Friday, February 17, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 17 - Kingdom Global Initiative
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak, Lord, I pray. I am listening.  ...
 
"For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).
 
There is a day to come when You will set all things right (Isaiah 11:1-9). There is day to come for the "universal restoration that God announced long ago through His holy prophets" (Acts 3:21). This will be "the times of restoration of all things" -- "the times of refreshing (that) come from the presence of the Lord" when the Father sends the Son to return in victory and glory (Acts 3:19-21 NKJV). The glory of the presence of God will fill the earth (Habakkuk 2:14). Your kingdom will come and Your will will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
 
And between this day and that day, our part is to pray for Your glory to come in the earth and in our hearts (Colossian 1:27). We are Your forerunners, Your messengers, Your ambassadors -- "We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). You have entrusted this "message of reconciliation" between God and man to us to live and to share (2 Corinthians 5:19).
 
Your heart is to "bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47). "This good news of the kingdom will proclaimed through the world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). This is Your Kingdom Global Initiative -- initiated by You to be fulfilled by You through us, as we allow the glory of Your presence to fill our hearts and flow through our lives to change our world (Matthew 5:14).
 
By the power of Your grace flowing through us, we will do our part in our generation to fulfill Your prophetic command:  "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.... Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice.... and I will glorify My glorious house.... Violence shall not more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.... the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.... I am the Lord; in its time I will accomplish it quickly" (Isaiah 60:1-22).
 
We say, Come, Lord Jesus. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'" (Revelation 22:17) Come in our hearts and come in our world, until all the earth is filled with Your glory. By the power of Your grace, empower us to fulfill Your Kingdom Global Initiative. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


I pray your heart will be filled with the glory of the Lord in the fullness of His manifest presence, shining through you with the light of His glory, to be His ambassador and fulfill your destiny in His Kingdom Global Initiative, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     


Friends, please keep us in prayer as I begin a preaching series this Sunday as the guest preacher at Vineyard Church of San Antonio -- Knowing Our Identity, Fulfilling Our Destiny.  God bless you!



Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 16 - Savior of All
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Lord and Savior, be Lord of every area of my life and save me from everything that's anything less than Your will for me.  ...
 
"You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I Am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I Am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:10-11).
 
Thank You for Your heart to "save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV). Thank You for the gift of the fullness of salvation in You. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:14). "Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.... Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:9-13). "God's love was revealed among us in this way:  God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).
 
As I begin my day, I believe You're reminding me to never "neglect so great a salvation" and never take for granted this great gift of God that I have through my personal, intimate, daily relationship with You -- my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:3). You are "the Savior of all" (1 Timothy 4:10). And as I remember and thank You for what You've done for me and all You're doing in me, it's makes me want to share this great gift of Your great love with all those You bring across my path today.
 
"But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? And how are they to proclaim Him unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)
 
Here I am, Lord. Send me (Isaiah 6:8). Send me to live out and to share Your good news of Your great love -- "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "For by grace (we) have been saved through faith, and this is not (our) own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
 
Thank You for reminding me to remember this firm foundation of Your truth for my life today. May I never neglect it and never take it for granted, for it is the deepest expression of Your love me and every one of us:  "For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17 NKJV). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.  
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you know and live and share the love of God and the fullness of your salvation in Jesus Christ everywhere He sends you today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

      





Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 15 - Boundaries of Peace
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my spirit and lead me in the path You have for me today.  ...
 
"If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Romans 12:18).
 
Lord, increase my wisdom and discernment to know the boundaries of my responsibilities in the matters that touch my life. Show me how far it depends on me -- and how far it doesn't. Show me how far I'm to carry the load, bear up under the burden, hang on and hang in, press on and press through -- and how far I'm not. Show me how to do my part -- as best as I can and all by Your grace -- no more, and no less, but what is pleasing to You and right in Your sight.
 
Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and the heart to know where You've set the boundary lines of authority and responsibility for each of my relationships and all my assignments. "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel.... 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; in Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:5-11).
 
As far as it depends on me, I choose to depend on You. You are my Wisdom (Proverbs 5:1). You are my Strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). You are my Guide (John 16:13). And You are my Peace who sets for me Your boundaries of peace and empowers me to "live peaceably with all," as much as "possible" and "as far as it depends on (me)" (Romans 12:18; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 9:6). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you know the boundaries of peace in every relationship and assignment entrusted to you, with the wisdom and discernment of the One who is your Peace, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Friends, please keep us in prayer as I continue my weekly teaching of Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance tonight at River of Life United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, based upon the spiritual principles in my book. The Holy Spirit is teaching us by example and encounters, as we seek to learn and grow each week. I pray the same for you. God bless!

 



Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 14 - Day of Love
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your heart -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- as I begin my day seeking Your face and listening for Your voice.  ...
 
This is the day we celebrate in our culture as Valentine's Day -- the day of love. And You are Love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).
 
Lord, teach me to love in the way You love. And allow me to experience love in the way You intended love to be. "Love is patient; love is kind... Love never fails.... And now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:4-13).
 
