Wednesday, July 08, 2020

Everlasting, Never-Changing God who still Hears and Answers our Repentant Cries - July 8, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 8 - Everlasting, Never-Changing God who still Hears and Answers our Repentant Cries

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Holy, holy, holy, Lord -- God of power and might -- heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Fill my heart with Your glory as I abide in Your presence, here in these first moments of my morning with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 3:6-7). 

You are the everlasting God, the never-changing God. Like the children of Jacob, we have not perished because You keep Your promises. We have not been utterly destroyed because You come to save us to the uttermost. When we return to You, You return to us. When we humble ourselves to call on Your name, You lean in and You draw near to remind us You know us by name and we are still precious in Your sight, even when we, like sheep, have gone astray (Isaiah 43:1-7). When we draw near again to You, You draw near to us (James 4:8). When we abide again in You, You abide in us (John 15:4). 

With the words of the Psalmists in Psalm 107 and all who have found themselves in desperate need of Your everlasting mercy and never-changing love, we turn to You and cry out to You for the help and hope only You can provide: 

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
    for His steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    those he redeemed from trouble….

Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and He delivered them from their distress;
He led them by a straight way,
    until they reached an inhabited town….

Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
    prisoners in misery and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
    they fell down, with no one to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and He saved them from their distress;
He brought them out of darkness and gloom,
    and broke their bonds asunder….

For He shatters the doors of bronze,
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

Some were sick through their sinful ways,
    and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
    and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and He saved them from their distress;
He sent out His word and healed them,
    and delivered them from destruction….

Some went down to the sea in ships,
    doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
    His wondrous works in the deep.
For He commanded and raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
    their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
    and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and He brought them out from their distress;
He made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
    and he brought them to their desired haven.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for His wonderful works to humankind!” (Psalm 107:1-31).

Everlasting, never-changing God, come change our hearts and heal our land. Throughout the ages and even in these days, You still hear and answer our repentant cries.  Come remind us we're still loved and still precious in Your sight. Come revive us and reawaken us to know who we are in in You and who You are in us, that we may yet fulfill our calling and destiny in You. "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). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be revived and reawakened in your heart and in our land, as you cry out in repentance and faith to our everlasting, never-changing Godin Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


Aldersgate National Conference on Spirit-Filled 
Living - Free Virtual Conference with Prayer Ministry Opportunities this week.
Friends, please register for free at the Virtual On-line Conference of Aldersgate this year (evenings July 9-12, 2020) with anointed speakers and opportunities for prayer ministry. I'll be part of the Prayer Ministry Team in breakout prayer ministry sessions. Come join us!

Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!
Friends, I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word when the time comes, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org


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, July 07, 2020

"Keep It Simple, (Saints)" - July 7, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 7 - "Keep It Simple, (Saints)"

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

"Keep it simple, (saints)." ... 

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:1-8). 

Yes, Lord. Pandemics fail. Economic panic fails. Political striving and manipulation fails. All our man-made efforts to solve our God-sized problems will fail. But "Love never fails."  Empower us to get back to Love. Equip us to stand up and speak up and reach up in Love. Then we can reach out in Love and release the Power of Love through our words and actions, in our hearts and attitudes, for You are Love (1 John 4:16). And as You are, so are we to be in our world (1 John 4:17). 

It really is as simple as that. Help us keep it simple, in the simplicity of Your love that never fails. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friends, may you be empowered and equipped to love, simply and powerfully, with the heart of the One who is the Power of Lovein Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

Aldersgate National Conference on Spirit-Filled 
Living - Free Virtual Conference with Prayer Ministry Opportunities this week.
Friends, please register for free at the Virtual On-line Conference of Aldersgate this year (evenings July 9-12, 2020) with anointed speakers and opportunities for prayer ministry. I'll be part of the Prayer Ministry Team in breakout prayer ministry sessions. Come join us!

Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!
Friends, I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word when the time comes, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org


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!

Monday, July 06, 2020

Living Words of the Living God that Will Not Pass Away - July 6, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 6 - Living Words of the Living God that Will Not Pass Away

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes upon You and thank You that Your eyes are always upon me and all that matters to me in my world -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ... 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away"--Jesus (Matthew 24:35). 

If Your words are what will remain when all is said and done, shouldn't Your words be our priority? Shouldn't Your words be our anchor of hope, our rock and refuge, our strong tower and mighty fortress, our revelation of Your absolute truth, Your never-changing character, and Your unfailing promises? Shouldn't the living words of the Living God be our words of spirit and life to give us a living hope every day? 

You said there would come a time when the buildings and monuments we hold dear would crumble and fall, with no stone left upon another (v. 2). You said people would try to lead us astray even as they misrepresent the heart and character of God (v. 5, 11). You said there would be intense struggles, suffering, and persecution against those who stand up and speak out in Your name (v. 9). You said there would be an increase of lawlessness such that even the love of many would grow cold (v. 12). But at the same time, You encouraged us that "the one who endures to the end will be saved" (v. 13) and that in the midst of all the darkness and destruction, all the confusion and chaos, all the opportunities to turn to You and Your ways or turn against You and Your words, "this Good News of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come" (v. 13-14). 

