All Saints Eve 10-31-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Lord of Life. Come live Your life in me this day. ... Many will celebrate Halloween tonight. As I understand it, the name comes from All Saints' Eve, the night before All Saints Day, in the Catholic tradition. This was to celebrate the death and eternal life of the saints, especially those who died as martyrs for their faith in You. Your Word says "we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). The "witnesses" are those who "were commended for their faith" and "of whom the world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:38-39). Now they are away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Now they behold You face to face, as they are one with You in Your ministry of intercession at the right hand of the Father for those who remain in the world to fulfill our calling in our generation (Hebrews 7:25). Somewhere along the path of history, this day of the Feast of All Saints was set for November 1st, which also coincided with the Celtic celebration of Samhain, named for their pagan deity known as "the lord of death." As I understand it, the eve of Samhain at the beginning of winter, was a time of the pagan sacrifice to this spirit of death that allowed the souls of the dead to return to the earth, tormenting those who had tormented them during life. Many of the images witches, ghosts, cats, and things we commonly see associated with Halloween are associated with this pagan tradition, along with other traditions blended in through the years. But You have suffered death for us that we might live in You. "It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:34-37). You are the Lord of Life and You have conquered death. We need not fear death, or any tormenting spirit of death or fear. You perfect love casts out all fear and Your life has overcome the power of death (1 John 4:18; Hebrews 2:14-15). Death and fear are defeated through the victory of Your cross and the glory of Your resurrection. As the great cloud of witnesses join with You in cheering us on in our generation, let us live our lives for Your glory in the victory of Your life over all death, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Rain of Your Word 10-30-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear Your words of life. Let them be life to me. ... You are the Word. You're the Word of Life. Speak Your Word to me. Lord let me hear, Hear Your Word of Life, Hear Your Word for me. Let Your Word come down. Come down in my heart, From Your heart to me. Thank You for this new song of Your Spirit that You're singing in my soul this morning. As You sing, I see little children running outside laughing in a sprinkle of rain. Their faces are turned to the sky with their arms opened wide. Their mouths are open and they're sticking out their tongues to catch the drops of rain. Give us the joy of tasting Your Word and drinking it in. Give us open hearts and open arms to embrace Your Word to us. You are the Word, and You are the Life (John 1:1 and 14:6). You are the Word of Life to us; and we embrace You this day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Lord of All 10-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old hymn declares, "All hail the power of Jesus' name; let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all." I bow before You as Savior in surrender and crown You as Lord in praise as we begin another day of the journey of faith together. Let the power of Your nature and Your name be released in me and through me this day. ... "Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all!" (Acts 10:36). "On His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, 'King of kings and Lord of lords' " (Revelation 19:16). Lord Jesus, You are "the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). "Lordship" is a relational term. To say You are Lord is to say You are in charge, that You have my willing permission to form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. It is a choice of trusting surrender to Your will and Your ways. Help us to choose to submit to Your Lordship and surrender to Your will -- in every area of our lives and a little more each day. Cause our nature to be more like Your nature. A "Christian" is a follower of Christ. Let it be more than a name, let it be our nature. Let us join the angels of heaven in the depths of our hearts, falling prostrate before You to crown You Lord of our lives and Lord of all. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

See the Lamb of God 10-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My first choice today is to think of You. ... "The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus" (John 1:35-37). John the Baptist was like the Holy Spirit -- leading others to look to Jesus. As we look to You, we cannot help but follow You. That's why the enemy of souls tries so hard to fill our lives with so many things to draw our attention away from the most important thing we need to see. To see You is to see our Father, for You "are One" (John 10:30). You are "the exact imprint of God's very being" (Hebrews 1:3). Holy Spirit, turn our eyes toward Jesus. Open the eyes of our hearts to see Him more clearly every day. As we see Him, we cannot help but follow Him. Fill our hearts with the desire to seek Him and conform our wills with the desire to follow Him every day. Let this be the first thought and the first choice of each day of our lives, so that we can continue to make that choice throughout the day -- the choice to see the Lamb of God and to follow Him. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

