The Joy of Giving 2-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You gave Your all for me. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I give my all for You today. ... Father, You are the ultimate Giver: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...." (John 3:16). Because You are One as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You did not give a sacrifice of someone else for us to be restored in relationship with You, You gave Your very Self in the humility and sacrifice of the cross, in a mystery too deep for us to fully comprehend on this side of heaven. "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Today, You are sending me to the Regional Generous Giving Conference in Lexington to learn more of Your principles of giving generously of all I am and all I have for You, because You have given generously of all You are and all You have for me. You call each of us to give of ourselves to You and Your Kingdom in "the privilege of sharing in this ministry" with "eagerness" (verse 8:1-15). This is the "abundant joy" of giving that "overflows in a wealth of generosity" (verse 8:2). You call each of us to give the same, no matter how much we have -- out of the abundance of the gift of life You have given us, "according to what one has -- not according to what one does not have" (verse 8:12). You call us each to give our all, as You lead. And all that we have belongs to You anyway. We are blessed to be Your stewards of Your resources to give and to receive as You lead for Your purposes of Your kingdom. "Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work" (verse 9:7-8). Lord, make me a cheerful giver. Remind me of the abundance that You have given me and let that abundance overflow in generosity to others. I want to experience the joy of giving and I want to share abundantly in the ministry of Your kingdom in every good work as You lead. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, part of the regional ministry calling of Messiah Ministries is to work in ministry and prayer with the Kentucky Christian Foundation (www.kentuckychristianfoundation.org) to gather the resources of God's kingdom and help distribute them to the front lines of ministry as He leads. Many of you gave generously to our fund for Katrina disaster relief and over $200,000 was collected and distributed by our team in a short time! We are forming another team focused on the needs in Eastern Kentucky. Please let me know if you could help introduce me to generous givers and ministry leaders with a heart for the ministry of God's kingdom in Kentucky and our region. 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. We hope to have some students for the Asbury Revival join us Saturday night to release impartation for revival. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on inner healing, deliverance and spiritual transformation, 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. www.messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Go 2-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let everything else fade away in these first moments of the morning, as I turn my heart and thoughts to You. ... "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you....' So Abram went as the Lord told him" (Genesis 12:1-4). We became citizens of Wilmore, Kentucky yesterday, purchasing our property and home at the edge of the city that is home to Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary, where my wife and I received training for the ministry of the Kingdom of God. With our ministry in Lexington and our home in Wilmore, it seems You are expanding our territory to cover with our hearts and our prayers. With what You are doing in the awakening of a revival in the hearts of the students at Asbury, it seems we are moving into revival and our soon-to-be-born son will be birthed in revival. You are on the move and we're moving with You. A friend of mine said the other day, the journey with God is not really even day by day, it is step by step. In every moment of every day, I want to learn to hear and obey, to follow wherever You lead. Let me know as much about my mission when I get there as I need to know now. But mostly, it is not what I need to know as much as it is Who I need to know. Thank You for the grace of knowing You, Lord, in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help me to know You more deeply and obey You more completely day by day and step by step in this journey of relationship and obedience. 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. http://messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

A Day of Love 2-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the worship song says, "I'm falling on my knees, offering all of me; Jesus, You're all this heart is living for." I offer as much of me as I can and receive as much of You as I can. Help me offer more of myself today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today. ... "And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Today, much of the world will celebrate Valentine's Day as a day of love. Somewhere among the cards and candies and everything else the day has become, we will likely forget it is a day named for a saint who was martyred for his faith in Christ by a Roman Emperor. Valentine was pierced in his heart with a love of God that would not deny his loyalty to You even in the face of death. Perhaps he died, declaring his undying love with his face turned to heaven, singing to the God of unfailing love, "I'm falling on my knees, offering all of me. Jesus, You're all this heart is living for." Today I'll say, "I love you" to the one You've given as gift to love me. It's her favorite day. But any love I have to give that is pure and true is only because You have first loved me. You have pierced my heart with Your unfailing love. Thank You, Lord, for pouring Your love into my heart through Your Spirit. Let Your love pour out of me today to my wife and my children and all those You will love through my life today. 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 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

Awakening a Craving for God 2-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for the gift of starting the day with You. Take me by the hand and lead me by the heart, as I awaken and arise to follow You. ... "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13) The meaning of "ask" in this passage carries the idea of craving, desiring, and even requiring. Lord, the revival You are releasing at Asbury and throughout the land is an awakening of a craving for You. You are the gift we long to receive. You are giving us a taste of Your presence -- not to become satisfied with an experience of the moment, but to hunger and thirst for even more. Your Spirit is moving in our hearts to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, to keep on knocking. We want more than a flash in the pan of the gold of Your glory, we want the fullness of the presence of Christ conforming us to Your nature and transforming us to our destiny. Holy Spirit, keep releasing a craving for the presence of God in my soul. Give me the persistence to persevere in prayer, taking hold of You and never letting You go. Let the taste of Your presence only make me hungry for more. By Your grace, I will keep on asking and keep on receiving; I will keep on searching and keep on finding; I will keep on knocking and keep on opening. 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 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

