Submission to Authority 5-31-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be still so I can listen; help me be quiet so I can hear. ... "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5.21). We are called to "be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work" (Titus 3.1-2). You strategically position us for Your service according to Your will and Your purposes in every season of our lives. You call us to take our position and give us the opportunity to answer Your call. Yet the priority of our service is not so much the position of our ministry, but the position of our heart. You are concerned in what we are doing, for You have called us to do it; but You are more concerned in who we are becoming. All that we do in our lives and our ministry to You is just a means for You to teach us Your ways and mature us into Your nature. You've positioned me in this season as a spiritual director, ordained under the United Methodist Church. Though You've called me to lead this prayer ministry You named "Messiah Ministries," You've called me to serve under the authority of my bishop, who oversees the ministers and ministries You have entrusted to his care. "Now this saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task," called to "take care of God's church" (1 Timothy 3.1-5). You are the head of the Church and when we submit in godly obedience to the authority of those You have called to shepherd our souls, we are submitting to You. "For a bishop" is "God's steward" (Titus 1.7). We need the blessing of accountability and the covering of Your spiritual authority that comes through obedience to Your spiritual order. Though it cuts against our independence and pride, it brings us to deeper levels of humility, which always leads to greater levels of anointing for ministry. Free us from criticism and complaining, and call us to intercession and prayer for those You have placed in authority in our lives. You have commanded us: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing--for that would be harmful to you" (Hebrews 13.17). Lord, help us learn and obey these principles of spiritual authority as we submit to Your authority through them, "out of reverence for Christ." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my family and I are in Corpus Christi, Texas this week for my Annual Conference with the Methodist Church to recieve our appointments from our Bishop for ministry. (I am under "special appointment" to "extension ministries"). We'd appreciate your prayers and I pray the Lord will strategically position each of you. God bless you! 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!

Manna in the Morning 5-30-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart; come into my home. Let me start this day with You here alone. ... Holy Spirit, You are writing the words of a new song in my spirit as You lift my eyes to Jesus in prayer: Come into my heart; come into my home. Let me start this day, with You here alone. Before other thoughts may come; before other plans may form. Hold my hand in Yours, in the peace before the storm. Though the world has not changed; though wars will still be waged, Though problems have not ceased; though the enemy's enraged. I will not be moved; for I am here with You. And when I rise to go; You'll go there with me too. Thank You, Lord. As we turn our eyes to You, Your strength and peace fill our souls. You prepare our minds to face the struggles of our day as we prepare our hearts to seek Your face in prayer. Let us take time for You and let us thank You for taking time for us. These first few moments of the day with You are the most important moments we will spend each day. Like the manna from heaven sent to sustain Your people in each day's journey through the wilderness, let us eat of Your words and drink in Your presence. "Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed" (Exodus 16.21). You know as much as we need, for You are the One we need. Thank You for giving Yourself to us each 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!