River of Life 10-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me drink deeply of the waters of Your life. Refresh me and renew me to flow in Your Spirit as You lead me today. ... "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:1-2). Lord, Your river flows from Your throne. And You said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the One who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, 'out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' " (John 7:37-38). Be enthroned in our hearts, and out of our hearts will flow the rivers of living water. You are Life in us and You desire Your Life to flow out of us and touch the lives of others. The water of life nourishes the tree of life. And a tree bears fruit after its own kind. If there is life in us, then we will bear life in others. As Your life wells up and flows out of us, Your life will bring life to others. And this is healing -- that the life of God would flow to the hearts of all people throughout all nations. As it does, You will be enthroned in the hearts of Your people in every tribe and tongue and nation throughout the earth. "Everything will live wherever the river goes" (Ezekiel 47:9). Then "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). Let Your river of life flow from Your throne in our hearts today. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Holy and Whole 10-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are our Healer, our deliverer, our Savior and Lord. You are our Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, our All in All. ... You love to heal us and make us whole, to deliver us and set us free. You love to transform us by renewing our minds and to conform us into the image of the Son of God by sanctifying our spirit and soul and body. You love to redeem our suffering, break our pride, and comfort our broken hearts. Thank You for healing our hearts last night, for pouring in the oil of Your Spirit and binding up our wounds, as You held us in Your arms. Let it not be for an evening, but for an eternity. "May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). You are the God of peace, the God of shalom. As we humble ourselves in Your sight and entrust our hearts into Your hands, You release Your peace into our spirits and souls and bodies -- every dimension of our being. You bring us to the place of peace with You, peace with one another, and peace within ourselves. You make us holy and whole. Father, You have sent Your Holy Spirit to prepare the bride for the coming of Your Son. He is not coming for a wounded, bound, or dirty bride. But for a people who are holy and whole, healed and free, "rooted and grounded in love," and "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-19). This is the healing and freedom You desire. This the calling to which we are called. You are faithful and You will do this as we entrust our lives to You in spirit, soul, and body. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Thank you for your prayers for our revival and healing service in Georgia. The Lord is healing hearts and cleansing His bride at a deep level of surrender and trust. Let's pray the same for the body of Christ throughout the earth. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Revival is the Restoration of Destiny" 10-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be still and quiet. Help me watch and wait in the silence of surrender, as I listen for the leading of Your voice. ... Your voice is saying to my spirit, "Revival is the restoration of destiny." Yes, Lord. I have not seen revival quite like that before. But I believe I see what You are saying. We are created with calling and purpose and destiny. But along the way, that destiny can get distorted and defiled, crushed and consumed, by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We find ourselves frustrated, irritated, and unfulfilled. In time, we can grow numb and complacent, while our passions turn passive. The fire burns out. Instead of a burning flame, we become more like dead wood. What's true of ourselves, can be true of our churches. And what's true of our churches can be true of the body of Christ throughout the earth. Revive us, Lord. Restore us to our calling and destiny. You created us to live our lives in personal relationship with You for Your glory, in fulfillment of the purpose and hope You've placed in our souls. You placed all creation at our hands to steward and tend as an offering of praise. But in many ways, we've allowed our souls and Your creation to wither and die, without bearing the fullness of the fruit You've placed in our hearts. "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:19-23). Revive the hearts of Your children, that all creation may be awakened to the glory of our destiny in Christ. Your glory is Your manifest presence. We welcome Your presence to manifest again and forever in our hearts, and in the body of Christ, and throughout Your creation. Revive us and restore us to our calling and our destiny in all the earth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we are having a wonderful revival at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Rocky Face, Georgia. Please cover us in your prayers for our healing service tonight. May the Lord revive and renew you into the fullness of your calling and destiny in Him! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Battle Line 10-22-05

Morning by Morning, Saturday Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take charge of my heart and soul again today. ... Today we'll travel to Rocky Face, Georgia to preach a series of revival messages at the church that one of my best friends pastors. We'll stay at their home on along the side of the ridge of a mountain that rises up to form the rocky face overlooking the valley below. That area is called Battle Line Road. Over a century ago, the Confederate Army lined up their canons along that ridge to guard the pass below from the Union Army marching to Atlanta in the Civil War. To this day, they still find the remains of war buried in the dirt along this road. There is a battle line road that runs through our soul. It's the place of civil war within each one of us between the spirit and the flesh, between the armies of the Lord and the armies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It's the place where the lines of battle are drawn and fought every day for the life of our soul -- whether we will walk in victory or defeat in the decision of every moment. "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25). If the Apostle Paul could acknowledge this war within his own soul, let us humbly acknowledge the war within ours. As Paul found, let us find that we cannot will this war on our own. And we don't have to. "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" As we submit and surrender our hearts and souls to You, we are victorious to overcome every battle in the decision of every moment. As we entrust our lives to You afresh each day, the victory is won along every line of battle. And in time, even the remains of the battles will give you glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"We do see Jesus" 10-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I lift my eyes to the world, I lift my eyes to the heavens. Before I turn to face the day, I first turn to seek Your face. ... You are restoring and redeeming all things into the perfection of Your will. You are using all things to accomplish Your purpose, from whatever source and by whatever motive. You use "everything" -- even sin and