Thursday, November 16, 2017

Morning by Morning, November 16 - The Father's Love for Us

 Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me hear and see and sense Your Presence here with me, here within me, as I begin my day in the communion of prayer -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  ... 

"Then Jesus said, 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to celebrate!" (Luke 15:11-24) 

When the prodigal son came to the end of himself, he said, "Here I am dying.... I am no longer worthy." He was giving up hope, believing his sins were too dark, his heart was too hardened, his character was too tarnished, his faith was too weak, his life was too wasted. He believed he was too far gone and began to give up to hopeless despair. 

But then a thought came to his mind of the father he knew. And though he felt so much rejection from within and without, so alone and so unworthy that surely he would be unloved and unwanted, he chose to "get up and go to (his) father, and (speak) to him" (v. 18). He was sure in his mind and convinced in his heart that he would only face more shame, more rejection, more disappointment, all in confirmation of all the negative things he'd come to believe about himself and his worth in the eyes of his father and everyone else. 

Yet, something drew him to come and see, to take a risk to come receive, to humble himself come and ask for his father's help. And what a father he found! His father ran to him and hugged him and kissed him and welcomed him home in the embrace of his love. He father was filled with joy at his son's return -- the one who was dead was now alive, the one who lost was now found! How great, how deep is our Father's love for us! How great, how vast beyond all measure! 

As the song of worship says: 

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
 
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
 
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
 
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
 
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
 
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
 
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(Songwriter:  Stuart Townsend) 

My Father, I thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for never letting me give up on myself. Thank You for Your sacrifice of love for me and for all, through Jesus Christ, that there is no sin You won't forgive, no wound You won't heal, and no bondage You won't not break if we humble ourselves to turn to You, to call on Your name, and ask for Your help. When we humble ourselves in Your sight, You lift us up (James 4:10).  

Thank You for Your everlasting promise and unfailing love:  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:22-25). In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

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




I pray you embrace the Father's love for you--His unfailing love, poured into your heart by His Spirit through His Son, every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of meGod bless you, my friend!

 

Friends, I'm really excited about the opportunity to preach by live streaming over the internet to a gathering in a village in Pakistan near Lahore this coming Friday. It will be Friday night their time in Pakistan and Friday morning my time in Texas. Please cover us in your prayers for salvation, transformation, healing, and deliverance in the mighty name of Jesus! May they know the Father's love for them! I was able to preach there in person several years ago and saw the Lord move mightily. I'm so thrilled to have a chance to return in this way. God bless you and thank you!

I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Healing and Freedom
 
 
 
A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer
 
 


God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey!

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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Blue 

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Morning by Morning, November 15 - "Full of Grace and Power"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In Your grace and from Your embrace, I seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, as I begin my day in the intimacy of Your Presence -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue ... and others from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke" (Acts 6:8-9).
 
Stephen was not one of Your apostles; he was one of Your servants. He was not a learned scholar; he was a student of the faith. And he was one who sought to live his life in "good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom ... a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (v. 6:3-5). You anointed him and empowered him, as You did "great wonders and signs" through him, just as You desire to do through every one of us in the authority of Your name and the power of Your Spirit -- "through those who believe" (Mark 16:17-18).
 
Father God, lay Your hands upon me today. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit today. With the authority of the name of Jesus in my words and the nature of Jesus growing in my heart, do great wonders and signs of Your love and grace through my life. Just like Stephen, I'm Your servant and I'm Your son -- a child of God, being filled up to overflowing with the same power and the same nature that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). Display the glory of Your power and love, Your wisdom and grace, through me today -- "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays




I pray you will be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit, full of God's grace and power, for the the Father to display His glory, His great wonders and signs, through your life today, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of meGod bless you, my friend!


Friends, I'm really excited about the opportunity to preach by live streaming to a gathering in a village in Pakistan near Lahore this coming Friday. It will be Friday night their time in Pakistan and Friday morning my time in Texas. Please cover us in your prayers for salvation, transformation, healing, and deliverance in the mighty name of Jesus! I was able to preach there in person several years ago and so the Lord move mightily. I'm so thrilled to have a chance to return in this way. God bless you and thank you!

I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Healing and Freedom
 
 
 
A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer
 
 


God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey!