Let the River Flow 5-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me listen, let me hear -- as I watch and wait for You. ... The Cumberland River winds through the valleys of these mountains. The river flows to the low places. So the River of Life flows to the low places -- to hearts that are humbled before You. You resist the proud, but give grace to the humble (James 4.6). Humility of heart draws Your presence like valleys draw the river and dry ground soaks in the rain. "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with victory" (Psalm 149.4). Teach us how to set aside our pride and humble our hearts in trusting surrender to You. Pride is the selfishness and self-focus that says, "I will do what I think I need to do in the power of my own strength, led by my own wisdom." Humility says, "Help me, Lord. Give my Your wisdom and Your strength. Apart from You, I can do nothing; but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." Pride says, "I'll call You when I need You." Humility says, "I need You every hour; I need You to be the very air I breathe." Lord, slay our pride and humble our hearts. Let the River flow. There will be life wherever this River flows (Ezekiel 47.9; Revelation 22.1-3). As the River flows to the low places, our humbled hearts will draw Your River and let it flow through us to others. "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7.38). Flow through us each day, as we humble our hearts before 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 Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Cumberland Falls 5-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Soak me in Your presence at the start of this new day. ... "Cumberland Falls" is the name of this place hidden away in the mountains of southern Kentucky at the gate of Tennessee. You've called me here this weekend to teach and minister Your healing love. You are welcoming us into Your presence, teaching us about the kingdom of God, and healing us as we have need (Luke 9.11). The name of this beautiful place of rest and retreat, bids us to "come" and "fall" before You. "Come to Me, all of you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11.28-30). As we come to You, we fall before You. We lay down our burdens and lay down our walls. We let You come in to the deep places of our souls to touch us and heal us and hold us in the power of Your love. We are like the woman who suffered for twelve years and spent all she had to be healed, but then pressed through the crowds to come to You and fall before You: "She came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus said, 'Who touched Me? ... Someone touched Me; for I noticed that power had gone out from Me.' When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace' " (Luke 8.44-48). Lord Jesus, we come to You and fall before You. Teach us and touch us, heal us and hold us. Release the power of Your love to our spirits, souls, and bodies, that we may be made whole and restored to peace. Then send us forth to share the power of Your love and Your peace with the lives You touch through us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join with us in prayer as we come to Jesus and fall before Him. He is the Healer of our souls. I pray He will touch you and heal you as He holds you in His arms of love. God bless you! 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 Bride of Christ 5-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. One day You will return in glory in the clouds; today You are returning in glory in our hearts. ... "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations" (Isaiah 61.10-11). Father, You have sent Your Holy Spirit to prepare the bride of Christ. Your Spirit is at work within us to heal our wounds and cleanse away our shame, to free us from everything that holds us back from our calling and destiny -- to be the holy bride prepared for the coming Christ. Just as all Your children are "sons of God," so are we all the "bride of Christ." Together, we are the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, to be joined into eternal union with Christ -- one with Christ, one each other, and one in ministry to all the world (John 14.18-24). We welcome You to do all You need to do in us to prepare us for Your coming. We confess we have far to go, but nothing is impossible for You. "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, in order to make her holy by washing her by the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to Himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind--yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5.25-27). Though we will not know the day or hour of Your return, we will know the sign of the season (1 Thessalonians 5.1-11). And this will be the sign -- there will be a holy bride on earth to receive her holy Christ (Revelation 19.7-8). Come, Holy Spirit; prepare the holy bride. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please cover us in prayer as I lead a weekend retreat at Cumberland Falls, Ky with Aglow International on healing and deliverance to prepare the bride of Christ. We will have the weekend recorded for dvd to share this teaching and ministry with others through our ministry. 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 Blessing of the Battles 5-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I begin this day with my eyes on You. ... "I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to Him and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Psalm 34.4-7). You are always listening, always ready, always available. You see our struggles and You engage in our battles, fighting for us in ways we don't see. "When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all" (Psalm 34.17-19). In the battles of a broken and fallen world, we are powerless apart from You. Yet we are not apart from You and we do not wage war on our own. You encourage us and fight for us, as You lead us through every battle. "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a Warrior Who gives victory" (Zephaniah 3.17). As we turn our eyes to You, we are always victorious -- no matter the afflictions and persecutions we endure. As we trust in You to bring us through, even the battles become blessings. Our battle scars become badges of honor. Our healed wounds become honed weapons as we rise to fight in the battles for others. Let us not fear the fight, but follow on in faith. "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14.22). And we enter the Kingdom every day as we put our trust in the King of the kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, let us pray for one another and fight for one another in prayer as we face the battles together of a broken and fallen world. The battle is already won in Christ. God bless you! 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 Life 5-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of Life. Let Your words rise up in my soul and burn like a fire until they are released as praise to Your name. ... "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" (John 1.14). Now that Your Spirit lives within us, Your Word lives within us as well (John 14.15-17). You have the words of life because You are the Word of Life. By the mystery of faith and in the wisdom of God, You have entrusted Your words to us. We have the power of life and death in the words we speak (Proverbs 18.21). Let us use this power You have entrusted to us to speak blessings and not curses, life and not death (James 3.5-10). Sanctify our tongues to proclaim Your praises and prepare Your people. Let the Word of Life go forth from Spirit-filled hearts, filtered through the cross of Christ, purified through the flame of the Holy Spirit. "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141.3). Let Your cross be our guard; let Your flame be our door. Let our words be Your words -- words of life spoken by the Word of Life, living in us. 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!