sinners, even the devil and destruction, even judgment and wrath, even ridiculously undeserved mercy and grace, "to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). We do not yet see the full restoration and redemption of all things with our natural eyes as we look and see the current reality of this physical dimension. But, at the same time, open our spiritual eyes of faith to see all things as You intended and all things as they shall be as we persevere through the process of redemption. We are not to ignore the realities of the natural realm, nor the realities of the spiritual realm. We are not to ignore the realities of the present, nor the realities of the future. Every word and promise You have ever spoken will come to pass, no matter what immediate realities we face. This is the essence of faith. And we choose this day, by Your grace, to continually put our faith in You. We do not yet see the heavens and the earth restored and redeemed into perfection as You have promised, but "we do see Jesus" (Hebrews 2:9). So when we look around us and see the realities of the consequences of sin and the destruction of the forces of darkness, let us also see Jesus. When we see injustice and oppression and suffering, let us also see Jesus. When we sickness and disease, famines and wars, let us also see Jesus. Let us not only see things as they are, but also how they shall be. You see "the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying My purpose will stand, and I will fulfill My intention" (Isaiah 46:8-11). Give us eyes to see as You see. Give us eyes to see Jesus with us in the midst of it all, redeeming it all into the purposes of God. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Day of the Breakthrough 10-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I submit my will to Your will, my thoughts to Your thoughts. Help me get quite and still as I watch and wait for the leading of Your voice. ... I see an image of an ancient battering ram relentlessly pounding the walls of a city. There are many strikes before any cracks form, but then finally the wall begins to crack. Then with each successive strike, the cracks explode in every direction from the pounding of the battering ram, weakening the walls of resistance. At last, the battering ram breaks through and the wall crumbles to the ground. It seems You are reminding us of the power of persistence. There are walls of resistance we face -- resistance to Your will and Your promises in our lives. We've been pounding against the walls in prayer and in faith and in obedience, but it seems like nothing is happening to some of those walls. But the truth is that with every blow, the wall is being weakened. Though we don't see it now, that wall is already destroyed. It will crumble and fall of the day of our breakthrough -- if we persist in obedience and faith. You released Your judgment against the ancient city of Tyre and its rulers, which speaks, at one level, of our spiritual enemies and their strongholds in our lives. At another level, it speaks of the sin of pride, arrogantly trusting in ourselves and our own strength, independent of trusting You. "They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down its towers.... He shall direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls and break down your towers with his axes" (Ezekiel 26:4-9). Give us faith to persevere against the walls of resistance. Give us faith to believe the walls are crumbling in the spiritual dimension, even before we see it happening yet in the physical dimension. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). In Your timing and in Your way, every wall raised up against the will of God will fall. Your Word will break through. The walls will fall down. But they will not fall down by themselves. You have chosen, in Your sovereignty, to release the power of Your Word -- like a battering ram -- through the obedience and persistence of the prayers of faith of Your people. Let us not let up until the day when faith becomes sight in the day of the breakthrough. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Arise, My daughters, arise!" 10-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your Word guide my path; let the leading of Your Spirit guide my steps. ... Father, I believe I hear You saying, "Arise, My daughters, arise! Arise, My daughters, arise! Arise, My daughters, arise! My Word reveals My will for you. But look to the whole counsel of My Word to find My will. Seek out My will as you search out My Word. There you will find My calling and My command." Yes, Lord. I pray for Your daughters to arise to walk in the fullness of their calling -- in perfect submission and obedience to Your will as revealed in Your Word and in perfect fulfillment of their glorious destiny in Christ. With the coming of Your Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the yoke of unjust oppression and the burden of ungodly submission was broken in the power of Your indwelling presence in their hearts. They were set free to be all You created them to be -- to take their rightful place in the body of Christ and in the ministry of the kingdom of God: "But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 'Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon My slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' " (Acts 2:14-21). We pray for revival and renewal. We pray for the moving of Your Spirit in power. We pray for the salvation of the souls and the coming of the day of the Lord. Let us also pray to see this first prophecy of Pentecost fulfilled -- that we affirm that Your Spirit has been poured out upon all flesh, that we honor and receive the word of the Lord spoken in authority through both Your sons and Your daughters. I have heard it said that the women of the church have had to rise up in the leadership of worship, prayer, and spiritual gifts to take the place of the men who won't. I believe You are showing us that is not fully true. It is true that men have not risen to fully take their place in these forms of godly leadership in our homes and in Your church. But the women are not rising up to take the place of the men, the women are rising up to take the place of women -- a place of honor and authority in Your kingdom, in accordance with Your will, revealed in Your Word. As this begins to happen in our generation, surely this will be a sign in the heavens above and on the earth below of the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. "So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?' He said to them, 'Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition. Then