"Tear Open the Heavens" 2-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cleanse my heart and soul by the mercy of the blood of the Lamb, as I enter in to the holy place of Your presence in worship and prayer this morning. ... "O that You would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at Your presence -- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil -- to make Your name known to Your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome deeds that we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no eye has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 6:1-4). Father, You are the God who works for those who wait for You. As we wait for You, we humble ourselves from the striving and straining of our own labors. As we wait for You, a longing for Your presence takes hold in the yearning of our souls. As we wait for You, we begin to desire You -- to hunger and thirst for You, to be filled by Your Spirit and the fullness of Your presence. And when You see hungry hearts yearning for Your presence, crying out to You more than we are crying out for food or entertainment or the praises of others or anything else but You, You tear open the heavens and come down! The mountains quake and the nations tremble at Your presence; the fire of heaven falls and sets our hearts ablaze. Our spirits bubble and burst like boiling water, purified and cleansed by the flame of the fire of Your Spirit. Then the awesome deeds of Your power are released as we embrace Your presence -- passion for God, salvation of souls, healing and deliverance of every dimension of our being, holiness of our hearts and lives, and transformation of our communities. These are the blessings of Your presence. Yet they will not come without a fight. Your adversaries are at work as well to keep heaven from touching earth in our hearts and souls. Your adversaries are our adversaries, doing all they can in the short time they have to keep us from waiting on You and seeking the fullness of Your presence above all else. The distractions and destructions of the spiritual forces of wickedness working through fallen flesh and fallen nature are all strategically intended to keep us from seeking Your face and waiting for Your presence. Lord, give me grace to press through and press in, to keep my eyes as fixed as the sun on Your face and insisting on the fullness of Your presence. "But as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him' -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). I love You, Lord, and I am watching and waiting for You -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. Tear open the heavens and come down! May I receive the fullness of all You have prepared for me and all those who love You and wait for You. In Jesus' name I pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayers. I will be preaching at Faith in God Fellowship in Russellville, Ohio this morning -- my wife's hometown. The Lord has just given me my message and I pray there will be a release in Ohio of what the Lord is doing in Kentucky at the Asbury revival. I pray He will release a hunger and thirst for His presence with a persistence to press through all resistance everywhere our words and prayers touch by His grace. 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.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month (the 3rd Friday starting in March) at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

God is On the Move 2-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes upon You, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit and as I rest in arms of my Father. ... A revival is a move of God. Father, You are moving in our hearts and communities to fill us with Your Spirit and transform us into the image of Your Son. And wherever You are moving, the enemy will try to move. He will try to squelch Your move through our flesh through whatever means is available -- self-centered pride, rigid religion, traditions of men, fear of losing control, envy of the blessing of others, deception and confusion to distort discernment, ignorance of the ways of God, and arrogance that we think we know all the ways of God. In humility and faith, we must seek Your wisdom and discernment to take our place as watchmen on the wall. From our posts on the walls and at the gates, we must herald the coming of the Lord and be ready for the coming of the enemy (Isaiah 62:6-7). We need supernatural grace to overcome our supernatural foes. When we are tempted to judge one another, we need Your grace to release mercy to one another. When see our relationships strained with the temptation to turn away from one another, we must seek Your grace to embrace one another in the bonds of love. "Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Revival brings restoration of relationships -- both our relationship with You and our relationship with one another. So the enemy, who comes to steal and kill and destroy, will try to attack our relationships. We must guard our hearts and stand guard for the hearts of one another. "And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs" (2 Corinthians 2:11). Where You are sowing good seeds of life and the unity of the body of Christ, the enemy is sowing evil seeds of death and division to try to cripple and confuse the move of God to destroy or delay the harvest of Your kingdom (Matthew 13:36-43). Lord, give me the mind of Christ, the Father heart of God, and the discernment of the Holy Spirit. Give me grace to vigilant, courage to stand, and humility to seek You for Your leading in every moment -- not relying on the patterns of the past and not being caught up in the emotions of the moment. You use our emotions and our minds. You honor Your moves of the past and You call us to move with You in the present. Thank You that You are on the move. I want to move with You as You move in me. 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://messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month (the 3rd Friday starting in March) at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Awakened to Worship 2-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, Lord, in spirit and truth. You are the Spirit of Truth and I welcome You here in my heart afresh today. ... There is an awakening of worship in the land. And what is worship but the willing surrender of our lives into Your hands. It's not only singing songs or praying prayers -- no matter how personally or intimately or prophetically -- it is entrusting and abandoning ourselves to You, without hesitation and without limitation. It is a death to self and self-consciousness and life to You and God consciousness. As the worship song says, it is the place where "the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of Your glory and grace." The move of Your Spirit in the revival of hearts at Asbury College is an awakening of worship. There are no famous speakers, no famous worship leaders, no famous prophets or evangelists or pastors or teachers or apostles. There are just the "blessed" ones -- those who are "poor in spirit," who "mourn," who "hunger and thirst for righteousness." They are being "filled" with the fullness of "the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3-11). Yesterday morning I joined with the students and those from the community who came to watch and wait in the stillness of Your presence and in the trusting surrender of intimate worship. I spoke with a friend from one of our citywide prayer groups who is a seminary student who came to the revival the night before with an eye infection. A twelve year-old boy who had just been baptized with Your Holy Spirit a couple of nights before prayed for his healing. When he woke up yesterday morning, his eyes were healed! He said You were teaching him there can be a sickness of our souls manifested in our bodies when we spend too much time looking to ourselves. But healing comes as we turn our eyes toward You. Lord, I choose to take my eyes off of myself and turn my eyes toward You -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. I worship You in spirit and truth. As the song says, I turn my eyes upon You and look full in Your wonderful face; and the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of Your glory and grace. You have awakened me to worship. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Here's a link to Breaking News at Asbury College Web Site: http://www.asbury.edu/press/chapeldaytwo06 To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on personal 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.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month (the 3rd Friday starting in March) at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

