Monday, October 12, 2020

Abundant Waters in the Wilderness and Flowing Streams in the Desert - October 12, 2020

Morning by Morning, October 12 - Abundant Waters in the Wilderness and Flowing Streams in the Desert
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me by Your Spirit and form in me Your Nature, as I seek to begin my day embraced by My Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
 
"The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God!" (Isaiah 35:1-2)
 
We tend to think it's in the beautiful places that we experience Your beauty and in the abundant times that we experience Your abundance. Sometimes that's true. But so many times, it's just the opposite.
 
It's when we experience You in the "desert" places and parched land that we are glad. It's when we experience You in the "wilderness" wanderings and wonderings that we rejoice.
 
In contrast with the broken and fallen world around us, You rise up within us. In contrast with those among us who have no hope, given in to despair, overwhelmed by fear, You lift up our heads and stir up our hearts to burst into bloom and even shout for joy!
 
It's not normal; it's abnormal. It's not cultural; it's countercultural. It's not natural; it's supernatural.
 
It's one of the ways You display Your glory, the splendor of our God, through the peace and hope and even joy You give Your people in the midst of our problems and all the paranoia and panic of the world around us.
 
We're not indifferent to the sufferings around us, not blind to the challenges we face, nor immune to the consequences of the choices being made that affect all of our lives. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope; and our peace and joy is not dependent upon the governments or people or even circumstances of this world. We look to You. We look up to the hills from where our strength comes from. We trust in the One who is with us through it all and even uses it all to make us more like Him.
 
As we do, this is what You're able to do through us, as You display the splendor of Your glory in us:
 
"Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
    'Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    He will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    He will come to save you!'" (Isaiah 35:3-4)
 
Trusting in You, strong in the strength You provide and encouraged in the hope You supply, the dry and weary land around us and the dry and weary hearts among us begin to see the power of the presence of our God:
 
"Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert!" (Isaiah 35:5-7)
 
You lead us out of the desert and out of the wilderness of a life depending on ourselves and our world and into the flourishing abundance of Your grace on "the highway of holiness" (Isaiah 35:8). Even those who went astray will return and be redeemed (Isaiah 35:9). For all who turn to You, who return to You, who learn to trust and rest in You no matter what we're going through, there is confidence, peace, assurance, and joy:

"They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away!" (Isaiah 35:10)
 
Lord, let it be so -- here in my heart, here in my world, here right now and throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled up and overflowing in the Presence and power of the Lord through whatever desert place or wilderness journey you're facing and our world around us is facing, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

Save the Date! Come join us if you are in the Lexington, Kentucky area the weekend of October 23-24th where I'll be preaching our Setting Hearts Free conference at Ignite Church in Nicholasville just west of Lexington. All are welcome! 

Free to Be Like Jesus!
Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance 
 


New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Friday, October 09, 2020

You Open My Eyes and Lift My Spirit to Overcome in Christ - October 9, 2020

 Morning by Morning, October 9 - You Open My Eyes and Lift My Spirit to Overcome in Christ

 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I sing Your name over all, and surrender my all to You. ...
 
"(The king of Aram) said, 'Go and find where (Elisha) is; I will send and seize him.' He was told, 'He is in Dothan.' So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night, and surrounded the city. When the attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army of horse 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 6:13-17).
 
In the morning, when I rise, no doubt there are great armies of horses and chariots, armed with weapons of worry and fear, confusion and chaos, hopelessness and despair, ready to come riding down on my mind and my spirit to overwhelm and overcome me, battling to take my thoughts captive. They want to present themselves as big and mighty, too much to overcome and no chance to stand against them, projecting themselves to be much bigger and much stronger than they are. They want to demand my attention, the priority of my thoughts, in the very first moments of my morning to plunder the treasure of my time with You.
 
But my Master, You open my eyes to see! You lift my eyes to the hills where my help comes from! You open my spirit to perceive the truth I'm not alone, I'm not overwhelmed, I'm not overcome. You draw my heart into the intimacy of Your strong embrace and security of Your steadfast love. And You remind me "The One who is in (me) is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
 
As I look to You and give You the priority of my day, the first thoughts of my morning, as my first act of worship in prayer and praise, my spiritual enemies don't look so big and mighty. In the light of Your truth and the Presence of Your Spirit, they go scampering away at the sound of my praise and the authority of my prayers in the power of Your name. "Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee before Him!" (Psalm 68:1)
 
Thank You, my Master, my Lord and Savior, for opening the eyes of my heart to see You, to know You, to experience Your Presence right here with me to overpower my enemies and overcome my adversary (Ephesians 1:15-21). Great are You, Lord! Mighty is Your name!
 
Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your holy angel armies. Thank You that in You there are always many more with me than those against me! For nothing can stand against You and Your great name! (Philippians 2:9-11) And with You standing for me, nothing can stand against me, for I am always an overcomer and more than a conqueror in You! (Romans 8:31-39) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

Friends, may you be encouraged and empowered to overcome your spiritual enemies, as you look up to the Lord with eyes of your spirit and the surrender of your heart to Him, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

Save the Date! Come join us if you are in the Lexington, Kentucky area the weekend of October 23-24th where I'll be preaching our Setting Hearts Free conference at Ignite Church in Nicholasville just west of Lexington. All are welcome! 

Free to Be Like Jesus!
Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance 
 


New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Thursday, October 08, 2020

"Prepare the Way of the Lord!" - October 8, 2020

 Morning by Morning, October 8 - "Prepare the Way of the Lord!"

 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with Your Spirit and my mouth with Your words, as I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...

"Comfort, O comfort My people,
    says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that she has served her term,
    that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken'" (Isaiah 40:1-5).
 
Last night I was preaching at an old-fashioned tent revival under "the Glory Tent" on the southside of San Antonio, with my wife Rocio interpreting in Spanish. What a picture that "the church has left the building!" All the neighborhood and all the cars passing by heard the worship of our King and the Word of the Lord -- in English and Spanish and even a little bit in tongues!
 
Somewhere in the middle of my message, the Lord turned my attention to Pastor Rune Brannstrom, who is an apostolic spiritual leader in our city, called here with his wife Pastor Berta from Sweden 21 years ago. Through many confirming prophetic words, they were certain the Lord was calling them to leave their international ministry and Bible College powerfully impacting eastern Europe and encouraging the underground church in communist countries to come here to San Antonio for the revival the Lord was bringing to this land. 
 
They were certain they were not called just to America in general, not just to Texas in general, but to San Antonio specifically. That vision still burns in their hearts and in the hearts of so many -- for San Antonio and for every place across this land where the Holy Spirit is stirring up the spirits of God's people to cry out for revival and awakening and the great harvest of our age. And revival is here! Already here in the spiritual realm and now beginning to breakthrough and manifest on earth as it is in heaven, here in the earthly realm as it already is in the heavenly realm!
 
As I began to speak of how the Holy Spirit has used apostle Rune to "prepare the way of the Lord" for these 21 years -- lifting up the low places in people's hearts, bringing down the spiritual high places of the false idols, false altars, and false worship seeking to take the place of God in the heavenly realms over our city, and making the crooked places straight for the paths of righteousness in the hearts of God's people --  I stepped into a little hole, a little depression, under the carpet in front of the pulpit. Immediately the image of a well came to mind with the eyes of my spirit.
 
I believe the Lord was saying, "This hole is a well. It's a hole in the earthly realm, but it is a well in the spiritual realm -- a well of salvation, a well of healing waters, a well of Living Waters, a well of revival! Spring up, O well!"  Through the persevering prayers of God's people, the Holy Spirit has prepared the way of the Lord! And the Lord will comfort His people. He will save His people. He will refresh and revive and renew His people. He will reveal His glory and all the people shall see it! Here and everywhere God's people who are called by His name are "preparing the way of the Lord" in their hearts and in their land for the coming of our King in His glory!
 
O, Lord, don't leave me out! Keep filling me up and flowing out! Lift up the low places in me, bring down the exalted places in me, set the crooked places straight in me -- in me and in all who are desperately calling on Your name and passionately crying out in praise to "prepare the way of the Lord" in our hearts and across our land, now in our days! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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

My friend, may you be filled with the Holy Spirit, who is preparing the way of the Lord in you and in your land for the coming of the King in His glory, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

Save the Date! Come join us if you are in the Lexington, Kentucky area the weekend of October 23-24th where I'll be preaching our Setting Hearts Free conference at Ignite Church in Nicholasville just west of Lexington. All are welcome!

Free to Be Like Jesus!
Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance 
 


New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

I Will Sing in My Spirit of God's Unfailing Love - October 7, 2020

 Morning by Morning, October 7 - I Will Sing in My Spirit of God's Unfailing Love

 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and every moment of my day. ...
 
"But as for me, I will sing about Your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress" (Psalms59:16 NLT).
 
Thank You for waking me almost every morning with a song in my spirit. It's Your Spirit singing in my spirit, just as Your Word invites us to do. "I will sing in the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:15).
 
And I sing with joy of Your unfailing love. I sing with joy to the One who is my Refuge and my Place of Safety -- to the One who rescues me from distress, who delivers me from evil, who heals me from hurt, who comforts me with care, who leads me in the path of life in You.
 
As for me, I will sing about Your power. I will sing about Your love. I will sing about who You are and all You do.
 
