Monday, July 17, 2017

Morning by Morning, July 17 - Rhythms of Rest and Return

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and all of my life.  ... 

"Now during those days He went out to a mountain to pray; and He spent the night in prayer to God. And when the day came, He called His disciples and chose twelve of them, whom He also named apostles.... He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch Him, for power came out of Him and healed all of them" (Luke 6:12-19). 

Lord Jesus, You are our Savior and Healer and Deliverer. You are also our model for ministry, as we continue Your ministry of healing and hope as Your body, filled with Your Spirit, in the power and authority of Your name (1 Corinthians 12:27). And You modeled for us the rhythms of rest and return -- resting in the presence of God in prayer and peace so we can return with passion to pursue our mission of ministering Your healing and hope to the hurting and lost, full of Your heart of love and power. 

Thank You for the seasons of rest, and thank You for the seasons of return. Help me grow into the place of intimacy and maturity where I'm always at rest in You, even as I return to ministry in You -- Your Spirit always abiding in me, always doing Your work of ministry through me -- whether I'm away on the mountain or in the midst of the crowds. This is the rhythm of rest and return You have for me -- resting in You, as Your Spirit flows through me (Hebrews 4:1). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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


May you always rest in the peace and presence of the Lord, even as you return each day to passionately pursue your mission and ministry in Him by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

   

  

Friends, it's good to be back with you on our daily journey of prayer after I've been away for a time of intensive ministry and then family vacation. Thank you for all your prayers for me and my family and our ministry. I pray God's blessings of rest and return for you. Thank you for joining with me in the journey! 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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Friday, June 30, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 30 - Hunger to Know the Power of God

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. I embrace Your tender mercies and steadfast love, my heavenly Father. Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me, transform me, and overflow through me today with the love of my Father in the power of the name and the nature of Jesus, I pray.  ... 

"Brothers and sisters, God loves you, and we know He has chosen you, because the Good News we brought to you came not only with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with sure knowledge that is true" (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6). 

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your Power. Thank You for the Good News of Your forgiveness and favor, mercy and love, healing and deliverance, encouragement and strength, all by the power of Your grace. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith" (Romans 1:16). 

I pray to see more of Your power in my life today. I pray to see You changing lives, saving souls, healing hearts and bodies and relationships, breaking the chains of darkness, and displaying Your glory in the power of Your name. "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead!" (Philippians 3:10 NLT) "All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!" (Jude 25 NLT) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you experience the power of God in your life today -- in you and around you -- giving all glory, honor, and praise to Him alone, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  

  

Friends, I'm excited be teaching on inner healing and deliverance prayer ministry and joining the prayer ministry team at the Aldersgate Conference of Spiritual Renewal at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. This year's theme is "The Power of God!" The evening worship and ministry sessions are open to the public at 7pm. Please come join us if you can! Please continue to keep us in prayer. I'm excited to see what God will do, in us and in you! 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, June 29, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 29 - He Makes Bitter Waters Sweet

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to align my steps with Your path for my life.  ... 

"Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, 'What shall we drink?' He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet" (Exodus 15:22-25). 

In You, we're on a spiritual journey out of the bondage of Egpyt, through the wilderness, and into the promised land of our destiny. And along the way we can grow weary and worn. We can give in to the negative attitudes of murmuring and complaining and criticizing. We can let our faith waiver as we begin to forget Your faithfulness for salvation and deliverance so many times before and start to lose our vision and hope for the destiny You've set before us. And sometimes we have to admit all that happened just yesterday! 

But You are the God who makes our bitter waters sweet. Just like You showed Moses a piece of wood, You remind us of Your cross. The power of Your cross and Your sacrifice of love for every one of us is the power of God for our salvation, for our healing, for our deliverance that refreshes us and renews us to continue the journey. Just as You showed the children of Israel that day, You show us every day You are Jehovah Rapha, "the Lord who heals you" (Exodus 15:26). 

In You, I can "taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8) In You, I can remember that just as You were with me before, You are with me now, and You will be with me through whatever I face on the journey ahead. You are "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). You'll "never leave (me) or forsake (me)" (Hebrews 13:5). You are "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End ... Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty!" (Revelation 1:8 NKJV) You are "I Am!" (Exodus 3:14) And You're always with me -- always making my bitter waters sweet! (Matthew 28:20) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you drink deeply from the Living Waters every day, from the One who makes the bitter waters sweet, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  

  

Friends, thank you so much for your prayers for us in ministry in Kentucky this week. Last night I was honored and excited to join dear friends, Brooke and Shannon Barrett, to launch a monthly worship and prayer service at their home church, River of Life Foursquare Church in Berea, Kentucky. They were led to call it "The Water's Edge" and the I believe the Lord gave me this prophetic picture the bitter waters made sweet last night to speak of this place to come and be refreshed and renewed along the spiritual journey. We had a wonderfully deep and intimate time in the Presence of the Lord last night, wth much freedom and testimonies and expression of God's good gifts for His children in an atmosphere saturated in worship, praise, and the healing love of Jesus Christ. I pray the same for you!