You are I Am -- Revival at Asbury Continues! 2-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in every dimension of Your Being -- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. You are One; You are Holy; You are Faithful and True. You are not I was or I will be. You are I AM. ... "But Moses said to God, 'If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I Am Who I Am.' He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I Am has sent me to you.' ' God also said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is My name forever, and this is My title for all generations' " (Exodus 3:13-15). Lord God Almighty, You are "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Your presence is not a relic of the past, as the deists teach. Your power is not a relic of the past as the dispensationalists teach. Wherever You are, so is Your power. You are I Am. Your name is Your nature. Your presence and Your power is for right now and "forever" and "for all generations." You are sufficient for every need in the moment of my need. You are worthy of my worship in every moment of my life. You are the eternal God who rules and reigns in the power of Your presence throughout all eternity. "For thus says the high and lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15). Though You dwell in the highest heaven, You also dwell in my heart -- to the very degree that I come to You and call upon Your name with a humble spirit and a contrite heart. This is the heart You revive and renew in the transformation of the power of Your eternal presence. By Your grace, let this be my heart and my revival this day and every day, forever and for all generations. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Praying Friends, the revival at Asbury continues. We are going down to Wilmore, Kentucky again this morning to watch and wait for the Lord as watchmen on the wall to pray for the protection of this revival and experience the presence and power of God transforming humble hearts. Here's a link to Breaking News at Asbury College Web Site: http://www.asbury.edu/press/chapeldaytwo06 To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on personal 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.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month (the 3rd Friday starting in March) at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com

Revival Fire at Asbury 2-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Kindle the embers of my soul. Let the wind of Your Holy Spirit set my heart ablaze with a fresh passion for You. Let the flames of fire fly touch everything that dead and dry in the world around me. Let the rising smoke confirm for all to see that souls are being consumed by the fire of Your glory. ... "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Lord, You are moving again the hearts of the students at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, about fifteen miles south of Lexington. Your Spirit has set the world ablaze with revival fires that were kindled there several times in the past. But You send fresh fire to fall on the altars of prepared through repentance and prayer, worship and praise, hungering to be filled with the fullness of Your presence. Some students came back from an encounter with You in Kansas City at the International House of Prayer -- a furnace of prayer in an atmosphere of worship twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week that began over six years ago with the commitment to continue until You return to gather Your bride. The student-led chapel that began with their simple testimonies on Monday is still continuing. All the angels of heaven rejoiced as six students gave their hearts to You the first day and all who come sense the holiness and majesty of Your presence in Hughes Auditorium. I would say this is a revival more characterized so far by a tremendous hunger and thirst for Your presence, rather than signs and wonders. But really, that is revival -- faces turned to seek You and hearts opened to receive You in desperate cries for Your coming and confident faith to believe You will. You drew me there yesterday morning to join in worship and prayer -- to join in hunger and thirst for Your righteousness and to be filled. I sensed that I was not only there to receive but also to stand as a watchmen on the wall -- to watch for the glory of Your coming and to watch for any advance of the enemy. Wherever You are moving in glory, the enemy tries to move as well (Matthew 24:13-30). It amazes me that You recently called us to purchase a home in Wilmore where we went to Asbury Seminary and we will be moving there next week. We will be moving in to a revival of Your presence and taking our place on the wall in a very real way. Lord, awaken Your watchmen to guard the hearts of these students and all who will be touched by these revival fires of Your glory. Continue to pour out Your Spirit to fan into flame these embers of hungry hearts desperate for Your presence. Let this revival become a transformation of our hearts, our families, our communities, and even the nations. Let this not be just a visitation of Your glory, but a habitation of Your presence. Release the anointing to seek You without reservation and to pray without ceasing until Your return in the fullness of Your glory in our hearts and throughout the earth. In Jesus' name I pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join with me in prayer for this revival. There is no particular person who is leading this but the Holy Spirit. God bless you as the Lord releases the revival of His transformation in your hearts! 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Unashamed 2-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart and lift my hands in worship and praise, in humility and faith, in the trusting surrender of intimate love. ... "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43, NKJV). Lord, continue to deliver me from the fear of man and continue to impart to me the fear of God. Let me live for Your praise and not theirs, for Your glory and not mine. Convict me of the sin of pride manifested in self-consciousness that is more concerned of what others think of me than what You think of me. Let me not be ashamed to seek Your face and praise Your name, to let my life be a witness of Your love and Your power wherever I am and whoever I am with. As Paul said with words, let me say with my life, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16, 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"More and More" 2-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. More of You and less of me. More of Your Spirit and less of my flesh; more of Your will and less of mine. ... "And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9). There is always more. As the worship song says, "More love; more power; more of You in my life." Let me never be satisfied with how much I have grown in spiritual maturity or how far I have come in the journey of faith -- there's always more and it's always by Your grace. To be made "pure and blameless" is not a day to mark on the calendar or even a destination along the journey, but a choice of complete surrender and submission -- a choice You continually set before me every moment of every day. This is the life through Christ that produces a "harvest of righteousness" and glorifies God. By Your grace, I choose to continually give as much of me as I can and to continually receive as much of You as I can. As I do, Your love and Your power will overflow in me and through me "more and more." 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Delivered for Worship 2-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my head before You in prayer and lift my heart to You in praise. ... "Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey...' " (Exodus 3:7-8). Father, You have observed our misery and You know our sufferings. You hear our cries for deliverance. As You sent Moses to deliver the Hebrew people from the hand of Pharaoh, so You have sent Your Son to deliver us from the oppression of the enemy of our souls. As You confirmed Your word of deliverance to Moses, so You confirm Your word of deliverance to us, saying, "I will be with you; and this shall be a sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain" (Exodus 3:12). We are delivered for worship. Our enemy knows that hearts that are weary and oppressed are too heavy to be lifted up in worship and praise. So he brings every form of misery and suffering to crush our spirits and steal our joy. But You are with us to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free. "The Lord is near to brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). Hearts that are set free are free to worship. Lord, set me free to worship You. Cast off every spirit of heaviness and cloak me with the garments of praise (Isaiah 61:3). This is the purpose of deliverance -- to "worship God" (Exodus 3:12). This is what our enemy hates and fears the most -- hearts set free from the chains of oppression and filled with the praise of worship for You. Bring me out of Egypt and into the good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey of worship and praise from a heart that is free. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Friend of God 2-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You, as I watch and wait with anticipation in the silence of surrender. ... "You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made know to you everything that I have heard from My Father" (John 15:14-15). This personal relationship with You is one of both intimacy and obedience. You call me friend, while You also call me to obedience. You make known to me the depths of the nature and will of my Father, for You and the Father and the Spirit are One, but this is for the purpose of both intimacy and obedience. As You dwell in my heart, You shape my will, and direct my actions. You immerse me in Your nature so that in the fullness of our friendship, Your nature becomes my nature. It is by yielding to Your will as Master that You draw me to Your side as friend. Give me the humility to obey and the courage to come. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Costly Grace 2-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait for Your leading and watch for Your appearing. One day, You will appear in Your glory across the skies. Today, I ask You to appear in Your glory in my heart. ... "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me; and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them" (John 14:21). "Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them" (John 14:23). There is a connection between loving You and obeying You. At times we are tempted to give in to the idea of cheap grace -- that somehow we can come into relationship with You and then live our lives for ourselves alone, however we desire, as if we had never surrendered our lives to You. But this love You call us to is a love of You and Your ways. To love You is to obey You. This kind of love and this depth of love is impossible apart from Your grace, but Your grace is available to all who will ask and receive. Someone has said, "Grace is free, but it's not cheap. It will cost you everything You have." Yes, Lord. This is the grace I ask for. This is the grace I receive. The grace of Your power to love You and to obey You, to live my life for You and not for myself. As I lose my life, then I will truly find it. As I die daily to my self apart from relationship with You and obedience to You, to that degree I will truly live the life You have created me to live. To that degree, You and the Father by Your Holy Spirit, will come to me and make Your home in me, according to Your Word (John 14:3). As You said to Your first disciples, so You say to me and all Your disciples today, "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" (John 15:10). Any understanding of grace that does not understand this call to obedience is merely a vain philosophy of the traditions of men. I ask for Your forgiveness for my disobedience and I ask for Your grace to obey You more completely and to love You more deeply -- more today than yesterday, more tomorrow than today. I welcome You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to come make Your home in my heart, abiding in me continually and abounding in me thoroughly -- more and more each 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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 Fill Me Afresh 2-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship and adore You. I want to live for You. Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. ... I worship and adore You. I want to live for You. Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. You are the Father and the Son, The Spirit of the Holy One, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. You must increase, And I must decrease, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. I give you my life, A living sacrifice, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. I am Yours and You are mine, Let our lives be intertwined, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Let Your Fire fall from above, Baptize me in Your love, Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Set me ablaze with the passion Of the heart You have fashioned Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. May my life tell a story Of Your power and glory Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. When all is said and done I want to be Your faithful son Come fill me afresh with Your Presence today. Yes, Father. These words of surrender and trust Your Holy Spirit has written on my heart this morning is my worship and prayer. You have put Your words to the longing of my heart. What more could I want than the fullness of Your Presence in every dimension of my life. In Your grace and by Your power, may I continually "be 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Word of Christ 2-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I embrace You and Your Word. You are Spirit and You are Life. ... "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sign psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God" (Colossians 3:16). As I read Your written Word in the Scripture and listen for Your living word in my spirit, I can choose to let it linger or let it leave. I can receive the teaching and admonitions You speak into my life through the accountability of trusting relationships or not. I can embrace an attitude of gratitude in thanksgiving and praise for Your presence in my life or decide to keep it all to myself, deciding to somehow privately worship You and thank You in the hidden places of my soul. But if I were silent, even "the stones would shout out" (Luke 19:40). The Word of God cannot be contained. It will rise up and it will go forth. I will change whatever it touches. Your Word is "alive and active," and it is dwelling in me (Hebrews 4:12). You are the Word of God and You are dwelling in me -- changing me, and therefore, changing everything around me. Let my life be a psalm and a song of praise to You today as the Word of Christ dwells in me and changes me today. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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 Sacrifice that Satisfies 1-31-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the peace of Your presence fill my soul. ... Let the peace of Your presence fill my soul. Let the life of Your Spirit make me whole. Open my ears to hear, as You come and draw me near. Come make my heart Your home. Let the joy of the Lord be my strength As I lift my hands and bow my knees. Open my eyes to behold the glory of Your throne. Come live Your life through me. Let Your Holy Spirit fill me afresh. I want all of You and nothing less. Open my spirit to be possessed by the fullness of Your righteousness. Come fulfill in me Your promises. Let my life be hid with You in Christ. The Spirit must live and my flesh must die. Open my heart to receive the full measure of the One who never leaves. Come lead me in Your path of life. Yes, Lord. Thank You for these words of surrender and submission Your Spirit is speaking through my heart. Let me die daily the death to self apart from You, let my "life be hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). This is the death that leads to life. This is the sacrifice that satisfies the longing of my soul. By Your grace, I offer my life as a sacrifice of praise to You 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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 Throne of Your Glory 1-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You open the door of heaven and call me up into Your presence through the spirit of worship and prayer (Revelation 4:1). I accept Your invitation and enter in to the Holy of Holies of Your presence through the blood of the Lamb. ... As You drew John up into Your presence through the open door of heaven, You opened his spiritual eyes to see beyond the veil of the earthly realm into the heavenly realm. At the center of all he saw was the "One seated on the throne" (verse 4:2). He saw each the three dimensions of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He saw God the Father in the glory of precious jewels and the light of a glorious rainbow (verse 4:3). He saw God the Son as the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah (verse 5:5-6). He saw God the Holy Spirit as the seven flaming torches of the seven-fold Spirit of God (verse 4:5). Lord God, You are One and You are holy. You are Spirit and those who seek You must seek You in spirit and truth (John 4:24). And in the spirit of worship and prayer, I join with all creation around Your throne to bow low as You lift me high, singing, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created" (verse 4:11). Thank You for the gift and the invitation of Your open door. You are the open door, Lord Jesus. We enter in to this heavenly realm of Your presence and bow before the throne of the glory of God through the sacrifice of the blood of the Lamb. "For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:8). You may not always pull back the veil and let me see in the spirit into the heavenly realm, but I know You are there and I know You are worthy of my worship and prayer. So I come asking, searching, knocking -- knowing I will find You here in all Your glory, welcoming me to come up with You in Your presence through the blood of the Lamb. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Paradise of Your Presence 1-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God. You are the "King of kings and the Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). You are my King. You are my Lord. Come in to Your kingdom in my heart this day. ... One of those crucified with You turned to You in humility and faith, saying, " "Jesus, remember me when You come in to Your kingdom." You replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). You come in to Your kingdom wherever we bow our hearts to the King of the kingdom of God. Heaven touches earth in our hearts, and we experience a measure of Paradise -- the eternal restoration of all things. Let my heart by Your kingdom. Let my body by Your temple. For wherever You are, the kingdom of God has drawn near. The fullness of Your presence in my heart is my Paradise. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Prepared and Protected 1-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me focus on Your face and listen for Your leading. ... You see the end from the beginning. All time and space throughout the past and the future is present and eternal to You. You know every decision that will be made, every consequence of every action -- both good and evil, both those in obedience to Your will and those in rebellion against Your will. And You are there. You are working in ways we do not see in Your persistent, unfailing love to redeem all that happens for our good and Your glory as we entrust it to You. Before the days of the flood, You commanded Noah to be prepared. You knew his heart and You knew he would choose to obey. "And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him" (Genesis 7:5). Through his obedience, You prepared a place of protection for all who would hear and receive Your call to come into the ark of Your presence. In these days, not many will seek You, not many will obey You, not many will be prepared. But Lord, I want to be among those who will. Help me to hear what the Spirit is saying to Your people in this hour. Let me not only be a hearer of Your word, but also a doer. Give me Your grace to do my part in our generation to be prepared. There is no greater preparation than to make provision for Your presence in our hearts through humble obedience to Your call and trusting faith in Your love. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Worship on Eagle's Wings 1-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of the morning, I watch for Your leading and wait in the silence of surrender before You. Come make me to lie down in Your green pastures as You lead me beside Your still waters. Restore my soul -- bring my body into submission to my soul, my soul into submission to my spirit, and my spirit into submission to Your Holy Spirit. Let my cup be filled in these moments of worship and prayer with the fullness of Your presence, that You may pour me out as You will throughout this day. ... A friend coming for spiritual direction gave me a tape of simple, but powerful, songs of worship, and Your Spirit keeps singing one of them in my spirit. This song of worship called "Eagle's Wings" is my prayer of willing submission and trusting surrender in the intimacy of true worship to You -- my Lord, my Shepherd, my Best Friend: "Here I am waiting. Abide in me I pray. Here I am longing for You. Hide me in Your love. Bring me to my knees. May I know Jesus more and more. Come live in me, all my life. Take over. Come breathe in me. And I will rise on eagle's wings" (by Reuben Morgan). Yes, Lord. This is my worship; this is my prayer. Let me know You more and more every day -- as I watch and wait for Your presence, then rise and follow Your lead. "But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Found Favor -- 1-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I need Your wisdom and I need Your grace. I need You. As best as I can, I give You all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I ask for the peace that comes from trusting You with all I have and all I am. ... "The Lord saw the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually... But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord" (Genesis 6:5-8). Lord, purge the wickedness from my soul -- the wickedness of self-centeredness and self-pity, the wickedness of trusting in my own power and strength instead of humbling myself to desperately depend upon You, the wickedness of my pride that causes me to be in control instead of entrusting control to You. Deliver me from the evil inclinations of my thoughts and the unholy desires of my heart that are drawn to the sin of the culture around me, rather than boldly shining as a light in the midst of the darkness. Purify me and sanctify me by "the washing of water by the Word" (Ephesians 5:26). Let a flood of Your Spirit wash through my soul, and draw me up into the ark of Your presence. Let me find favor in Your sight. You favor those who seek Your wisdom with wisdom and You favor those who seek Your grace with grace. Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord because "Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). I want to walk with You, Lord. Guide my steps in the path of Your presence. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Word Made Flesh 1-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart to Your Spirit and open my mind to Your Word. Come, Lord Jesus, come. ... "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Your Word reveals Your will and Your nature, for You are the Word of God made flesh. Your Word and Your will are already done in heaven, and they are in the process of being done on earth as they are in heaven. Your kingdom comes and Your will is done in the hearts to those who embrace Your kingdom and Your will. Today I join my words in agreement with Your Word and I join my will in agreement with Your will, as best as I can and all by Your grace. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done here in my heart and here on earth as it is already is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). In heaven, Your Word and Your will is for our protection and security. I agree with Your Word of Psalm 91, revealing Your will for those who love You and call upon Your name: "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday." "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent." "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot." "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name. When they call to Me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them My salvation" (Psalm 91). Lord, let it be so on earth as it is in heaven -- here in my life and family and community, and as far as Your grace will go. Let Your Word be made flesh in my heart and in my prayers today. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"A Strong Tower" 1-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and I choose to be called by Your name -- "Christian," one who follows Christ. ... "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. Before one's destruction one's heart is haughty, but humility goes before honor" (Proverbs 18:10-12). There is safety, provision, and protection in Your name. Your name speaks of Your nature -- "Jesus" from the Greek, "Yeshua" from the Hebrew -- The Salvation of Yaweh. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Salvation is living the fullness the life You have given each of us to live, eternally -- now and forever. Not just now, but forever. No just forever, but also now. To be alive to Christ and the fullness of this life for which we were created is to be dead to our own desires apart from You. To the degree we are, the world, the flesh, and the devil have no power over us. To the degree we are, we trust not in earthly riches or power or security, but in the heavenly name of the One who holds our lives in His hands -- now and forever. As best I can and all by Your grace, I choose to humble myself before You, to desperately depend upon You alone as my safety, my provision, and my protection. Here in the strong tower of Your name, I am safe and I am saved -- no matter what happens. Earth has no power over me, for I belong to Heaven. I will not fear man, but fear the Lord my God; I will not trust in my riches of my own strength or wisdom, but trust in the Lord alone (Luke 12:4-7). 