Morning by Morning, January 4 - Following the Pillar of the Presence of the Lord

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Christ the King, come rule and reign in me and every moment of my day.  ...

 

"The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night" (Exodus 13:21).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. You are the Pillar of the Presence of the Lord. In communion with You, the Father and the Son dwell in me. And in communion with You, the Father and the Son lead me. You are the Cloud that comforts me and the Fire that consumes me. You always point me to the Light of my Savior to lead me in the way that leads to life (John 16:13-15).

 

So open the eyes of my heart to see where Your pillar of cloud by day and Your pillar of fire by night will lead me today. Make me more sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit stirring in my spirit and speaking to my heart. "When (I) turn to the right or when (I) turn to the left, (my) ears shall hear a word behind (me), saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21). 

 

Give me confidence to believe the promise of Your Word:  "All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God ...  (and) it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). Give me the discipline to never take another step until I see and sense the Pillar of Your Presence move and the courage to move immediately and obediently the moment I do. This is the great the joy of my journey -- that I journey every moment of every day in communion with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you know deeply in your heart you are a child of God, led by the Spirit of God, moving patiently, confidently and courageously in step with the Pillar of the Presence of the Lord each day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

  

Friends, I'll be speaking at the First Wednesday Worship and Prayer Service at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio for the first Wednesday of the New Year tonight. Please come join us. All are welcome! Our Rapha God Ministries team will be partnering with the Oak Hills Church prayer team to offer personal prayer ministry.  www.oakhillschurch

   

Start off 2017 with me in seeking to begin my day centered in Jesus!

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, January 3 - "Continue"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In Your abiding Presence, I want to start my day embraced by my heavenly Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ...

 

"And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him -- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven" (Colossians 1:21-23).

 

"Continue securely established and steadfast in the faith."  ...  As I read these words and let them settle into my spirit this morning, I hear Your Spirit emphasizing the word "Continue."  ... 

 

As I ponder this word, I believe I hear You saying, "Ask Me what is to continue and what is to remain. As you leave behind the past year and enter into the new, ask Me what you are to carry with you and what you are to leave behind."   ...

 

Yes, Lord. You're bringing to mind Your Word proclaimed through the Apostle Paul in his spiritual journey:  "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).

 

As I begin this new year, I want to take time to let Your Spirit search my heart and show me what is to continue and what is to remain, what to hold on to and what to let go. Show me the habits that need to be broken, the hurts that need to be healed, the heart condition that needs to be changed. Uproot and remove everything in me, lift up and break off everything from me, that would keep me from fully embracing You and Your plan for my life this year. Reveal and remove all that's less than Your best so You can replace it with all that truly is. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart to show you what is to continue and what is to remain, what you're to hold on to and what you're to let go as you move into this new year, continuing your journey into spiritual maturity in Christ, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend and Happy New Year!

 

  

Friends, I'll be speaking at the First Wednesday Worship and Prayer Service at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio for the first Wednesday of the New Year tomorrow night. Please come join us. All are welcome!

www.oakhillschurch

   

Start off 2017 with me in seeking to begin my day centered in Jesus!

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, January 2 - Glorious Adventure!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of the world, be King of my world -- here in my heart and here in the every moment of my day.  ...

 

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3).

 

As I begin this new year, I want to begin by seeking Your face, calling on Your name, and listening for Your leading. I want Your vision to be my vision, Your plans to be my plans. I want to position myself in both humility and faith, that I can hear what You're saying and see what You're doing, as You tell me great and hidden things that I have not known. Let this be a great adventure of revelation in the unfolding of this year -- morning by morning and moment by moment with You.

 

Your Word says "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). Fill me now with expectant hope to search out the things that You've concealed like hidden treasures for me to search out and find on my adventure in faith and daily journey of prayer.  "'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him' -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Let the glorious adventure begin! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you be filled with expectant hope for the glorious adventure the Lord has set before you this year, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend and Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year and God Bless You, Tommy!

Thank You for joining with me this year

 in our daily journey of prayer!

  

   

Start off 2017 with me in seeking to begin my day centered in Jesus!

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, December 25 - It's Time to Get Up, It's Christmas Morn!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior and every day I celebrate my new birth in You (John 3:3).  ...

 

In flurries of joy

And presents galore

Soon all the wrappings will cover the floor

It's time to get up

It's Christmas morn!

 

Children tremble with delight

Their spirits and hearts will soon take flight

This is the day they've yearned and longed for

It's time to get up

It's Christmas morn!

 

But the angel atop the Christmas tree

The sparkling lights for all to see

Remind us of the One whose life was born

It's time to get up

It's Christmas morn!

 

Eternal God, yet fully man

You humbled Yourself in Your eternal plan

May You be found in every heart and at the heart of Christmas Day

It's time to get up

It's Christmas morn!

 

Thank You, Lord Jesus - One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit - You've humbled Yourself in the likeness of human flesh and blood to be our Savior and show us the way that leads to a life filled with the peace and joy that only a life in Christ can bring (Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 14:17; John 15:11). "You show me the path of life. In Your Presence there is fullness of joy!" (Psalm 16:11)

 

"For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given; 

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV).

 

Merry Christmas, Lord Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you be filled with the peace and joy that only a life in Christ can bring, in Jesus' name!  Please pray the same for me. It's time to get up, it's Christmas morn! God bless you, my friend! 

Merry Christmas and God Bless You, my friend!

Thank You for joining with me this year

 in our daily journey of prayer!

  

   

Start off 2017 with me in seeking to begin my day centered in Jesus!

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, December 23 - Going to See the King!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and the center of my life. And give me the grace to live into all that means.  ...

 

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He was has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.... The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:1-11 NKJV).

