The Celebration is worth the Sacrifice 3-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I quiet my soul to begin this day in the silence of surrender, watching and waiting for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:20-22). Tomorrow morning, we have an appointment to have a baby. Our doctor will induce the process of labor for the birth of our child. Already, Tricia's body is experiencing the contractions of birth, as these nine months of preparation will come to a close in a final burst of the intensity and anguish of travail. But as our son breathes his first breath and I hand him into his mother's embrace, all the suffering and struggle of pregnancy will be consumed in the celebration of birth. Tears of pain will turn to tears of joy. These forty days of preparation for the pain of crucifixion of Good Friday is really preparation for the joy of resurrection of Easter Sunday. "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). The celebration is worth the sacrifice. You teach us that lesson through the pain of travail in birth that gives way to the joy of new life. You teach us that lesson through Your journey to the cross that gives way to the joy of eternal life. We look to Jesus, "who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). Give me courage and faith to endure the travails of life, to press through the sufferings of a broken and fallen world, for the sake of the joy that is set before me through life in You. The celebration is worth the sacrifice, as You turn all my tears of pain into tears of joy. 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

King Josiah will Reign 3-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of Kings and the King of Glory. Come in to the kingdom of Your glory in my heart again this day. ... "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left" (2 Chronicles 34:1-2). A spiritual generation is being birthed in the earth who will begin to reign at an early age in the authority you have given them. They will know who they are in You and they will know who You are in them. They will know their place as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" to "proclaim the mighty acts" of God throughout the earth (1 Peter 2:9). They will be "saints from every tribe and people and language and nation; You have made them to be a kingdom of priests serving our God, and they will reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10). The spiritual generation of Elijahs before them have been preparing the way of the Lord through prayer and proclamation, and now this generation of Josiahs will rule and reign with the authority and power of Christ living in them and living through them. This will be a generation of those who are called by Your name and called to Your ministry, who will do the "greater works than these" that You prophesied of long ago (John 14:12). "For in the eight year of his reign, while he was still a boy, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Jerusalem and Judah of the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and cast images. In his presence they pulled down the altar of the Baals; he demolished the incense altars that stood above them. He broke down the sacred poles and the carved and cast images; he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of their priests on their altars, and purges Judah and Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 34:3-5). In this generation, let us not fear man, nor his false religions, false idols, and false priests. Let us confront them and overcome them with authority and zeal to purge the land and the hearts of Your people. Let us "repair the house of the Lord" and welcome the coming of the King of Glory to take Your place on Your throne in our land and in our hearts (verse 34:8). Let us be a priesthood of kings who rediscover Your Word and renew our covenant of commitment to trust You and obey You with all our hearts and souls for all of the days of our generation (verses 29-33). 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"With Eager Longing" 3-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and welcome the glory of Your presence in my heart and in my world. ... "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Romans 8:18-19). Tricia and I are waiting with eager longing for the revealing of our next son -- to be born any day. Some contractions have already begun to prepare the way for birth. We've been praying for him and speaking blessings over him, that he is welcome and honored. We want him to know in the depths of his spirit that he is being received with thanksgiving and joy into his family and into this world, to fulfill his calling and destiny in his generation for Your kingdom. We have prayed "even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:15). So it is throughout Your creation today. You are moving on the hearts of the spiritual mothers and fathers of the body of Christ to prepare the way with eager longing for the revealing of Your glory in the earth. The earth itself and all who live in Christ are experiencing the stress and strain of contractions to prepare the way of the Lord. One day You will come in glory in the skies (Matthew 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). But even now, You are coming in glory into the hearts all of who seek You with eager longing and are preparing the way of the Lord in our hearts and souls. As we do, You are revealing the children of God. Soon we will see that the sufferings and struggles of these birth pains and contractions were worth it, to behold the fullness of Your glory in our hearts and throughout the earth. 