Break Through, Pass Through, Follow Through 1-20-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come fill my spirit, soul, and body I pray. ... "The One who breaks out will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head" (Micah 2:13). Lord Jesus, You are the Head of Your Church (Ephesians 4:15). You are the King of Your Kingdom (Revelation 17:14). Pass on before me today; rise up within me today. Be exalted and honored in my heart and in my actions today. By Your power and in submission to Your will, I want to break through every barrier and pass through every gate in line with Your will and Your plan for my life this day and every day. Let this be my year of breakthrough, my year of passing through the gates, as I follow through on my commitment to You, my Lord, my Head, and my King. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

WhooHoo! 1-19-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My first word is Your name. In these first moments of my morning, I center my heart and focus my thoughts on You alone. ... "Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). "WhooHoo!" my friend shouted over her cell phone early yesterday morning. She couldn’t wait to get to our office with a thousand dollar check to help get a pastor from Nepal to our School of Spiritual Ministry next week. I had just mentioned this pastor's earnest prayers to be able to come our school in a note at the end of my devotional early yesterday morning. She was overwhelmed with such excitement and joy that pretty soon I was shouting "WhooHoo!" too! She said as soon as she read the words, Your Holy Spirit was stirring in her spirit so strongly she couldn't wait to get to our office to help her brother, literally on the other side of the world. "What an opportunity to give to the Kingdom of God, to so seeds into His end-time harvest. What anointing must be on the seat prepared for this man," she said. Thank You, Lord. We should never feel guilty about giving or not giving. Under the New Covenant in Christ, our giving is never "under compulsion" but always by the leading of Your Spirit. And what joy You bring when we respond to Your promptings with our faith! What joy to join in the ministry of Your Kingdom as You build Your Church to change the world. The lives of people in Nepal -- a nation with incredible Christian persecution that requires such courage and faith to even claim to be a follower of Christ -- will be changed as You change this pastor, equipping him to equip others in spiritual ministry of transformation of people and their land through healing and deliverance. And my friend's life will be changed as Your blessings overtake her in Your timing and in Your way (Deuteronomy 28:2). "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (Luke 6:38). And my life and the lives of all who join with us in so many ways to pray for and equip the saints for the work of Your ministry will be changed, as You use us to touch others with Your healing love and mighty power -- in Nepal and the nations, but also in our neighborhoods at home. Thank You for the joy of giving and the blessing of joining the advance of Your Kingdom -- WhooHoo! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Last night at The Fountain, our praises went up and God's glory came down! Thank you for joining with us in prayer for the people of our city and I join with you in prayer for your city. May the Lord's glory keep coming down until it covers the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Please keep our students in prayer as they come from Nepal, Texas, Oklahoma, and across town to our School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington next week. And I pray the Lord keeps building your faith and empowering your hands and heart for the ministry of His Kingdom through you life! God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Prepare My People in Goshen" 1-18-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good Shepherd, help me hear Your voice, run to You, and follow You today. ... "But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I the Lord am in this land. Thus I shall make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign shall appear tomorrow. The Lord did so ..." (Exodus 8:22-24). It seems I hear You saying, "Prepare My people in Goshen." What is "Goshen" for me, Lord? These thoughts from Your Holy Spirit seem to be rising up in my human spirit and into my mind: " 'Goshen' is the place of provision, protection, and peace. 'Goshen' is in Me. I am your provision, protection, and peace." What do You mean for me to "prepare Your people?" It seems You are impressing these words on my heart: "By My grace and with those I have chosen to help you, teach My people to pray, just as I have been teaching you to pray. Through the intimacy of communion in prayer, you enter in to the place I have prepared for you. This is the place of My provision, protection, and peace no matter what judgments or evil may come. And teach them to pray for one another, to hear My voice and speak My words, to be My vessels to display My glory and My power on earth as it is in heaven." Lord, I'm not qualified and I have so much to learn and I've not had those kinds of experiences yet like the things that are coming to mind by these words. I hear: "None are righteous; no, not one. None are qualified; no, not one. All are in need of My grace. And My grace comes through desperate dependence on Me with a humble heart to seek Me and obey Me by the grace I give. You do your part, by the grace and with the gifts I have given you, just as I am calling each of My children to do their part by My grace. As you have heard before, 'I do not call the qualified; I qualify the called.' Yes, Lord. These words ring true as I test them in my spirit and against the standard of Your written Word. I pray You would confirm what I believe You are speaking through the trusted voices and counsel of others. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to trust You and obey You. You are my 'Goshen.' "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). "You are my hiding place and my shield" (Psalm 119:114). I choose to "live in the shelter of the Most High" and "abide in the shadow of the Almighty"; "under (Your) wings (I) will find refuge." As You have promised, "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name (Psalm 91:1-16). You have prepared a place for me -- not just in heaven, but also here on earth -- so that wherever You are, I may be also (John 14:3). You are calling Your people to 'Goshen' -- the place of Your abundance and blessing (Genesis 47:27). You are giving us grace to enter through this gate of righteousness where the gates of hell cannot prevail (Matthew 16:18). As You teach me and deliver me and draw me into the Goshen of Your Presence, qualify me to help others by Your grace and Your power. Together, we will know Your provision, protection, and peace through the intimacy and the ministry of prayer. Let the world see the distinction of those who abide in You and those who do not, so that all may "come to repentance" and be drawn into You and the fullness of Your salvation (2 Peter 3:9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we're providing a full scholarship and board for Pastor John in Nepal to come to our School of Spiritual Ministry next week to receive teaching and ministry and take it back to his nation. He has a visa and reservations and is praying intensely for the funds for his plane fare (about $2,000 need today). If you feel led to help make this happen, please call Marilyn Walker immediately 859-317-1591 Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night, the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from many different traditions and streams to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Sandra White and I will lead in prayer and Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington: www.CentenaryLex.com All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Simple 1-17-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before my day unfolds, I unfold my day before You. ... "The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119:130). Help me simply come humbly before You -- seeking Your face, listening for Your voice, waiting for Your leading. Unfold Your words and Your will before me. Let Your light shine on the steps of the path You are setting before me this day. Let the sound of Your words in my spirit rise up into the thoughts in my mind. Then, by Your grace, throughout the encounters of my day, may I walk in Your wisdom, love with Your heart, and speak with the authority of one who has spent time in Your Presence. Help me be simple enough to get this one thing straight: "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way" (Psalm 25:9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night, the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from many different traditions and streams to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Sandra White and I will lead in prayer and Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington: www.CentenaryLex.com All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Incarnation 1-16-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit; and by the mystery of faith and Your unfathomable love, You want me to be one in You. ... "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17:20-23). Though I have read these verses of Your Word many times, this morning You are sending them deep into my soul. Like an armor piercing bullet, it seems You are firing this Truth through every layer of religious thinking, traditions of men, false humility, false doctrines, self-conscious pride, timidity, and the fear of man. Let Your Word hit its mark and explode inside of me. Let me be forever changed by the light and glory of Your Word of Truth to me. You really do desire this holy, intimate, communion -- that I may also be one in You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- as You are One in One Another (v. 21). "But anyone united to the Lord becomes one with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). Let this not be my theory or my theology, let this be my true thoughts of myself and the reality of my experience in You. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). And this is not only for me and for each of Your children, it is for "the world" -- "so that the world will know that (the Father) has sent (His Son)" (John 17:21). This is the key to world-wide evangelism -- "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" -- the glory of the manifest Presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit living as One in us, shining as Light and flowing as Love through us (Colossian 1:27). Our Father humbled Himself in human flesh as the Son (Philippians 2:5-11). "The Word became flesh and lived among us" (John 1:14). And now You want Your Word to become flesh in me and through my life -- totally surrendered and completely submitted to the will of my Father in Christ by the Holy Spirit of the Living God living in me. Together, we are "the body of Christ" in and to this world by Your Spirit living in us (1 Corinthians 12:27). This is not self-centered pride, this is Gospel Truth. This is not self-delusion, this is self understanding. This is not becoming God (as in the false teachings of New Age and Mormonism), this is embracing the Incarnation of God living in me and in each of us who are in Christ and allowing Christ to live in us. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Yes, Lord. By Your grace, I do know this truth this moment more deeply than ever before. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come join us Tonight for my Wednesday Night teaching series on Spiritual Ministry at 6:15 at my home church: www.CentenaryLex.com and also sign up for our School of Spiritual Ministry in Western Kentucky next month in Madisonville. Contact Marilyn Walker: dirofministries@aol.com or 859-317-1591 (And please keep us in prayer and for everyone to arrive safely for our one week intensive School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington next week -- a pastor is trying to come from Nepal!). Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night, the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Sandra White and I will lead in prayer and Jeff Green will lead in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Cities of Refuge and Righteousness 1-15-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. Speak, Lord, for Your son is eager to spend time with You. Speak, Lord, for Your friend seeks Your counsel and Your comfort. ... "I have aroused Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his paths straight; he shall build My city and set My exiles free, not for price or reward, says the Lord of hosts.... For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is God!), who formed the earth and made it (He established it; He did not create it in chaos; He formed it to be inhabited!): I am the Lord and there is no other (Isaiah 45:13-18). Cyrus was the pagan king of Persia. Yet in Your sovereignty, You moved on his heart to stir him to obedience to Your plans. You used him to set Your people free and to bless them with abundance in the rebuilding of their city for the glory of Your name (Ezra 1:1-4). His eyes were opened to realize that You, "The Lord, the God of heaven" alone were the source of all his power and wealth (v. 2). And in response to Your leading, he used his authority and influence to help Your people and fulfill Your purposes (v. 7-11). Lord, in this day, I ask You to stir in the hearts of those with power and authority to be aroused and stirred to obedience. Open their eyes to realize Your goodness and Your grace in their lives even before they have received You as Lord. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights" (James 1:17, NKJV). With thanksgiving and joy, let them give to Your kingdom and bless Your people in accordance with Your purposes. "The sinners' wealth is laid up for the righteous" (Proverbs 13:22). Let the power and influence of the Cyruses of our day be "anointed" as a means of Your grace for Your people (Isaiah 45:1). Let their wealth be released into Your kingdom, to be used for Your purposes and to establish Your cities of refuge for the days to come. "Make glad the city of God ... God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved ... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:4-7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please let us know no later than today if you are interested in attending the School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington January 21-24. Several from other states are even signed up to come and scholarships are available to cover the cost for anyone who needs it. I sense an urgency to help prepare the Lord's people for ministry in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Also, this week, you can still join us for my Wednesday Night teaching series on Healing Prayer Ministry at 6:15 at my home church: www.CentenaryLex.com and also sign up for our School of Spiritual Ministry in Madisonville. Contact Marilyn Walker: dirofministries@aol.com or 859-317-1591 Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night, the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Sandra White and I will lead in prayer and Jeff Green will lead in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Rain Down Righteousness" 1-14-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are One; You are holy; and You are worthy of all praise. ... "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may spring up, and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also; I the Lord have created it" (Isaiah 45:8). You have been cleansing our souls and cleansing our land in these days. We are turning away from our sins and turning away from our selves, and we are turning to You. You have been weeding the soil of our soils and tilling the gardens of our hearts. You have been planting the seeds of Your word deep in our spirits as we have been preparing the way of the Lord. Now, like dry soil thirsty for rain, we cry out, "Lord, let it rain! Open Your heavens! Rain down Your righteousness!" We open up our hearts in worship and lift up our voices in prayer. Let salvation now spring in our land -- the fullness and abundance of life in You now and forever. Shower us with Your Spirit and awaken us to spring up into our destiny. With pursuing passion, we seek You and the kingdom of Your righteousness -- right relationship with You, with one another, and within ourselves. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night, the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Sandra White and I will lead in prayer and Jeff Green will lead in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary in Lexington. All who are thirsty are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call or write for details: 859-422-1794 This week, you can still join us for my Wednesday Night teaching series on Healing Prayer Ministry at 6:15 at my home church: www.CentenaryLex.com and also sign up for our School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington or Madisonville. Contact Marilyn Walker: dirofministries@aol.com or 859-317-1591 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Go Through the Gates 1-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Head of the body of Christ. I bow mine before You. ... "Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign 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). Last night some of the worshippers brought a beautiful colored banner that they stretched out and lifted high as a banner over us. As we all went underneath, we went through the gate of the past season into the new. We had spent the day in a flow of prayer, praise, and proclamation. We had joined in repentance of sin and the sins of the past generations of our city, and receiving Your forgiveness and grace to move on and move through the gates of Your blessing and abundance in the land of our promise and destiny (Deuteronomy 8:1-20). Our worship teams released the sound to Your Scriptures and prophetic words over our lives and our land. You spoke to us of this season of the almond branch, ready to blossom and bud with excitement and anticipation for Your move in our midst, declaring, "I am watching over My word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:11-12). We were amazed to see the 1:11-12 of Jeremiah matched the month and dates of our gathering to go through the gates of this new year and into this new season. "Now is the time," You said to us. Through Your blood and by Your blessings, we are a A City Not Forsaken, we are a City Redeemed. You have sought us out and welcomed us in. You are forgiving us, cleansing us, and restoring us. You are rewarding us with Your Presence in ever increasing measures of Your glory. You said, "I am the Gate" (John 10:9). And we are going through. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! Friends, thank you for your prayers for us this weekend at our Strategic Prayer Summit. It was awesome! And now, by God's grace, we will keep moving through the gates of the Lord and His Kingdom into this new season. I pray the same you and the Church of your City. God bless you! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Stones Cry Out 1-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God, King of glory, King of my heart and soul. ... "As He was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, order Your disciples to stop.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out' " (Luke 19:36-40). We gathered together last night as Your disciples from across our city and surrounding region to welcome You as the King who comes in the name of the Lord into our city and into our hearts. As one body with one voice under our one Head as the city-wide church, we praised You joyfully and with loud voices, and welcomed Your deeds of power to change our lives and transform our city. We'll gather again today and tonight to humble ourselves in Your sight, to repent for the sins of our city in our day and throughout our generations, to embrace Your mighty deliverance from the strongholds of darkness over our land and into the kingdom of Your light. We will keep seeking Your face, welcoming Your Presence, and arising by Your grace and power into our calling and destiny as a city for God. In Your divine strategy, You led us to gather a pile of stones at the altar. They are soaking in the sounds of prayer, praise, and proclamation. They are being saturated in our worship, recording our adoration of our King and declaration of Your kingdom. We'll take those stones with us tonight to place them in the strategic places across our land where You lead. And these stones will cry out, groaning with all creation, for the coming of Your kingdom in the hearts of all who pass by and Your redemption of all things (Romans 8:22-23). When the world comes to Kentucky this year to celebrate the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, a deliverer You rose up to break the bondage of slavery in our nation, these stones will cry out. When the world comes to Lexington in two years for the World Equestrian Games to see the horses, they will see the One who rides the white horse, who is called Faithful and True, and these stones will cry out. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in our hearts and in our land for the glory of Your name. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come join us if you can in person or in prayer Today and Tonight! for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" this weekend at Church of the Savior on Brannon Road on the south side of Lexington (Friday night 7-9; Saturday 9-9). We'll have harp and bowl prayer and intercession with a number of teams, prophetic insight and prayer points for the coming year from many different leaders with interactive prayer, praise, and proclamation. Call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 I pray for the Lord to move mightily in Your city and nation! A flyer is attached. Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Seek the Welfare of the City" 1-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. At Your name, I bow my knees and confess with my tongue that You are Lord. I open my heart and lift up my spirit to welcome You as Lord of my life and Lord of this day. ... "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). You strategically position us for Your strategic purposes. You send us where You want us for the season at hand. Let Your plans determine my plans and Your purposes determine my purposes -- where I live, work, go to church, raise my family; where I eat lunch, go get gas, shop for groceries. Let me see all the moments of my life as strategic for Your purposes (v. 29:11). And not for my welfare alone, but seeking You just as much for the welfare of those around me in this generation and the ones to come. "When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices" (Proverbs 11:10). Let me seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, embracing the purposes and plans of my King. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Tonight! our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" begins this weekend at Church of the Savior on Brannon Road on the south side of Lexington (Friday night 7-9; Saturday 9-9). We'll have harp and bowl prayer and intercession with a number of teams, prophetic insight and prayer points for the coming year from many different leaders with interactive prayer, praise, and proclamation. Please come if you can, pray for us if you can't, and spread the word! Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com I pray for the Lord to move mightily in Your city and nation! A flyer is attached. We started my Wednesday night teaching and equipping series on Prayer Ministry at my home church this week with a full house, but still have room for more to join us next Wednesday. I sense an urgency to help prepare for this coming season of healing, deliverance, and miracles for a great harvest of salvation and transformation. All are welcome: www.CentenaryLex.com I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington. Scholarships are available so all can come. Also, if you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. All are welcome. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Revival and Transformation / City Strategic Prayer Summit 1-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be quiet enough to listen and sensitive enough to follow the leading of Your Spirit into the arms and the will of my Father. ... "What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.... Let two or three prophets speak and the others weigh what is said.... So, my friends, be eager to prophecy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but all things should be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:26-40). Lord, I believe You've moved on my heart to invite our city together in prayer to seek Your face and listen for Your voice at the beginning of this new year. This weekend, many are coming from many traditions by the same Spirit under Your name alone to the glory of our Father. Let there be freedom and let there be order. Let there be humility in our flesh and boldness in Your Spirit. "Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). So, let this not be just another meeting, but a meeting with You. Under the covenant in Your blood and by Your Spirit who now dwells within all who believe, we "can all prophecy, one by one, so that all may learn and be encouraged" (1 Corinthians 14:31). And we are all commanded to "be eager to prophecy" -- to seek Your face, listen for Your voice, and speak out with humility and with faith what we believe Your Spirit is saying to Your church (v. 14:39). Give us courage to "weigh what is said" and to not be afraid to "test everything; (and) hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). You reveal Your written Word and Your living word to us for the purpose of our obedience to Your will. So, as we worship You and seek You in Spirit and in truth, let us not only hear You but also obey You. Obedience in faith is the path to revival and transformation of our hearts and our city for Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" is this weekend at Church of the Savior on Brannon Road on the south side of Lexington (Friday night 7-9; Saturday 9-9). We'll have harp and bowl prayer and intercession with a number of teams, prophetic insight for the coming year from many different leaders with prayer, praise, and proclamation. Please come if you can, pray for us if you can't, and spread the word! Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com We started my Wednesday night teaching and equipping series on Prayer Ministry at my home church last night with a full house, but still room for more to join us next Wednesday. I sense an urgency to help prepare for this coming season of healing, deliverance, and miracles for a great harvest of salvation and transformation. All are welcome: www.CentenaryLex.com I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington. Also, if you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. All are welcome. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Decide and Decree 1-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and the Omega and Everything in between. You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Sustainer. You are my All in All. ... "You will decide on a matter ('decree a thing' in KJV), and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways" (Job 22:28). " In Your sovereignty You created us with the freedom to choose. You empower our choices and our words to direct our lives. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21). "From the fruit of the mouth" we sow the seeds that will form the path before us (v. 20). Lord, sanctify my tongue and purify my words. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart so that what I decide and speak are decrees from heaven instead earth, from Your Spirit instead of my flesh. I seek Your wisdom to speak and walk in Your ways. "But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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 by His Spirit for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:7-10). Align my heart and my mind with Yours as I decide my path today. Anoint my words to decree Your will on earth as it is in heaven. You said, "Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you" (Mark 11:22-23). Teach me how to do that by Your grace, in Your power, according to Your will, and for Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Tonight 1/9 at 6:15, I will begin a Wednesday night teaching and equipping series on Prayer Ministry at my home church. All are welcome: www.CentenaryLex.com Our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" is this weekend at Church of the Savior. We'll harp and bowl prayer and intercession, prophetic insight for the coming year from many different leaders with prayer, praise, and proclamation. Please come if you can and spread the word! Write or call for details. A flyer is attached. I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington. Also, if you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. All are welcome. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Lift Up Your Voice in Praise 1-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I am still before You, You go before me. As I watch and wait, You arise and go, ordering the steps of my day. ... "Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cries of Judah, 'Here is your God!' See, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him" (Isaiah 40:9-10). This is the time to go up to the mountain of praise. You want to hear the cries of Judah -- and "Judah" means "praise!" As with lift up our voices with strength, as we do not fear the thoughts or disapproval or jealousies or insecurities of others, but look to You alone, we will see You come with might. We will see You confirm Your Word with Your power. We will see You establish Your rule in our lives and reward us with Your Presence. By Your grace, I will lift up my voice in praise to You throughout the moments of my day, no matter what comes. And I will see the glory of Your Presence and Your power wherever I go. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this Wednesday night 1/9 at 6:15, I will begin a teaching and equipping series on Prayer Ministry at my home church. All are welcome: www.CentenaryLex.com Our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" is this weekend at Church of the Savior. Please come if you can! Write or call for details. I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington. If you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. All are welcome. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Such as I am" 1-7-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am a son of God through the blood of the Lamb. ... "But Paul replied and said, 'I am not out of my mind ... but I am speaking the sober truth.... I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am -- except for these chains' " (Acts 26:25-29). Paul knew who he was in Christ. And he wanted the same for everyone everywhere he went. So do I. I am a son of God. "For in Christ Jesus (we) are all children of God through faith" (Galatians 3:26). "See, what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, for that is what we are.... Beloved, we are God's children now" (1 John 3:1-2). Let that sober truth settle in to my heart and soul and mind. Let that sober truth fill my spirit and go forth from my mouth -- I am a son of God and the Son of God is living in me, living Your life through me and each of Your children for Your glory. Let that sober truth change the way I see myself and think of myself, more every day. You are "bringing many sons to glory" -- the glory of Your Presence, Your power, Your authority, Your kingdom living in us and being manifested through us (Hebrews 2:10, NKJV). As Paul said, "I am not out of mind." You are just aligning my mind with Your mind. By Your grace and according to the truth of Your Word, "(I) have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). As I behold You and Your glory, I am being changed into Your image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). And that's the sober truth I will proclaim according to Your Word as You manifest Your truth in me, conforming my mind to Yours and my identity to who You say I am. And may all who are listening to me become such as I am by grace in faith. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this Wednesday night 1/9 at 6:15, I will begin a teaching and equipping series on Prayer Ministry at my home church. All are welcome: www.CentenaryLex.com Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't as we seek the Lord together at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with may key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region. A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Please spread the word and come join us. I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington, included on the flyer attached. If you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. All are welcome. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God's Glory in Me 1-5-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy are You, Lord, and worthy of all praise. ... "And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12). We worship You for who You are. And, in the mystery of faith and the extravagance of Your love, You have chosen to release the glory of Your Presence to abide in us by Your Spirit (John 14:17 and 15:4). On earth as Son of Man, You declared to our Father, "The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one as We are One. I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (v. 17:22-23). Lord, help me grasp the depths of this truth. Help me set aside false humility and every mindset that won't let me fully receive and embrace what Your Word says about me. You -- in all Your glory, wisdom, honor, power, and might -- dwell in me. You arise in me; You shine through me (Isaiah 60:1). Your glory rests on me and abides in me. And that makes me different from the world and those who don't have Your glory abiding in them. And as the eyes of the world are opened to see it, they are drawn to the light of Your glory living in me (v. 60:3). It is astounding, but true, that You have given me the glory the Father gave You (John 17:22). That would seem like heresy, pride, and delusion if it were not the very words of Your mouth. So I renounce every false belief system and every lying religious spirit that says I am anything less that You say I am. Help me see myself as You see me, because that's who I am. As I do, so will the world around me. Then they will be drawn to You, the light and the glory of the One who lives in me. "Christ in me, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't as we seek the Lord together for the New Year at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with many key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region. A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Please spread the word and come join us. If you are in our area, I will be teaching a series on Prayer Ministry on Wednesday nights starting January 9th at my home church of Centenary in Lexington. Please come join us. All are welcome. And I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington, included on the flyer attached. If you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Kingdom Mindset 1-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust and submit my mind and my heart to You today. Make my thoughts and my desires more like Yours each day. ... "But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Dutch Sheets came off his sabbatical to speak to us at Chuck Pierce's "Start the Year Off Right" conference in Texas. Last night he spoke of how You are radically shifting his mindset to be a kingdom-minded leader. We need to seek first the King and focus on the kingdom -- the "King's domain" -- rather than seeking first our own local church or ministry. He said You are not pleased when our own local church or ministry is doing well but the one down the street is not. You established Your church in the context of Your kingdom, which is Your rule and reign on the earth through Your people (v. 16:18-19). That must be a much broader