Morning by Morning, November 16 - Prevailing Hope Against Terror and Fear

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I intentionally choose to begin my day centered in You.  ...

 

"As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter:  'As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever -- forever and ever'" (Daniel 7:15-18).

 

Like the visions in Daniel's head, the visions in our daily news terrify me. Like Daniel, my spirit is troubled within me. Daniel's visions were of a time to come. My visions are before my eyes every day.

 

From Paris this weekend, we saw more of the senseless slaughter and callous cruelty of what increasingly seems like a world gone mad. Somehow terror has become commonplace.

 

But in the midst of this horror, we have hope. We hold on to the promises of God -- the promises that You will be with us through all we endure and that in the end, no matter how dark the days may grow, Your light will always ultimately prevail against the darkness. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5). The light of "the One who is in (us) is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

 

Let us not be discouraged. Let us not lose hope. Rather, let us arise and take our place in prayer and praise, with a renewed sense of Your call to arms in the war room of intercession. "For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon (us), and His glory will appear over (us)" (Isaiah 60:2). By the power of the grace of God at work within us, we will "Arise, shine; for (our) light has come, and the glory of the Lord has rise upon (us)," as we hold fast in faith, persevere in prayer, and unify as one in the Spirit and in action against this evil of our day (Isaiah 60:1).

 

This truth will never change:  "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). This promise will never be broken:  "God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). 

 

And no matter what battles we face in the face of terror and fear in this broken and fallen world until You return, we can confidently trust in the assurance of Your unshakeable, unchangeable Word:  "No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39). 

 

Like the people of God in every generation before us, by the power of Your grace and Your love that casts out all fear and overcomes all terror, we are "the holy ones of the Most High" that will prevail (Daniel 7:22). And we look forward to the day that will surely come, when all the evil of this world will "strike terror no more" (Psalm 10:18). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I join with you in the war room of intercession to pray and to prevail in hope against the terror and fear, in Jesus' name. May you always know you will always be more than a conqueror in the Christ Jesus our Lord. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

 

Friends, I join with you in prayer for the people of Paris and everywhere innocent lives are under siege from this evil of our day. 

 

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 13 - Free to Be Like Jesus

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You today.  ...

 

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Set me free to be like Jesus. Unveil my face. Remove the blinders from my eyes. Soften any hardness of my heart.  Sanctify the sin from my soul. Heal my brokenness. Break off the chains of bondage to the world, the flesh, and the devil, that I can live in the freedom of the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

 

And in the freedom of the Spirit, let me see the glory of the Lord -- the glory of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- more clearly each day. By the power of Your grace and the fire of Your Spirit, let me be conformed to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29).

 

We become like what we worship. And as I worship You, You make me more like You, transformed into Your image from glory to glory, day by day. Make me more like You today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray the Spirit of the Lord with move in the power of His fire in your soul to set you free to be like Jesus today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

Friends, Thank You! for all your prayers for our Level 2 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries. We celebrated our final night with graduation and great joy last night. I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to equip you and anoint you, as He empowers you and sends you to be an expression of God's love and power through your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you!

DVDs of our Schools of Ministry and my book, 

Free to Be Like Jesus, on the Biblical principles of inner healing and spiritual freedom are available through our website www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 12 - "With a Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart and every moment of my day.  ...

 

"When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that you fight might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Demonstrate the power of God through my life today. Demonstrate the power of Your love, the power of Your joy, the power of Your peace. Demonstrate the power of Your Word, the power of healing, the power of Your freedom. Demonstrate the power of the name and the blood of Jesus. Demonstrate the power of Your all-consuming fire and Your ever-abiding presence.

 

Your power confirms Your word (Hebrews 2:4). And Your power expresses Your heart. Give me Your heart, give me Your words today. Not merely my words or human wisdom or soulful desires, but instead, put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Guide my steps by the leading of Your Spirit to demonstrate more of Your power through my life today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will experience more demonstrations of God's Spirit and power through your life every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

Friends, please keep us in prayer for our final night of equipping, graduation, impartation, and celebration for our Level 2 School of Ministry at Rapha God Ministries tonight. I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to equip you and anoint you, as He empowers you and sends you to be expression of God's love and power through your life. Please pray the same for me. God bless you!

