Morning by Morning, January 1 - First Place from the First Day

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit. And in the mystery of faith and the mercy of grace, You desire to be one with me as I keep giving myself to You, just as Your Word promises that "anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17).  ...

 

Here on this first morning of this New Year, I sense a strong moving in my spirit to look to You first, to listen for You first, to put You first before any other -- before any other thing, any other person, any other desire. Before my breakfast, before my shower -- even before my first cup of coffee -- at least this day, this first day, I put You first above all else and before any other. I want to give You first place from the first day.

 

You deserve it. You are worthy of it. You are worthy of it all; You are worthy of my all. In the words of Your First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

 

But even in this "Famous First" of Your "Big Ten," I perceive in my spirit Your Father Heart of God that calls me to put You first because, in at least one sense, You put me first -- "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). My love for You comes out of Your love for me. I love You first because You first loved me.

 

My honor of You, my reverence of You, my worship of You, my priority of You is all ultimately grounded in Your love for me and the response of my love for You. As selfish as it seems, I worship the One who loves me so much. I worship no other because there is no other who loves me so much. 

 

And it's Your love that compels me to obedience. "For the love of God is this, that we obey His Commandments" (1 John 5:3). As You made clear in the "red letter words" of Your Word: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.... They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me; and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them.... Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them" (John 14:15-23).

 

The more I perceive and receive Your love for me, the more I love You and want to obey You, the more I want to have no other gods before You.

 

Teach me more about this, this year. Lead me more into deeper surrender, deeper love, deeper obedience, as You empower me to place You in the place You deserve -- First Place in my life and First Place form the first day of this New Year. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, I pray you turn Your heart to the One who deserves First Place from the First Day of this New Year, in Jesus' name! And may the blessings of the Lord overtake you as the love of the Lord overflows in you and through you! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Morning by Morning, Daily Devotional Book. One's year's worth of a selection of my daily prayer devotionals -- written fresh every morning from the communion of prayer to begin your day embraced by your Father, centered in Jesus, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Join me on the journey and share this with a friend who's longing for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.

 

Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Register for the Healing Academy.

Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today:    Healing Academy

Keynote Speaker in Shropshire, England for March Conference "Release for the Captives!"

Friends, I'm excited to be invited as Keynote Speaker this year for the European Conference of the Holy Spirit through Aldersgate Renewal Ministries in Shropshire, England in March. The theme this year is "Release for the Captives!"  Come join us!

Register:   European Conference on the Holy Spirit

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 - Merry Christmas!

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Today worshippers of God around the world celebrate the birth of Christ and every day I celebrate my new birth in You (John 3:3).  ...

 

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. You're the One who makes Christmas merry for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend,  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.  God bless you, my friend! 

Merry Christmas and God Bless You,

Tommy

from Tommy & Rocio Hays & Family!

Thank You for joining with me this year

 in our daily journey of prayer!

  

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 - God Takes Notice of You

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my life and in every moment of my day.  ...

 

"Mary responded, 'Oh, how my soul praises the Lord! How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me! He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him!" (Luke 1:46-50 NLT)

 

Father God, You "took notice" of Mary. You saw her with the Father Heart of God. She saw herself as "lowly" and as merely a "servant." But You saw more. You saw her for who she was, for who she was created to be. You showed her Your "mercy" and Your desire to do "great things" through her. And, oh, how her spirit rejoiced! Oh, how her soul was filled with praise!

 

You know Your children and You're faithful to Your promises (v. 55). You show Your mercy and love "from generation to generation" -- to Mary and to all who fear You and honor You. You take notice of us, even when we don't have eyes to see or ears to hear or hearts to conceive just how precious we are to You and just how faithful You are to us. But when we do, everything in us jumps for joy! (v. 44)

 

Lord God, give me eyes to see You more clearly for who You are -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. Give me eyes to see more clearly who these are who are around me every day. And give me eyes to see myself more clearly for who You have created me to be. As I take notice of these great things, may my heart jump for joy, may my soul sing praise, and may my spirit rejoice! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you know in your heart how God takes notice of you, that you may jump for joy, as your soul sings praise and your spirit rejoices in Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Morning by Morning. Order my 365 Day Prayer Devotional for yourself or a friend to begin the New Year starting off each day embraced by the Father, centered in Jesus, and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

 

Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Register for the Healing Academy.

Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today:    Healing Academy

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 18 - "Blessed" and "Highly Favored"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ...

 

"Having come in, the angel said to (Mary), 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'" (Luke 1:26 NKJV)

 

Mary wasn't "blessed" and "highly favored" because she was better than anyone else. She was "blessed" and "highly favored" because You were with her. And that was even before the Holy Spirit came upon her and overshadowed her to conceive the Son of God in her womb (v. 1:35). She was already "blessed" and "highly favored" even before she believed in Your word to her in faith and made herself available to You in obedience for Your plans and purposes for her life and the lives You would touch through her. 