 Now for the rest of the week and through the weekend, I'll be teaching on healing and deliverance prayer ministry and joining the prayer ministry team at the Aldersgate Conference of Spiritual Renewal at the Lexington Convention Centerin Lexington, Kentucky. Please continue to keep us in prayer. I'm excited to see what God will do, in us and in you! 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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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 28 - Running and Resting, "Looking to Jesus"

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Potter and I am Your clay. Mold me and shape more into Your image today.  ... 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3). 

This race of faith I'm running is more like a marathon rather than a sprint. And it's more like cross-country -- persevering over rough terrain that's constantly changing -- rather than running around a nice smooth track with clearly marked lanes in front of the grand stands with everyone cheering you on. But by the power of Your grace, I do not grow weary or lose heart as long as I keep "looking to Jesus." 

You already "endured" it all. You've already run the race before me. You've already taken my sins and failures, my sorrows and disappointments, every time I've been tempted to grow weary or lose heart, all "for the sake of the joy that was set before (You)." Then You sat down, taking Your seat at the right hand of the throne of God, because You said "It is finished" (John 19:30).

Your race is run. And now You give me the grace to run mine, resting in You. How do I "run" and "rest," Lord?  ... 

It seems I hear You saying in my heart, "My son, you run your race by resting in Me. You run your race by trusting in Me that I have made the way for the fullness of your salvation and for the abundance of your life in Me. As you look to Me, I am changing you into My image, filling you with My Spirit, empowering you with My will to walk in My ways to display My glory through your life. Keep letting me lift off the weights and wash off the sins so you can run your race of faith trusting in Me and My love and My grace for you -- all for the sake of the joy that I have set before you." 

Yes, Lord. Teach me how to rest and to run. Help me grow in my understanding what seems like a tension of both resting and running -- just like it seems like a tension of Your kingdom coming while it's already here and the tension of embracing both the truth that "It is finished," while at the same time trusting with all my heart the truth that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it, to "continue (Your) work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Philippians 1:6 NLT). 

By the power of Your grace, I will not grow weary, I will not lose heart. By the power of Your grace, I will trust in You and I will rest in You and all You have already done -- forever for me and forever in me. May this bring You joy! It was all for the sake of this joy that You "endured the cross, disregarding its shame" -- all for me and for all who believe." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


May you run your race, looking to Jesus and resting in Jesus -- trusting in Him and all He has done for you and continues to do in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

 

  
Friends, please keep us in your prayers this week. I'm excited to be ministering with old friends, Brooke and Shannon Barrett, at River of Life Foursquare Church in Berea, Kentucky. Tonight will be the first night of "The Water's Edge" monthly service of healing worship, as we worship the Lord and allow Him to minister His healing love and grace to us. Then for the rest of the week and through the weekend, I'll be teaching on healing and deliverance prayer ministry and joining the prayer ministry team at the Aldersgate Conference of Spiritual Renewal at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. I'm excited to see what God will do, in us and in you! 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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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 27 - Eyes of Faith to See the Deeper Reality of Truth

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart.  ... 

"When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, 'Alas, master! What shall we do?' He replied, 'Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.' Then Elisha prayed:  'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15). 

When You open my eyes of faith, You don't close to my eyes of reality. You just help me see the deeper reality I hadn't seen before. You let me see the truth that You are with me, that You are mighty, that You are in control, that Your victory is already won (Colossians 2:15). "For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the word but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5). "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!" (Romans 8:37) 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, that I may see You and Your truth and Your provision and Your power (Ephesians 1:18). There may be a "thief (who) comes only to steal and kill and destroy, (but You) came that (I) may have life, and have it abundantly!" (John 10:10) 

Even though I may see and acknowledge my very real enemy, You give me eyes of faith to see my very real Savior! The enemy may have his armies, but the Lord of hosts, the God of angel armies, has His! My battles are real, but so is Your victory. "Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.... Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!" (Psalm 24:8-10) And the King of glory has already given me victory over every enemy I'll ever face! (1 Corinthians 15:57)  

"Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as Head above all!" (1 Chronicles 29:11) "May we shout for joy over Your victory!" (Psalm 20:5) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you see the deeper reality of the truth of God's victory for your life no matter what battles you're facing, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 
 

  
Friends, please keep us in your prayers this week. I'm excited to be ministering with old friends, Brooke and Shannon Barrett, at River of Life Foursquare Church in Berea, Kentucky and then teaching on healing and deliverance prayer ministry at the Aldersgate Conference at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. I'm excited to see what God will do, in us and in you! 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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Monday, June 26, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 26 - This God of Ours
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Guide my steps on the path of life in You today.   ...
 