primary perspective than the largely isolated, primarily local church mindset that makes us inward rather than outward focused. These are "keys of the kingdom of heaven" (v. 19). Lord, give me Your mindset. Give me "the mind of Christ" in these matters of Your kingdom, Your church, Your government, and Your leadership (1 Corinthians 2:16). Align my thoughts with Your thoughts and my desires with Your desires. Give me humility and wisdom to allow You to shift my perspective to align with Your perspective in every way necessary for You to rule and reign as King in my life and through my life, as Your kingdom comes and Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah" (Revelation 12:10). "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah and He will reign forever and ever" (v. 11:15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't as we seek the Lord together at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with may key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region. A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Please spread the word and come join us. If you are in our area, I will be teaching a series on Prayer Ministry on Wednesday nights starting January 9th at my home church of Centenary in Lexington. Please come join us. All are welcome. And I will be teaching an intensive short course for our School of Spiritual Ministry January 21-24 in Lexington, included on the flyer attached. If you are in Western Kentucky, I'll be teaching the School of Spiritual Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville Friday night and Saturday the first three weekends of February. Write or call for details to Marilyn Walker: 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

School of Spiritual Ministry and Wednesday Night Teaching Series

If you are in the Lexington area, I will be teaching a Wednesday night series on the principles and practice of prayer ministry at my home church in Lexington starting January 9th. All are welcome. Please contact us for more information and to sign up by contacting Marilyn Walker: DirOfMinistries@aol.com And I will be teaching an intensive short course of The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry in Lexington the week of January 21-24 and separately over a series of weekends in February in western Kentucky. More detail are provided below and a flyer is attached. Please contact us for more information. God bless, Tommy Hays The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry January 21 - 24, 2008 Lexington, Kentucky Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Road Lexington, Kentucky 40502 859-422-1794 DirOfMinistries@aol.com www.messiah-ministries.org Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free as He taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God and demonstrated its coming through the power and presence of God (Isaiah 61; Luke 4). He commissioned His church to continue His ministry of discipleship, healing and deliverance by the power of His Holy Spirit living in and through His disciples until He returns (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 9 and 10; Acts 1). Jesus said, "As My Father sent Me, so I send you" in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the authority of His name (John 20). Messiah Ministries is a ministry called to minister healing and wholeness to God's people as they are being equipped and trained in their spiritual gifts and calling in order to be released and empowered in their own ministries within and beyond the local church. "The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry" is an intensive week-long school of ministry, sponsored by Messiah Ministries of Lexington, Kentucky. Scholarships are available for all to attend, but we request a suggested donation to our ministry of $175. Students come away for a focused time of teaching, mentoring, discipleship, personal ministry, equipping, worship and prayer. We will study and experience a biblical perspective of the ministry of healing and wholeness of spirit, soul and body, and apply the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God for prayer ministry in a variety of ministry settings. The course combines dynamic classroom teaching in a small group setting with personal hands-on experience as students receive personal ministry and are guided in ministry for others during the school. The teaching environment is informal with many opportunities for discussion, questions, answers and practical demonstration of the principles of ministry being taught and modeled. Teaching focuses upon all aspects of prayer, healing, spiritual warfare, evangelism and holiness while equipping the Body of Christ to live out their identity and destiny in the ministry in the Kingdom of God. Some specific topics include: Biblical Foundations and Perspectives; the Love and Compassion of God; the Healing and Deliverance Ministry of Jesus and the Early Church; Healing of Damaged Emotions; Crucifixion of the False Self; Supernatural and Prophetic Ministry; and Understanding Key Areas of Ministry (Unforgiveness, Rejection, Fear, Addiction, Abuse, Trauma, Shame, Defense Mechanisms, False Belief Systems, Confusion, Deception, Self Rejection, Self Pity, Depression, Unholy Ties, Curses and Blessings, Generational Iniquities, Sickness, Occult, and Pride). Students learn how to wait upon the Lord in contemplative prayer, how to intercede for others individually and corporately, how to hear and discern the voice of the Lord from the voices of the world, the flesh and the devil, and how to be emptied of the false self and filled with the Holy Spirit to be empowered for ministry. They are provided with models of ministry to provide a general pattern for ministry, while developing their own unique approaches to ministry in line with their particular gifting and anointing. They are provided with hands-on teaching and experience with the opportunity to develop mentoring relationships with experienced ministry leaders in a safe environment to learn and grow into the maturity of Christ while being equipped for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4). Messiah Ministries and The Fountain School of Ministry are led by Rev. Tommy Hays, a Spiritual Director, Conference Leader, and Prayer Revivalist. He serves as Executive Director of Messiah Ministries, the ministry he founded and leads for interdenominational teaching, preaching, equipping, and prayer ministries of inner healing, deliverance and spiritual formation. Tommy ministers throughout the diverse traditions of the Christian faith and is ordained as a United Methodist Pastor (Elder in Full Connection) under special appointment to the ministry by his bishop (Southwest Texas Conference of the UMC). He is also a member in covenant relationship with the MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries, an international prophetic teaching ministry. He holds a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin. Tommy was called to ministry from his law practice as a trial attorney in Texas, and now offers personal prayer ministry and spiritual direction by private appointment. He is a frequent speaker in conferences and churches of many traditions, leading teaching conferences, healing services, prayer retreats, ecumenical gatherings, and prayer revivals inter-denominationally throughout the United States and the nations. His vision and the calling of Messiah Ministries is to help "prepare the way of the Lord" by preparing the people of the Lord through the ministries of healing, wholeness, and sanctification to be trained and equipped to continue the ministry of the Lord throughout all the earth. His daily prayer devotional, "Morning by Morning -- A Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays" is sent to readers around the world every morning by email. Along with ministry partners, Tommy also leads a citywide, ecumenical service each month of prayer, praise and healing worship called "The Fountain" and teaches The Fountain School of Ministry, to train and equip believers for inner healing and deliverance ministry. Tommy is forty-six years old, married to Tricia Hays, and the father of four wonderful children -- Elizabeth, Zachary, Madison, Elijah, and Josiah Hays. They are members of Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, where the Messiah Ministries office is located. Though he is now serving in full time ministry, he is also a partner in the Lexington law firm of Troutman & Hays, with select opportunities to minister in the marketplace and public square of the community (859-253-0991). The general pattern for the School will be teaching and ministry during the days from 9 until 5, for this one-week intensive course on the principles of inner healing and deliverance within the context of sanctification. Students will be coming from various levels of experience and spiritual maturity to receive ministry and receive training to minister to others in these ways. We will be happy to answer any questions or provide more details, contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 859-317-1591. Please share this will all who might be interested and come join us!