Lord Jesus, You said Your words "are spirit and life" (John 6:63). Let Your words of spirit and life saturate my mind and soak into my soul. Let Your words of spirit and life strengthen me, encourage me, and empower me to stand firm, to speak up, to press on, to persevere -- always speaking the truth in love, and always by the power and grace of Your Spirit deeply abiding in my heart. Give me grace to endure to the end, to keep my love for you and my fellow man from growing cold, and to keep proclaiming Your Good News of Your Kingdom through all we endure and overcome. For Your words will not pass away and Your Kingdom will never end! (Luke 1:33) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My friend, may you be confident and courageous, steadfast and secure, saturated and soaked, in the living words of the Living God that will not pass awayin Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!
Friends, I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word when the time comes, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org


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, July 03, 2020

Even Warnings of Judgment become Messengers of Mercy when We Repent and Pray - July 3, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 3 - Even Warnings of Judgment become Messengers of Mercy when We Repent and Pray

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your face do I seek; Your voice do I seek to hear, as I listen and wait for the leading of Your Spirit to deliberately and intentionally begin my day centered in You. ... 

Many have been stirred up, even into fear and panic, over some recent prophetic words speaking of the destruction of America and her cities soon to come. But even if they were true of what could come, prophetic words of destruction are our invitation to go to our knees in repentance and prayer -- praying for life instead of death, redemption instead of destruction, hope instead of despair. As You said when You walked this earth and continue to say as You fill our hearts, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that (you) may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). 

You're our Redeemer, not our destroyer. You're our Savior, not our accuser. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). 

So where we've sinned and fallen short -- both personally and as a nation, in our times and throughout our generations -- convict us and lead us to repentance and forgiveness, that Your mercy may triumph over judgment and that Your redemptive purposes for Your people may be fulfilled. 

Even as Your beloved children of Israel, the sons and daughters of Your eternal covenant, turned from You and Your ways so that destruction was to come upon their land, You stirred up Your intercessors, Your watchmen on the walls of the cities, Your people who were called by Your name, to humble themselves and pray. And just as all the blessings of Abraham are ours in Christ, so are all the responsibilities to watch and pray, to intercede and repent, to call upon Your name, that our identity may be secure and our destiny may be fulfilled in every tongue and tribe and nation where You have called us and positioned us for Your purposes in our days. 

As we do, You stir our hearts with faith instead of fear. You call us to action instead passivity. You call us to our place of victory instead of defeat: 

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

They shall never hold their peace day or night.

You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,

And give Him no rest till He establishes

And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

The Lord has sworn by His right hand

And by the arm of His strength:

‘Surely I will no longer give your grain

As food for your enemies;

And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,

For which you have labored.

But those who have gathered it shall eat it,

And praise the Lord;

Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts’” (Isaiah 62:6-9).


As Your watchmen on the walls of our cities and nations, of our families and communities and all You've entrusted to us on our watch, we humble ourselves to seek Your face and pray. We turn from our wicked ways in the humility of repentance for ourselves and our land. And we turn to You in trusting faith for all that You've purposed to still be accomplished in us and through us in our days(2 Chronicles 7:14).  

As we do, even warnings of judgment become messengers of mercy to revive us and awaken us to the fullness of our destiny in You.  Just as You promised in Your Word to Your watchmen all will hear what Your Spirit is saying to Your people who are called by Your name: "For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns!" (Isaiah 62:1) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My friend, may you be free from fear and full of faith, as you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in any way you're being called to humble yourself and pray for yourself and for your landin Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!




Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!
Friends, I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word when the time comes, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org


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, July 02, 2020

"Sharing in the Spirit" to Regard, Honor, and Esteem Each Other - July 2, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 2 - “Sharing in the Spirit” to Regard, Honor, and Esteem Each Other

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am to listen as You lead -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:1-5)

Forgive us, Lord, for the ways we sin in our hearts, in our land, in our culture, by failing to “regard others as better than ourselves.” Instead, we tend to do just the opposite.

Rather than “sharing in the Spirit,” we’re stingy in our flesh. Rather than building up one another, we suppress one another. Rather that desiring the best for each other, we compete against each other. Jealousy and pride rise up to puff us up, while we pull one another down and put one another down.

Then we reap what we have sow -- prejudice, pride, racism, judgment, self-righteousness, division, violence, and ultimately utter destruction. We gather in the harvest of division instead of unity, pride instead of humility, judgment instead of mercy, self-centeredness and selfishness instead Christ-centeredness and Christlikeness. We suffer the loss of our inheritance of peace and joy and love; and so does the world around us.

Forgive us, Lord. Through repentance and prayer, through surrender of our flesh to Your Spirit, our desires to Your Heart, and our thoughts to Your Mind, “let the same mind be in (us) that was in Christ Jesus.” Restore us and revive us to “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” In that kind of unity of Spirit and honor and love, the world will know the Father has sent His Son as Savior of all (John 17:20-23).

As that change begins in us, that change will begin to happen in our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). As we allow You to change our hearts, our minds, our attitudes, our perspectives to turn our selfish and self-centered ways upside down, Your Holy Spirit will be at work within us to turn the world around us upside down (Acts 17:6) and to exalt the name of Jesus above every name, including our own -- here in our hearts, here in our land, and to the ends of the earth (Philippians 2:5-11). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be strengthened in the Spirit with the same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus to regard, honor, and esteem those around you in the love and Spirit of Christ that the world around you may be turned upside down for God's glory and His namein Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

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!