"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.... How kind the Lord is! So merciful, this God of ours! ... Let my soul rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.... And so I walk in the Lord's presence as I live here on earth.... O Lord, I am Your servant; yes, I am Your servant, born into Your household; You have freed me from my chains! I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord! ... Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 116:1-19 NLT)
 
You're not a God who's distant, but very near. You're not a God who's indifferent, but attentively engaged. You're not a God who's angry or bitter or uncaring or rude. No, You're my Maker and my Master; You're my Savior and Lord; You're my Constant Companion and my Best Friend. So I will thank You and praise You! I will worship and adore You! I will daily choose to live my life for You -- for this awesome God of ours! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you be filled with awe at this God of ours who loves you so -- your Maker and Master, your Savior and Lord, your Constant Companion, and your Best Friend, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

  
Friends, please keep us in your prayers this week. I'm excited to be ministering with old friends, Brooke and Shannon Barrett, at River of Life Foursquare Church in Berea, Kentucky and then teaching on healing and deliverance prayer ministry at the Aldersgate Conference at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. I'm excited to see what God will do, in us and in you! 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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Friday, June 23, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 23 - Mount of Transfiguration, Spirit of Transformation
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my heart and guide my thoughts, as I seek Your face and listen for Your voice, Good Shepherd of my soul.  ...
 
"Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is My Son, the Beloved; listen to Him!' Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus" (Mark 9:2-8).
 
Father God, Your cloud overshadowed the disciples who were called apart to came away and be with Jesus. And from the cloud of Your Presence, You spoke to their hearts to listen to Jesus. Then their eyes were opened to see Your glory manifested in Your Beloved, Your only begotten Son, Jesus. And in that moment, they saw nothing else, "but only Jesus."
 
It seems that's a picture of these morning times of contemplative, centering prayer, as I seek to begin my day with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You call me apart from everything else. And before I descend into my daily responsibilities, You lead me up on the mountain of prayer to come away with Jesus. You overshadow me in the abiding Presence of Your Holy Spirit and lead me to listen for the voice of Jesus, encouraging me, "Listen to Him!" You open the eyes of my heart in these first moments of my morning to see nothing else, "but only Jesus." 
 
As my Beloved Jesus is transfigured before me, my spirit in transformed within me. "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).
 
Lord, let me live on this Mountain of Transfiguration. Let me daily embrace -- morning by morning, moment by moment -- Your Spirit of Transformation -- embraced by my Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you be transformed from glory to glory, morning by morning and moment by moment, beholding the Lord in His ever-abiding Presence -- embraced by Your Father, centered in Jesus Christ, and filled with His Holy Spirit, 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, June 22, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 22 - The Shining
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin my day well -- embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life" (Philippians 2:15-16 NLT).
 
Clean me up and shine me off, Lord. Get more of the life of this world out of me so more of Your word of life can shine through me. I'm not better than anyone, but I do want to become better than who I am -- being transformed by Your renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), being conformed into Your image (Romans 8:29), being changed from the inside out, from glory to glory, to be more like You each day (2 Corinthians 3:18).
 
You are "the Word of Life" (1 John 1:1). You are "the Light of the World" (John 8:12). And You want Your words and Your life and Your light to fill me up and then flow out and shine through me. Though You said You are the Light of the Word, You also said of us, as Your disciples and children of God, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). That's because "the Spirit of Christ" is in us (Romans 8:9). Christ is in us, shining through us (Colossians 1:27). In You, we are the shining -- shining ones, reflecting Your glory and Your hope to all who desperately need to encounter and embrace the Word of Life in our world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you shine with the light of the glory of God shining through you with His hope and life 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, June 21, 2017

Morning by Morning, June 21 - The "Brighter and Brighter" Path

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- help me begin my day in the conscious communion of Your Presence.  ... 

"The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.... Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil" (Proverbs 4:18). Lord, keep my path straight. Let my steps be sure and let my path be clear -- growing "brighter and brighter." Take me by the hand. Lead me by the heart. Fill me with Your thoughts and Your desires so I can walk in the way You've chosen for me. Your Word says, "Your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21). 

As I keep my eyes on my Teacher, as I keep my heart open to Your Spirit, as I allow You to keep transforming me by the renewing of mind, as I remember I am a child of God, living into the fullness of my destiny and seeking to grow into the completeness of maturity, I can trust that You will keep me on Your path. It's all in Your righteousness, not mine. It's all by the power of Your grace, not my will power. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13). 

"Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.... Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land" (Psalm 37:23-34). Lord, make my steps firm today, so You can delight in my way and lead me in the way that leads to the fullness of life in You. "You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your Presence!" (Acts 2:28)  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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


May you walk in the path of life that grows brighter and brighter before you each day, bull of gladness in the Presence of our God who is with you always, every step of the way, 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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