Tommy Hays's Posts (372)

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Morning by Morning, November 8 - "Look Up! Look Up!"

Posted by Tommy Hays on November 8, 2018 at 10:05
Morning by Morning, November 8 - "Look Up! Look Up!"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. All to You, I surrender. All to You, I entrust my heart and mind and soul and strength. Align my heart with Your heart and my thoughts with Your thoughts as I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
 
"To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!" (Psalm 123:1)
 
I hear in my heart this morning, "Look up! Look up!" ...
 
Yes, Lord. I look up to You. I lift up my heart to You; I open up my spirit to You. "My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct (my heart and my prayer) to You, and I will look up" (Psalm 5:3 NKJV).
 
As I'm looking up, You're lifting me up in spirit. Your holy angels lift me up and Your Holy Spirit fills me up, as You draw me into "the secret place of the Most High" and invite me to "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" as my "Refuge and my Fortress, my God (in whom) I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2, 11-12 NKJV).
 
Yes, Lord. By the power of Your grace I "have been raised with Christ, seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (I) set (my) mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for (I) have died, and (my) life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1).
 
Yes, Lord. "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let (my) foot be moved; He who keeps (me) will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is (my) Keeper; the Lord is (my) Shade at (my) right hand.... The Lord will keep (me) from all evil; He will keep (my) life. The Lord will keep (my) going out and (my) coming in from this time on and forevermore!" (Psalm 121:1-8). 
 
Lord, keep my spirit looking up throughout the moments of my day. As I do, You will guide my steps, guard my heart, and direct my path to walk in the way that leads to life in You. "You, O Lord, are a Shield around me, my Glory, and the One who lifts up my head" (Psalm 3:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
Tommy, I pray you are moved in your spirit to look up to the Lord and allow Him to lift you up in the joyful pleasure of His Presence now and throughout the moments of your day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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(Looking up in worship from a time of ministry in The Philippines)
 
 
Friends, please keep us in prayer tonight for our time of celebration, blessing, and impartation at the closing night of our Level 2 School of Ministry for equipping in personal prayer ministry here in San Antonio. God bless you and your ministry in the Lord wherever He positions you and sends you!
 
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
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, November 7 - "Citizens of Heaven"

Posted by Tommy Hays on November 7, 2018 at 10:05
Morning by Morning, November 7 - "Citizens of Heaven"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- align my spirit, soul, and body with You and Your will and Your ways for my life today (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  ...
 
"We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord" (Philippians 3:20-4:1 NLT).
 
When You walked this earth in Your mortal body, You paid taxes and so do we (Matthew 17:24-27). Your Word says to pray for those in authority in our government, and so we do (1 Timothy 2:20). We are citizens of our country, but we are also citizens of heaven. We live in the world, but we are not of the world (John 17:14). You sent us into the world, but we don't belong to the world (John 17:16-18). And we thank You that You have already "overcome the world" (John 16:33 NKJV).
 
Through our faith in You, with our eyes on You, we overcome the world too. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5 NKJV). So no matter who wins or loses the election, no matter what positions our politicians proclaim, the Kingdom of God prevails and our citizenship of heaven trumps our citizenship on earth. It's from there we pray and proclaim the victory of the One who has overcome -- the One "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty! (Revelation 1:8 NKJV) To borrow from and paraphrase the words of an old country song, "It don't matter who's in Austin, Jesus is still the King!"
 
So as we engage our world, let us pray and proclaim, with our voices and our votes; let us be Your salt and light -- "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world," that "they may see (our) good works and glorify (our) Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16 NKJV). As citizens of heaven, You've already "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:16 NKJV). 
 
From our position in Christ and our citizenship in heaven, let us make a difference through the principles of our lives and the power of Your Spirit here on earth, here in our world "in which (we) shine like stars in the world" (Philippians 2:15). That's how Your kingdom comes and Your will is done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). And at the same time, we long for the day of Your return and the fulfillment of Your Word that "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15 NKJV)  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you shine like a star in your world, like the salt and light of Christ in you, secure in your citizenship in heaven to make a difference on earth, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Friends, please come join us for the First Wednesday Service of Prayer and Healing at Oak Hills Church tonight, Crownridge Campus, where I'm excited to join in sharing a message of hope and healing. All are welcome! In the South Room at 7pm.
 
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, November 5 - "No Longer I Who Live"

Posted by Tommy Hays on November 5, 2018 at 10:01
Morning by Morning, November 5 - "No Longer I Who Live"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Abide in me, as I abide in You; come into my heart, as I give my heart to You; be Lord of my life, as I acknowledge You as Lord of all.  ...
 