Extraordinary Witnesses 5-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your glory dawn in my heart this new day. "For it is the God Who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4.6). ... Let us be Your witnesses through every circumstance -- filled with joy in times of triumph and celebration, patient and persistent in times of strain -- always hoping, always trusting, always faithfully pressing on in the calling of our destiny in Your glory. Let us represent Your nature in all seasons to all people. "So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5.20). "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies" (2 Corinthians 4.7-10). Lord, let Your light shine through us. Let our eyes be fixed on You, though let us be aware that others are watching how we live in times of joy and of sorrow, in times of abundance and in times of famine. Let faithfulness to You be a witness to the world around us of Your faithfulness to us. This extraordinary power to be Your extraordinary witnesses belongs to You and does not come from us. 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 for generous giving to the Kingdom of God through our ministry as the Lord leads: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Healing Peace 5-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I embrace Your presence as You draw me in to the holy place of prayer. Now I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "They have treated the wound of My people carelessly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 8.11). Lord, forgive us when we try to cover up our wounds and refuse to see the wounds of one another. Forgive us when we let our pronouncements of prosperity and confessions of faith veil our brokenness and hide our pain. You are the God Who "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147.3). But our pride causes us to deny our brokenness and our insecurities cause us to hide our wounds. Sometimes we say there is peace with our lips when our minds know there is stress; we say there is joy with our smiles when our hearts know there is sadness. Pull back the cloak of pride and strip away the facade of deception, that we may honestly open our wounds to You and receive the peace that comes with Your healing touch. But how can we be healed unless we admit we are broken? How can we be freed unless we acknowledge we are bound? You give grace to the humble, but resist the proud (James 4.6). As we humble ourselves before You in honesty and open our wounds to You in truth, You are like the good Samaritan who finds us and heals us and restores us. You are like the good shepherd who sees the needs and treats the wounds of his sheep with honesty and with love. "For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 30.17). By the wounds that You endured for us, we are healed, as we admit them and release them to You (1 Peter 2.24). As You give us courage to admit our own wounds, give us compassion to see the wounds of one another, that we may open them all before You. Then we will receive Your healing touch; then we will know Your healing peace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please pray for our the healing prayer retreat sponsored by Aglow I will be leading at Cumberland Falls next weekend. We will be recording my teaching on prayer minsitry to make it available through our ministry on dvd. 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!

Be Still 5-22-05

Morning by Morning, Sunday 5-22-05 -- Be Still Good morning, Lord Jesus. For these first few moments each morning, the world can wait. Let me think of nothing but You and the thoughts You bring to my mind. ... "Times of refreshing" come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3.20). Teach us how to be still in Your presence, to quiet our souls before You. Show us how to let Your peace flow over us like a warm shower, as we let tension and stress swirl down the drain. Wash over us on this day of rest as we hear and heed Your gentle call: "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46.10). Yes, Lord. ... In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our healing prayer retreat on Saturday. The Lord moved powerfully and gently through inner healing -- healing from the inside out -- to free us from the wounds and burdens of the past to embrace the destiny of our future. May He do the same in all our hearts. God bless you! 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!

Experience and Wisdom 5-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise within my soul and lead me along Your paths. ... As we come to the end of another week of trying to live out our faith in the midst of a faithless world, it's good to stop and reflect. Convict us where we have sinned, that we may receive Your forgiveness and grace for change. Heal us where we have been wounded, that we may be encouraged and restored, even stronger than before. Free us where we have become bound by offense or entangled by pride, that we may be released from all that would hold us back from fulfilling our calling and destiny in You. Let us be wise enough to learn from our mistakes and humble enough to know we need to. As my friend Ginger said at prayer this week, "Experience is when we learn from our own mistakes; wisdom is when we learn from the mistakes of others." That's good. Redeem the experiences of our lives to teach us Your ways, that we may grow in Your wisdom. "It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (Psalm 119.71-72). Let the law of Your ways become the leading of our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers yesterday. The teaching on prayer ministry was very well recieved and we won our hearing in court. If you are in the area, please Come to Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship at 7pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. God bless you! 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!