"All Things New" 1-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow low and lift You high. ... "And the One who was seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new' " (Revelation 21:5). Since the fall of creation, all things have been subjected to deterioration and "bondage to decay" (Romans 8:21). We suffer "the devastations of many generations," as well as our own (Isaiah 61:4). We need redemption and restoration. We crave a fresh start and a clean slate. We are desperate for a new beginning. And in to the brokenness and failure of our desperation, devastation, and decay, You step in a say, "Behold! I make all things new! As you humbly turn to Me in desperate dependence and trusting faith, repenting from your efforts to live your life apart from Me, I reverse the process of death and proclaim the process of life." You are Life. And You redeem all things. "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through the gift of Your grace and the power of Your love, You give us beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). You give us mercy instead of judgment, forgiveness instead of condemnation, hope instead of discouragement, freedom instead of bondage, and life instead of death. As I begin this year of new beginnings in You, I know "my Redeemer lives" (Job 19:25). And I'm filled with anticipation, expectation, and hope to see all this new year will bring as You make all things new. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm excited to be meeting in Texas today with many prayer leaders across the nation at Chuck Pierce's ministry to seek the Lord and His commands and strategies this coming year: www.glory-of-zion.org I pray for you and your cities and regions, as well as ours, to seek and hear and obey the voice of the Lord together. Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't as we seek the Lord together at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with may key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region (Tom Monroe, Margaret Therkelsen, Linda Whitaker, Rob Poindexter, Bob Hale, Harp and Bowl worship and intercessory teams, Mark MacDonald, Tommy Green, and voices from many perspectives from our city leaders). A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Please spread the word and come join us. Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Fear Not! 1-1-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I declare Your name over this new year and over every year of my life. ... "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things" (Joel 2:21, KJV). Near midnight last night at our New Year's gathering at MorningStar to seek Your face and hear Your voice for this new year, Steve Thompson declared Your word for this coming year is "Fear not!" Your perfect love is casting out fear (1 John 4:18). Rick Joyner and Bobby Conner and many others declared a year of a baptism of Your love. And "there is no fear in (Your) love" (v. 4:18). You are delivering Your body from the fears that hold us back for the confident boldness and certain hope we have in You in these coming days. Though the earth may tremble and so may its people, Your love for us will prevail, as we fearlessly trust You through all we may endure. Your love is stronger than all we may face (Song of Solomon 8:6). Your angels come and often declare "Fear not!" as the heavenly realm intersects with the earthly realm. The manifestations of Your supernatural realm will increase this year. Open my spiritual eyes to see You and Your power manifested in Your love in levels and depths as never before. Deliver me from every fear of man, every fear of the failures and disappointments of the past, and every fear of future battles and challenges to come. Fill me with faith to trust in Your love and Your power to prevail in my life and through Your body in this year and every year until Your return. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Happy New Year! Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't as we seek the Lord together at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with may key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region (Tom Monroe, Margaret Therkelsen, Linda Whitaker, Rob Poindexter, Bob Hale, Harp and Bowl worship and intercessory teams, Mark MacDonald, and voices from many perspectives from our city leaders). A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Please spread the word and come join us. Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Double Portion of Restoration 12-31-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for first loving me. ... "Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins" (Isaiah 40:1-2). I thank You for the bond of relationship You've given me with many churches and ministries. Thank You for the covenant bond of the Fellowship of Ministries with MorningStar Ministries and Rick Joyner. I felt strongly led to come here for their New Years Conference and the spiritual grand opening of the restoration of Heritage, USA that has now become MorningStar's home base near Charlotte, North Carolina. This massive complex sat in ruins while Jim Bakker sat in prison for the years following the PTL scandal that so shamed and damaged the reputation for integrity and honor of the Church. But last night Jim Bakker stood before us in both the humility of confession of his sin and also the confidence of faith in Your unfailing love and forgiveness. You call us to restore one another (Galatians 6:1). Last night I saw a man who had served his term stand in the place he had built and declare, "This is the time of restoration." Heritage and Jim Bakker are being restored. May they "never again be put to shame" (Joel 2:26). Lord, continue to restore me and all of Your Church. Convict us of our sins, break us of our pride, so You can cleanse us from our shame. Restore us to the place of glory in Christ to which we are called as "oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display His glory" (Isaiah 61:3). Your heart is to redeem and restore, giving hope to the fallen and the broken -- which we all are apart from the mercy of Your grace and lavishness of Your unfailing love. "Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs" (v. 61:7). As we leave behind the sin and shame of the past, let this year be the time of great restoration. Let this be a year of the double portion and everlasting joy. Though there will be much tribulation and many challenges, let us walk with the confidence to know You love us and You never leave us and never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). If we fall, You will pick us up. If we sin, You will forgive us -- if we continue to turn to You in humility and repentance and faith in Your process of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm excited to be with my Fellowship of Ministries and others at MorningStar Ministries to seek the Lord and His Word for this new year: www.MorningStarMinsitries.org Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't when we do this same at our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 -- "Know Our Calling, Fulfill Our Destiny" with may key prayer leaders, worship leaders, and intercessors from our city and region. A flyer is attached and all are welcome with free registration to come join us in prayer, praise, and proclamation. God bless you and your city this New Year! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Food in Due Season" 12-30-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my ears to hear Your Word. Open my eyes to see Your face. Open my spirit to sense Your Presence. ... "The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16). Your Word is my food. You know the season I've been through, the season I'm in, and the season to come. As I seek Your face, You open Your hand. You provide all that I need and satisfy my desires. There's something in the seeking of Your face and the humbly receiving of Your grace that shapes the desires of my heart so that You want to satisfy them because they glorify You. Lord, keep feeding me Your Food, keep shaping my desires, glorifying Your name in the new season to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Silent" 12-29-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my thoughts and the foundation of my day. ... "Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling" (Zechariah 2:13). As we come to the close of this past year and look forward to the next, there is great anticipation among many for the move of Your Spirit to come. Before You move, let us be still. Before You speak, let us be silent. As we humble ourselves in Your sight, then You lift us up (James 4:10). You intend to lift us to new levels of knowing You and experiencing Your Presence and power in these days. So help us humble ourselves in the silence of surrender so we can hear and respond to Your move. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit '08 on Jan 11-12 in Lexington -- "Know our Calling, Fulfill our Destiny." With key prayer and worship leaders, we will join in prayer, praise, and proclamation for the fulfillment of the Lord's promises and prophecies for His Church in our city and region. A flyer for the Prayer Summit and our School of Spiritual Ministry Jan 21-24 in Lexington is attached. Write for details and please spread the word! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Looking Forward in Faith 12-27-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch for Your coming and wait for Your leading. ... "Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him what customary under the law, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God ...." (Luke 2:25-28). Simeon sought You and held You, persisting in faith through the years of watching and waiting for You. He was "looking forward" in faith -- "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Your Spirit gave him the revelation of promises to come and the faith to persevere in prayer for the fulfillment of those promises. His faith and his prayers were not in vain, though I'm sure there must have been many days he was tempted to question whether Your word to him would ever come to pass. Lord, release that anointing of Simeon in our days to persevere in faith and prayer for the fulfillment of Your promises. Your prophecies are our promises if we will persist by Your grace. They are invitations to agree with You and receive from You. Just as You taught us in the Lord's prayer, even though Your Word proclaims in many ways that Your kingdom will come and Your will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, our part is to pray Your promises and seek Your Presence until every prophecy comes to pass. By Your grace, Simeon did his part to see Your promises fulfilled in his generation. And I pray for that same grace and persistence in persevering faith and prayer for ours'. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit '08 on Jan 11-12 in Lexington -- "Know our Calling, Fulfill our Destiny." With key prayer and worship leaders, we will join in prayer, praise, and proclamation for the fulfillment of the Lord's promises and prophecies for His Church in our city and region. A flyer for the Prayer Summit and our School of Spiritual Ministry Jan 21-24 in Lexington is attached. Write for details and please spread the word! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Merry Christmas!

"For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) Merry Christmas and God bless you! From Tommy & Tricia Hays & Messiah Ministries www.messiah-ministries.org

The Gift of God 12-25-07

"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Happy Birthday, Jesus -- our Savior, Messiah, and Lord. On this day when we give gifts to one another around the world, we celebrate that You have given us the greatest gift of all. "For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us" (Isaiah 9:6). In the mystery of Your extravagant love and grace, it is "for us" that You were born and "to us" that You were given. And "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). You gave Your gift at a tree two thousand years ago -- the gift of salvation through Your sacrifice of love at the Cross. It's a free gift of "eternal salvation for all" (Hebrews 5:9). You don't want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). You are "God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:2-4). "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16). This day, let there be no unopened gifts under Your Tree. Let all who will, freely receive the Gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Merry Christmas! and God bless you! from Tommy, Tricia, Elizabeth, Zachary, Madison, Elijah, and Josiah Hays! Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The One We Desire 12-24-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's Christmas Eve and all the world is pregnant with anticipation for the celebration of Your birth. I join in their anticipation, watching and waiting for Your coming. ... "Paul said, 'John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the One who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus' " (Acts 19:4). Are You the One? The One we've been waiting for. Are You the One? The One our hearts yearn to adore. All the world awaits Your coming With seeking hearts and eager longing We look for the One to come. Whether we know it or not, we each long for Your coming. You've created us to need You, to seek You, to never be fulfilled without You. We were created for You (Colossians 1:16). And You have longed to come to us, in the fullness of time, to reveal the Father's heart through the Son (Galatians 4:4). You are Jesus. You are the One to come. Come, Lord Jesus. You are "the Desire of all nations" (Haggai 2:7, KJV). "O Lord, we wait for You; Your name and Your renown are the soul's desire. My soul yearns for You in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks You" (Isaiah 26:8-9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Signs and Wonders of His Love 12-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You humbled Yourself to come in a manger. I'm amazed You humble Yourself to come in my heart. But I welcome You here in response to Your extravagant grace and unfailing love. ... "When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger" (Luke 2:15-16). Your signs and wonders are for a purpose -- to draw us to You. They are signs of Your heavenly dimension made manifest in our earthly dimension to help reveal to us the wonders of Your love and the glory of Your manifest Presence among us. When the angels appeared to the shepherds, their hearts were moved and they moved with haste to come into Your Presence. Lord, in our day, send Your angels; manifest the signs and wonders of Your Presence among us. Open Your heavenly realms and open our earthly eyes to behold Your glory. Move our hearts to seek You; awaken our spirits to embrace You. "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give (us) a spirit of wisdom and revelation as (we) come to know (You), so that, with the eyes of (our) hearts enlightened, (we) may know what is the hope to which (You) have called (us), what are the riches of (Your) glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of (Your) power for us who believe, according to the working of (Your) great power" (Ephesians 1:17-19). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Clothed in Love 12-22-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Father revealed in the flesh, and I welcome Your Holy Spirit into mine. ... " 'This shall be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger' " (Luke 2:12). At Your birth, You were wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a manger. At Your death, You were wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a tomb (Luke 23:53). The Child of Bethlehem was born to die as our Savior on the Cross. You were clothed in cloth, in life and in death, so we could be clothed in Christ, as we die to ourselves and live in You (Galatians 3:27). Your sacrifice to set aside the glory of heaven to come humble Yourself in human flesh -- to allow human flesh to lay Your body in a manger or a tomb, to hear You and receive You or to reject You and condemn You, to bow down before You or to nail You high on a cross -- is the sign of Your love for us. God the Father, humbling Yourself in God the Son, that we might be clothed with You and filled by You in God the Holy Spirit. You are God, and You are Love, so as I clothe myself with You, I clothe myself in Your nature by Your grace. "Above all, clothe yourselves with Love" (Colossians 3:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Merry and Missing 12-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The first thought in my mind and the first sound in my day is Your name. ... "There was also a prophet, Anna ... a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and speak about the Child to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel" (Luke 2:36-38). Christmas is a time to be merry, celebrating the birth of this Child who changes our lives. And for a season -- despite all the efforts to secularize it, materialize it, and marginalize it -- even our hardened, politically correct culture is still filled with greetings of "Merry Christmas," our radio waves are filled with Christmas songs, our lawns are filled with shepherds and angels, and our hearts are filled with joy and cheer. Christmas is a world-wide celebration of the birth of Christ. But it's also a time of missing those we love, who we wish could be with us to celebrate this joy of this season. Anna, the worshipper, never left the temple because she loved You and praised You day and night, always sensing Your Presence. But also Anna, the widow, never went home, where she must have missed the one she loved, maybe always sensing his absence. So there's room in our hearts to be both merry and missing the ones we love. You are our hope and our peace. You are the redemption of Israel and all things, bringing great tidings of comfort and joy, lifting our loneliness, stirring our hearts, drawing us together to worship You and celebrate You in the temple of Your Presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Please put on your calendars our City-Wide Strategic Prayer Summit January 11-12 in Lexington to join us if you can and pray with us if you can't. Write for details and a flyer is attached. Come to The Fountain! This Friday night Dec. 21th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. Sandra White who is powerfully gifted by the Lord in healing ministry will be leading in prayer while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

"Overwhelmed with Joy" 12-20-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me deep into Your Presence as I focus my thoughts and open my heart to You alone in these first moments of my morning. ... "When they heard the king, (the wise men) set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy" (Mathew 2:9-10). To seek You is faith; to find You is joy. These wise men followed the witness of creation and the Word of God to find the One their hearts where drawn to seek (v. 2:1-8). When they found You, they worshipped You. They opened their treasure chests to You, with giving gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh out of the joy of their hearts in finding the Messiah (v. 2:11). Lord Jesus, You are the Messiah of Israel, the Christ of all nations. You are "the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16). You are Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). And all who seek You with all their hearts will find You (Jeremiah 29:13). By the leading of Your grace, I have sought You and I have found You. I am overwhelmed with joy. I bow down before You, worship and adore You. I open my chest and offer You the treasure of all that I have. I give You the gifts of the gold of my heart, the incense of my prayers, and the myrrh of the surrender of my will to Yours'. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday night Dec. 21th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. Sandra White who is powerfully gifted by the Lord in healing ministry will be leading in prayer while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See AOL's top rated recipes and easy ways to stay in shape for winter.

Seek Him and Adore Him 12-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the One who is and who was and who is to come (Revelation 1:8). Come now into my thoughts and my heart and my day, I pray. ... "In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the Child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising, and have come to pay Him homage" (Matthew 2:1-2). As they say, "Wise men still seek Him." The stars and the incredible intricacy of Your design of all creation move upon the hearts of all but the most proud to acknowledge there is One who is Creator. "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). "Ever since the beginning of the world (Your) eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things (You) have made. So (we) are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). As with these wise men, You often use the glory of Your creation to lead us to the Creator. The vain philosophy of life by accident insults the intelligence You have given us. The profound complexity and intelligent design of the heavens above and firmament below leave us all without excuse to seek the One who created us seek You and know You, to worship and adore You. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:15-16). "O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday night Dec. 21th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. Sandra White who is powerfully gifted by the Lord in healing ministry will be leading in prayer while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Awake and Obey 12-18-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name, seek out Your face, and reach out for Your Presence. ... "When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son; and he named Him Jesus" (Matthew 1:24-25). You gave Joseph great faith and great courage to believe Mary's story of a miraculous conception and to believe You would confirm her word by Your word through an angel in a dream. But with that gift of faith and courage, Joseph was free to choose to believe or not, to obey or not. By Your grace, he woke up, he discerned Your truth, and he chose well to trust and obey. He had the honor of naming the Son of God. Give me great faith to believe Your miraculous signs and to hear Your words through the ways You choose to speak to me. Give me great courage to choose well with the freedom You give to trust Your words and obey Your commands. As I wake up each day from sleep, open my eyes to seek Your face, open my ears to hear Your voice, and open my heart to welcome Your Presence. I will have the honor of the joy and peace that comes from living in the trusting surrender of communion with You and obedience to Your words. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday night Dec. 21th at 7 pm for Messiah Ministries' monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. Sandra White who is powerfully gifted by the Lord in healing ministry will be leading in prayer while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 Subscribe/unsubscribe by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com