Process of Surrender and Sanctification 12-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit afresh this morning. May I decrease as You increase. As I am emptied of self-centeredness, let me be filled with Christ-centeredness -- little by little, layer by layer, degree by degree, morning by morning, and day by day -- in this life-long process of surrender and sanctification. ... "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints" (verse 3:12-13). "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 the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do this" (verse 5:23-24). Yes, Lord. Let me never be satisfied with where I am in my spiritual journey. You are always calling me higher and deeper and closer. You desire to make me more like You each day -- to daily strengthen my heart in holiness. I have so far to go, yet by Your grace, I choose to accept this call again today as You use the circumstances of my life to expose the things remaining in my heart that are not yet like Jesus. But as I look away from myself and look to You, I become more like You as Your Spirit sanctifies my heart "from one degree of glory to another" (1 Corinthians 3:18). This is the work of the Spirit of Christ -- the Spirit who comes to make me more like Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of Holiness who comes to fill me and desires to possess me and conform me in His nature as I welcome Him and embrace Him in this journey of surrender and sanctification. Father, this is the journey You have set before me. This is the purpose of my earthly life -- to conform me into the image of the Son of God by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my spirit and soul and body every day (Romans 8:29). You are faithful and You will do this, as I choose to embrace You by the grace You give me to take up my cross of death to self-centeredness and follow You in this journey of Christ-centeredness by the leading of Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on healing and wholeness through the process of sanctification, 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

Silent Night, Holy Night 12-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I praise Your name and I seek Your face. ... Things don't always go as we plan, but You have a way of working out all things to fit together into Your plan. Our regular worship leader couldn't come to The Fountain last night. Then the others who were going to lead couldn't come either. So we sang the simple songs of Your birth from our hearts -- no piano or keyboard, no guitar or drums -- just our voices, imperfect but pure, in our love for You. And there You were, as we welcomed You into the manger of our hearts. Though the music and the instruments were silent, it was a holy night. "Silent night, holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth." Like Mary, I want to treasure these moments of Your presence and ponder them in my heart (Luke 2:19). Like the shepherds, I want to carry this treasure in my heart to go and share it with others, "glorifying and praising God" (Luke 2:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. 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