 

The wise men were going to see the King. They followed His star and when they found Him they took Him into their hearts. They "rejoiced with exceedingly great joy!" They "fell down and worshiped Him" and "opened their treasures" before Him to offer their gifts to Him.

 

Lord Jesus, You are the King - "the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15 NKJV). Give me the wisdom to pursue You every day. Give me the humility to open the treasures of my heart and offer the gift of my life completely to You. As I worship You and welcome You into my heart and the moments of my day, Your Spirit will fill me with the peace of Christ and "with exceedingly great joy!" Let me be among those wise men and women who are ever going to see the King! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you be stirred in your heart to go and see the King every day, giving Him the gift of your heart every day, as He fills you with His peace and exceedingly great joy, in Jesus' name!  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  

   

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, December 20 - "My Soul Magnifies the Lord!"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart to welcome You in and abide in Your Presence in these first moments of my morning, wholly surrendered to You.  ...

 

"And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name!" (Luke 1:46-49)

 

Mary said her soul magnified You and her spirit rejoiced in You. What does that mean, Lord?  ...

 

It seems I hear You saying, "To magnify Me is to focus in on Me. It is to seek Me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. It is to let everything else, everything less, fade away as You see Me alone. When she did, her spirit rejoiced and her heart sang. In that moment, she didn't care what anyone thought. All her thoughts and all her desires were fixed upon Me alone."

 

Yes, Lord. To confirm Your word to my heart, You're bringing many Scriptures to my mind:  "One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:  to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4). "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalm 84:10). "I keep the Lord always before me.... Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.... You show me the path of life. In Your Presence there is fullness of joy!" (Psalm 16:8-11)

 

Like Mary, I want to take time to "magnify" You. At least for a moment here at the start of my day, let my heart and mind be fixed on You alone. As the old hymn says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." I know as I do my spirit will rejoice in God my Savior, my heart will be glad, and my body will rest secure in You. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You... Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early" (Isaiah 26:3-9). And by the leading of Your Spirit, may I seek You early and then continue to seek You throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May your soul magnify the Lord, that your spirit may rejoice in God our Savior and your heart be glad in Him all day long, in Jesus' name!  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

   

   

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, December 19 - Something Began in Bethlehem

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are worthy of my worship and the first moments of my day - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...

 

"But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of His kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they shall live secure, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and He shall be the One of peace" (Micah 5:2-5).

 

Father, You spoke to the prophet Micah seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, declaring Bethlehem to be the birthplace of the Messiah. It's another one of Your Scriptures that powerfully proves the Bible is true and inspired by God. In the little town of Bethlehem - the birthplace of David and now the birthplace of the Son of David - the virgin in labor would give birth to the Messiah who would be the One of peace, the One who would come in the majesty of the name of the Lord, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days, from everlasting to everlasting, who alone is great to the ends of the earth (Luke 2:4; Matthew 2:6).

 

Though our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God, with no beginning and no end, forever One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit in the holy union and trinity of God, the Word became Flesh in a precise moment in eternity and was born in Bethlehem (John 1:1-14). The God of all eternity chose to humble Himself "in human form" to live and die and live again among us (Philippians 2:5-11). You are Emmanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:4; Matthew 1:23).

 

Something began at Bethlehem. Though Your plans are eternal, there was a moment of time, in the unfolding of Your plan when the eyes of all of Heaven looked upon this little town on this earth to proclaim, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14 NKJV)

 

Something began that will have no end. "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. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore" (Isaiah 9:6-7 fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May all that began in Bethlehem continue to be birthed in you with the One of peace in your heart forever, in Jesus' name!  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  

   

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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, December 16 - "Your Prayer Has Been Heard!"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with my Father, One with the Holy Spirit. Come be One within me today, I pray (John 17:21).  ...

 

"But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard!" (Luke 1:13)

 

Zechariah and Elizabeth longed to have a child. And like every mother and father, they longed for their child to make a difference and leave a legacy. But "Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years" (v. 7). So they prayed. And even as Zechariah was "serving as priest before God" with the high honor of being chosen to "enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense," he continued to offer up to You the deepest prayer of his own heart (v. 9).

 

And You answered. You sent Your angel to speak to his heart that You heard his prayers. He and Elizabeth would have their child, their miraculous birth they had longed to see before they passed from this world. They would have a son and he would have significance. As You encouraged them and blessed them through the angel:  "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord!" (v. 15)

 

Even before his birth, their son, John, would be "filled with the Holy Spirit;" and he would "turn many people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he (would) go before (You), to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (v. 15-17).

 

No doubt this was a measure of the fulfillment of Your Word through the prophet Isaiah, spoken centuries before:  "Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord!" (Isaiah 54:1).

 

Thank You for answering Zachariah and Elizabeth's prayer. Thank You for giving birth to the one who would "prepare the way of the Lord" (Luke 3:4 fulfilling Isaiah 40:3). You put that prayer in their hearts for them to pray, along with the persevering faith to continue to pray until it came to pass. You are the God who declares, "I Am the One who answers your prayers and cares for you.... All your fruit comes from Me" (Hosea 14:8).

 

Put Your prayers in my heart to accomplish Your purposes through my life. Give me the grace to persevere in faith until I see it come to pass - all in Your time and all in Your way. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

May you fervently pray, in the persevering faith that God supplies by the power of His grace, the prayers the Lord puts into your heart to pray to fulfill His purposes through your life. May you see every one come to pass, in Jesus' name!  Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  

   

Friends, I'm excited that we just published my new book Morning by Morning, Second Edition that is now available through Amazon and Kindle. It's a 365 Day Devotional with a selection of many of my favorite devotionals from the last several years of my prayer journey. Thank you for joining with me on this journey! And I pray these simple morning prayers are a great blessing and encouragement to you to start your day embraced by the love of our Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Click Here to Order Today through Amazon.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!