Morning by Morning&#8212;Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Morning by Morning, July 10 - A Sheep and a Son

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice. ...

"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.... Very truly, I tell you, I am the good shepherd" (John 10:2-11).

As I look to You in worship and listen for You in prayer, Your Holy Spirit opens the gate of my spirit to welcome You into every moment of my day. You call me by name; You know my nature and my needs; and You speak into my spirit what You want me to hear and to know.

I'm a sheep and I'm a son -- a sheep of Your fold and a son of my Father. Help me listen and hear, so I can rise and follow You into Your will for my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

As I look and listen to begin this day, it seems I hear You saying: "My son, you always have the freedom to open the gate of your heart to Me or not, to watch and wait and worship or not, to take time to listen and trust and obey or not. Choose well. Seek Me first and My righteousness and My kingdom. Then all you need will be added unto you; and all I desire for you will be fulfilled through you."

Yes, Lord. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to seek You first (Matthew 6:33). As a sheep of my Good Shepherd, I seek to hear Your voice and open my heart (Hebrews 3:7). As a son of God, I seek to be led by Your Spirit. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.... For (we) have received the spirit of sonship (Romans 8:14 RSV).

O Lord, my God, put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Guide my steps by the leading of Your Spirit into the path of life You have for me today (Psalm 23:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you choose well to seek God first, that you may hear His voice and be led by His Spirit in the path of life He has chosen for you this day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I'm glad to have you with me on my daily journey of prayer. These are my journaled prayers I write each morning as I seek to start my day embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit. God bless you and thank you for joining with me on the journey. And thank you so much for praying these prayers back for me, as I pray them for you!

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!

Monday, July 09, 2018

Morning by Morning, July 9 - "Led by the Spirit" Through Every Temptation

Good morning Lord Jesus. Help me begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.... Then the devil took Him to the holy city.... Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain.... Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'' Then the devil left Him, and suddenly angels came and waited on Him" (Matthew 4:1-11).

Lord, help me learn to discern when I'm in a place where the Spirit has led me or where the devil has taken me. Even You, holy and without sin, were both led by the Spirit to places at times and taken by the devil to places at times, according to the Word of God. You were "in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15 NKJV). You always knew how to respond. You always embraced all the Spirit had for You and always rejected all the devil had for You. By the power of Your grace, may I learn to do the same.

Thank You for the promise of Your Word, "All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). And for Your promise, "When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide (me) into all the truth" (John 16:13). I am Your child and You are my Father. Come lead me by Your Spirit into Your truth. Empower me to discern and resist every temptation of the devil. "No temptation has overtaken (me) except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow (me) to be tempted beyond what (I) am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that (I) may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV).

Let Your Word be hidden in my heart so that I can declare what is written; and let Your Spirit guide my spirit so that I'm certain where I am and who led me there or took me there. Then -- no matter whether it was You or the devil -- You'll cause it all to work together for good in the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you are led by the Spirit through every temptation with God's Word hidden in your heart and God's Spirit guiding your spirit, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I've been away on a couple of family trips but am glad to be back with you on our journey of prayer together! God bless you and thank you for joining with me on 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!

Friday, June 29, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 29 - Ho! Hunger and Thirst for the Presence of God!

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I wait on You in the intimacy and surrender of contemplative prayer, I worship You and welcome You into every area of my life and every moment of my day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live" (Isaiah 55:1-3 NKJV).

I'm not really sure what "Ho!" means, but as I read it and pray it, something stirs from deep in my spirit that cries out "Ho! I'm thirsty for more! Ho! I'm hungry for more! Ho! I don't want anything less, anything fake, anything superficial, anything passive or boring or dull or devoid of the passionate pursuit of all You are and all You have for me!" So my heart and soul cry out, "Ho!"

Holy God, God who's here, God who's always making me hungry and thirsty for more, my heart and soul cry out, "Ho!" ...

As I do and as I stop to listen -- like waiting to listen like an echo bouncing off the walls of a canyon -- I believe I hear in my heart: "My son, I am the One who puts this hunger and thirst in your heart. I am the One who says seek Me, pursue Me, settle for nothing less than Me. I give you the gift of My holy hunger. Receive My gift and you will always hunger for more, you will never settle for less, and you will delight in the abundance of My presence, even as you are never satisfied. As you cry out "Ho!" I respond, "I'm here!"

Yes, Lord. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). And You never stop filling those who never stop hungering and thirsting. Make me hungrier, thirstier still in my insatiable pursuit of Your presence! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you are stirred in your heart with an insatiable desire for the passionate pursuit of the presence of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, thank you for joining with me on this daily journey of prayer, "Morning by Morning" each day. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, I write these fresh from my morning prayer time and then send them out. It feels like the Lord's "manna" from heaven to me and source of His strength from the intimacy of His embrace for my day. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you! And thank you for praying them back for me!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 27 - Fit and Faithful

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to make me more like You today. ...

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.... May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 NLT).