Face to Face by Grace 12-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me a humble heart that does not approach You in arrogance, give me a tender heart that draws near to You in love, and give me a bold heart that comes before You in faith -- all by Your grace, and all as Your Holy Spirit leads. ... Father, when Moses saw You as the Flame of Fire burning in the bush, You called to him to turn to You, but at the same time told him, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:1-6). In Your love for us, You call us to come as near as we can; and in Your mercy for us, You know how far we can come into the holiness of Your presence without being consumed. Our sinful flesh cannot stand in the presence of a holy God. Only by the Blood of the Lamb may we draw near. It is by the measure that we have allowed You to crucify our flesh, that Your Spirit may live in our hearts, and we may draw near to You. It is a good and merciful thing when the fear of God will not let us draw any nearer than our submission to God will allow. But by Your grace, the Blood of Christ "sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified" so that we may draw near to You in repentance from our sin and trusting faith to "worship the living God" (Hebrews 9:11-14). Continue to expose the sin in my heart and crucify the flesh of my soul. Continue to humble my pride and burn away all that cannot stand in Your holy presence. Give me the courage to face what You reveal, the humility to turn it to You in repentance and faith, and the perseverance to keep pressing through and pressing in to deeper levels of intimacy with You. Moses grew to a place where You "used to speak to Moses face to face" even under the old covenant (Exodus 33:11). Do all You have to do in me to bring me to that level of intimacy and even more that is available to each of us under the new covenant in the Blood of Christ. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Turn Aside to See 12-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the song says, "Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness; open my eyes, let me see." ... Moses "led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked and the bush was blazing, yet not consumed. Then Moses said, 'I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am' "(Exodus 3:1-4). As I go through the wilderness of this broken, fallen world, facing the challenges of the circumstances of my life, You are calling in my spirit to come up to the mountain of God. You are calling me to take time to turn aside and seek You. You are the Flame of Fire that is not consumed. You are the greatest sight my eyes could see. Open my eyes, and let me see. It was only when You saw that Moses turned to see, that You spoke to him, that You called to him by name. By the desire that You've placed in my heart, I'm turning away from the cares and burdens of this world in this moment to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. Here I am, Lord. ... In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on Biblical principles of inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Come along with Me" 12-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with Your Spirit, focus my thoughts on Your face, open my ears to Your voice. ... It seems You are saying, "Come along with Me. Look for My lead. As you commit your mind to My thoughts and commit your heart to My desires, you will be following as I lead. The choice of commitment is the first step of taking up your cross and following Me." Yes, Lord. I commit to You my mind and my heart, as best as I can and all by Your grace. Give me faith to believe You will be placing Your thoughts in my mind today and Your desires in my heart today. Let Your supernatural leading become natural to me as I grow in maturity as Your disciple. As You said to Your first disciples, so You continue to say to every disciple, "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:38-39). Let my life be found in You -- dead to self and alive to Christ as I choose the path of willingly embracing Your thoughts and Your desires, as best as I can, each day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Citywide Prayer Breakfast 12-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I was sorry to miss our regular time together this morning before hurrying out early to the prayer breakfast, but I know You've been with me and I thank You for being here to have a time together now. ... We gathered early this morning for our city-wide prayer breakfast for business, ministry, and community leaders, and anyone who wanted to come and pray for the people of Lexington, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. I praise You for the blessing of living in a nation where we can pray in the name of Jesus and wish one another a Merry Christmas as an expression of our freedom and our faith -- even if the mayor and former mayor are leading in prayer and the tables are filled with police officers, firemen, judges. Thank you for the homeless man who stood to pray and remind us of our God-given responsibility to pray for and care for the least of these" among us (Matthew 25:40). Pat Day, the legendary horse jockey and Kentucky Derby winner who won more races than any other rider stood to speak without pretence from his life of brokenness, hurt, and anger that began to change when he made You Lord of his life. He praised Your name from the first word to the last. Pat said, until recently, he never sensed You leading him out of his line of work, even though the sport of horse racing is infused with gambling. He said we are to grow where we are planted. And to do all we do to the glory of God, giving You the credit for every gift we have. So without endorsing gambling or the broken lives and misery it often fuels, he endorsed You as the Healer, Deliverer, and Savior of all who would bow their knees and hearts to call You Lord. And many did today. It will be a joy to follow up with them as they turn the corner for the home stretch of their lives in Christ. And now for Pat, he said You've removed his passion for winning races and given him a passion for winning souls. You've planted him in a new place now for him to grow. Bless his ministry and ours -- as we share from our hearts and our hurts of Your redeeming grace and mercy in our lives. Give me a passion for winning souls and give me the grace to grow where I'm planted until You choose to plant me somewhere else. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Intelligent Design of an Intelligent Designer 12-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in spirit and truth -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are my Creator and I affirm Your Lordship in the creation of my life this day. ... "For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:10). I was moved by an article in our local newspaper yesterday -- moved by the arrogance and mockery of those scoffing at my Creator and His creation. I should not be surprised by the acceleration of blatant ridicule of Christ and Christians in these last days. Through Your words and Your prophets, You warned us long ago: "In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts. It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 18-21). I chose to respond, but since my comments may never be published in the paper, I ask You to publish them in heaven: Today's paper carried a cartoon on the "Kentucky Voices" page from a guy in Palm Beach making fun of people who hold the conviction of teaching our children the possibility of an Intelligent Design for our existence. Predictably, we are mocked as foolish clowns wearing dunce caps, worthy of ridicule and scorn for believing the intricacies of life cannot be explained by random chance and that our children deserve more than the shallow thinking of evolution theory alone. In the accompanying article, a science professor says some of the best minds of our generation have concluded "the universe came into being 13.7 billion years ago with a massive, explosive expansion of pure energy, the Big Bang." Yet what dunce would believe that pure energy can be created out of nothing. The flaw of any theory of evolution is that it can never explain the beginning. Where does the energy come from? There are no verifiable, testable conditions -- nor can there be -- where energy is either suddenly or eventually formed from the nothingness of a vacuum of time and space to start the process of evolution. To leave out that little detail is arrogant and irresponsible teaching, and our children deserve a better education in critical thinking than that. What kind of dunces do they think we are, and what kind of dunces do they want our children to grow up to be? Tommy Hays Lexington lawyer and spiritual director December 12, 2005 There is "Intelligent Design" because there is an Intelligent Designer. You said it best: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). You are the giver of life because You are Life. And I pray in the Holy Spirit, by the love of God, that You would open our eyes to see You as You are -- full of mercy and love, creating us all for a relationship of love with You and one another, but unwilling to tolerate the arrogance and pride of the sinful people You love. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my dvd's of teaching and prayer on Biblical principles of inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Humility and Intimacy 12-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I draw near to You, You draw near to me. ... You call us to "approach the throne of grace with boldness" (Hebrews 4:16). Yet at the same time, we are not to come before You in arrogance or pride. Humility must precede intimacy. Obedience must overcome independence. Knowing the fear of God is as important as knowing the love of God. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8). As You prepared Your people to enter into the land of Your promises, You reminded them that worship is about You and not about us. "Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you happen to see. But only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes -- there you shall offer your burnt offerings and there you shall do everything I command you" (Deuteronomy 12:13-14). Forgive me when I take Your grace for granted and fail to honor You in the reverence and worship You are worthy to receive. Forgive me when I let my own priorities prevail over obedience to Your will in responding to Your call to worship and prayer -- when and where and how You desire it. Yes, worship is a matter of the heart -- a heart that is yielded to You in both humility and intimacy, in the fear of God and in the love of God. You lift me up high into the intimacy of Your presence as I first humble myself low in the humility of obedience (James 4:10). Draw near to me as I draw near to You -- in Your timing and in Your way. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Continually Seeking Him 12-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your Word come and fill my heart. ... Let the light of Your Word come and fill my heart Let the power of Your Blood come and cleanse my soul Let the thoughts of Your Mind come transform my mind Let the plans of Your Will come and make me whole. Let the fire of Your Spirit come and purify my life Let the sound of Your Voice come and lead my way Let the peace of Your Touch come take away my strife Let the joy of Your Life come arise in my praise! "Sing to Him, sing praises to Him, tell of all His wonderful works. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who rejoice! Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually!" (1 Chronicles 16:9-11) I sing this song of praise to You, my Lord and my God. I seek Your face continually and welcome Your presence with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I rejoice that You are with me and Your Holy Spirit is within me. Nothing else in this world is as important as the intimacy of my relationship with You. In Jesus' name I 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

