Holy Fire 3-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the world fade away for these moments, as only You come into view. ... You are a holy God and You are kindling a holy fire in our souls. You are burning away the chaff and refining away the dross of everything in us that is not yet like You. To persevere in the days that are coming, we must become more pure in the surrender of Your Spirit and less defiled in selfishness of our flesh. Give us courage to embrace this process of purification, to embrace Your holy fire, "for indeed our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12.28-29). "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you no know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3.12-17). Let us not be deceived, our work will be tested. Who we are in this world, and what we have done with our lives matters, for You desire to live in us and through us each day to touch the lives of those around us. What we have done for ourselves rather than for You is wood, hay, and straw -- to be consumed in Your fire on the Day of the Lord. But as we allow You to purify the temple of our souls, that our holy God may come and dwell in Your holy temples, You will live Your life through us. Then all that we do will be what You do through us and we will see the gold, silver, and precious stones of everlasting value. Give us courage now to embrace the flame of Your consuming fire, so that who we are and what we do will remain on that Day and throughout eternity. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Hosanna! 3-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I heard the song Your Holy Spirit had been singing in my spirit as I opened my eyes this morning -- "Hosanna! Hosanna! Jesus died and rose again!" Now with the conscious mind of my soul, I join with the heart of my spirit in this song of praise the Holy Spirit is singing to You. ... The joy of Your resurrection overcomes the sorrow of Your suffering. You are our example as we persevere through the sufferings of the moment to share in the joy of eternity. Our Father has sent us the Holy Spirit, Who continually lifts our eyes to Jesus, the Holy One of God Who continually shows us to the way to life -- life abundant and life everlasting. We are "looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, Who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12.2). As our hearts sing "Hosanna!" to You, Your Spirit is lifting our eyes off of our selves and our circumstances, reminding us of the joy that is set before us and the joyous One Who shows us the way. "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30.5). As we look to You and persevere, You redeem all things to work together for good, never wasting a moment of our suffering, never ignoring a moment of our sorrow. You died and rose again. As we keep looking to You, so will we. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Learning to Wait 3-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart and welcome into my day. You are Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, and Lord of my life. ... "I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40.1-3). There is power in waiting. Oh, how it cuts against our grain, crucifies our flesh, and humbles our pride. Yet it is when we are waiting patiently for You, that You turn to us and bend down to us and hear our cry. When we wait on You, we finally come to the end of ourselves -- trying to force our way through, trying to make something happen, trying to control and manipulate our circumstances, ourselves and everybody else. Waiting weakens our will, so that our will can be submitted to Your will. Then we are no longer resisting You and You are no longer resisting us. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4.6). As we learn to humble ourselves in the waiting, we learn the power of calling upon Your name rather than our own, drawing upon Your strength rather than our own. Then You draw near and come in power. You reach down into our desolate pit of despair, lift us up our of the miry bog of the mess we've made, set our feet upon the Rock of our Salvation, and direct our steps in the paths of Your will and Your ways. How could we keep from singing as the songs of praise and songs of deliverance rise up in our souls? The new song in our mouths becomes one of praise instead of despair, hope instead of doubt, and victory instead of defeat. Our lives become a witness to others that many will see and take note and put their trust in the Lord -- all because we learned to wait. There is power in waiting, because while we're waiting, You are moving heaven and earth to deliver those who put their trust in You. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Words of Spirit and Life 3-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to see You and stir the passion of my spirit to seek You, as I begin this day in Your presence. ... "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by the Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom He also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word" (Hebrews 1.1-3). Lord Jesus, release Your word in our hearts. One word from Your mouth can change sorrow into joy, darkness into light, despair into hope. Open our hearts to hear Your word for us each day and throughout each moment of each day. Let it become our way of life to continually have our hearts open to hear Your word so we will know Your will. As You declared to Your first disciples, You declare to us today, "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6.63). Let their response be our response, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (John 6.68-69). As we spend time with You, we learn Your voice. As we spend time in Your Word, we learn Your ways. Your words are life and spirit to us, but we will only hear Your words and recognize they are from You as we learn to hear the voice of Your Spirit. "He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure" (John 3.34). Humble our pride to spend the time to learn the voice of Your Spirit and hear Your word. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Tuning in to You 3-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. For these next moments, help me tune my heart to Yours and squelch out every noise but Your voice. ... With every moment, we have many options of how to spend our time and where to place our focus. The image of our television comes to mind. We are probably one of the last homes in America to not have cable or satellite, just receiving the basic channels with an antennae. Sometimes those channels don't come in very clearly and we have to turn the dial of the antennae to focus in on the frequency. Then the picture becomes more clear and focused. So, it is with prayer. We begin with choices about how to spend the resources of our time, with many options. To some degree we can choose what we will allow to have access to our minds and spirits. Even as we choose the channel of prayer, we have a choice to let the signal of communication remain fuzzy and unclear or to make the effort to do our part to bring the signal into focus. We don't control the source or power of the signal, but we can make choices that affect our receptivity. Teach us, Lord, how to choose well and focus in. Let spending time with You become our favorite channel. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Gentile and Jew are One in You 3-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me to discern Your thoughts from mine as I listen closely for the leading of the still, small voice of Your Holy Spirit. ... "Gentile and Jew are one in You." You woke me early with these words on my heart, as if Your Spirit were praying through my spirit in my sleep. By 4:12 am, I took note that I was wide awake with thoughts from Your Word, praying about the days and events at the fulfillment of this age. The unity of Your children throughout all ages -- responding to the grace of Your "eternal gospel" from every tongue and tribe and nation -- is a key to these events in the consummation of all things (Revelation 14.6). Father, I submit these words and prayers to You through the cross and the blood of Jesus, praying You would sift and refine what is the chaff of my confusion and what are the kernels of Your truth: The Messiah of the Jews is the Christ of the Gentiles, and Your name is Jesus. "But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for He is our peace. In His flesh He has made both groups into one, and has broken down the diving wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death the hostility through it. So He came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through Him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2.13-18). The children of the twelve tribes of Israel are united as one with the children of the twelve apostles of the church in You, Lord Jesus. One does not replace the other, but both are fulfilled in You. In this way, Gentile and Jew "are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone" (Ephesians 2.19-20). The message of the prophets of the Old Covenant are united as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord with the message of the apostles of the New Covenant. It is one message, with the old fulfilled in the new, the living Word revealing the written Word. You are the Message; You are the Word. "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit (Ephesians 3.5). With Your Word living in us, we are the children of God throughout all the ages, as we abide in You and You abide in us. "In Him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are also built together spiritually into a dwelling place of God" (Ephesians 2.21-22). Come live Your message and speak Your word through us as we become one with You and one each other in the fulfillment of this age. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Touching Father's Heart 3-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside the still waters and restore my soul, as I begin this day centered on You. ... My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, had her sixteenth birthday recently. Her heart's desire was to have her own cell phone like all her friends. Lord, help us. But I've come to find I love to see her name come up on my phone when she is trying to reach me. There is something very special about seeing her name and hearing her voice calling her Daddy. I've noticed the rest of the world has to wait just a moment when Daddy's little girl is calling. Is that how it is with You, Father? Is Your heart stirred when You hear us call? Does the world have to wait just a moment as You turn Your heart to hear our call and look upon those who seek Your face? "But now thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, He Who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.... Because you are precious in My sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43.1). Thank You, Father, for calling us each by name. Give us faith to believe that we are each precious in Your sight, honored by You, and that You love us. You are the God Who knows the hairs of our heads and the desires of our hearts. When we draw near to You, You draw near to us; when we cry out to You in prayer, You love to answer. "On the day I called, You answered me, You increased the strength of my soul" (Psalm 138.3). Thank You for the blessing and the honor of being children of God, able to touch our Fathers heart. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Place of Peace 3-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and lift my heart to You, as You order the steps of my day. Where You lead, I will follow, as best as I can. ... To find and follow the will of God -- this is the place of peace. Then, no matter how difficult the challenges may seem or how insurmountable the obstacles may appear, nothing can take our peace. But how do we know it when we have found Your will? How do we know it is not our will or the will of those we want to please? "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse -- who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17.9). Here is a key, it seems: the peace does not only come in being right; the peace comes in knowing we are seeking You and Your will as best as we can, by Your grace. Requiring anything more would be impossible; giving You anything less would be sin. You know the desires of our heart. So, as we seek to know You and Your will as best as we can, where we are, You give us peace for You desire to lead us by our hearts. "I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings" (Jeremiah 17.10). This is how You lead us step by step, one day at a time. This is how we can be at peace, though there are many more steps to take and though we may stumble and fall or get off track along the way. Our heart determines our ways and reveals the attitude of our mind. You have called us to give our hearts to You as best as we can, that we may be "bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart" (Ephesians 6.6). As we seek You as best as we can, we will find You; as we seek to follow You as best as we can, You will lead us -- all by Your grace. And we will have the blessing of Your peace along the way. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Make Us One 3-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I turn to You, I turn to my Father; and as I welcome You, I welcome Your Holy Spirit; for You are One. Make me one with You in the communion of prayer. ... We are created for communion with You and with one another. We were never meant to be alone, but to walk with one another in the relationships You ordain through the journey of our lives. So it has been from the beginning: "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner' " (Genesis 2.18). Lord, open our eyes to see the helpers You have called into our lives to walk with us; humble our hearts to receive the partners You have chosen to labor alongside us in the fields of ministry. It is the plan of our enemy to isolate us and divide us; it is Your plan to unite us as one with You, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. You are still sending forth Your disciples into the harvest of the souls of men "two by two" to prepare the way for Your coming (Luke 10.1-2). Partnership in ministry is one of Your spiritual principles, for none of us has all the answers, none of us has all the gifts, none of us has all the vision. We are one, though many as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12.12). "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4.9-12). Two by two, cords of three, many parts of one body -- we are created for unity and not division. Father, we join in the prayer of Jesus: "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 become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me (John 17.22-23). Lord, unite us as one as we reap Your harvest for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Independence Day 3-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You and celebrate another day in the journey with You. ... As I write out today's date, I can't help but remember that today is Texas Independence Day. No matter where we may live or where our journeys have taken us, every Texan remembers that on March 2, 1836, Texas became an independent, sovereign nation. It's the same as the Fourth of July for Americans. The yearning for freedom and independence is something You have placed in the hearts of all Your children. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3.17). We are never to grow passive toward the tyranny of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Yet, we are never to grow dependent on ourselves as our own deliverer and lord. We are never to grow independent of You. Forgive us, Lord, when we are overcome by our own pride for who we are or who we have become and fail to remember that every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1.17). Apart from You, we can do nothing (John 15.5). So while it is good to remember our roots, let us always stretch forth the branches of our hearts to bear Your fruit through our lives. You are the Vine, and we are the branches. When our branches become independent of the Vine, we wither and die, failing to bear the fruit for which we were created and failing to have the relationship for Whom we were created (John 15.1-6). Free us for dependence upon You, as we celebrate independence from ourselves. Humble us where we are too proud, but God bless all Your children and God bless Texas. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Bought with a Price 3-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw near to me as I draw near to You -- Deep to deep, Spirit to spirit. ... Lord, someone has said, "grace is free, but it will cost you everything." How can that be? How can there be Your call to receive the free gift of grace without working for it or earning it by anything we do, and at the same time, Your call to surrender everything we have to You? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2.8-10). "My son, all that you have is Mine. The very life I call you to lay down is the very life I gave to you. The gift of My grace is free, provided for you and all My children by the sacrifice of My love. My sacrifice cost Me more than you will ever be able to fully comprehend, though you will gain in understanding of this truth for all eternity. Though the gift is free, it would be impossible for you to ever earn it. So do not think that I have chosen to give you a gift that you could have purchased instead with your good works or your good life. Any good works you could do and any good life you could live come from Me as well. I have left no room for pride, lest any should boast. So as you receive My gift of salvation through faith, you are receiving this truth that your life belongs to Me. For you have been bought with a price -- the price of the sacrifice of My love through the blood of My cross. I have sacrificed My life for you that you may sacrifice your life for Me. This is self-sacrificing love. This is My love. This is love." Yes, Lord. As Your Word declares, "For you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6.20). Let us live our lives for You, for this is why we were created. Even the lives that we give to You as our sacrifice of love are the lives You have given to us to lay down. In this way, we receive Your gift of life by grace as the free gift of God, yet it costs us everything, as we acknowledge the humbling truth that all we have is You and every gift we have to give is from You. There is no room for pride. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

