Morning by Morning, April 11 - "Peace through the Blood of His Cross"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, thank You for taking away mine, that I can draw near to You with nothing between us, now and forever.  ...

 

"He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the Blood of His Cross" (Colossians 1:13).

 

"Peace through the Blood of His Cross" -- that's it. That's the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God -- in a nutshell. That's the nugget of gold that's worth selling all you have to go and buy that field to find and possess that treasure of matchless worth (Matthew 13:44). That's the pearl of great price that's worth more than all the world (Matthew 13:46). And that's the peace that surpasses all understanding, because we can't even begin to understand all that You've done for us through the eternal sacrifice of the Blood of Your Cross (Philippians 4:7).

 

As I begin my day in prayer, as I enter into these days when people of faith throughout the earth are remembering the Passover and the Resurrection -- I thank You for the Blood of Lamb that delivered Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and delivers us all out of the bondage of sin and death (Exodus 12:11; John 1:29). I thank You for the Blood of Your Cross. "Without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of sins" (Hebrews 9:22). And I thank You for the "Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

 

This morning, my thoughts and prayers are not focused upon love and truth, worship and praise, healing and freedom, identity and destiny, the promises and powers of the age to come, or all the other wonderful themes of our life in You and the Kingdom of God -- as awesome and exciting as they are. No, this morning my thoughts and prayers are focused upon the Blood of Your Cross. If it weren't for that, none of the rest would be possible, none of the rest would matter. 

 

"To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His Blood and make us a Kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever!" (Revelation 1:5) 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 that surpasses all understanding as you take time to think upon the Blood of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away your sins and gives you peace in Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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, April 10 - Stand Firm in Faith and Walk in Love

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day. ...

 

"If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:1).

 

"Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8 NAB).

 

Lord, teach me how to stand firm in faith and walk in love. Teach me how to speak the truth in love and live the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Because even "if I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.... And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

 

Love is not negotiable. Neither is faith. Neither is truth. "Without love" I do not know God (1 John 4:8). And, at the same time, "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). "Whoever say, 'I have come to know Him,' but does not obey His commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys His word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in Him:  whoever says, 'I abide in Him,' ought to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:4-6).

 

So to live out my faith with integrity from my heart, I must learn how live in both truth and in love, knowing that those who do not stand firm in faith will not stand at all and those who do not love do not know God at all. Which is why I desperately need Your Holy Spirit to fill me and lead me, "for the Spirit is the truth" (1 John 5:6). "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide (me) in to all the truth" (John 16:13).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Lead me and guide me; teach me how to stand firm in faith and walk in love -- not shrinking back from my faith and not holding back from my love. "(Love) does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). "Love never gives up, never loses faith" (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT). By the power of Your grace, neither will I. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you stand firm in faith and walk in love, all by the power of the Holy Spirit who leads you and guides in both love and truth, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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, April 9 - Redeeming the Wasted Time

 

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

 

"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT).

 

"Godless ideas" and "old wives' tales" -- how much time have I wasted getting caught up in discussions that don't matter and in debates that distract me from the things that really do. Instead, set me free to grow up in spiritual maturity, to "be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT).

 

There's a daily assault against my faith and against my time. But I have just a sliver of time as I live out this one opportunity You've given me to learn to love, to grow in faith, to be conformed into the image of the Son of God in these moments I have on this side of heaven. "And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our ins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him" (Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT). By the power of Your grace, may I be "found faithful" when You come again (1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV).

 

Set me free from "wrangling over words" (2 Timothy 2:14) and getting stuck in "stupid and senseless controversies ... that breed quarrels" (2 Timothy 2:23), but instead set my focus to "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). As I overcome, You make me an overcome; as I conquer, You make me more than a conqueror; and as I pass the tests, You make my life a testimony. And all along the way, "This slight momentary affliction is preparing (me) for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure!" (2 Corinthians 4:17)

 

Redeem the time I've wasted (Ephesians 5:15). And by the power of grace at work within me (Philippians 2:13), may I "work hard and continue the struggle, for (my) hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people" (1 Timothy 4:10 NLT). I have "tasted the heavenly gift, and have share in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come" so there's no turning back for me (Hebrews 6:4-5). So may I spend the rest of my time well, in passionate pursuit of the living words from my living God I long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant.... Enter into the joy of your Lord!" (Matthew 25:21 NKJV) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be found faithful, passionately pursuing the fulfillment of your calling and destiny, redeeming the time and living every moment for the One who calls you and empowers you to be faithful to Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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, April 8 - The Name of Jesus is My Prayer and Proclamation

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Early in the morning, here at the beginning of my day, I look and listen for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...