Willing Worship 12-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "O, Come let us adore Him -- Christ, the Lord." ... Moved by Your Spirit, David called out to the people of Israel to give freely of themselves and of all they had to You for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, saying, "Who then will offer willingly, consecrating themselves today to the Lord?" (1 Chronicles 29:5). The false gods demand worship and sacrifice through the manipulation of fear and deception, so that their threatened wrath is appeased. But You stand in marked contrast. You desire worship from the heart and the sacrifice of praise offered willingly in sincere adoration and devotion. We find true joy in true worship -- willingly offered and joyfully received. "Then the people rejoiced because had been given willingly, for with single mind they offered freely to the Lord; King David also rejoiced greatly!" (v. 29:9) Even the gift of our love we give to You, we can only give because You first loved us. As David recognized, "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You" (v. 29:14). I offer the gift of my adoration and worship to You this day, my Lord. I love You, Lord and I thank You for first loving me. All that I am and all that I have belongs to You and I willingly and joyfully consecrate myself to You again today. In Jesus' name I 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 Lord's Discipline 12-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me humble myself to hear what You would say. Help me trust that Your word of comfort or Your words of conviction are all words of Your love. ... "My child, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the Lord reproves the one He loves, as a father the son in whom He delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12). "He disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share His holiness. Now discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11). You love us enough to discipline us -- loving us as we are, but never leaving us as we are. You want us to share in Your nature, that we may share in Your purposes. You allow us to stumble and fall through the sin of our pride, You allow us to feel the pain of Your disappointment and the sharpness of Your conviction of our conscience. But these are marks of Your love. Our wounded hearts will heal and our wounded pride will break. And there You are -- holding us even closer than before, even trusting us more than before, because we are learning Your ways and receiving Your nature in the process of Your discipline. Ironically, this is how we know when You truly delight in us. I receive Your discipline, Lord, knowing it is the mark and seal of Your love for me. Keep my conscience sensitive to Your conviction and keep my pride humbled under the hand of Your reproof. I am a son of God love, one in whom You delight, growing in the nature of Your holiness, all by Your grace for Your purposes through my life. In Jesus' name I 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