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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Blue 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Morning by Morning, November 14 - Got Wisdom?
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and Lord of lords, be King of my heart and Lord of my life, as You rule and reign over every moment of my day.  ...
 
"Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight; for I give you good precepts:  do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother's favorite, he taught me, and said to me, 'Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight:  do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will help you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this:  Get wisdom, and whatever else you do, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown'" (Proverbs 4:1-9).
 
David spoke of wisdom to Solomon. And Solomon spoke of wisdom to his children. And by Your Word through them, You speak of wisdom to us. Your Word says, "Get wisdom." Show me, Lord. What does it mean to "Get wisdom?"  ...
 
It seems I hear You saying in my spirit, "To 'Get wisdom' is to pursue Me, for I Am Wisdom. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let Me put My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart so I can lead you in My paths. My paths are Righteousness, Truth, and Love. Hold fast to these; hold fast to Me and My Word. And you will 'Get wisdom' to walk in the way that leads to Life -- the abundant life I long for you to have in Me."  ...
 
Yes, Lord. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life" (Proverbs 9:10-11). Lord Jesus, You are "Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). So put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart; fill me with Your Spirit and lead me in Your ways. Guide my steps upon Your paths that lead to life in You, as a child of God "full of the Spirit and of wisdom" (Acts 6:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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




I pray you seek and embrace the One who is the Power and Wisdom of God, allowing Him to put His thoughts in your mind, to put His desires in your hear, and to fill you with His Spirit to walk in His ways today, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of meGod bless you, my friend!



I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Healing and Freedom
 
 
 
A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer
 
 


God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey!

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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Blue 

Monday, November 13, 2017

Morning by Morning, November 13 - Honoring Our Veterans and Our Greatest Veteran
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for the leading of Your Spirit, here in the embrace of my Father to begin my day in the intimacy of prayer.  ...
 
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
 
This weekend our nation honored the men and women who have been willing to fight and die for our freedom and our honor as our Veterans. We're thankful for their service. We're thankful for their sacrifice. We're thankful that they answered the call with courage and conviction to willingly lay down their lives for us. We owe them our respect and honor them with our gratitude -- "respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due" (Romans 13:7).
 
And as I honor them, I honor You. You set aside the glory of heaven to humble Yourself in the likeness of human flesh and blood to lay down Your life for me -- "even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-11). You are the Veteran of the greatest war ever fought -- the war between heaven and hell, between good and evil, between forgiveness and sin. The battle scars You bear are the jagged nail wounds upon Your hands and feet forever for us (John 20:27).  
 
Through Your sacrifice of love -- a sacrifice we really can't even begin to fully grasp -- our world condemned to die will experience a new heavens and a new earth through the sufferings of Your cross and the glory of Your resurrection (John 3:16). "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:17). We honor You and thank You. Thank You for Your service and Your sacrifice. "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ!"  -- our Greatest Veteran! (1 Corinthians 15:57)

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




I pray you're filled with gratitude and respect in honor of our veterans and our Greatest Veteran, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of meGod bless you, my friend!




I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Healing and Freedom
 
 
 
A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer
 
 


God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey!

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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Blue 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Morning by Morning, November 10 - Rend Open Our Hearts and Your Heavens with Revival!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and every moment of this day.  ...
 
"'Now, therefore,' says the Lord, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.' So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-14 NKJV).
 
Repentance prepares the way of the Lord for revival -- in our hearts and in our land. When we rend open our hearts, You rend open Your heavens:  "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your Presence -- as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil -- to make Your name know to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your Presence! When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, the mountains shook at Your Presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eyes seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him!" (Isaiah 64:1-4 NKJV)
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Stir in our hearts to rend them before God. May we return to You, O Lord, our God, in our land and our generation to be a people who are called by Your name, pursuing Your will, to walk in Your ways. Set us ablaze with Your holy fire! Awaken us! Revive us! Display Your glory through us again! "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" (Psalm 33:12 NKJV) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays




I pray the Holy Spirit of the Living God stirs in your spirit and your land for a great awakening a revival in His holy fire and power, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same of meGod bless you, my friend!
I invite you to join with me on the spiritual journey of hungering and thirsting for more with a couple of my books I believe I've been led to write and to share:

A Deeper Journey to Healing and Freedom
 
 
 
A Deeper Journey to Intimacy in Prayer
 
 


God bless you and thank you for joining with me in the journey!

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

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Blue