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Good Stewards 1-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am available to You today. ... "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever" (1 Peter 3:10-11). We are the body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ. All that You are doing on earth in this season between the first and second coming of Christ, You are doing through us. You are making us one with You, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. Let us speak and serve in Your power and strength for the glory of Your name. Keep us from the false humility and confusion that would keep us from receiving our authority; keep us from the disobedience and passivity that would keep us from our responsibility. Lord, I want to be a good steward of the gifts and graces You have given me. Teach me what they are, disciple me in how to use them, and empower me to use them well. I have a part in the body of Christ. You desire every part to be strong and in shape. I pray that for myself and for every part of Your body. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"I am the Gate" 1-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek You with all my heart; I welcome You into all my life. ... "I am the Gate. Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (John 10:9). You spoke to us last night at The Fountain. As we gathered in Your name alone from many different churches and traditions from across our community, as we lifted Your name in our praises and prayers, You drew us near and filled us with Your Spirit. You set before us a choice to rejoice in You -- to turn to You or to turn to our troubles and our past. You spoke into our hearts Your words of Spirit and Life. And You continue to release Your word as a call to arise and enter in to the fullness of Your provision through the gate of Your presence. You are saying to all who will come, "I am the Gate. Enter in to the fullness of My plans and My provision. Enter in to My yoke alone; come under My burden alone. Rest in Me; trust in Me; find your fulfillment in Me. Leave behind the bondage of the past. Arise into newness of life. I am your life. In Me, you are a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Arise and enter in, press in, to the fullness of My plans and My provision for your life." "Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up a banner over the peoples. The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, 'See, your salvation comes; His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.' They shall be called, 'The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord"; and you shall be called, 'Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.' " (Isaiah 62:10-12). Yes, Lord. I choose to rejoice in You. I choose to enter in to the fullness of Your plans and Your provision. You are the Gate of life. I choose for You to be my Way, my Truth, my Life. 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"Victory Belongs to the Lord" 1-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I love You, O Lord, my strength. You are my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies" (from Psalm 18:1-3). ... Terror has no power unless I allow it to make me afraid. Deception has no effect unless I allow my mind to doubt the truth and believe the lies. Death has lost its sting if I am already dead to the holds of this world and alive to the calling of Christ. Life or death, heaven or earth, I stand secure and victorious in You. And in You, I stand firm against the forces of terror and deception and death. "For You girded me with strength for the battle; You made my assailants sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed" (Psalm 18:39-40). This is a spiritual battle, won and fought on spiritual ground with spiritual weapons. And in the Spirit, the victory is won. "The wicked put on a bold face, but the upright give thought to their ways. No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord" (Proverbs 21:29-31). Lord, make me ready for battle -- ready to stand firm in my faith in You; ready to fight with the weapons of our warfare that others may be secured in the stronghold of the faith that is not shaken by even the shaking of the earth itself. Make me ready to look with my eyes and behold Your victory -- the victory of the cross through the blood of the Lamb. By this, we shall overcome (Revelation 12:11). 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." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

War in the Spirit 1-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow low, that You may lift me high. I choose to follow, that You may lead. I draw near, that You may draw me nearer. ... "For You deliver a humble people, but he haughty eyes You bring down. It is You who light my lamp; the Lord my God lights up my darkness. By You I can crush a troop, and by My God I can leap over a wall. This God -- His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him" (Psalm 18:27-30). As we humble ourselves before You, You cleanse us and forgive us, You strengthen us and encourage us, You fill us and empower us. Then You send us forth into battle to war in the spirit in Your power. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness of this present darkness, who come to steal and kill and destroy in our lives, our families, our communities, and our nations (Ephesians 6:12). But through our repentance and Your forgiveness, our enemies' power is weakened and his plans are exposed. His defenses are breached and his strongholds crumble. And You send us in like a flood to fight for the freedom of Your people. Forgiven and free, I choose to take up the sword of Your Spirit, the very Word of God. At Your command I will advance, taking my position to stand firm and to fight in the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13). You have "trained my hands for war" -- this war in the spirit for the souls of those I love and for the people You've called me to defend (Psalm 18:34). Though the enemy may come in like a flood, You raise the banner of the cross to turn back the tide and enforce Your victory in the power of Your blood. There may be casualties and the grief of loss because the battles are real and the stakes are high, but the ultimate victory is secure. For the battle belongs to the Lord. I choose to fight in the battles where You lead, with the courage You have placed in my heart and the weapons You have placed in my hands. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays If you are in the Kentucky area, please come join us at the Governor's Prayer Breakfast next Tuesday morning 1/24 at 8:15 with Pat Day speaking. All are welcome. 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." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Life or Death; Blessings or Curses 1-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the Soon and Coming King. Come in to Your kingdom in my heart today. ... "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4). Hope is the purpose of the Scriptures -- even those that speak of the judgment and curses of God upon rebellion and disobedience. Because even Your judgments are for the purpose of turning our hearts back to You in repentance and faith to receive Your mercy once again. It seems You have led me to read again Your words of blessings and curses which set in place the spiritual principles that would govern the lives of Your people in the land of Your promises (Deuteronomy 27-30). Regardless of how literally we may believe they apply to us -- personally, as a people, as a nation -- there is at the very least the spiritual principle that obedience subjects us to blessing of Your protection and provision and disobedience subjects us to the lack of it, if they are to mean anything to us at all. How can we read these passages, even in the light of the Word of God revealed and fulfilled in the love of Christ, without a measure of the fear of God coming upon our hearts? Your judgments are severe, but so is Your mercy -- all dependent upon our heart of submission or surrender toward You. "See, I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in His