Merry Christmas, Lord 12-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to begin this day with You. As best as I can, I focus my thoughts on You alone in these first moments of the morning. ... This year there is so much discussion about whether this is the "Christmas season" or the "holiday season." We debate whether it is appropriate to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy holidays." Editorials and radio commentators argue about whether the decorated trees we display are "Christmas trees" or "holiday trees." Of course, the truth is You are the reason for the season -- if it were not for Christ, there would be no Christmas. Even the word "holidays" comes from "holy days". The days are holy because Your Holy Spirit is drawing our attention and our hearts to the Holy One. For me, the tree speaks of the One who came as a Child born in a manger to bring hope to all who would hear, but died as a Man hung upon a tree to bring life to all who would receive. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14). We all have the freedom to celebrate whoever and whatever we want in our hearts -- if not on the lawns of our courthouses -- no matter what nation we live in. I choose to celebrate You in my heart. And every day I celebrate the gift of life and the blessings of God available to me through the sacrifice of Your love on the cross and Your resurrection in glory is a holy day. I choose to keep Christ in my Christmas. I choose for this day to be a holy day in my heart. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Lord Jesus. In Jesus' name I 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

"Come Up Here" 12-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me up by Your Spirit into the arms of our Father. ... "After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.' At once, I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with One seated on the throne!" (Revelation 4:1-2) As we look to You in worship and prayer, You open the door to the heavenly realm. You catch us up in the spirit, and open our ears to hear Your voice. As we humble ourselves before You, You are high and exalted, seated on the throne of our hearts. You desire to show us a measure of Your purposes, that we may know a measure of our part in Your plans -- little by little, and step by step, as You lead. Yet even though You opened the door of heaven and spoke to his spirit to come, John had a choice. He could "come up here" or not. He could seek Your face and humble himself to listen for the leading of Your voice or not. And that's a choice You continually set before each of us: "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4). As You revealed Yourself to John, reveal Yourself to me. Catch me up in the spirit every day as I turn my eyes toward You and open my heart to Your leading. By Your grace, I choose to die daily to my flesh and this world, to live in Christ. I choose to come up here with You, setting my mind on You. Cause Your thoughts to become my thoughts and Your desires to become my desires, as my life becomes more hidden with You a little more each day. In Jesus' name I 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

"In the Presence of the Lord" 12-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the worship song says, "I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter Your courts with praise." I welcome You with worship into my heart again today. ... "And the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. ... Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with God and with the people" (1 Samuel 2:21-26). I want to grow up in Your presence, Lord. I want to enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise every day. Let me never be satisfied with the depth of intimacy in our relationship -- let me always hunger and thirst more of You, longing for the nearness of Your presence in my soul. Let me grow in Your favor and pleasure, as I grow in maturity of spirit and soul and body. "Happy are those whom You choose and bring near to live in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple" (Psalm 65:4). Let my life be Your temple and my heart be Your house. In Jesus' name I 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

Favored One 12-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You and open my heart to the leading of Your Holy Spirit. ... "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.' But she was much perplexed by these words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God' " (Luke 1:26-30). This is the favor of God -- that You are with us. We need not fear, for we found favor with You the moment we believed You and welcomed You into our hearts and lives. You will never leave us nor forsake us. You continually comfort us with Your Word, "Do not fear, for I am with you" (Isaiah 43:5). Like Mary, I am a favored one. I have nothing to fear, for You have favored me with Your presence in my heart and my home and every area of my life. Though I have not and cannot earn it, You have granted the blessing of Your favor to me by Your grace, as You grant it to all who will humble themselves before You in trusting faith. I humble myself before You again this day, and ponder the greeting of Your grace in my heart. In Jesus' name I 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

God's Children 12-04-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You and the Father and the Spirit are One. In Your mercy and love, You come and abide in my heart as You draw me near to abide in You. ... "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reasons 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). Father, I am one of Your children. And children are loved as they are by their parents, even though they still need to grow up. You love me even though You do not love all that I do. Help me to grow up into maturity. Let me be more known by You than I am known by the world. One day, when You are fully revealed and I see You face to face, I will be like You, according to the promise of Your Word. And Your desire is to make me a little more like You each day between this day and that one, in the process of purifying my souls. Give me courage to embrace Your process and faith to trust You in the journey. In Jesus' name I 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