 

It wasn't what Mary believed or what she did that made her "blessed" and "highly favored." It was who she was -- a child of God, loved by God, created by God with purpose and calling and destiny that could only be fulfilled by God. And so are we. What we do flows out of who we are; and who we are was determined by God long before we ever said in faith, "Let it be to me according to your word" (v. 1:38).

 

We're "blessed" and "highly favored" because You created us, because You love us, and because You are with us. "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). And from the security and confidence of who we are in You and of who You are with us, You can do great things with our lives. "For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37). 

 

Thank You, Lord, that I'm "blessed" and "highly favored!" Thank You that You are with me, overshadowing me and empowering me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that You can do great things through my life for Your glory because I am a child of God, created and called according to Your purpose. Let it be to me according to Your Word! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you are secure and confident in who you are -- a "blessed" and "highly favored" child of God, created and called according to His purpose, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

Morning by Morning. Order my 365 Day Prayer Devotional for yourself or a friend to begin the New Year starting off each day embraced by the Father, centered in Jesus, and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

 

Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Register for the Healing Academy.

Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today:    Healing Academy

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 17 - "Name Him Jesus"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. O come let us adore, You -- Christ the Lord.  ...

 

"The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end'" (Luke 1:30-33).

 

The Son of the Most High, the One who would be great, the King on the throne of David who would rule and reign forever, would be named Jesus-- meaning the salvation of God. Though this Child, who would be our Savior and King, who would be born in Bethlehem and die on Calvary, who would descend into Hell and ascend into Heaven, who was and who is and who is to come, would be our salvation to restore our sin-broken relationship with our holy God. Through Jesus, "all flesh shall see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:6).

 

Lord Jesus, be my Salvation today and every day. Cleanse my sins, heal my hurts, break my chains. Remove every barrier from my intimate relationship with God and restore me to righteousness. You are the salvation of God. "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 4:12). 

 

So come, let us adore You. Let us surrender and entrust our hearts to You -- this day and every day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, I pray you surrender and entrust your heart to Jesus -- the Salvation of God -- this day and every day, as He cleanses your sins, heals your hurt, breaks your chains, and removes every barrier to restore you in righteousness to God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Preaching in Pakistan. Friends, thank you so much for all your prayers and support for our evangelistic meetings in Pakistan through our Skype Internet Ministry. Each month, I am preaching in different villages around Lahore, Pakistan in the Punjab Region. We are Praising God for this report and photos from Pastor Fazal from the Saturday Night Meeting: "Dear Pastor Tommy, Thanks Lord 296 Souls are saved and 27 People are healed from back pains and 9 people are healed from arm pain and 6 people are healed from legs problems and many more. We give all glory to Jesus Christ and Thanks very much to do every month Skype." Amen! Thank you to all my friends who pray for us and support us to make this ministry possible! God bless you!

Morning by Morning. Order my 365 Day Prayer Devotional for yourself or a friend to begin the New Year starting off each day embraced by the Father, centered in Jesus, and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

 

Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Register for the Healing Academy.

Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today:    Healing Academy

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 13 - Soaking Up the Spirit

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...

 

"When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing.... Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance" (Hebrews 6:7-12 NLT).

 

Lord, let my heart be good ground, thirsty ground, soaking up the rain of Your Spirit. Let there be a good crop, a good harvest of Your love and life growing up in me with Your blessing. As I'm living and loving in the power and grace of Your Spirit, You're continually confirming my hope in all that's true.

 

Let me not become spiritually dull or spiritually indifferent. Let me not become asleep or aloof, satisfied to settle for something less than the fullness of my inheritance in You and Your promises for me. But let Your rain fall. Soak me in Your Spirit! Let there be no dry spots or dusty roads in the harvest field of my soul "as long as life lasts." Let Your Spirit soak me and saturate me 'til I'm knee deep in the deep things of God, magnificently muddy with Your Presence, and "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you are soaking up the Spirit as the holy rain of the Presence of the Lord saturates your soul and fills you with all the fullness of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

Morning by Morning. Order my 365 Day Prayer Devotional for yourself or a friend to begin the New Year starting off each day embraced by the Father, centered in Jesus, and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

 

Order Morning by Morning through Amazon

Register for the Healing Academy.

Friends, I'll be teaching at the Healing Academy on Healing and Deliverance Prayer Ministry this coming February 5-8, 2019 in the Nashville area at the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Center. Please come join us if you're being called to healing prayer ministry! Sign up today:    Healing Academy

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!