Face to Face 6-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and need Your grace. ... "When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.... Thus the Lord used to speak with Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend" (Exodus 33.9-11). Moses pursued Your presence. He withdrew from everything else to seek Your face, to listen for Your voice, to spend time alone with You in the intimacy of prayer. He was Your follower and he was Your friend. What could be a more worthy pursuit? What could be a more important priority for our lives? It was as he entered the tent, that that the pillar of cloud of Your presence came. You came to him as he sought You. There is a pursuit of Your presence You desire. Forgive us for failing to pursue You, for being passive in our prayer life and apathetic in our relationship. There is something in the heart of one who presses through and presses in to seek Your face that draws Your presence. Even that desire comes from You by Your grace. Give us that desire and that determination. Give us the passion to press through and pursue Your presence. We want to experience increasing depths of intimacy in prayer, as You teach us how to speak with You "face to face, as one speaks to a friend." 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!

Outside the Camp 6-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet and settle in to the place of the peace of Your presence. ... "Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp" (Exodus 33.7). When I pray in the mornings, I like to slip a covering over my head. It's become a physical act of the spiritual truth that I am slipping away from the world for a while to be alone with You, under the covering of Your presence. It's like pitching my tent outside the camp, far off from everything else that distract me or divert me from my morning mission of the communion of prayer. Even the children have learned to quietly slip back and give Daddy a little space when his head is covered in prayer -- most mornings, anyway. As we seek Your presence in the communion of prayer, our human spirits become the tent of meeting with Your Holy Spirit. "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 46.7). The tent of our body becomes "a temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6.19). There, in the quiet of the morning or whenever we can slip away from the camp of the chaos of our lives for a moment, we have a chance of getting quiet enough to hear Your still, small voice. And all is well, no matter what's going on back at camp. Even when its time to pull back the covering of quiet and return to camp, the tent of meeting remains -- way down deep inside. Teach us how to enter the tent and never leave; teach us how to carry on the communion of prayer throughout our 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!

Always Here 6-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord, my Savior, my Best Friend. ... "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28.20). Yes, Lord. You never leave us and never forsake us (Joshua 1.5; Hebrews 13.5). We know You as our Father God; we know You as Savior and Son; we know as the Spirit of God Who lives in our hearts. You are always here; You are always near. No matter what may come, we face it all with You. I hear the voice of Your Spirit singing a song of comfort over Your children: "You are not abandoned. You are not alone. You are not a stranger. You are always home. For I am always with you; I am always here. Just call upon My name, and I will draw near. Just call My name. Just call My name. You don't have to worry; you don't have to wait. I will always come, when you call My name." We sing back to You, Father: "You are our perfect Father. You are our perfect Friend. You are always with us, even to the end. Hold us in Your arms; take us by the hand. As we walk with You, 'til we're home at last." 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!Daily archives and devotional on the web at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

My Redeemer Lives 6-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift my eyes to You and seek to see the glory of Your face. I long and pray for the day I will see You face to face, never being satisfied with anything less. This is my desire because You have placed this desire in our hearts. ... Though yesterday was a hard day for my family, Your Spirit woke me and called me to prayer with a song of praise rising in my spirit this morning: "For I know my redeemer lives..." These were Job's words as he cried out to you in the dark night of his soul. Even in the depths of his struggles with overwhelming loss and pain, he trusted You. Few of us have suffered has he suffered, but we can all learn from the witness of his faith. You gave him grace to persevere, to keep seeking, keep hoping, keep pressing on no matter what. Like us, he lived in the midst of a broken, fallen world. He was surrounded by confusion, accusation, suffering, and pain. He was hurt and disappointed by the reactions and responses of family and friends. He was relentlessly pursued by the enemy of his soul, who came to steal and kill and destroy. He was troubled by theology and struggled for understanding. Yet, he kept turning his eyes to You, kept seeking Your face, kept standing in faith -- all by Your grace. "For I know my Redeemer lives, and that at last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has thus been destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me" (Job 19.25-27). Apart from You and the grace You give, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God" (Romans 3.10-11). In our flesh, none is righteous, not even Job. None is immune from suffering -- not even "God's children" when "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one" (1 John 5.19). But You did not waste a moment of his suffering, and we have yet to see the fullness of all that happened in the spiritual realm of eternity as a man of flesh and blood continued to seek You and call upon Your name in the midst of devastation and suffering. You redeem all things, even causing what was sent from hell itself to work together for good for those who love You and seek You and keep calling upon Your name (Romans 8.28; 2 Corinthians 12.7). Even what was intended by others for our harm and destruction, You intend for our good -- using all things to draw us nearer to You in deeper depths of intimacy and trust, redeeming all circumstances to accomplish Your greater purposes (Genesis 50.20). In the end, You will stand upon the earth -- with Your creation redeemed by the power of Your love -- and in Christ, we will stand with You. Give us grace to persevere that we may stand with You in faith now, so that we may stand with You in victory on that day. May there be many others standing with us on that day because they saw You standing with us on these hard days now. 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!

"I Am Here" 6-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to see You; open the ears of my spirit to hear You. ... You are speaking to each one of us, wherever we are and whatever our need: "Come walk with Me, for I am here. I've been waiting for you to come. I'm always here. I'm always near. I'm always here for you." "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them" (Psalm 145.18-19). Thank You, Lord, for always being near, for always being willing to hear. You are our strength in times of weakness, our shelter in times of trouble, our hope in times of need. Give us the humility to call upon You and the faith to know You will answer. Give us the patience to wait for Your timing and Your way; and give us Your grace that makes it possible to persevere no matter what comes our way. No matter what comes, You will be here with us. That's what You do; that's Who You are. As was prophesied of Your coming, " 'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us' " (Matthew 1.23). If You are with us, who can stand against us. If You are near, we are never alone. If You hold the world in Your hands, we are in good hands. Thank You for the calming peace and sure hope that always brings. 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!