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 and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Unfailing Treasure" 3-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust my life to You today, as best as I can and all by Your grace. ... "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also" (Luke 12:32-34). Today, we will sell our most significant material possession, as we close on the sale of our former home. Thank You, Lord, for the grace of selling it quickly and for leading Tricia to this new home she truly loves. May the peace of Your presence rest on the home we have left and the home we have received. And may the peace of Your presence rest on those who have no home at all, as You remind us daily that our true home is a kingdom not of this earth. "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). Our new home in Wilmore is a little smaller, with a little less space for our possessions. Thank You, Lord, for the grace of giving, as we have received of the blessing of simplifying our possessions and our hearts. And even then, You have given my wife a gift of making our home a place of simple beauty and welcoming warmth. But while our possessions will wear out and one day our treasures in this world will cease, You will endure and the treasures that are truly worth possessing will last forever. "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen in temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Lord, continue to simply my life and help me release my hold on the material possessions and the passing treasures of this world. Remind me every day that all that I have and all that I am belongs to You and is to be used by You in the service of Your kingdom. Continue to open my eyes and my heart to Your eternal perspective. You are my "unfailing treasure." 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Come Speak to Me 3-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift my spirit to seek Your face and open my heart to hear Your voice. ... "When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he would hear the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the covenant from between the two cherubim; thus it spoke to him" (Numbers 7:89). Word of God, Lord of my heart Come speak to me. Word of God, Lord of my heart Come reign in me. Word of God, Lord of my heart Come live Your life through me. I want to hear You, Lord To be near You, Lord Closer than I've ever been. I want to see Your face I want to know Your grace Come lead me deep within. Voice of God, You're in my heart Come speak to me. Voice of God, You're in my heart Come reign in me. Voice of God, You're in my heart Come live Your life through me. Thank You, Lord, for drawing me in to the tent of meeting in holy place of prayer. Thank You for the voice of Your Spirit singing this song of intimacy and praise through my spirit to You as "deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). Open the eyes of my heart to see You. Open the ears of my heart to hear You. Let me be forever changed and forever changing in Your presence and into Your image, as I behold the glory of Your face and the power of Your voice (2 Corinthians 3:18). 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Obedience, Love, and Joy 3-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. Help me hear You more clearly and obey You more completely. Open Your Word of truth and life to Me today. ... "I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father" (John 14:31). "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:9-11). There is a relationship between obedience and love and joy. To abide in the love of God requires obedience to the commands of God. You want me to love You enough to trust Your commands, trusting that You know what is best for me and trusting that You call me to obedience to Your will out of the wisdom of Your love. And to the degree that I abide in Your love in trusting surrender and obedience to Your will, Your joy will abide in me and my joy will be complete. As I do, I will hear in my heart, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter in to the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 5:21, NKJV). 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Filled Up and Squeezed Out 3-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with Your Spirit today, as I welcome You, God the Father and God the Son, to come abide in me by God the Holy Spirit this day and every day (John 14:18-24). ... "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27). Father, continue to baptize me into Christ by Your Sprit through faith, continue to clothe me with Christ. To "baptize" is to saturate, to immerse, to soak. Like a dry sponge that is soaked in the water, then squeezed out in use, then soaked in the water again, keep soaking me, keep squeezing me, keep using me, and keep soaking me again. Every time You squeeze me to let the Living Waters of Your Life pour out of me, You make room for me to be filled again by "the Spirit of Christ" who is "the Spirit of God" abiding in me by Your Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). Every time You squeeze me, the sponge of my heart becomes softer and more tender, more sensitive to Your hand and more able to be filled and squeezed and used in Your service. The hard, crusty places are being soaked and saturated until they are emptied and open, ready to be filled again and filled more fully -- but always filled for the purpose of being squeezed out again. As You keep baptizing me into Christ, You keep filling me with Your Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). As You keep filling me up to keep squeezing me out, Your rivers of Living Water will keep flowing in and then flowing out of me (John 7:37-39). Filled up, squeezed out, and filled up again -- this is the way I am continually and increasingly "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Diamond in the Rough 3-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are My Lord and Savior, My Healer and Deliverer, My God, My King, and My Best Friend. You are the One who sees my heart and loves me anyway. ... "He's a diamond in the rough." Those words have always stuck with me. I had grown up on a cotton farm and then in little oil towns around west Texas and eastern New Mexico. I had worked my summers in middle school, high school, and college mostly hauling hay and driving tractors. I even filled in a couple of weeks as a roughneck on an oil rig until the reality of losing a finger or a toe from hauling drill pipe up and out of a greasy derrick really sank in and I went back to hauling hay. But now I was being considered for position as a trial lawyer in a Dallas law firm where I had worked part of my summer through law school as a law clerk. The lawyer who was pulling for me to be on the list of new hires from the graduating class passed along the summary of how I was seen by the hiring committee -- "a diamond in the rough." It