ways, and observing His commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord you God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not enter, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying Him and holding fast to Him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land the Lord your God swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). "The Scripture says, 'No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on Him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' " (Romans 10:11-13). "Note then the kindness and the severity of God" (Romans 11:22). By Your grace, I receive the blessing of the fear of God. By Your grace, I turn my heart to You in repentance of the sin of not fully loving You, not fully obeying You, and not fully holding fast to You. And by Your grace, I receive Your mercy and ask You to restore Your protection and Your provision. I pray this for myself, for my family, for my community, for my people, and for my nation -- as far as Your grace will go. Whether it offends us or not, Your spiritual principles apply to our lives. Our choices determine mercy or judgment, life or death, blessings or curses. As for me and my house, I choose the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I feel strongly led to ask you to join with me in these personal and corporate prayers of confession, repentance, and mercy today for our own nation and for the nations of one another. Let us then agree with the promise of God's mercy that comes by the power of the blood of Jesus, Who is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God bless you with His protection and provision! 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." www.messiah-ministries.org Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Listen to Him!" 1-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to Your face and seeking the leading of Your voice. Your sheep know Your voice. I am one of Your sheep and You are my Shepherd. ... You led Peter, James, and John "up a high mountain apart, by themselves" and You were "transfigured before them." They saw "Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus." Peter said something, but really "did not know what to say, for they were terrified." Then the voice of God the Father spoke to them from the midst of the cloud the came and overshadowed them, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him! Suddenly they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus" (Mark 8:2-8). Yes, Father. You speak to my spirit from the cloud of the Spirit of Your presence covering the mountain of prayer. In this place apart with You, let the fear of God come up me to humble me in the silence of surrender before You. The words of Your law and the words of Your prophets are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, Your beloved Son and my beloved Lord. He is Your Word. Give me the wisdom and humility to obey Your command and "listen to Him." As I do, Your Spirit will focus the eyes of my heart to see no one else, "but only Jesus." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org 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

The Work of Your Hands 1-17-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and commit my life to You today. ... "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard, yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4). All creation speaks of Your glory by its very existence. So it is with us. We are Your creation and even though we may not speak a word, our lives speak a message. Let the message of my life be a good message today. Let it tell of the glory of God. Remind me throughout the encounters of my day that the world is watching -- watching to see who the God of creation has made me to be. My life is my voice. By Your mercy and grace, let my voice be an offering of praise to You. "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands" (Psalm 138:7). 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

Pray the Psalms 1-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of God. Speak Your Word to my heart and give life to my spirit today. ... The Psalmist writes out his prayer from the depths of his soul in the experiences of his life, saying, "Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord" (Psalm 102:18). The Psalms of Your Word are the cries of the heart of Your people -- sometimes they are cries of pain and sometimes cries of joy. But they are always cries to You. We have come to You with our sorrows and struggles, our celebrations and thanksgivings throughout the ages. We need You. We are lost and alone without You. One of my mentors in prayer was Maxie Dunnam. He only taught one class while I was at Asbury Seminary and he was President for a season. I made sure I was in it, as he shared from his heart of the lessons he learned in ministry. One of those lessons was to "pray the Psalms." He would start with one and read through the songs and prayers until he came to one that touched the place of his soul where he was living at the moment. I find myself doing that often. There is always one that touches the place of my soul where I'm living at the moment. Thank You, Lord, for the generations of Your people who wrote of their pain and their joy, that the generations yet unborn might praise the Lord. And thank You for our fathers and mothers in the faith who have taught us to come to You in the communion of prayer with all of our soul. You are faithful and You are true. And as John Wesley said in his dying words, "The best of all, You are with us." You are with us in Your Word and You us in Your Spirit. Thank You for being with me in the depths of my soul today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Think Snow! 1-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord, and I thank You, for loving me. ... Last night, I saw a sign outside a lodge in this little mountain town that said, "Think Snow!" Up here, snow is good for business and good for the soul. There's something about crisp, clean snow that seems refreshing and pure, as it covers everything in white. Everything seems fresh and new when the sun shines on a fresh blanket of snow. I love to hear my kids squeal with delight as they run out to play. In the spirit, the snow speaks to me of the cleansing of the sins of the past and the brisk, fresh air of the freedom and joy of Your mercy. David said, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). You said through Isaiah, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18, NKJV). Thank You for blanketing my soul in Your mercy and filling my spirit with the brisk, fresh air of Your Holy Spirit. Let me squeal with delight in the faith and joy of little child. "Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

More Than Words Can Say 1-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I thank You for the grace and mercy through the blood of Your sacrifice that allows me to come into Your presence in the communion of prayer, despite all the sinful things of my past. Let me never take that for granted. ... "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, by now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls" (1 Peter 2:24-25). For some reason, I remembered some of those sinful things of my past in a restless night last night, and for a moment I started to linger on regret. But then, You moved in my heart to get up early and come spend some time with You in prayer. Little by little, You have been lifting from me the thoughts of regret and shame, and somehow in Your grace and Your power, You are bringing me a sense of peace and actually a measure of joy -- joy to know the depths of Your mercy and forgiveness and love. Not joy that I sinned, but joy that even though I sinned, You wanted to forgive me when Your love convicted me, and You wanted me to receive the fullness of Your forgiveness. You gave me the choice to receive it or not. And through the years, You have taught me how to receive it with a thankful and grateful heart. You have taught me how much it breaks Your heart in the times when I don't. This is the freedom You sacrificed so much -- more than words can say -- for me to have. You can’t get that in a book or a bar, not anywhere in the world, not even in a church, unless you get that in your heart. Thank You, Lord, for getting that in my heart. Thank You, Lord, for reminding me of Your mercy, as You welcome me into Your presence again today, forgiven and free. ... I can’t really put this into words. It seems like more than words can say. So I won’t try. I’ll just sit here for a while and receive Your undeserved mercy and Your unbelievable love. ... 