Lord, make me fit and faithful in "spirit and soul and body." Make me whole and holy, aligned with Your will to walk in Your ways. I have far to go -- in my spirit, in my soul, and in my body. But You are faithful and You will do it, as I humble myself to ask You to do it in me. "For it is God working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" and to become all You created me and called me to be in You (Philippians 2:13). You're making me into Your vessel, "fit for its purpose" (Isaiah 54:16).

Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). But I thank You that I'm never apart from You, that You're always with me and always at work within me, conforming me into Your image day by day (Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:29). So in my weakness, I cry out to You and call on Your name to inspire me and empower me. "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.... For whenever I am weak, then I am strong;" and "(Your) grace is sufficient for (me)" when "(Your) power is made perfect in (me) weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). By the power of the grace of God, make me fit and faithful in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My Friend, I pray you are inspired and empowered to be fit and faithful by the power of the grace of God at work within you every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, I recently began an exercise plan -- finally, after all these years! I'd appreciate your prayers to be faithful and consistent. I need them more than you know! And I pray the same for you in every way the Holy Spirit is leading you to be holy and whole in spirit and soul and body :)

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 26 - Power in the Waiting

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with Your Spirit today. ...

"While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the Promise of the Father. 'This,' He said, 'is what you have heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth'" (Acts 1:4-8).

How I need You every day, every hour. I need Your Presence and Your power. I need Your Spirit to infill me and infuse me, to equip me and empower me, to anoint me and appoint me to go and be Your witness in my world -- whether to the end of my street or the ends of the earth.

So You invite me to wait on You. You bring me into the secret, quiet place of beginning my day in contemplative prayer, where I listen for Your leading before laying out all my burdens and requests before You. There will be time for all of that -- for prayers of intercession, supplication, confession, and everything else. But You invite me to first look to You and listen for You. First things first. And You are always first -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.

As I wait on You -- being embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, filled with Your Holy Spirit -- You strengthen me before You send me in Your power and love to make a difference in my world: "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:28-31). You are the God "Who acts for the one who waits for Him" (Isaiah 64:4).

You're teaching me there's so much power in the waiting. So thank You, Lord, for giving me eagles' wings before I fly off into my day. Thank You for the leading and the grace to first wait on You to begin my day in the intimately personal communion of Your Presence in prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray that as You wait on the Lord in contemplative prayer you are infilled and infused, equipped and empowered, anointed and appointed to go be a witness of Jesus in your world today -- whether to the end of your street or the ends of the earth, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Monday, June 25, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 25 - Flourish like a Tree Planted by the Water

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit; and I welcome You to be One within me, now and throughout the moments of my day. ...

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Prayer is the way Your living water of Your Holy Spirit rises up into the roots of my human spirit to bear Your good fruit through my life. It keeps me connected with You, in deep, intimate relationship with You. It refreshes me and renews me. It's life to me. Even in the times of doubt and drought, You just cause my roots to grow that much deeper, so that I'm always connected with You through the communion of prayer. You keep my heart green and full of life, even when the heat of hurts and hardships comes.

And You help me keep my roots grounded in Your Word, in the good soil of Your promises that give me encouragement, inspiration, vision, guidance, and hope. By Your Spirit and Your Word, You keep me "rooted and grounded in love" so that I "may be strengthened in (my) inner being with power through (Your) Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in (my) heart through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17).

Like a tree planted by the water, I'm "filled with all the fullness of God" so that I can grow and flourish in the ways of life in You (Ephesians 3:19; Psalm 1:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you flourish and bear God's good fruit through your life, rooted and grounded in His love through the intimate communion of prayer, to keep growing in His grace by His Spirit and His Word within you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, thank you for joing with me on this daily journey of prayer, "morning by morning" each day. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, I write these fresh from my morning prayer time and then send them out. It feels like the Lord's "manna" from heaven to me and source of His strength from the intimacy of His embrace for my day. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you! And thank you for praying them back for me!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

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!

Friday, June 22, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 22 - God's Good Mood and "Good Pleasure"

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that You are Lord, raised from the dead and raising me up to live my life in You this day. ...

"He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us" (Ephesians 1:5-8).

It's Your "good pleasure" to pour out Your grace into my life. You don't do this begrudgingly, but freely; and not in scarcity, but in abundance. Out of the riches of Your grace, You lavish me with Your goodness -- all in Your joy and "good pleasure." "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 136:1)

Thank You, Lord, that You are a good God, in a good mood! 'He who sits in the heavens laughs!" (Psalm 2:4). It was "for the sake of the joy that was set before (You that You) endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). And despite what's going on around us -- even in the things that break Your heart and ours -- You're always inviting us to know the truth of Your Word: "In Your presence there is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forevermore!" (Psalm 16:11).

O Lord, my God, "restore unto me the joy of Your salvation" every day (Psalm 51:12). Speak Your words of spirit and life into my heart that "(Your) joy may be in (me), and that (my) joy may be complete" (John 15:11). Though every moment and challenge of every day, help me see You and see myself in the light of Your truth and Your lavish grace and the "good pleasure" of Your will. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, I pray you have eyes to see God as He is and see yourself as He sees you, that His joy may. be in your and your joy made be complete in Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional

Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition

"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries

Healing from the Inside Out

Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries

4 Dominion Drive, Building 1

San Antonio, Texas 78257