felt good and it hurt at the same time. They were willing to see my potential but not fooled by my present and my past. That's how You are, Lord. With Your Father's heart, You see me as You created me to be. You see me in the fullness of the potential of my purpose and destiny, along with all the gifting, calling, and anointing You have given me and imparted to me by Your grace. But at the same time, You are not fooled by my present and my past. You see the diamond, but You also see the rough. You see my true self that needs to be nurtured and healed as You call forth my true identity and destiny, but You also see the false self that I have created and I have allowed others to create out of my own hurts and wounds, pride and insecurities, that needs to broken off in order to reveal the diamond hidden beneath the rough. When You called me to the ministry of inner healing -- healing from the inside out -- You began to remind me of those words and that image from long ago. You began to give me Your Father's heart to see Your sons and daughters as You see them, like a diamond in the rough. You taught me how to confront the "rough" and call the sin for the sin that it was in order to lead a person to confession and repentance in submitting every area of their life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You taught me how to help them acknowledge the pain and the shame that was still buried in the hurts and wounds of their past, from the things they had done and the things done to them. You taught me how to help them let Your Holy Spirit release it all to You -- step by step and layer by layer, liking pealing the layers of an onion with patience and faith, persistence and truth. You taught me how to speak life to the dry bones in the power of Your name and call forth their God-given purpose and passion to see and be who You created them to be. You began to teach me how to listen to You and speak Your heart to them, as You called forth the diamond and broke off the rough, through inner healing. And You began to teach me how to take the authority You had given me as Your disciple and Your ambassador over all the power of the enemy of our souls who seeks to keep us bound up in the idolatries and addictions of the bondage of self in our flesh. You were teaching me how to bind up the broken-hearted and set the captives free, as You proclaimed through my prayers the coming of the kingdom of God and the year of the Lord's favor in each person's life (Isaiah 61; Luke 4). Much of it You taught me as You used others to minister this kind of life and healing to me, as You gave me the courage and humility to set aside my pride and fear to receive the ministry of the healing love of God through those You had anointing to be Your healing hands and living words to me, as instruments of Your grace. You reminded me how when You saw the woman at the well, You went much more deeply than the surface (John 4:1-42). You looked into her past and confronted her shame and her need for love and acceptance. You could have just ministered a miracle, but You ministered inner healing as You exposed her past, so she could release it to You. In her healing, her eyes were opened to see You as her Messiah; and in her joy, she hurried off to tell everyone she knew about the love of the One "who told me everything I have ever done!" (verse 4:29) "Many Samaritans in the city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony" (verse 4:39). And You reminded me how the friends of the paralyzed man pressed through the crowds and every barrier to bring him to you for healing (Mark 2:1-12). You could have simply worked the miracle as said, "Rise and walk." But instead You looked beneath the surface of the problem to the root of the issue, ministering inner healing from the inside out. You spoke to the sins of his past as well as to the manifestation of that sin in his body; and he was healed. You expressed Your authority divine insight and revelation knowledge to not only work miracles, but also to expose the root and the source of all that keeps Your people from experiencing the healing and freedom of Your will. " 'But so that you many know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' -- He said to the paralytic -- 'I say to you, stand up, take up your mat and go to your home' " (verse 2:10-11). Thank You for the ministry of Your healing love. Thank You for the ministry of inner healing and deliverance. In the same way that You have ministered Your healing and deliverance to me, now You have given me the heart and the joy to minister Your healing love to others by the power and authority of Your Spirit living through me. In the same way we are healed and comforted by You, so You send us to be Your heart and hands of healing and comfort to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). There is still much to receive and there is still much to give. Freely have I received, now freely am I to give (Matthew 10:8). Lord, thank You for letting others see the diamond in the rough in me, so now I can minister that same Father's heart of Your healing love to others. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this morning's devotional become a little more involved than I expected to express much of my calling and ministry. If you would like to know more about these biblical, spiritual principles for personal transformation through inner healing and deliverance, you might consider ordering my dvd's from a healing prayer weekend called "Preparing the Way of the Lord." You can send a note or order it from the resources page of our web site: http://www.messiah-ministries.