He said to them, 'You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!' "(Mark 7:5-9). Forgive us where we have sinned through any misunderstanding of Your will and Your Word; and forgive us where we have known very well Your will and Your Word, but have chosen to disobey out of the fear of men and our own pride. Forgive us for rejecting the commandments of God in order to hold on to the traditions of men -- elders or otherwise. May the body of Christ be cleansed of our sin of the oppression of women in the leadership of the church. Who could dare say on that day when we will all give account before You that we didn't think "your daughters shall prophesy" meant spiritual authority in the church. May Your daughters be set free from the yoke of slavery and anointed with the honor Your will and Your Word commands in these long awaited days. Let Your daughters arise, as Your sons lift them up to their place of honor and respect in Your kingdom for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

All I've Ever Needed 10-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the worship song says, "You're all I want; You're all I've ever needed." I seek You and I need You this day and every day. ... "My child, be attentive to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:20-22). Thank You for Your words, Father. Thank You for the sound of Your voice and the peace of the presence of Your Spirit. They are life to the hopeless and healing to the weary. But there is confidence and power and assurance in the steadiness of Your words and the strength of Your voice. I've not felt well for a couple of days, but You have been here by my side. When I was weak, You were my strength. When I was wavering, You were steady. At times when I was too tired to get up or open my eyes, I could still hear the voice of Your Spirit singing in my heart, lifting my spirit to You. You sustained me as You sang through my spirit this simple song of trust: "Draw me close to You; never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I'm Your friend. You are my desire, no one else will do. 'Cause nothing else could take You place, to feel the warmth of Your embrace. Help me find the way, bring me back to You. You're all I want; You're all I've ever needed. You're all I want; help me know You are near" (by Kelly Carpenter). Thank You for helping us know You are near. You never leave us and never forsake us. You are here with us, bringing us through every hard time, being everything we need. You are life to our spirit and healing to our flesh. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Whatever you do" 10-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes and my heart to You. ... "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). My oldest son, Zachary, and I are away this weekend for his soccer tournament. We will both have many opportunities to blend in with the world and its ways in our words and actions or to be faithful to Your ways and Your nature. Someone has said that your character is defined by what you do when no one is looking. And someone has said a Christian's character is truly revealed Monday through Saturday, rather than Sunday. Our character is our nature and You call us to have Your nature -- not just in church, but also in the marketplace; not just around our friends, but also around our enemies; not just when things are going well, but also when they're not. "Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature" (1 Peter 2:4). Give us grace to face the challenges and opportunities to reveal Your nature through our lives each day. Strengthen us when we are tempted; and convict us when stumble, that we may return to You in repentance -- learning and growing through every experience. Help us grow up into the full measure of the stature of Christ, to bring You glory with our lives in all that we do. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Lovc of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Knowing You, Jesus" 10-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day well -- seeking Your face and receiving Your grace. ... "May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of our Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:2-3). To know Your power, we must know You. Through knowing You, we receive everything needed for life. You have not called us to merely know about You, but to know You. How can we know You unless we spend time with You -- not just with Your Word, but with You. Not just through reading of the experiences of others with You, but through having our own experiences of Your presence with us. Then we will not only have Your grace and Your peace, we will have it "in abundance." In the words of the worship song: "Knowing You, Jesus. There is no greater thing. You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love You, Lord...." We love You, Lord, and we want to grow more every day in knowing You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Gift of Mothers 10-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Living Waters flow through my soul. ... " 'Honor your father and mother' -- this is the first commandment with a promise: 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth' " (Ephesians 6:2-3). Since I was a little boy, my mother's favorite gift from me was for me to write a few words in a poem from my heart. I see now that You were teaching me then to listen for the leading of Your voice and write the words You would give me to touch the heart of another. Thank You for teaching us and equipping us in the journeys of our lives to find our place in the body of Christ and to share the gifts You've given us with one another. Let these words You have given me touch the hearts of our mothers today: You conceived me and carried me Before I breathed my first breath of life. You held me and nurtured me Before I could crawl. You sang to me and played with me Before I could speak a word. You laughed with me and cried with me Before I could understand what it meant. You corrected me and disciplined me Before I could choose for myself. You encouraged me and taught me Before I could think for myself. You blessed me and released me Before I could bless the children of my own. You lived your life in as an example of love before me Before I could honor you by trying to live out my life in the example of your love. Thank You for the gift of mothers. Thank You for the gift of my mother. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

