, I can even thank You now for every "wilderness" I've been through and even those that may yet come. It's all part of the journey. It's all part of being conformed into the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). It's all part of preparing the Bride and bring many sons to glory (Revelation 19:7; Hebrews 2:10). It's all part of growing up into maturity (Ephesians 4:12), to become "strong in spirit."
 
Lord, make me "strong in spirit." Keep growing me up in maturity. In honest humility I acknowledge I have far to go. But at the same time, I have confident hope, I have expectant faith, I have bubbly excitement to look and see what You will do! I know You can change everything in a moment. I've seen You do it many times. And lately I believe I've been hearing in my heart, "The moment is now." ...
 
Yes, Lord. I don't know what all "now" means to You. "With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day" (2 Peter 3:8). But I want to be ready. And I choose to be available. So make me prepared, as You keep growing me up to be "strong in spirit" and ready to serve -- secure in my identity to fulfill my destiny -- holding nothing back and leaving nothing on the table. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you keep growing in maturity, growing "strong in spirit" and ready to serve with all you have and all you are, secure in your identity to fulfill your destiny in 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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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Morning by Morning, June 26 - Thirsty for Your Presence, Hungry for Your Word
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- I seek You and pursue You and worship You in every dimension of Your Being from every dimension of my being. ...
 
"Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; listen, so that you may live!" (Isaiah 55:1-3)
 
I'm thirsty, Lord. I'm hungry, Lord. I'm thirsty for Your Presence; I'm hungry for Your Word. So I'm coming to You, I'm listening for You, I'm longing to live in You.
 
Why wouldn't I come? Why wouldn't I take and eat, receive and drink, taste and see that You are good? Why would I see the things "which do not satisfy?" Why would I spend my time, my effort, my money or anything else I have for the things that have no eternal value, no true meaning, and no lasting significance?
 
All I need is right here. All I need I can have right now. And it's "without money and without price." It's the free gift of God, ready and waiting for all who would receive, for all who hunger and thirst for You, for Your Presence, for Your Word, for deeper life in You.
 
Even as I ask the question "Why?" an answer comes to my heart. I believe I hear You speaking in my heart:  "My son, My free gift will cost you everything. I give you life in Me as you surrender your life completely to Me. Those who seek to save their lives will surely lose them and those who seek to lose their lives for Me will surely find them. As you decrease, I increase. As you yield to My will and My ways, I put My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart to make you more like Me each day. I am the One who puts the hunger and thirst in your heart so that You will earnestly yearn to pursue Me. As you are pursuing Me, you are embracing Me. As you are embracing Me, I am embracing you. And in My Presence, there is fullness of joy, fullness of peace, fullness of the life I long for you to live in Me. Then what you experience in Me, you gladly, lovingly desire to share with others the hope that is within you, that they too can come to My Living Waters and drink deeply of My Abiding Presence." ...
 
Yes, Lord. Your Word comes to mind:  "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). "Abide in Me, as I abide in you" (John 15:4). "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). "As the deer longs for flowing streams (of water), so my soul longs for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God" (Psalm 42:1-2). "In Your Presence, there is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).
 
Yes, Lord. Make me thirstier still, hungrier still -- thirsty and hungry for the only thing, the only One, who will ever satisfy the yearning of my soul. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you grow thirstier still for the Presence of the Lord and hungrier still for the Word of God, finding only He can truly satisfy the yearning of your soul, 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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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Morning by Morning, June 25 - "The Beauty of Holiness" in the Battles
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm excited to join in the journey of faith and prayer with You today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
 
"Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem:  Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.' And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:  'Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever!'" (2 Chronicles 20:20-21 NKJV)
 
My Father God, I praise "the beauty of holiness" as I believe in You and trust in You to protect me and even prosper me. There is beauty in Your holiness. You are holy and pure. You are certain and sure. You are untainted, undefiled, uncompromised, unwavering. You are utterly dependable, steadfast, and unshakable. And Your mercy endures forever!
 
You are holy. And in the unfathomable grace of Your mercy and love, You are here in me and You are holy in me. You are holy in me because the Holy One lives in me. Your "Spirit of Holiness" abides in me (Romans 1:4) just as the "Spirit of Christ" abides in me (Romans 8:9). The Spirit of the Living God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- lives in me (Romans 8:11). In Christ, my body is Your temple and my heart is Your home (1 Corinthians 6:19).
 
You've created me and called me to be holy, "for it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). Holiness is "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Holiness is what You've made me, who You've made me, through what You've done and who You are -- not what I've done or haven't done. And that's an amazingly beautiful thing -- far beyond my comprehension, but forever true none-the-less! "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
So when I praise You and the beauty of holiness, I stand firm in the confidence of who I am in You and who You are in me. You ambush and defeat all my spiritual enemies to give me victory in my battles as I worship You and praise You (2 Chronicles 20:22). You make me more like You -- even in "the beauty of (Your) holiness" -- as I look up to You and behold You and the beautiful glory of Your manifest Presence:  "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord!" (2 Corinthians 3:18)
 
A lifetime's not enough to plumb the depths of this revelation of truth of "the beauty of holiness," of "Christ in (me), the hope of glory," of becoming "the righteousness of God" in Christ, of being "holy, as (You are) holy." So I thank You and praise You that I have all eternity to learn and to live into the fullness of all You've eternally created me to be and become. "For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3), to "be conformed to the image of (Your) Son" (Romans 8:29). "As (Christ) is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).
 
In the meantime and all the while, You'll be fighting my battles and giving me the victory as I keep believing and trusting in You, worshipping You "in spirit and truth" (2 Chronicles 20:22; John 4:24). And that's such a beautiful thing to You -- "the beauty of holiness." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, may you believe and trust in the Lord our God through every battle, as you behold Him and His glory, being conformed into His image from glory to glory in the beauty of holiness, 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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