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Signs of the Times 3-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and await Your coming, for You are always coming to those You watch and wait for You. ... "The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, 'When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah'" (Matthew 16:1-3). The first day of Spring came this week. And then a day of snow came this week. What are the signs of the times? How should we interpret these things? It seems, at the very least, these signs would say that things are not right. Like a fever lets us know that something in the body is not right, so the earth is letting us know that something is not right. "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God. ... We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, grown inwardly while we wait for adoption, for the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:19-23). It is Your judgment and Your mercy to let us know when things are not right. It is a call to join in the travail of prayer, to awaken us to the reality of the evil and adultery in our generation and in our own hearts. It is a call to repentance -- to confess our sin and the sins of our generations so we can turn away from sin and turn to You by the grace of Your love for us. Through repentance, Your "mercy triumph over judgment" (James 2:13). Father, open my eyes to the signs of the times. Open my ears to the cry of creation and cry of the Spirit. Give me courage and hope to enter into this season of birth pangs, as Christ is being formed in me and in all who turn to You in repentance and faith. The sign of Jonah was the ark -- the only place of safety in the coming days of judgment. You are the Ark. You are the only Place of safety in the coming days of judgment, and You will lift us up into the safety of Your protection. As we turn to You in repentance for ourselves and for our generations, Your mercy will triumph over judgment. This is the redemption of our bodies and the adoption of our souls as the children of God we long to have in the fullness of Your salvation -- not only our redemption, but the redemption of all creation. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we recorded The Fountain live last Friday Night. Please send me a note if you would like to order it on CD and experience it with us. We are working out the distribution details and want to share the blessing. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Forty Days 3-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of the morning, I turn my eyes toward You, opening my heart to Your Holy Spirit and resting in the arms of my Father, here in the communion of prayer. ... "Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty day and forty nights" (Exodus 24:15-18). Lord, You have called me again this year to a season of fasting for forty days from to the repentance of Ash Wednesday to the resurrection of Easter Sunday. Thank You for allowing me the grace of juices of fruit and fluids of vitamins to help sustain my strength and health. You are drawing me up to the mountain of Your presence; but the closer I come, the more Your devouring fire is revealing and consuming my flesh -- the unsanctified areas of my soul that are not yet like Jesus. Like Isaiah, the more I behold Your glory, the more I find myself crying out in my spirit, "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:5). John Wesley charged his preachers with nineteen questions to affirm their calling and commitment to You before commissioning them as ambassadors of Your gospel. At ordination, I also affirmed those historic vows as a Methodist minister -- one of "Mr. Wesley's preachers," but above all, one of Your preachers. Question sixteen affirms the spiritual discipline of fasting as a means of growing in holiness of heart and life: "Will you recommend fasting and abstinence, both by precept and example?" -- to teach it and to live it. Fasting speaks of the process of sanctification and spiritual transformation -- death to the indulgences of our own desires of the flesh in order to be awakened to a life of the desires of the Your Spirit. "So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh -- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God ... and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we also may be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:12-17). By grace You have called me to this process, and by grace You are bringing me through it. Morning by morning and day by day, I become more desperate and dependent upon You alone. May this season of fasting be a means of Your grace to join in the struggle of Your suffering, as it becomes a means of Your grace to join the joy of Your resurrection. "He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was famished" (Matthew 4:2). Lord, make me more famished still for You, for Your Word, and for Your Spirit. I stand on Your promise by faith, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (verse 5:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join with me in praying for Rev. Jeffrey Bealmear and his mission team as he preaches and ministers to the people of Honduras this coming week. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Go Out to War" 3-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I prepare my heart for You, as I welcome You to come and prepare me for the battles and adventures of the day. ... "When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Before you engage in the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the troops, and say to them: 'Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near to do battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, or be afraid, or panic, or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory!' " (Deuteronomy 20:1-4). The wars and battles in the natural realm of the Old Testament speak to us of the wars and battles in the spiritual realm of the New Testament. Our true enemies are not flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of wickedness of "this present darkness," who often deceive and confuse those of flesh and blood to be the instruments of wickedness and destruction through their words and actions in our lives (Ephesians 6:12). Every day is a new battle. And in this broken and fallen world cloaked under cover of darkness and deception by "the ruler of this world," we are called to "go out to war" (John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11). As we do, Your light overcomes the darkness by every choice we make to walk in the truth of Your light rather than bowing to the deception of the darkness. You give us the victory as we enforce the victory of Your cross in the power of Your Spirit. "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:31). Sometimes it seems like I am outnumbered and overwhelmed, but I do not fight alone. In fact, I cannot fight alone. Apart from you I would already be defeated. But You are the Priest