No matter what I may go through or what may try to go through me or run over me or try to hold me back or shut me down or shut me up, I will sing and I will praise, full of joy for Your unfailing love! They can't take that from me. They can't put a mask over that. They can't distance me from the One who created me and calls me by name to wake up every morning with Your joy in my spirit because You've poured Your unfailing love into my heart! "I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever!" (Psalm 89:1) In Jesus name I pray. Amen.


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

My Friend, may you be filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God and wake up every morning singing of His unfailing love, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!



  
Healing Academy in Fredericksburg at the Bridge Church. Thank you so much for keeping us in prayer! Rocio and I loved another great evening of healing worship, get to teach and impart what the Lord has given us in Fredericksburg last night. Every week gets better! Praying the Holy Spirit will connect you in those places He has for you to be filled up and overflowing! The Healing Academy teaching is based on my Book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance.

Friends, let me know if your church or group would like to discuss arranging an Intensive Version of our Healing Academy in Your community. Just reply to this email.

Tonight, October 7th at 7PM, I'm excited to be preaching a word at "The Glory Tent" set up for citywide revival meetings outside The King's Mission Fellowship on the Southside of San Antonio. My wife Rocio will be interpreting the message in Spanish. Each night a different preacher is continuing these revival messages for revival in our city. Come join us if you and pray for us if you can't! 

610 Moursund Blvd; San Antonio, TX


Free to Be Like Jesus!
Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance 
 


New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

"I Humbled My Soul" - October 6, 2020

 Morning by Morning, October 6 - "I Humbled My Soul"

 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my heart to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- as You align my life in You -- first the spirit, the soul, then the body. ...
 
"I humbled my soul with fasting" (Psalm 35:13 and 69:10).
 
Fasting is a spiritual means of humbling our souls. It's a way of yielding our will to Your will, getting ourselves out of the way to make room for more of Your ways. It's not so much of what we do as much as it is the attitude with which we do it.
 
With fasting, with prayer, with worship, with the spiritual disciplines You offer us, You invite us to humble our souls, to surrender our wills, to yield our lives to You as our priority. We exalt You as first place, in the place You alone deserve as Lord of our lives.
 
To humble myself is to willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. To humble my soul is pull down the idols of my self-will apart from Your will, to smash the unholy altars of the worship of myself, and to crush the graven images of demanding my life to be shaped in my image instead of being transformed into Your image.
 
To humble myself before You, to lift up my heart and adore You, is a conscience, deliberate decision of my own free will to trust in You and to trust Your will is better than my will and Your ways are better than my ways. Humbling my soul pulls back the veil that would divide my heart from intimacy with Your Heart, so that I'm drawn near into the deeply personal relationship of trust and love You desire with me and every one of us. Humbling my soul allows You to change me into Your image as I behold You with an unveiled face, a yielded heart, and a surrendered will:
 
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
 
Come, Holy Spirit -- Spirit of the Lord, my God. Give me the grace to follow Your leading to humble my soul, to surrender myself, to look up and behold the glory of the Lord -- heart to Heart, spirit to Spirit, deep to Deep, from glory to glory. Not just now, in this place of focused prayer at the beginning of my day, but also throughout the moments of my day -- especially those moments of my day when my soul wants to rise up and my flesh wants to rule and my will wants to insist on my own way instead of Your way. 
 
Those are the moments I need You the most. Those are the moments when You simply invite me to humble myself and willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. Those are the moments I need You to "sanctify" me, to realign me, to reset things right within me in my "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You'll be faithful and You will do it, if I only choose to yield my will to Your will (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
 
And every time, as I humble myself in Your sight, You will lift me up (James 4:10). Every time, as I humble myself before You, You will draw near to me with all the grace I need (James 4:6). It's all part of how You're growing me up "to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13), making me more like You every day (Romans 8:29; 1 John 4:17). Come have Your way, in me today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be drawn near to the Lord in deeper intimacy and transformation into His image, as you willing choose to humble your soul before Him now and throughout the moments of your day, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 
 
Healing Academy in Fredericksburg at the Bridge Church. Please keep us in prayer as Rocio and I travel to Fredericksburg today to continue our weekly teaching for the prayer team, full of Holy Spirit encounters! Praying the same for you! The Healing Academy teaching is based on my Book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance.

My friend, let me know if your church or group would like to discuss arranging an Intensive Version of our Healing Academy in Your community. Just reply to this email.

This Wednesday Night, October 7th at 7PM, I'm excited to be preaching a word at "The Glory Tent" set up for citywide revival meetings outside The King's Mission Fellowship on the Southside of San Antonio. My wife Rocio will be interpreting our message in Spanish. Come join us if you and pray for us if you can't! 

610 Moursund Blvd; San Antonio, TX


Free to Be Like Jesus!
Transforming Power of Inner Healing & Deliverance 
 


New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Please share this word to encourage a friend!