A Deserted Place 2-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me focus in on You. Let Your name become the only thought on my mind as I watch and wait for Your leading. ... The corner of a hotel lobby is a harder place to wait in the silence of surrender than my prayer chair at home. Yet the challenge of seeking some quiet time with You in the communion of prayer is always before us. Sometimes the people around us wrestle for our attention; sometimes the thoughts swirling around us fight for our focus. But ultimately, seeking You in prayer is a choice. Our circumstances can conspire to tempt us to look away, but the truth is nothing can stop us from praying if we choose to pray. Prayer is a choice. If we will not make the choice, we will never begin to pray. "The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told Him all they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves" (Mark 6.30-32). Even if it's just for moment, even if the circumstances and people try to follow us, help us learn how to get away to a deserted place with You to rest in the quiet of Your presence for just a little while. Help us learn how to go down into the prayer closet of our spirit and close the door to the world for even a few moments in the midst of wherever we are. This is where "deep calls to deep" as our human spirits cry out for Your Holy Spirit deep down inside in the communion of prayer (Psalm 42.7). A moment in Your presence can supernaturally empower us to face every circumstance that awaits us when we come back again. You are the Living Water we drink; You are the Bread of Life we eat in the deserted place deep down in our spirits with You. By Your grace, we choose to pray. We choose to eat and drink of Your presence in the deserted place with You for at least a little while every day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Baptism of the Holy Spirit 2-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me begin every day with my eyes looking to You, my mind thinking of You, my heart open to You, my spirit seeking You. This is my spiritual act of worship as everything else must take its place in submission to You. I will have no other gods before You. ... The old hymn of complete surrender to the blessing of entire sanctification, to the baptism of Your Holy Spirit, is Your call to worship this morning: "All to Jesus, I surrender; all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him; in His presence daily live. ... All to Jesus, I surrender; Lord I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power; Let Thy blessing fall on me. ... I surrender all; I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior; I surrender all." Yes, Lord. Give us the grace and the courage to surrender all -- holding nothing back, having no other gods before You; emptied of ourselves that we may be filled with You. Bring us to the place of complete surrender where we can say, "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). Let us receive the blessing of Your Spirit's prayer for us through Paul, "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5.23). Fill us with Your love and power while we receive "the promise of the Father" as we are emptied completely of ourselves that we may be filled completely with You: "While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' he said, 'is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now' " (Acts 1.4-5). Lord, let that day be this day and every day -- not a one-time, never-repeatable event, but an event that is repeated every moment of every day throughout our lives, as we continually surrender all to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for your prayers for our missions conference with the Methodist Men in Georgia. The Lord moved on all of our hearts to bring us to a deeper place of surrender to Him. I pray the same for each of you as you have prayed for us. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Above the Clouds 2-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I arise to follow You this day. ... On our journey from Kentucky to Georgia yesterday, we drove through the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It was cloudy and dark as we journeyed up the mountain along the creek from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. But the higher we climbed, the lighter it became until we wound around a side of the mountain. We were almost stunned by the brilliant blue sky that suddenly spread out before us through the tops of the trees. We pulled over the edge as soon as we could to look out over the vista and far off across the ridges and peaks, stretching high in the light of the sun. We had come up high above the clouds, which were thick and white, gathered like puffs of cotton into the valleys below. It was as if night had turned to day. Only as the light of the sun bathed our faces did we really realize how dark it had been below. As we breathed in the crisp, cool air, in the light of the majesty of Your creation, we were refreshed and renewed for our journey down the other side of the mountain. What a picture of our journey through life. Sometimes we don't even realize how dark life has become. Sometimes we have enough light to see to keep moving forward, but we've grown accustomed to the gloom and our vision has adjusted to the darkness. Though we are still moving, we are winding around the mountains, taking every turn as it comes, without getting much of a chance to look beyond the tasks of the moment. There are creeks and trees and beauty along the way, but sometimes there is still a faint shroud of darkness that seems to cover it all. But You are calling us to come up higher. You are bringing us closer to You, up the mountain of Your presence. You are lifting us up above the clouds and gloom, into the light of Your glory. There are places You are leading us where we will be able to look out beyond the trees and over the valleys to see far with the vision of Your perspective. Those are the places that are bathed in Your light, where the darkness and gloom break away like clouds beneath our feet, as we stand on the mountain of Your presence. Let us answer Your call to come up higher and into Your light. That's where You are leading us if we will let You, taking every turn as it comes. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