DVDs of our Schools of Ministry and my book, 

Free to Be Like Jesus, on the Biblical principles of inner healing and spiritual freedom are available through our website www.RaphaGodMinistries.com

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 11 - In the Court of Heaven

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm looking and listening for Your leading.  ...

 

"As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took His throne, His clothing as white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from His presence. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times then thousand stood attending Him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened" (Daniel 7:9-10).

 

Father God, You are the Ancient One. You are the Ancient of Days who has no beginning and no end. All eternity is eternally present before You. You see the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. In the brilliant light of Your glory and the holy fire that flows forth from Your presence, the books of life and the hearts of men are always open and bare before You. And from the court of heaven, You are the One who judges all.

 

The only plea I have is the blood of Jesus.

 

And by the mercy of Your grace, that's the only plea I need. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29 NKJV).

 

Daniel saw the court of heaven and the authority of the judgment of God, but he also saw the One who has already taken every sin to satisfy every judgment against us in His unspeakable mercy and grace:  "As I watched in the night visions, I saw One like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And He came to the Ancient One and was presented before Him. To Him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and His kingship is one that shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 7:12-14).

 

O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You both our eternal Judge and our eternal Savior. You are both holy and merciful. You desire what's right, but You also set things right within us, "so that in (Christ our Savior) we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:16). "For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:19-20). 

 

In the court of heaven, it's our humble and honest plea of guilty as charged that allows You to proclaim us innocent and free by the blood of the Lamb. "If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). So my only response to Your unfathomable grace can only be Thank You, Jesus. I plead Your blood and embrace Your grace. In response to all You've done for us, "Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will boldly embrace all the grace of God through the blood of Jesus, as you honestly and humbly open your heart bare before Him each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 10 - Worship in Spirit and Truth

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my soul and fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit.  ...

 

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).

 

As I worship You in spirit, my human spirit arises into communion with Your Holy Spirit. And as my spirit arises, my soul yields. The mind and will and emotions of my soul yield to the leading of my spirit, which yields to the leading of Your Spirit. First the spirit, then the soul, then the body, as the muscles and nerves, the organs and systems of my physical being also yield to the leading of my spiritual being. And You bring my life into alignment -- "spirit and soul and body"   -- as I worship You in spirit and truth (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

 

So from deep down inside, I seek to worship You in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- from every dimension of my being -- spirit, soul, and body. In the devotion and the freedom of worship in spirit and truth, I experience Your promise of "the communion of the Holy Spirit" within me (2 Corinthians 13:13).

 

Teach me more. Free me more. Lead me more to learn to worship You more deeply in spirit and truth. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are One and You are God and You are worthy of all my worship and all my love "with all (my) heart, and with all (my) soul, and with all (my) might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). You are "the God to whom I belong and whom I worship" (Acts 27:23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will be deeply moved and passionately freed to worship the Lord our God in spirit and truth, more deeply each day, with all your heart and soul and might, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 9 - Nothing's Too Mighty for Our God

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You, Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and I listen for Your leading to begin my day embracing Your presence and Your guidance.  ...

 

"I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.... He reached down from on high, He took me; He drew me out of mighty waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.... He brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.... The Lord lives! Blessed by my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation" (Psalm 18:3-46).

 

Every day we are at war in "our struggle ... against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Every day we are engaging our spiritual enemies with the spiritual "weapons of our warfare" (2 Corinthians 10:4). Every day we are surrounded by the spiritual enemies of our souls, coming to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). Some days we are very aware of the fierceness of the battle. Other days we have no idea of the battles that rage in the spiritual realm of the unseen dimension of our lives. 