We will Overcome 10-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and call upon Your name. ... As my alarm clock went off this morning, I was in a dream, standing before the people of a church. I was saying: "Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 1, verse 1. The Apostle John was writing this letter to the Christians of the first generation, but God was writing the letter through John to the Christians of every generation. He was encouraging them and encouraging us to take courage in Him through every tribulation. We need not fear, for God is with us. God will not leave us, no matter what we face. We will endure, we will persevere, we will overcome -- through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thank You, Lord, for Your words of encouragement. You are Faithful and True. And You are preparing Your people to stand firm in the faith and the courage You give by Your grace. You are deepening our revelation of the person and nature of Jesus Christ, deepening our dependence upon our Father in heaven who is perfectly revealed in Christ, deepening our intimacy with the Holy Spirit of God who fills us with the heart of the Father and the mind of Christ. We will stand firm in You when everything around us is shaken. "We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22, KJV). But by Your grace, we will not fear, for You are with us (Isaiah 43:1-7). Neither the trials nor tribulations that we will ever face "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 8:39). In Christ, we are more than conquerors; we are overcomers. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Yielded and Still" 10-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to please you and not people, to submit to Your will and not mine. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. I entrust my life to You intentionally, deliberately because You are worthy of my obedience and my trust. ... "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). When the clay is centered on the potter's wheel, there is no wobbling or bending. The clay is yielded and still. All resistance is smoothed away, as the shape of the vessel and the will of the potter become one. Water us with Your Word, Lord. Center us in Your Spirit. Shape us into the vessels of Your choosing for the purposes of Your will. Turn us through the challenges and struggles of this broken, fallen world as You smooth away our resistance and mold us into the work of Your hand. Give us courage to embrace Your hands without resistance, sensing the gentle pressure of Your Word and Your ways. Let the old hymn be our prayer: "Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way. Thou art the Potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Frequency and Intensity of Birth Pangs 10-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My rock and my refuge, my strong tower and strength. I rest in You and trust in You -- secure in the power of Your presence. ... "For God alone my soul waits in silence; for my hope is from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:5-8). What a picture of this age we have seen this weekend: Earthquakes in India and California, mudslides in Mexico, devastation from hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, famine in Sudan, war in Iraq, terror in Israel, and the global threat of a world-wide plague of avian flu. All the earth is groaning in the pangs of birth for the revealing of the glory of God (Romans 8:18-25). All that can be shaken is being shaken, so that only what cannot be shaken remains (Hebrews 12:25-29). Your presence is Your glory. Faith in You is our hope. While all that can be shaken is shaken, You are teaching us to stand firm in the power of Your strength, upon the Rock of our refuge in You. As each day passes and as the earthquakes and famines and wars and plagues increase in the frequency and intensity of the pangs of birth, the eyes of the world and the eyes of our hearts are being opened to the truth of our only Hope. Our hope is in You, and in You alone. Everything else will tremble and crumble and fall -- everything else but the mighty Rock and Refuge of our God. We pour out our hearts before You and find our refuge in the peace and the power of Your presence in our hearts through it all. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Well-Worn Path 10-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Teach me Your ways, reveal to me Your truth, live Your life through me. ... As I close my physical eyes to wait on You, the eyes of my spirit are opened to see a man walking down a path. It winds through a field and a forest, over a hill and through a dry creek bed. Then it rises up to cross an open plain of green grass before ending at the porch of his home. Then I see the same man going down the same path, but this time it is dark. His pace is a little slower but still steady as he confidently moves along the path to his home. It seems You are saying, "Learn to walk in My paths while it is light. Then you will know how to walk when it is dark. Let your feet learn to follow the well-worn paths of righteousness in the light of the day, then they will not fail you during the darkness of the night. As surely as there is day, there is night. Yet my path remains the same through both the darkness of night and the light of day." Yes, Lord. "Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all day long" (Psalm 25:4-5). Lead us in the paths of righteousness until they become well-worn and familiar beneath our feet. We don't have to travel this journey alone. You are with us and You are within in -- our Way, our Truth, and our Life. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Cleans Hands and Pure Hearts 10-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the song says, "Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts, let us not lift our souls to another." I lift my soul to You and to You alone, my Lord and my God. ... "Who will ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:3-6). We have no righteousness apart from You. We have clean hands and pure hearts only by the washing of Your Living Water, only by the cleansing of the Blood of the Lamb. "In Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So, we are ambassadors of Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). In Christ, we "become the righteousness of God." In Christ, we have clean hands and pure hearts. In Christ, we ascend the hill of the Lord to worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. This is our blessing and vindication, this is our hope and our peace, as we seek You and find You in this holy place of prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com