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 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. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Renewed and Restored 1-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I embrace Your purpose and plan for my life this day. ... "For surely you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:21-24). At home, I have an old, handmade rocking chair where I come to meet You morning by morning in the communion of prayer. It used to be painted white when was sitting in the living from of dear friends, Greg and Connie. Greg was one of the pastors at our home church before You called them to ministry in Cambodia last year. Before they left, they gave away most of what they owned. This old rocker seemed to fit me just right, so its where I always sat when we went to their home. A few days before they left for Cambodia, they brought it over and gave it to me. But it wasn’t painted white anymore. Greg had stripped away all the layers of paint, sanded it down, varnished it, and restored it to its natural beauty of solid oak. Connie said it took Greg a long time, especially sanding away all the tight places around the carved spindles on the back. But he said it was a labor of love and we were all thrilled to see what beauty was hidden beneath all that paint. What a gift! Thank You, Lord, for Your labor of love. It hurts at times, as You strip away all the layers of the old self that people have put on us and we have received onto ourselves -- our pride and ego, our insecurities and fears, and all the other ways we've allowed ourselves to become somebody different than who we really are inside. But in Your patience and love, You take time with us, even in the places where we make it the hardest to reach. You renew us and restore us into the true self You created us to be -- according to Your likeness, but in a uniqueness of beauty made by Your hands, like no one else in the world. What a gift! In Jesus' name, I pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"Where Righteousness is at Home" 1-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for the gift of Your constant presence. ... "But, in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our brother Paul wrote to You according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters" (2 Peter 3:13-16). This week, You have called me to get away from my daily duties and write down some spiritual principles and stories of Your healing love in the lives You have touched through our ministry. May all that I write be according the wisdom You have given me. As I write, I continue to see how every story of Your healing and deliverance in someone's life, including my own, is a story of striving to be found by You at peace, without spot or blemish. Healing is wholeness, and wholeness becomes the holiness of heart and life in our spirit and soul and body, where righteousness is at home (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is the experience of the kingdom of God in our hearts and souls being manifested in our bodies and relationships. This the fullness of our salvation in You, as we watch and wait for the fullness of Your kingdom to be established here on earth as it is in heaven. Continue to teach me Your Word and Your ways, that I may continue to live and serve others in Your healing love and power, according to the wisdom You give me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please cover me in your prayers to hear and write as the Lord leads these principles of inner healing and deliverance through the process of sanctification of spirit, soul, and body. God bless you! 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 Website: http://messiah-ministries.org Our address: 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

Available to You Today 1-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Like the old hymn says, "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long." Let the story of my life today be a song of praise to You. Let me begin this day well, that I may finish it well -- walking with You all the day long. ... Some old friends invited me to have lunch at their cafe up on the mountain in Alto, New Mexico yesterday. They probably have the best chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy anywhere outside of Texas. Pete and Cheryl are the real thing. You've taken the pain and struggles of their past, cleansed it all in Your blood, and given them a joy to share Your love and grace with everybody who wanders in to their cafe. On Thursday nights they serve a free meal and a message of hope to anybody who will come eat and listen. And many do. Sitting at the counter, Pete was telling me how they try to start every day saying, "I'm available to You today, Lord. Use me however You see fit." He said it's a really dangerous prayer, because that's just what happens. How thrilling it was to hear some of the stories of salvation and deliverance since the last time I saw them, as You answered their prayers. What an adventure to just give every day to You and see what You do with it! Lord, give me the courage and grace to be available to You every day. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I belong to You, Lord. May the story of my life today glorify You. 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 dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"Sing to God" 1-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the song in my heart and the joy in my spirit. ... "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to Him who rides upon the clouds -- His name is the Lord -- be exultant before Him!" (Psalm 68:4). My grandfather Hays -- we call him PaPa -- will turn ninety-seven this week. It's been good to see him on my trip out west. We've been very concerned about him since he almost died last summer from continual bouts with pneumonia. Amazingly, he has adjusted to receiving his meals through a tube by a hole in his belly going directly into his stomach. He's not very active any more, spending most of his time sitting in his recliner; but he still desires to live every day, one day at a time. I think he has it in his mind that he wants to live to be one hundred. He used to lead the singing in the little country church near their farm in west Texas, back in the days when "worship leader" mostly meant that you sang a little louder from your hymn book than everybody else. He can't hear very well or talk very well these days, but I bought him some headphones and a CD player, with some old gospel songs I knew he had sung a million times. When I left him yesterday morning, he had a broad smile across his face, with the volume turned up on his headphones about as high as it goes, waiving his arms in the air like a music conductor. We could barely hear, but we could make out the song of praise being released from his heart -- "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long..." Thank you, Lord. There is no telling what happens in the spiritual realm when a ninety-six year old man, barely alive on a feeding tube, is still singing praises to Your name. Heaven must rejoice and hell must tremble as they behold the sight of a frail human still praising You to the end of our final breaths. Like PaPa, give me the grace to never take the gift of my breath and the songs of the Lord in my heart for granted. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be at my mom's in the New Mexico mountains this week working on a book on prayer ministry. I would appreciate your prayers. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com; website: www.messiah-ministries.org

"A Lamp to My Feet" 1-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Saturate my mind in Your Word and fill my heart with Your Spirit, as I narrow my thoughts upon You alone. ... "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Let Your Word become the way that I think, let it be the guide for the choices I make in the twists and forks in the paths before me. Let Your Holy Spirit bring it to life with wisdom and understanding, with discernment and truth. I pray for the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" that comes from knowing You, spending time with You, and listening to You as Your Spirit reveals Your Word. 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 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. http://messiah-ministries.org 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