 

But even if You opened our eyes to see our spiritual enemies, as Elisha prayed for his servant, there would be no need to fear, "for there are more with us than there are with them" (2 Kings 6:16). And though they may seem too mighty for us, they will never be too mighty for You. You are our "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:5). And You are always "mighty to save!" (Isaiah 63:1) Nothing's too mighty for our God! (Matthew 19:26)

 

So as I arise and go into the battles before me today, I go in the faith of the One who has already won every victory for me (Colossian 2:15). I go proclaiming the mighty name of our mighty God, "the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11). In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will be filled with faith in our mighty God who's gone before you to win the victory over your spiritual enemies in the mighty power of the name of Jesus, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

               

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 6 - "Confident of This"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm watching and waiting, listening for Your leading to begin my day seeking and following You. ...

 

"I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.... And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to 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 1:6-11).

 

By the power of the grace of God, may You have Your harvest in me. May every seed You've planted grow up to maturity. When I forget, may You remind me of Your faithfulness. When I waiver, may You empower me with Your encouragement. And when I question, may You restore me in confidence.

 

"Shall I open the womb and not deliver? says the Lord; shall I, the One who delivers, shut the womb? says your God" (Isaiah 66:9).

 

By no means, Lord. You will deliver; You will fulfill. You will be faithful to complete the good work You've begun in me. Not by my righteousness, but by Yours. No according to my promises or my power or my plans, but by Yours. "I am confident of this." I'm confident of You and I'm confident of Your word. Like "the little engine that could," "I think I can" because I know You will.

 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but (Your) words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). And every word of spirit and life You've ever spoken over me and spoken into me will come to pass and will not return void, but will accomplish all to which You have purposed it -- all in Your way, all in Your power, and all in Your time (Isaiah 55:11). I am confident of this. In Jesus' name I pray.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will be confident of this, that the Lord our God will be faithful to bring to completion every good work in He has begun in You, in Jesus' name. You can because He will. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

                

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 5 - Trusting His Control Down in My Soul

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It is well with my soul, as I trust You to have control.  ...

As I begin to pray, I hear Your Spirit writing a new song, and singing it from my heart back to Yours.  ...

 

With my soul in Your hands

I trust You with all my plans

Where You lead I will go

For Your voice I will know

Take me heart

Take me far

To wherever You are

You know best

Help me resist You less

Down in my soul

I trust You to have control

 

Yes, Lord. I trust You to have control, because I trust You to know what's best. By the power of the grace of God, I embrace Your promise that You've proved to be true to me over and over again:  "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

As someone said to me at the healing service last night, "I know God has a plan for me, He just hasn't shown me yet." Sometimes I feel the same. With that same faith, I know that this day and every day You have a plan for me. And by Your character and Your faithfulness that You've made so real and so true to me, I know it will be a good plan with a good future that's worthy of my hope because You're worthy of my trust.

 

So it is well with my soul. Down in my soul I trust You to have control. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you know the peace of God down in your soul as You trust Him to have control in all His plans for your life today and every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

              

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 4 - Seeking God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I settle in to my prayer chair and open up my spirit and speak out Your name, I begin my day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).

On the one hand, we can always seek You and You can always be found; we can always call upon You, because You're always near. But at the same time, there are certain times when we are moved more deeply to seek You more passionately.

For me, those times are often the times of personal brokenness, heartache, or failure. They're often the times when I'm worried, lonely, or afraid. And they're the times when it's hard to hope and keep on expecting something good is going to come out of something so bad. Those are the times like Psalm 107 when they "cried to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distress" (Psalm 107:13, 19, 28). 

It's those times when I need to know the most, deep down in my soul, that You will never leave me and never forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). That's when I need You to remind me, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6). "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 KJV)

But it's also these early morning times, when I do my best to start my day deliberately, intentionally seeking Your face and listening for Your voice and the leading of Your Spirit. I feel You're already here, just waiting for me, ready to be found. As soon as I can get quiet and still in my soul to say from my heart, "Here I am, Lord," You're already saying, "I'm already here."