 

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, 'What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.' So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and Jon answered them, 'Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen or heard!" (Acts 4:13-20)

 

Jesus -- Your name is my prayer. Your name is my proclamation. And I can't keep from speaking about all I've seen and heard by the power and authority of Your great name! For "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11 KJV). "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we much be saved" (Acts 4:12 NKJV).

 

When I speak out Your name, my spirit comes to attention -- along with every cell in my body, every thought in my mind, and every desire in my heart. And so does every living thing around me -- whether they want to acknowledge it or not. For there is power in the name of Jesus!

 

So with my words, with my prayers, with my proclamations, with my life lived out in surrender and faith to the power and authority of Your name, may I go about my day "proclaiming the Good News about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ!" (Acts 8:12) "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes!" (Romans 1:16 KJV) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be unashamed and unafraid to boldly pray and proclaim the mighty name of Jesus, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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, April 5 - Let Hope Deferred Become a Desire Fulfilled

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in the ways that lead to life in You today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12).

 

As I wait for the leading of Your Spirit this morning, I believe I hear in my heart:  "Hope again. Dare to hope again. Prepare to hope again. Remind Me of your hopes that you feel have fallen away and fallen through the cracks and have been left unfulfilled. Let Me speak new life into your heart and your hopes. Let Me break off the spirit of hope deferred that makes your heart sick and replace it with the tree of life that I'm calling to spring forth and flourish in its time." ...

 

Yes, Lord. Maybe some of those things that have been in my heart to hope really have been Your will all along. Maybe some of those things have been held back by the enemy of my hopes, the enemy of my soul; and maybe some of those things have not been held back at all, but have been awaiting their appointed time. You're the God who makes all things beautiful in their time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). But in "the fullness of time" You call things forth as they were always intended to be, You set things right as they rightfully should be, and You align our lives with Your time and direct our purposes into Your plans (Ephesians 1:10). And that's when hope deferred becomes a desire fulfilled springing forth into a tree of life!

 

So whether it was the enemy trying to steal my hope or whether it was the unfolding of Your plans and Your purposes, all in Your time and in Your way, You cause all of it will work together for good for me (Romans 8:28). You don't waste a moment of my sufferings, my heartaches, or my disappointments -- regardless of the source -- if I invite You into all of it with me and allow You to use all of it and redeem all of it. That's part of what Your Word means when You say, "Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). "And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us!" (Romans 5:3-5)

 

Goodbye hope deferred! Hello desire fulfilled! Come forth tree of life! You've taken every moment of my hope deferred and caused patient endurance to make my roots go down deep to learn to desperately depend upon You in humility and faith. And now "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, (You will) bring forth its fruit in its season!" (Psalm 1:3) As for me and my house and for all who would come into agreement with this word in my heart today, Lord, let it be so! 

 

"Now may the God of hope fill (us) with all joy and peace in believing, that (we) may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!" (Romans 15:13) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!

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

My Friend, may you be filled with fresh hope and fresh faith to let hope deferred become a desire fulfilled, ready to yield God's beautiful and powerful fruit through your life in this new season of the fullness of time, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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, April 4 - The Glory of God in the Temple of My Heart

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me one with You -- for "anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). ...

 

"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and you are not your own.... For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 

Come into Your temple, Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. Cleanse the temple of my heart and fill my temple with Your heart. "God's Spirit has been poured into (my) heart through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Here at the beginning of my day and throughout every moment of my day to come, let me "be filled with the Spirit ... giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-20).

 

Through trusting surrender -- making room for more of You and less of me, more of Your will and less of my will, living into more of Your ways and less of my ways -- embracing Your invitation to deeper intimacy and closer communion, I "sanctify Christ as Lord in (my) heart" (1 Peter 3:15 NAB). I "worship Christ as Lord of (my) life" (1 Peter 3:15 NLT). And I grow in spiritual maturity to come closer to the place where I can say as truth the desire of my heart that "I live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20 NLT).

 

Lord Jesus, as I behold You and worship You, as I surrender to You and embrace You, as I sanctify You as Lord in my heart, You are changing me into Your image "from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" who abides in the temple of my heart (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV). Let Your grace abound more and more until I'm fully living into the promise of Your Word -- "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in (the temple of) our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!" (2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled with fresh hope and fresh faith to let hope deferred become a desire fulfilled, ready to yield God's beautiful and powerful fruit through your life in this new season of the fullness of time, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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!