Light of the World 5-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. You convict me of sin as my Judge, yet You forgive me of all sin as my Savior. You desire my love, while You require my obedience. You are the Son of God, yet You are also our Father God and the Holy Spirit of God, for You are One God. You are complete and whole and perfect in every dimension and in every way. You are like a skillfully cut diamond with many different facets fashioned by a master craftsman to reveal the light and fire of Your glory, yet You have no maker and there are no limits to the depths of Your nature. I worship You in humility and praise before You, in every dimension of Your Being. ... Today I will begin this day as an advocate in a court of law and finish as a minister of healing prayer. Yet I will try to seek the leading and wisdom and grace of Your Holy Spirit in all that I do, because I am to be the same person in all arenas of my life. Over twelve years ago, You called me out of the full time practice of law into the full time practice of ministry, yet there are still times when I find myself entering a world that it seemed I was leaving behind. But that's the point, isn't it, Lord? You have not called us to be Your witnesses with our lives being lived out in isolation from the world, but here in our everyday lives in the midst of the world. We are to be the same disciples of Christ living out the principles of the Kingdom of God in the church and in the marketplace, at home and away, when we are surrounded by crowds and when no one else is around -- even in the courtroom as much as in the prayer closet. You are the same, yesterday, today and forever; in this sense, so should we be. You prayed this prayer for us just before You returned to our Father in heaven: "And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father protect them in Your name that You have given Me, so that they may be one, as We are One.... I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but I ask You to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You have sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17.11-18). Let us do all we do to Your glory, because You have called us to be who we are, all to Your glory. No matter where we are, what we are doing, or who we are with, give us grace to be Your faithful disciples in all things. In this way, we will fulfill our calling and fulfill Your prophecy of Your church in the power of Your Spirit: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5.14). We are the light of the world to the extent that we allow Your light to shine through us, as we live our lives in the midst of the world. Shine through us this day and every day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayers for me as a prayer leader tonight as I teach prayer ministry with the First Methodist Church in Lexington, and your prayer for me today as an advocate for my client in court with the law firm of Troutman & Hays. May we all be faithful to Him in all things. 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!

Streams in the Desert 5-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Good Shepherd and Your sheep know Your voice. Help me know You more personally and hear You more clearly every day, as I listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... You are bringing to mind the photograph my friend Pam gave me for my office that speaks of the hope You bring through healing prayer ministry. It shows the dry sands of Egypt at the edge of the Red Sea. But there in the midst of the desert is a waterspout, where bright yellow flowers have blossomed into life. "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.... For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water..." (Isaiah 35.1-7). You love to bring new life out of the dry places of our souls. You love to splash the color of hope across the barren canvas of despair. We need Your living waters that renew our spirits and heal our souls. We need to drink deeply from Your streams that are ever-flowing beneath the surface of our lives. Then others will be drawn to the Life they see living in us. You are the Waters that break forth in the wilderness. You are our Life in the midst of the desert. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be leading a Healing Prayer Retreat in Aurora, Indiana this Saturday, 5-21 from 9-5 at First Evangelical UCC with Rev. Tom Parker. All are welcome and please contact Tom for details at revtpucc@prodigy.net Please come if you are in the tri-state area. If you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Sat night at 7pm in the Chapel of Centenary Methodist in Lexington at 2800 Tates Creek Rd -- our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Every month is different and fresh as the Spirit leads our unplanned time in His Presence. All are welcome, so please spread the word and please cover us in prayer if you can't come. It's the 3rd Sat night of every month. Subscribe by sending a note to me at MessiahMin@aol.com