You invite us to "search for (You) and perhaps grope for (You) and find (You) -- though indeed (You are) not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27). And You promise us "When you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me" (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

So whether from heartache, hardship, or just hunger for Your presence, I'm seeking You, Lord, while You can be found. I'm calling out to You while You are near. I'm taking hold of You with all my heart, because You're the One who takes hold of me and never lets go (John 10:28). You're the One who always says I'm already here -- "Before (you) call I will answer, while (you) are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will feel the loving embrace and presence of the Lord right now, as you seek Him with all your heart and find Him so ready to be found by you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

             

Friends, I'm excited to be sharing a message Hope and Healing with Max Lucado this Wednesday Night, Nov 4, at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. Please come join us for the First Wednesday Worship and Healing Service. Our Rapha God Ministries team will be joining the Oak Hills Church Prayer Team to offer personal prayer ministry for everyone. All are welcome!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 3 - "Quite a Character"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of my life and this day.  ...

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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 5:1-5).

It was said of me when I was younger, "He's quite a character." And I'm pretty sure that wasn't always intended as a compliment! I think the statement was usually accompanied with at least a little bit of rolling the eyes, raising an eyebrow or shaking the head. But sometimes those words came with a smile, a wink, and a knowing nod. I think I just liked the attention and convinced myself that everybody loves a character. So quite a character I became -- for better or for worse -- some days more better; some days more worse!

But along the way, purely by the grace of God -- and I do mean the unmerited, undeserved, much needed unlimited grace of God -- I opened my heart to Your Holy Spirit and let You pour Your love into my life. I found deep peace with God but also great pleasure in this exciting adventure of a life of faith in Jesus Christ.

Through the days of glory and also, just as importantly, through the days of suffering, You've been with me, stirring up hope and passion within me to hold on to hope -- to endure, to persevere, and to overcome. You've empowered me by Your Spirit to not merely survive, but to thrive. And somehow along the way of this daily journey of faith, You've been at work within me to make me more like You, to make my character more like Your character.

Lord knows, You still have a lot of work to do in me! But through all we've been through together, I'm "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in (me) will (be faithful) to complete it" (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). And when it's all been said and done -- all by the power of the grace of my God who gives me all the attention I'll ever need -- I'll be "quite a character" indeed. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will be quite the character God has created you to be, not just surviving but thriving every day in the love and power and grace of God at work within you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

             

Friends, I'm excited to be sharing a message Hope and Healing with Max Lucado this Wednesday Night, Nov 4, at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. Please come join us for the First Wednesday Worship and Healing Service. Our Rapha God Ministries team will be joining the Oak Hills Church Prayer Team to offer personal prayer ministry for everyone. All are welcome!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, November 2 - Finding the Favor of God

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Embrace me in Your arms and lead me by my heart in our communion of prayer -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...

"But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord" (Genesis 6:2).

Favor was not lost and needing to be found. No, when Noah found favor in Your sight, he began to realize Your favor was upon his life. It was a time of deep darkness when "the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth" (v. 6:5). But in the midst of the chaos and confusion, the darkness and degradation, You found one who had the heart of "a righteous man" and who "walked with God" (Genesis 6:9).

Lord Jesus, You said long ago, "For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.... Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour" (Matthew 24:37-44). One day You'll come again in Your glory in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:16). But everyday between now and then, You want to come in Your glory into our hearts (Colossians 1:27).

Come into my heart every day, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit and embrace me always in the arms of my Father (Ephesians 5:18). To find favor in Your sight is to embrace Your Spirit in my heart. "He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" -- a guarantee that whatever we go through in this broken fallen world, no matter how dark it may get before the dawn, You are with us and Your favor is upon us (2 Corinthians 5:5). By the "Holy Spirit of God" we are "marked with a seal for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).