We Worship the King 2-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit as You lift my heart up to heaven to behold the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb of all glory and honor and praise. ... As we worship our King, we enter in to Your Kingdom. You are the "King of kings" and worthy of our worship (Revelation 17.14). As You said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matthew 28.18). Yet at the same time, You made it clear that You are King of different kind of Kingdom than the kingdoms of this world, saying, "My Kingdom is not from this world" (John 18.36). Your Kingdom is the Kingdom of God. As we look to You and worship our King, the Kingdom of God comes near. If fact, the Kingdom of God is within us when we allow the King of Glory to rule and reign in our hearts (Luke 17.21). We know we are living in Your Kingdom and Your Kingdom has come in us, when we see the fruit and the power of Your Kingdom being made manifest in our lives. "For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14.16). As we live our lives more and more into Your nature of righteousness and holiness by Your grace, we know we are living in Your Kingdom. As we grow in the knowledge of Your peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what our circumstances, we know we are living in Your Kingdom. As we experience more and more of the joy of the Lord in our spirits whatever we face, we know we are living in Your Kingdom. These things come by the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit abiding in us as we abide in You. You are King of those who bow their hearts to You, and Your Kingdom comes to all who worship You as King. You are the King of glory. You are our King of kings. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we will travel near Atlanta today, where I'll be teaching on prayer and fasting at a missions conference with the Methodist Men of the North Georgia Conference. Please keep us in your prayers and I pray for each of you to walk in the fullness of your calling in the grace of God and to know the fullness of His Kingdom in your lives. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Power of Your Love 2-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the words of the worship song, "I sing praises to Your name, O Lord, for Your name is great and greatly to be praised!" ... You love to demonstrate Your love in power. You love to gather up the broken pieces of our lives and hold them in Your hands as You heal us with Your touch. You love to break every stronghold that keeps us bound to the past and burdened down by sin or shame or pain. You love to deliver us from the enemy of our souls and liberate us from our spiritual captors who seek to destroy us and defile Your image imprinted upon us. You love to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free. You love us in all these ways and more because You are love, and nothing is more powerful on this earth than the power of Your love. "I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever. For great is Your steadfast love toward me; You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life, and they do not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86.12-15). You are our Lord and Savior, our Healer and Deliverer, our Fortress and Refuge. You are the One Who loves us the most. With thanksgiving for Your love and gratefulness for Your power, we sing praises to Your name. For Your name is great and greatly to be praised! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Freedom! 2-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and rest upon Your promises. When we cry out to You, You will answer; when we seek You, we will find You. How You choose to manifest Your presence to us is up to You and Your purposes in teaching us many things of Your nature and Your ways in our journey with You. Yet, You are here in every place where You are welcomed in humility and faith. As we speak Your name, we are welcoming You; as we call You "Lord" we are humbling ourselves in faith. Be welcome, Lord Jesus, in our hearts and in our day. ... Today, a man is coming to receive Your ministry of deliverance. You came to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free (Luke 4.18, fulfilling Isaiah 61.1-4). "The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3.8). Thank You for Your compassion for us to break the yoke of our oppressor and loose us from the bondage that bind us. You promise deliverance from the enemy of our souls when we humble ourselves before You and call upon Your name. "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" (James 4.7). "On that day his burden will be removed from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck" (Isaiah 10.27). Today will be a battle as we enforce the victory of the cross in Your name and by Your blood, in the power of Your Holy Spirit, to the glory of our Father. We will obey Your command to Your church: "Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal" (Luke 9.1-2). As You said, "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14.12). "As the Father sent Me, so I send you" (John 20.21). Yet now is the time when we prepare for the battle to come. To seek Your face, to be emptied of ourselves and filled with You, as we decrease and You increase. Apart from You we can do nothing (John 15.5); yet we go forward to fight as we abide in You and as You lead in the strength of Your power. "Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6.10-13). Thank you for the cry of "Freedom!" rising up in our spirits as we go forth into battle today. Stir in each of our spirits as we all go forth into the battles we will fight today in the power of Your strength. You have already won the victory through the blood of Your cross. Empower us to enforce Your victory in obedience to You in every battle we face. Open our eyes to see the captives you are setting free and the broken hearts You are binding up. Let the power of Your presence be released through us in the compassion of Your love wherever You send us today. Filled with Your Spirit and united together, we are "the body of Christ" on earth (1 Corinthians 12.27; Ephesians 4.11-13). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!