who stands before me to encourage me and fill me with courage and faith for the battle. You are the Warrior who rises within in me to give me Your heart and to give me Your victory. I need not fear, for You are with me, and by Your Holy Spirit, You are within me. You do not stand back in the safety of Heaven and send me "out to war", You arise in my heart to go out to war through me along with all those who welcome You into their hearts to give us heart for the battles we face on earth. The moment I take we stand in You and allow You to take Your stand in us, our enemy is defeated and the victory is won. "The Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's!" (1 Samuel 17:46) 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Obedience Brings Blessing 3-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, my Father. I welcome You, Holy Spirit. Teach me the wisdom of Your ways and give me the desire to obey Your will. I watch and wait for Your leading in silent surrender before Your throne. ... "You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord. If you follow My statutes and keep My commandments and observe them faithfully, I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land. And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid. ... And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be My people" (Leviticus 26:3-12). Obedience brings blessing. You desire from me the obedience of a son, not the obedience of a slave or a hired hand. You desire obedience "from the heart" (Romans 6:17). This is the obedience that comes from the desire to please You and to trust You because I believe You love me and You know what is best for me. If I keep Your sabbaths, I will learn to rest in You. If I reverence Your sanctuary, I will know the place of peace in Your presence. If I lie down from the labors of my flesh and rest in the strength of Your Word and Your will, I will experience the Your love that casts away all my fears and anxieties and stress. As I continually welcome You to walk with me through the moments of my life, I will know with ever-increasing certainty that You are my God and I am Your son. 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Clarity 3-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes to You. Let the light of Your truth shine into my soul, as I embrace the light of the glory of Your presence here in my heart. ... Last night at The Fountain, I was praying for a woman with deep faith, struggling to persevere through a hard season of anxiety and stress. As I was praying, You impressed upon me to pray for "clarity" -- clarity of thinking, clarity of perspective, clarity of devotion. You seemed to be showing me her weary mind needed peace and rest from the swirl of activity and chaos that seemed to engulf her. And because of the deep heart of compassion and mercy You have given her, she was drawn to carry all these burdens on herself as the enemy of her soul tried to twist her gift of God and use it against her to weigh her down and crush out her strength and hope. As I said "clarity" in my prayer, she burst into tears. You had been leading her to pray for "clarity." After we prayed, she showed me a bracelet she recently bought to remind her to pray. It was called "clarity." Part of the purpose of the words of knowledge You give us in prayer is to let us know in a very specific way that You are watching over us and You are with us in the struggles and sufferings we face (1 Corinthians 12:8). You are reminding us that You have the answers because You are the answer. We can trust Your leadings because we can trust You. Lord, open the eyes of my heart to see You more clearly. Remove the filters and distortions that cloud my thinking and blur my focus. Like sharpening the point of a pencil, narrow my thoughts to the One who knows the answer to every need I have because Your are the answer. You are the Word of Knowledge because You are the Word of God (John 1:1). Let me keep growing in the wisdom of Your ways and in the knowledge of who You are. "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God know me now" (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we recorded The Fountain last night. If you would like to order a copy of the cd for yourself or to give to others, please send me a note. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"I Die Daily" 3-17-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You and I need You. I welcome You into my heart more deeply each day. Let me continually be emptied of myself and filled with You, as the Father and the Son come and make Your home in my heart by Your Holy Spirit (John 14:23). ... "Then He said to them all, 'If any want to be My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of Me and My words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels' " (Luke 9:23-26). Yes, Lord Jesus. I want to be Your follower. I want to life the live I was created to live and fulfill the fullness of my calling and destiny in this opportunity I have during this sliver of eternity I live in this earthly body. Remind me daily of this eternal perspective. Remind me daily to live for You and not myself. Remind me daily to choose by Your grace to take up my cross and follow You. As I deny myself, I embrace You, as You continue to come in glory into my heart and life. As Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31, NJKV). As John the Baptist said, "You must increase and I must decrease" (John 3:30, personalized). This is a choice You set before me each day -- to follow the world or follow You, to live for myself or live for You, to be ashamed of You or glorify You. I choose You again this 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, You are invited to Come to The Fountain! this Friday night 3/17 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. Please spread the word that The Fountain is now on the 3rd Friday night instead of Saturday night. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Somebody's Praying 3-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I come into the Holy of Holies in prayer under the Blood of the Lamb. By Your grace, give me clean hands and a pure heart, as I lift my face to You in worship and prayer in the first offering of my day. ... "For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to make it holy to the Lord. For a multitude of the people ... had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than as prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, 'The good Lord pardon all who set their hearts to seek God, the Lord the God of their ancestors, even though not in accordance with the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.' The Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people" (2 Chronicles 30:17-20). In Your mercy, it is Your heart to pardon and to heal all who set their hearts to seek You. You desire obedience and cleansing from sin. You desire hearts that are sanctified completely and set apart entirely unto You. But even in our disobedience You move on the hearts of others to pray for us for Your pardon and Your grace -- a grace that is only available through the Blood of the Passover Lamb. You are "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Thank You for those who are willing to intercede throughout the generations. Thank You for their prayers in submission to the leading of Your Spirit that open a window of Your grace for us. John Wesley said You do nothing except through prayer. It may be that the only reason any of us ever come to a place of setting our hearts to seek God is because someone has been praying, maybe even many generations before they even knew our names. It reminds of the song, "Somebody's praying ... I can feel it." Thank You for hearing their prayers for me. Thank You for putting those prayers on their hearts to pray. 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 Friday night 3/17 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Led by the Spirit 3-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen for Your leading. ... "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). Lord, increase my sensitivity to the leading of Your Spirit. And increase my willingness to be flexible and obedient to follow. The ways of the Spirit are not the ways of my flesh. My flesh wants certainty and security and conformity. But Your Spirit comes in ways I don't expect and leads me to places I would not have gone. Being led by Your Spirit is part of growing into the maturity of relationship with You. I have to take time to know Your voice and listen for Your leading. I am called to have courage to rise and follow You at the prompting and directing of this spiritual Force as unseen as the wind, but just as real. This spiritual Force is a Personhood of Your Being -- the Holy Spirit of the Living God -- living in me and living through me and all those who are "born of the Spirit" and called by Your name as children of God. Your life on earth is my example. You were "led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" for forty days as You fasted and prayed (Matthew 4:1). Flesh would not choose that, but the Spirit did. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). You are freeing me from the weakness of my flesh, encouraging me each day to rise the power of Your Spirit and follow the leading of the will of God, which is often so contrary to my natural thoughts and desires. "The Spirit helps us in our weakness" and "the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (verse 8:26-27). Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit -- the "Sprit of Life in Christ Jesus" (verse 8:2). Thank You for the grace You are giving me to follow Your Spirit where You lead, even when my flesh does not want to go there. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 3/17 -- the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Paul Cooper will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"The Battle at the Gate" 3-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open the gates of my heart and soul to You this day. I welcome You in as the King of Glory. ... "In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of His people; and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate" (Isaiah 28:5-6). Lord, I want to be among the remnant of Your people. I want to be counted as one who remains faithful and true by Your grace through every wave of judgment that comes and through every battle that is waged. But free me from the confusion of passivity and passivism that sits back waiting for Your return or waiting for You to do what You have called me to do in the power of Your strength and Spirit. In Your strength, let me take my place to obey Your command to "turn back the battle at the gate" of my city, and my family, and my heart. This is a spiritual battle, to be fought with the spiritual weapons of faith and courage, truth and justice, humility and grace. We are to wield "the weapons of our warfare" -- the name of Jesus, the power of Your blood, the sword of Your Spirit in the Word of God, worship and praise that exalts our God and confuses our enemies (2 Corinthians 10:4). "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). We are not to run in fear or to rest in passivism, we are "to stand" and "to withstand in the evil day" the enemy of our souls (verse 6:13). It is an all-volunteer army, but You are calling us and commanding us to volunteer, to be trained, and to be employed at Your command. In the name of Jesus, I renounce the passivity of the confused Christian culture of my generation. Though You came the first time as the gentle Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, You are coming now with fire in Your eyes, a sword in Your hand, and a robe dipped in blood as You lead the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:11-16). "In righteousness He judges and makes war" (verse 19:11). These battles are fought through the choices we make every day. Be victorious in my heart that You can be victorious through my life to turn back the battle of evil forces and sinful flesh at the gates where You call me to take my stand. 