The World has Changed 5-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my thoughts toward You, as I wait and listen for the leading of Your Spirit to begin this new day. ... From the rising of the sun in the east to the setting of the sun in the west, yesterday we gathered together in the unity of the Holy Spirit to pray as one body throughout the earth. The Global Day of Prayer was the largest prayer meeting in history, as we prayed the same prayers and the prayers of our hearts in the languages of the world and in the language of the Spirit. As You led, we prayed in humility and with boldness, we prayed confession and repentance, we prayed fervently and passionately, with intensity and with intimacy. We worshiped You and praised You and welcomed You into our hearts and into our lands. Your glory covered the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2.14). Because You are answering the prayers You have placed on our hearts, heaven and earth were moved by the power of prayer. The world changed yesterday. It is different this morning than yesterday morning because prayer changes things. We do not know all that has happened, but we will begin to see the fruit of Your answers to our prayers. "And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him" (1 John 5.14-15). We have prayed the prayers You placed on our hearts, that Your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank You for the honor and the blessing of being vessels of Your will as You released Your power through our prayers. 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 Power of Pentecost 5-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You and the Father and the Spirit are One. By Your grace, You come to live in our hearts and release the power of Your love. Come live in me as I welcome You into my heart afresh this day. ... Today is the Sunday we celebrate Pentecost -- fifty days after the celebration of Passover. You prepared Your first disciples for this day of the coming of the Spirit of God in power by calling them together with expectant hearts: "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 have 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). You explained that the power of God to live our lives as Your witnesses in this world is released through the coming of the Holy Spirit: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1.8). In anticipation and faith, they gathered together in one accord, "constantly devoting themselves to prayer," as they were watching and waiting for the coming of Your Spirit in power (Acts 1.14). "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability" (Acts 2.1-4). Today we gather in one accord from every tongue and tribe and nation throughout the earth on this Pentecost Sunday set apart as a Global Day of Prayer. Though we are many and though we are physically in different places throughout the earth, we are one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, as we gather together in the place of prayer. Come Holy Spirit, like a mighty rushing wind, and fill the house of our hearts with the fire of Your living presence. Set us ablaze with a passion for You and a passion to be Your witnesses throughout the earth. Let our tongues proclaim Your praise in the spiritual language of love. As Charles Wesley wrote of this day of passionate praise and holy fire, "O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!" We triumph in Your grace this day as thousands upon thousands of tongues sing Your praise throughout the earth. Let Your Spirit come as our spirits pray; let Your fire fall as our praises rise; let our hearts swell as You fill us with Your love; let Your power be released as You send us forth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, let's join together today for the Global Day of Prayer throughout the earth. In Lexington, we will come together in the unity of the body of Christ at Heritage Hall downtown from 3-5 pm. God bless you in your celebration of prayer today! 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!

"To the Whole World!" 5-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to seek You and behold You in deeper levels of intimacy with You every day. ... Today is Elijah's birthday. He's my fourth child and youngest son, turning three today. When he was a baby in our arms, someone said to us in prayer ministry that he would be prophesy by the time he turned three. And so he has. As I was preparing to lead the group from our church in prayer for the National Day of Prayer last week, Elijah said, "I will preach, then I will pray." I asked him what he would preach about and he said, "for the Lord ... to the whole world." He kept smiling and declaring over and over "to the whole world!" as he lifted his little hand straight up in the air with great authority. When it came time to pray, there he was at my knee, saying, "I'm ready to pray, Daddy." His little voice rang out in prayer over the microphone. I'm sure the angels of heaven who do the bidding of the Lord were dispatched to carry out the words released through a son of the King. So "the little prophet" -- as one of my pastors calls him -- got to preach and pray on the National Day of Prayer by the time he turned three. I have no doubt he won't stop until he shares his heart to the whole world! "... and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11.6). Lord, restore us to the place of simple trust and childlike faith. Awaken our hearts to preach Your love and pray Your power to the whole world, one soul at a time. As we grow in wisdom and stature with each passing year, let us never lose the blessing of a simple faith and a pure heart that insists on sharing Your love with everyone around. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join with those praying around the world for the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday, May 15th. In Lexington, Kentucky we will gather in Heritage Hall next to Rupp Arena from 3 to 5 pm in Ballrooms 1-3 on the Vine Street level. Please come join us and pray with us if you can't. God bless you! 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!