The Gift of Significance 2-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear the sound of Your voice. Let me sense the leading of Your Spirit. I watch and wait for You in the quiet stillness of the morning. ... Every day of these last days is precious in Your sight. Every generation of these last generations has a purpose and calling in Your plan to prepare the way of the Lord. Let us not waste our time. Let us not be distracted. There are so many good things, important things to do; yet there is only one thing at a time You have called us to do. We can only do what You have called us to do as we become who You have called us to become. Every distraction that would mislead us and every deterrence that would hinder us is our enemy -- to be identified and overcome. You call us to single-mindedness, to whole-heartedness -- to give You our undivided attention and our undivided loyalty. Then we will receive the gift of significance. Our lives will be fulfilling for we will have fulfilled the calling of our destiny in Christ in our days and for our generation. You are freeing us to take time to listen -- if we will let go of the things that entangle us and entrust them to You. You are calling us to wait in Your presence for the leading of Your voice -- if we humble ourselves to be silent before You. Nothing could be more important. "I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing Your praise; I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness; for You have exalted Your name and Your word above everything. On the day I called, You answered me, You increased the strength of my soul.... Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; You stretch out Your hand, and Your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands" (Psalm 138.1-8). O Lord, fulfill Your purpose for each of us. Let us receive the gift of significance. Teach us how to quiet our souls from our own thoughts and concerns for a moment as we call out to You in our hearts. Let us not waste another moment of our lives because we were too busy and too proud to humble ourselves in the quiet silence of Your presence. Only there will we sense the leading of Your still, small voice. Only then will we discern the next step in the journey of our destiny in Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching two weekend sessions of training for inner healing prayer ministry with people from the Madisonville District of the Methodist Church in western Kentucky 3/18-19 and 5/6-7. Please contact us if you would like to come; there are some prerequisites, including review of tapes from our foundational session, but all are welcome. Please keep us in prayer as we train and equip others for the ministry of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!

Worthy of Our Time 2-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I decrease as You increase. I listen for the leading of Your voice as I humble myself in the silence of surrender before You. ... Thoughts and concerns for the day often try to come pressing in, pushing our minds around like bullies on a playground, trying to steal our time with You. But we have a choice. We can choose to give in or to stand our ground. By Your grace, we choose to stand -- to look to You and to You alone, to share the first moments of our morning with You and with no other. You are worthy of our undivided attention; You are worthy of the sacrifice of our time. There will be time enough to face the thoughts and concerns of the day, but they will not rule over us now, for You alone are our Ruler. Lord Jesus, be Lord of our thoughts now, we pray. ... "I am Lord over those who willingly submit to My lordship. I do not force Myself in. I do not control. I stand at the door and knock, longing for you to open the door of your mind to Me -- not only your heart, but also your mind. I am a jealous God -- I am jealous for the time and attention and focus of those I have created for relationship with Me. You honor Me and welcome Me when you seek Me and surrender your thoughts to Me. As you do, I bring wisdom to your mind, passion to your heart, and peace to your soul. I go before you to prepare the way and order your steps throughout the day. This is how I lead you beside the still waters, because you have allowed Me to still the waters of your soul." Yes, Lord. Thank you for the gift of Your peace and the calming power of Your presence. Let us be refreshed and renewed, empowered and encouraged in these first moments of the morning focused on You. Let this become part of our relationship and not just a ritual. Let this become our lifestyle and just a little act of obedience when we can. We were created for more than this, we were created for You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!

We Worship the One 2-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be high and exalted, enthroned on the praises of my heart as I begin this day in worship and prayer and praise to You. ... "All the earth worships You; they sing praises to You, sing praise to Your name" (Psalm 66.4). We worship the One Who is worthy of all praise. When we worship, we turn our eyes to You and away from ourselves; we lift up our hearts to the Lord instead of letting them be weighed down by the burdens of our lives. Praise begins to push up our spirits and push out all that was weighing us down. Worship is a means of Your grace for restoring our vision and hope, a gift of God for renewing our minds and our hearts. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of worship. You are worthy of our worship because of Who You are, yet You use our worship as means of changing us. As we behold You in Your glory, You are changing us into Your image, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3.17-18). Worship is one of the ways Your Spirit is preparing us to be the glorious bride to receive the coming of our glorious King. "O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95.6-7). Change us, Lord, as we lift our eyes, our hearts, and our voices to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!