Each Day 6-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for the blessing of beginning each day with You. ... "David left Asaph and his kinsfolk there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required..." (1 Chronicles 16.37). The call to ritual in the Old Covenant speaks of the call to relationship under the New. We are those You have called to come before You in worship and prayer to minister to You each day. You taught us to pray to receive each day our daily bread (Luke 11.3), but You also long for us to give to You each day the surrender of our hearts in worship and prayer. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20.35). As we learn to give our hearts to You as we minister each day before the ark of Your presence, we receive far more than we could ever earn and far more than we could ever deserve. You give us the gift of Your presence and receive the gift of our praise. Let our ministry to You be the beginning of 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!

Corpus Christi 6-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. All glory and honor and praise to the King. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Come rule and reign in my heart this day. ... "Corpus Christi" is the proper name and prophetic destiny of this city in Texas where we have been in ministry this week. Translated from Latin, it literally means "Body of Christ." Last night, we were. A move of the Holy Spirit in this city is bringing together the body of Christ from every tongue and tribe and nation, from every tradition and stream and denomination under the banner of Christ. They gather for worship on the First Friday of every month in a different church with a different speaker and a different worship team. The first gathering was at a downtown Baptist church, this second gathering was at suburban Catholic church. Next month they will gather at a Church of Christ and begin with a praise and worship team from another church. The walls are coming down and Your name is being lifted high! There is no move to sort out all the doctrines or styles of worship. There is no move to build a building or debate theology. This is just a move of the Spirit, lifting hearts to Jesus, to glory of our Father, Who calls us all His children -- as diverse and different as we are. This is a picture of the Father's heart, as Your Holy Spirit is preparing the body and bride of Christ throughout the earth in these last days -- the children of God "making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4.3). "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4.4-6). Lord, what You are doing in Corpus Christi is a prophetic picture of what You long to do throughout the earth. "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity...For there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore" (Psalm 133.1-3). Make us one in the Spirit, that we may be the body of blessing revealing the Life of Christ throughout the earth. Father, You are answering the prayer of Jesus, "that they may all be one...so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17.20-24). Lord, let it be so in our generation. 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!

Come Just As You Are 6-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I come to You and call upon Your name, as I begin this day entrusting my heart and my life to You. ... One of the songs of invitation to come receive new life in Christ was on my heart as I woke this morning: "Come just as you are; hear the Spirit call. Come just as you are. Come and see; come receive; come and live forever. Life everlasting, strength for today; Taste the Living Water, and never thirst again." The Samaritan woman at the well didn't know the gift of God she had standing in her midst that day. She couldn't understand why You were willing to speak with her, when all the tradition and religion and culture of the day stood between you. Man-made rules are often the enemy of God-ordained relationships. But there You were, stepping across every dividing line -- even the shame of her past she held hidden in her heart -- to offer new life to her soul (John 4.1-42). "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.' ... Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life" (John 4.10-14). Here You stand in our midst every day, only a prayer away. Yet how often we do not ask. How often do we turn to the rules and substitutes of tradition and religion and culture to fill us with life for the day instead of relationship with You. Those things will always leave us empty and thirsty because they can never satisfy the thirst of our souls. You are the Gift of God and You are here to receive us and fill us whenever we call, just as we are. Come fill us today with the Living Water of Your Spirit, and let it come gushing out of us to draw others into eternal life with 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!

The Voice of the Lord 6-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Light for my path and the Guide for my journey. Give me wisdom to look and listen for Your leading every day. ... "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8.14). We cannot understand the Christian walk apart of from understanding Your Holy Spirit. The children of God are led by the Spirit of God, so if we are not being led by Your Holy Spirit, are we really the children of God? At best, we would be rebellious and disobedient children, turning to our own wisdom and ways to live our lives independent of You. And how can we be led by Your Spirit unless we know Your Spirit? And how can we listen for Your leading unless we've learned to hear Your voice? You said, "My sheep hear My voice. I know them and they follow Me" (John 10.27). Not only is it a blessing to learn to know Your voice, it is essential if we are truly Your disciples who will truly follow You. If we are to be the body of Christ filled with the Spirit of Christ, if we are to be the bride of Christ being prepared to live eternally in the intimacy of union with You, then we must learn to listen and hear Your voice. "He who has the bride is the Bridegroom. The friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled" (John 3.29). Fill us with the joy of hearing Your voice. Free us from the confusion of the voices that would lead us astray. Teach us to be quiet, to listen, and to wait for the leading of Your voice spoken to our hearts by Your Spirit. This is the blessing and the heritage of the children of God and we are Your children. 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!

Like You, Lord 6-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cause Your thoughts to be my thoughts and Your desires to be my desires. I choose to embrace You as the goal and pattern for my life. Make me more like You each day, even though the process exposes every way that I am not yet like You. ... The path of becoming like You has a price. Someone has said, "Grace is free, but it will cost you everything." It's not easy to swim upstream, to cut against the grain, to stand out. It's hard to no longer be conformed to this world when there is so much of the world still conformed to us. Yet, this is the call of every true disciple -- to become like the Master. The highest honor of any parent is that their children want to grow up to be like them. Let us honor You, Lord, as we desire to be like You. "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3.1-3). Give us courage to embrace the purifying process of discipleship. Teach us how to live a life that is dead to the world and alive to Christ. As Paul said, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own" (Philippians 3.10-12). Lord, hear our prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged 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!

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!