Saturate Us 6-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me near into the depths of Your presence in these first moments of the morning. I choose to begin this day with You. ... Saturate us with Your Spirit, Lord. Peter was so saturated with the living presence of Your Holy Spirit that even the touch of his shadow brought healing and deliverance (Acts 5.12-16). You are the healer and the deliverer; You have all power in heaven and earth. Yet, You choose to live in our hearts by the presence of Your Sprit. You desire to abide in us and for us to abide in You so intimately that we become one -- as close as the created can become one with our Creator. Let our very being exude Your presence and power because of the intimacy of our hearts with Yours. When the world sees Your nature and Your power exuding from Your people, it will be said again in our day what was said in Peter's day: "Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women" (Acts 5.14). 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!

Catching our Breath 5-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my heart as I take time to breathe in Your Spirit. ... The journey of our lives is more of an endurance race than a sprint. It's more like a cross-country run than lapping around the track. There are times along the course when we need to slow down the pace a little to catch our breath. Sometimes our heart needs to stop racing, but not throbbing. An image comes to mind of a long distance, cross-country runner who needs to catch his breath and is tempted to stop or sit down awhile. But instead he keeps walking rather than just standing or sitting or laying down. He keeps moving, just not at the same pace. When he is rested, he takes off again. Even when we pull back for a season to catch our breath, we are not to stop completely, but keep moving forward. We may spend a few days not talking with people as much, but we should not stop talking with You. As we slow down to walk for a while, the deep breaths help steady our hearts again and clear our thoughts to remind us of why we are running the race. "For Your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to You" (Psalm 26.3). We may slow down the pace a little for a time, but we should not take ourselves out of the race. To stop completely will take much more energy to get going again, but to slow down and walk awhile refreshes us as we catch our breath and renew our focus. You see the end from the beginning of our course, and You know best how each one of us should run our race. Let us run the race so as to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9.24). You are the prize. 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!

You Restore My Soul 5-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust this day to You. ... "And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone..." (Matthew 14.23). Lord, You have created us for relationship with You and with one another, to minister to You and to minister to one another. There is great joy in finding and fulfilling our calling in Your kingdom. But sometimes we need to pull away from the crowds and go to the mountain of Your presence alone in prayer. Sometimes we need to rest and just relax. It's not being lazy or callous to the needs of others. Sometimes You make us to lie down in green pastures and lead us beside the still waters for awhile, as You restore our soul (Psalm 23.1-3). Whether we're on retreat in the mountains or in our prayer chair in the corner of the room, we can hear Your call to come away with You for awhile. Here we are refreshed and renewed in Your presence. In this place of rest in You, "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23.6). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'd appreciate your prayers for rest in my soul for these few days away in the mountains of North Carolina for retreat and relationship with our Fellowship of Ministries. And I pray for seasons of refreshing and rest for each of you. 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!

"Good morning, Lord Jesus" 5-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... The apostle Paul called out to those who read his letters, "My little children, for whom I am again in pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." (Galatians 4.19). Everything he wrote and said and did was for this purpose and to fulfill this calling -- to see Christ formed in the hearts of those entrusted to his care. That was Paul's heart because that is Your heart -- that we be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8.29). We become like Christ as we behold Christ and offer our hearts to be filled with the Spirit of Christ (2 Corinthians 3.18). To behold You is to worship You, and we become like what we worship. We take on the nature of what we allow to possess our soul. As we abide in You and allow You to abide in us, we grow in Christlikeness. Together, "we must grow up in every way into Him, Who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4.15). Growing in spiritual maturity is growing in Christlikeness. We look to You and follow You, helping one another become more like You, "until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4.13). Though we may pray and minister and work in many different ways throughout the day, this is why it is good to start each day lifting our eyes to Your face and opening our hearts to Your Spirit. This is why it is good to let the first words on our hearts each day be "Good morning, Lord Jesus." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be on my annual retreat with the MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries this week with limited internet access, so I may miss a few days of the devotional, depending on the circumstances. I'd appreciate your prayers as I receive mentoring and ministry. I pray the same for each of you. God bless you in your spiritual journey! 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!