"Watching Daily at My Gates" 12-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet and still, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit into the presence of my Father. ... You are the Wisdom of God, declaring, "Happy is the one who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting beside My doors. Whoever finds Me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 8:34-35). Thank You for the grace that allows me to come daily to the gate of prayer and wait at the door of praise. Thank You for loving me enough to move in my heart to open my ears to listen for You and open my eyes seek You. Then You bless me with the favor of knowing the nearness of Your presence and the blessing of Your peace. As I watch and wait in the silence of surrender before You, You fill my mind with Your wisdom and fill my heart with Your will -- a little more each day. This is the wisdom of Your way to happiness and peace. In Jesus' name I 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

"Only One Thing" 12-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of the morning, focus my thoughts on You. There will be time to plan out my day, to intercede for others, and all the other things that will influence my thoughts and choices today. But right now, I choose to give my complete devotion and attention to one thing alone, to You alone. ... As You said to one You loved long ago, "Martha, Martha, you are distracted and worried by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). Lord Jesus, You are the better part. You are the one thing I have need of. As Your Holy Spirit draws my focus to Your face and opens my heart to Your voice now in the foundation of my day, I will not lose the sense of Your presence in my soul and at my side -- no matter what distractions and worries I encounter along the way. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer 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

Merry Christmas & Year-End Praises 12-1-05

Dear Friends of Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries, Merry Christmas! This is the season the Holy Spirit miraculously turns the EYES of people throughout the earth to Jesus the Christ, as He desires to turn their HEARTS to Christ as well. We celebrate together the birth of this Child who changes our HEARTS forever! I write at Christmas every year to praise God for the ways He has allowed us to be a part of His ministry of love and grace, doing our part in our generation to "prepare the way of the Lord." Along the journey, you have been a part of the life of Messiah Ministries and the family of Tommy and Tricia Hays—our blended family of six with one more on the way! Maybe you've prayed for us, invited us to your church, joined with us for a retreat, prayer revival, or spiritual direction, blessed us by your generous giving, trusted us with your burdens in prayer ministry, joined with us in my “Morning by Morning” journey of prayer, or encouraged us in other ways—letting us know you believe in what the Lord is doing through our ministry. Please know how grateful we are for you and pray abundant blessings upon your lives this year and in many to come. We pray your lives will be blessed with the Love, Peace and Joy of the Lord in this season as we celebrate the birth of our Messiah, Jesus the Christ. We thank God for your blessings, prayers, and encouragement to us. Our Father has called us to continue the ministry of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit—to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free, preparing the way of the Lord for His coming in glory—first in our hearts and one day in the skies. We need to be set free from the wounds of the past and the bondage that hold us back, and set free to be fully released and empowered to live out our destiny in Christ (Isaiah 61; Luke 4). We are truly blessed to share in this process of healing of spirit, soul, and body, while equipping disciples to fulfill their calling and purpose in the peace and joy of God. The heart of our ministry is providing a safe place for people to be honest with God and themselves, to release to Him their pain and shame as He pours in His healing love—"Pain out, Love in." Many speak of life-changing experiences in these divine encounters as we help by following the simple pattern of ministry I teach: "Here's Jesus, give it to Him." Though I love to minister God's healing love in this personal way, I've been increasingly called to teach and equip others to minister in their own churches, small groups, and families. It's been an exciting year to go throughout the U.S. and abroad with this message and ministry. I'm very excited to provide our first teaching DVD set called "Preparing the Way of the Lord". The DVD’s teach Biblical, spiritual principles I've learned along the way for inner healing and deliverance in a prayer retreat setting. We believe the Lord is using this to multiply our ministry to people and places I'll never be able to go, as people receive these teachings and prayers in their own homes and churches. In September, I had the joy of my third ministry journey to India with International Justice Mission. Though I'm now in full time ministry, I continue to keep my law license to be available for special assignments as the Lord leads. This was one of them. I went to India as a lawyer to work with the IJM team to literally set the captives free from bonded slavery, using the laws of India to answer the cries of those who are impoverished and oppressed through the cruelty of the caste system and bonded labor crimes. Many come to know the Lord as they learn that He is their Deliverer who has heard their cries. I was honored to pray with one man, whose family was set free. He took his reparations money and built a house of prayer for his village before building his own house out of his joy and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ. He was living out the message of the book of Haggai before he ever read it! Also on that trip, we were able to rekindle my friendship with Brother Ghuna Kumar of Gospel Friends. Brother Kumar oversees many churches, a Bible School, an orphanage, and over 300 evangelists who go into the poorest villages where the gospel has never been preached. Gerry Calvert and I prayed for people in a village where people had never seen a white person. The Lord moved on our hearts to help establish a church there. As we were going through a village with the IJM team, I heard behind me, "Brother Tommy, Praise the Lord!" It was a man I had prayed with on my first trip to India several years ago for deliverance. Here he was, filled with joy and wearing a patch that said, "Jesus is Lord" boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus in an area where Christians are heavily persecuted with prison, beatings, and even death. What a small world to us, but not to a miraculous God! We never fully know the lasting fruit of our words and prayers in obedience to God's leading. It is thrilling to have a little glimpse every now and then! It's been a great joy this year to continue teaching and ministering on being filled with Holy Spirit among Methodist churches and other traditions. The Lord has given me a gift to explain this Biblically in a way that people are hungry to receive. I spoke on "The Purpose and Power of the Holy Spirit" at the national Aldersgate conference this year. Next year, I will speak on "Spiritual Freedom—Breaking the Chains of Your Past." My subject was "Prayer and Fasting for Missions" at the annual missions festival of UM Men in North Georgia—the largest men's group in the Methodist Church. And I've had the blessing of leading many retreats, prayer revivals, teaching conferences, and citywide gatherings for prayer and worship this year. This furthers our calling to lead people into deeper depths of intimacy with God. We continue to lead our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship at The Fountain on the 3rd Saturday night of every month, where many experience healing of every form as we welcome the presence of God. The Lord has clearly spoken two very clear words to me at key times and confirmed them in many ways—“Teach My people to pray” and “Prepare the way of the Lord.” As we pray for others, we also model for them how to pray for themselves and others. As we see people set free from burdens and bondages, we also help them mature in their relationship with God. This prepares the way for His coming in deeper levels of intimacy in their hearts and in the world. We praise God for allowing us to be instruments of His grace preparing the Bride of Christ for the coming of the Lord—and we can’t do it without you! The Lord continues to be clear that we are not to charge a set fee for our ministries of prayer. So we obediently and joyfully depend upon His provision through your generous support. He has miraculously provided for our family every month for eight years of ministry now! Please remember us in your year-end charitable giving and long-term planned giving. Your gifts of any size are tax-deductible, truly needed, and gratefully appreciated. Please also prayerfully consider becoming a monthly supporter, or including us in a Christian Will or Trust. Through our relationship with the Kentucky Christian Foundation, we can provide free legal services to arrange gifts of property, stocks, and other assets. You will receive an immediate tax deduction for full value, as we receive the provision of God to continue sharing His love through the gospel and full salvation of Jesus Christ. We pray you will continue to join us in ministry through your faithful prayers and generous resources for the Glory of our King and His Kingdom. May the Lord richly and abundantly pour out His overflowing blessings upon you in this season of Joy! God bless you! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Rev. Tommy Hays Founder and Spiritual Director Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd Lexington, Kentucky, USA 40502 859-422-1794 MessiahMin@aol.com PS: Please forward this on to anyone you think would be interested.

Wise Men Still Seek You 12-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As they say, wise men still seek You. I seek You this day. I lay down before You the gold of my heart, and the frankincense of my prayers, and the myrrh of my worship in the trusting surrender of my soul. ... "When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:9-11, NKJV). Morning by Morning and day by day, lift my eyes to the heavens to behold the sings of the glory of Your presence and open my heart to Your Spirit to welcome the glory of Your presence in my soul. This is "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:26-27). My riches are what I treasure; and where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. I am rich at heart because I treasure You more than anything else. With the exceedingly great joy that I have found You, I lay down all my riches at Your feet in worship again this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on spiritual principles of 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