May my spirit respond to Your Word.  ...
 
And also I sense a personal, humorous expression forming in my thoughts:
 
Love is patient; Love is kind.
Love is consuming like a flame,
But never too needy or clingy; and Love never whines.
 
Love is always faithful; Love is always true.
Love never fails,
And never, ever runs out on you.
 
Love goes before me; and Love has my back.
Love surrounds me and abounds around me,
While Love always seeks to keep me on track.
 
Love is higher than a mighty mountain.
Love is deeper than the sea.
Love is an overflowing fountain
of all that is good and God in this world to me
 
Above all, Love is the expression of the heart of God,
So let Love be the expression of God's heart in me.
 
Lord, hear my prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you be filled with filled and overflowing with the love of God today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. Happy Valentine's Day! God bless you, my friend!

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Monday, February 13, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 13 - Spirit of Wisdom
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart with Your desires and my steps with Your path for my life today.  ...
 
"Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?  '... Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right.... Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.... I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.... Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death" (Proverbs 8:1-36).
 
As best as I can and all by Your grace, I diligently seek You and Your wisdom, O Lord. I wait and watch and listen, that You may shape my heart and my mind with Your wisdom and understanding, so I can walk in Your ways that lead to the fullness of life in You. "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy" (James 3:17).
 
Your Word invites me to pursue "a spirit of wisdom and revelation as (I) come to know (You)" (Ephesians 1:17). Help me grow in Your wisdom, as I grow in the intimacy of my relationship with You. So I choose to pursue "Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).
 
Your Word promises, "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you" (James 1:5). I admit I do lack Your wisdom in so many matters. And at the same time, I accept Your invitation to seek and receive Your wisdom as I seek You. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as You fill me with the Spirit of the One who is Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, as you pursue Christ Himself and allow Him to put His thoughts in your mind and His desires in your heart, conforming your nature to His nature more 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
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Thursday, February 09, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 9 - Eternal Perspective of God's Eternal Purpose
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart, here at the start of my day.  ...
 
"This was in a accordance with the eternal purpose that He has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:11-12).
 
Give me an eternal perspective. You are at work in all things to accomplish Your eternal purpose. Keep a sense of eternity in my heart, trusting You to make everything beautiful -- restored, redeemed, and fulfilled -- all in Your time and all in Your way (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  
 
Keep giving me the grace to "look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Keep giving me the grace to "walk by faith, not by sight" -- trusting in Your eternal purpose in all things, in my life and all around me in my world (2 Corinthians 4:7).
 
All eternity is always, already present to You. And in Your eternal plan and purpose, all is well. Your word and Your will shall prevail. And Your word and Your will is always good. "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations!" (Psalm 100:5)
 
As You have decreed in Your Word, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill My intention.... I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have planned, and I will do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11). So let the good word and the good will of Your eternal plan and purpose give me boldness and confidence, peace and security, even excitement for the unfolding adventure, through faith in You with Your eternal perspective in my heart. In You, I can always say, "It is well, for my God is always at work to accomplish His good will in me and my world." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you rest and may all be well with your soul, as you trust by faith in God's eternal purpose in your life and your world, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Morning by Morning, February 8 - Lean In to the Spirit
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch and wait for Your leading, as I worship You in spirit and truth -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJ).
 
Help me grow in the grace of sorting out the difference between trusting in You with all my heart and leaning upon my own understanding. Help me learn to discern when I'm placing the priority upon my own thoughts in my own mind to gain my own understanding, instead of placing the priority upon first seeking You with all my heart. He me learn to listen first with my spirit instead of my soul (Hebrews 4:12). I want to lean in to Your Spirit instead of leaning on my own understanding. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:13).
 
You invite me and all Your children to trust You first, to seek You first, to "seek first the kingdom of God," rather than the kingdom of our own understanding, our own wisdom -- letting You lead the way, rather than letting the thoughts from our own minds lead the way. This is to have "the mind of Christ" rather than the mind of man (1 Corinthians 2:16). Then, confidently trusting in the promise of Your Word, we can trust You to "direct (our) paths" (Proverbs 3:6).
 
Lord, how do I lean in to Your Spirit?  ...
 
It seems I hear You saying, "My son, you lean in to Me and My Spirit when you consciously, deliberately seek to listen from your spirit. This is the deep of your spirit crying out to the deep of My Spirit -- deep to Deep, heart to Heart, spirit to Spirit. Then you are allowing Me to form My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart, so I can direct your paths -- not because I am forcing you to follow, but because you are allowing Me to lead."
 
Yes, Lord. Help me grow in this grace. "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). Unite me with You more every day. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I seek to live my life each day trusting in You with all my heart and learning to lean not on my own understanding. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

May you grow in the grace of learning to lean in to the Spirit of God instead of first leaning on your own understanding, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   
Friends, I m excited to be continuing my weekly teaching series tonight, based on my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance at Life in the City United Methodist Church in Austin. Please keep us in your prayers to learn and experience the healing power of God's love and grace. I pray for that same transforming power and grace in your life and ministry as well!

 



Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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