The ancient, prophetic words of Isaiah are being fulfilled in our day:  "For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;" but at the same time, for all who have found favor in Your sight, You call us to "Arise, shine; for (our) light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon (us)!" (Isaiah 60:1-2) In the midst of the darkness, even if it grows to be as dark as in the days of Noah, we will "lift up (our) eyes," we will "see and be radiant," and "(our) heart shall thrill and rejoice!" (Isaiah 60:4-5)  

"For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround (them) as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12 NKJV). And it's by the mercies of God and the sacrifice of Christ alone, that we are forever righteous in Your sight with Your favor upon our lives (2 Corinthians 5:21). You are our Favor; and the power of Your steadfast love that never ceases, we are forever found in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will find favor with God, knowing He is your Favor upon your life, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

           

Friends, I'm excited to be sharing a message Hope and Healing with Max Lucado this Wednesday Night, Nov 4, at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. Please come join us for the First Wednesday Worship and Healing Service. Our Rapha God Ministries team will be jointing the Oak Hills Church Prayer Team to offer personal prayer ministry for everyone. All are welcome!

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, October 29 - The Word of the Lord

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ...

"For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness.... By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and all their host by the breath of His mouth.... For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm" (Psalm 33:4-9).

I call my spirit to attention to hear the word of the Lord. I call the mind and will and emotions of my soul to hear the word of the Lord. I call every cell and tissue and fiber of my body to hear the word of the Lord. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I willingly choose to align my life with the word of the Lord today.

"Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before Him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the One to whom we must render an account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Lord Jesus, You are the Word of the Lord. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... 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 1:1-14). You are "called Faithful and True" and Your "name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:11-13).

So when I position myself to hear the word of the Lord, I'm positioning myself to embrace the One who is the Word of the Lord. As I trust You to be Faithful and True, Your word is alive and active within me, exposing everything within me, down to the depths of my spirit and soul, my bone and marrow. All is bare before You, and all is surrendered to You.

So speak the word of the Lord over my life today. I know it will be Your best for me. And I know it will go forth and not return void, but it will accomplish all to which You have purposed in Your heart for my life this day (Isaiah 55:11). "But only speak the word" and whatever You will shall be done (Luke 7:7). 

And it shall be good (Genesis 1:1-30). In fact, it shall be "very good" because it is created by the word of the One who is so good to me (Genesis 1:31). "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer" (1 Timothy 4:4). With Your word in my heart and every dimension of my being through trusting surrender and prayer, I thankfully embrace Your will for my life this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray the word of the Lord will penetrate every dimension of your being and every moment of your day with His perfect will for your life this day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

          

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Morning by Morning, October 28 - First Things First

Good morning, Lord Jesus. First things first. And You're the first thing I want to think about, the first name I want to speak out, as I begin the journey of this new day.  ...

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33 NKJV).

The first step is often the hardest, but often the most important. It's hard to finish well when you don't begin well. It's easier to stay the course than change the course. And momentum builds with consistency.

So I don't want to begin my day filling my mind with bad news and negative thoughts. I don't want to start down the path of worrying about what's wrong with the world or wrestling with what's wrong with me right off the bat and just out of the chute. There will be plenty of time to keep it real soon enough. "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (v. 6:34).

No. Before I open myself up to the world, I want to first open myself up to my God. Before I get consumed in my concerns, I want to first be consumed by my Creator. You're my first love (Revelation 2:4). And I want to honor You by offering You the "first fruits" of my focus, the first word from my mouth, the first moments of my day, the first thoughts of my mind, the first desires of my heart -- my first and my best of all that I am and all that I have (Exodus 23:19).

So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to seek You first. As I seek You and Your righteousness, You're setting things right within me. Your Spirit is going before me into every moment of my day so that all I need will be added to me. "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him" (Isaiah 64:4). Here I am to worship and wait in this holy communion of prayer as my offering to You of the first moments of my day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

I pray you will awakened by the Holy Spirit to look up to Jesus in the embrace of our Father to begin each day offering Your first love and first fruits of your day to our God, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

         

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

www.Messiah-Ministries.org 

  

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

www.RaphaGodMinistries.com 

Please share this word to encourage a friend!