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 Friday night 3/17 (not on Saturday any more) 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"The Battle at the Gate" 3-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open the gates of my heart and soul to You this day. I welcome You in as the King of Glory. ... "In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of His people; and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate" (Isaiah 28:5-6). Lord, I want to be among the remnant of Your people. I want to be counted as one who remains faithful and true by Your grace through every wave of judgment that comes and through every battle that is waged. But free me from the confusion of passivity and passivism that sits back waiting for Your return or waiting for You to do what You have called me to do in the power of Your strength and Spirit. In Your strength, let me take my place to obey Your command to "turn back the battle at the gate" of my city, and my family, and my heart. This is a spiritual battle, to be fought with the spiritual weapons of faith and courage, truth and justice, humility and grace. We are to wield "the weapons of our warfare" -- the name of Jesus, the power of Your blood, the sword of Your Spirit in the Word of God, worship and praise that exalts our God and confuses our enemies (2 Corinthians 10:4). "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). We are not to run in fear or to rest in passivism, we are "to stand" and "to withstand in the evil day" the enemy of our souls (verse 6:13). It is an all-volunteer army, but You are calling us and commanding us to volunteer, to be trained, and to be employed at Your command. In the name of Jesus, I renounce the passivity of the confused Christian culture of my generation. Though You came the first time as the gentle Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, You are coming now with fire in Your eyes, a sword in Your hand, and a robe dipped in blood as You lead the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:11-16). "In righteousness He judges and makes war" (verse 19:11). These battles are fought through the choices we make every day. Be victorious in my heart that You can be victorious through my life to turn back the battle of evil forces and sinful flesh at the gates where You call me to take my stand. 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 Friday night 3/17 (not on Saturday any more) 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

"The Battle at the Gate" 3-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open the gates of my heart and soul to You this day. I welcome You in as the King of Glory. ... "In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of His people; and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate" (Isaiah 28:5-6). Lord, I want to be among the remnant of Your people. I want to be counted as one who remains faithful and true by Your grace through every wave of judgment that comes and through every battle that is waged. But free me from the confusion of passivity and passivism that sits back waiting for Your return or waiting for You to do what You have called me to do in the power of Your strength and Spirit. In Your strength, let me take my place to obey Your command to "turn back the battle at the gate" of my city, and my family, and my heart. This is a spiritual battle, to be fought with the spiritual weapons of faith and courage, truth and justice, humility and grace. We are to wield "the weapons of our warfare" -- the name of Jesus, the power of Your blood, the sword of Your Spirit in the Word of God, worship and praise that exalts our God and confuses our enemies (2 Corinthians 10:4). "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). We are not to run in fear or to rest in passivism, we are "to stand" and "to withstand in the evil day" the enemy of our souls (verse 6:13). It is an all-volunteer army, but You are calling us and commanding us to volunteer, to be trained, and to be employed at Your command. In the name of Jesus, I renounce the passivity of the confused Christian culture of my generation. Though You came the first time as the gentle Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, You are coming now with fire in Your eyes, a sword in Your hand, and a robe dipped in blood as You lead the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:11-16). "In righteousness He judges and makes war" (verse 19:11). These battles are fought through the choices we make every day. Be victorious in my heart that You can be victorious through my life to turn back the battle of evil forces and sinful flesh at the gates where You call me to take my stand. 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 Friday night 3/17 (not on Saturday any more) 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Arise and Shine 3-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be near to me today, as I willingly and deliberately submit my life into Your hands in these first moments of my day. ... "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life' " (John 8:12). Lord, shine Your light into the depths of my soul like the light of the morning sun shining into the depths of dawn. Light my spirit like a candle so that I will shine with Your light today. As You drive the darkness out of me, then I will be like a lighted candle in Your hand as You carry me throughout the day driving out the darkness wherever You take me. Though my culture and the cultures of the earth are filled with darkness, You have called me to stand out from the darkness and to shine with the light of Your glory in the midst of the darkness. But I can only shine with Your light to the degree that I have embraced Your light and submitted to Your deliverance from the darkness that tries to linger in my soul. By Your grace, I can choose to walk in Your light or linger in the darkness with every decision set before me each day. "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light -- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.... but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it say, 'Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you' " (Ephesians 4:8-14). Help me live in Your light as Your light lives in me more each day. "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). In You, I will "Arise and shine; for my Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon me" (Isaiah 60:1, personalized). 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 for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502.On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 3/17 -- now the 3rd Friday night of every month instead of Saturday at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com