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-21).
 
Live in me today, Lord Jesus. Keep forming me into Your image; keep conforming me into Your character; keep transforming me into Your nature. 
 
By Your Spirit at work within me in the mind and will and emotions of my soul, You're changing me from the inside out to have "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), to "bear the name of Christ" (Mark 9:41), to be filled with "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9), "sharing in the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16), "sharing in the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:16), releasing the "aroma of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15), urged on by "the love of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:14), steadfast in "the truth of Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:10), living each day in "the grace of Christ" (Galatians 1:6), sharing "the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27), joining my fellow workers and servants as "partners of Christ" (Hebrews 3:14), seeking to be "a faithful minister of Christ" (Colossians 1:7), letting the "peace of Christ" dwell in my heart (Colossians 3:15) and the "word of Christ" dwell in my spirit (Colossians 3:16), empowering me to be "crucified with Christ" so I can live my "life in Christ" more and more each day (1 Corinthians 1:30). As You are, so I am to be in my world (1 John 4:17).
 
I was created for this and called to this -- to be "conformed to the image of (Jesus Christ)" (Romans 8:29). Everything I do, everything I encounter, everything I overcome, and everything I become is for this purpose -- for You to make me more like You each day. Every choice and challenge throughout every moment of my day is an opportunity for me to grow "to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ" as I "grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-16). I can't do this, but "the One who calls (me) is faithful, and He will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:24). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you growing up into Christ, into the full measure of the stature of Christ, more and more every day, so that it is no longer you who live but Christ who lives in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, November 2 - "The Eyes of the Lord"

Posted by Tommy Hays on November 2, 2018 at 9:52
Morning by Morning, November 2 - "The Eyes of the Lord"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I'm listening for Your leading, as I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"The eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).
 
Lord, let my heart be true to You. Empower me to "do what is right in the sight of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 13:18). By Your Spirit alive and at work within me, You are "working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases (You)" (Philippians 2:13).
 
So shape my desires and guide my thoughts to be faithful and true to You. Convict me when I stray and redirect me when I misstep. Strengthen me when I stumble and awaken me when I slumber. Keep my feet and my faith on the path that leads to the fullness of life in You. "(My) steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in (my) way; though (I) stumble, (I) shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds (me) by His hand" (Psalm 37:23).
 
I don't need to fear "the eyes of the Lord" that watch over me. And I don't need to worry that You don't see me when I need You or hear me when I cry. "Truly they eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love" (Psalm 33:18). "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer" (1 Peter 3:12). Because I've welcomed the Righteous One into my heart and entrusted my life to the One who is my life, You've made me righteous in Your sight to set my heart right with Yours -- not by anything I've done, but by all You've done for me.
 
With "the eyes of the Lord" upon me, You see me and everything about me. Yet, You love me and pour out Your grace to me. Help me see myself more like You see me, through "the eyes of the Lord," through the eyes of Your steadfast love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you see yourself through "the eyes of the Lord," through the eyes of His steadfast love for you -- knowing He sees you and understands you, hearing you and helping you, as He orders your steps and guides your heart, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, November 1 - The Place Prepared for Me in the Mansion of Heaven and the Mansion of My Heart

Posted by Tommy Hays on November 1, 2018 at 9:47
Morning by Morning, November 1 - The Place Prepared for Me in the Mansion of Heaven and the Mansion of My Heart
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine (Song of Solomon 6:3).  ...
 
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3 NKJV).
 
You've prepared a place for me, and I've prepared a place for You -- just like You invite me to abide You as I welcome You to abide in me. There's a mansion for me in Heaven when I die, but You want me to make much room for You right here in the mansion of my heart now (John 15:4).
 
When You're abiding in me in the mansion of my heart, I'm already abiding in You in my mansion in Heaven. I don't even have to wait 'til I die before I go to Heaven. In that heavenly dimension of the spiritual realm, I'm already home. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has (already) blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). Already, "God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us ... made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-6). Where You are, that's where I am also; I am in Christ, and Christ is in me (Colossians 1:27).
 
Lord Jesus, come into my heart now and throughout every moment of my day, just as You promised to "come again and receive (me) to (Yourself)" (John 14:3). Come, Holy Spirit. Take me to Heaven in my heart. And let Heaven come fill my heart, right here on earth, right here in me, right here in this moment. My Father God -- "Abba! Father!" -- "hallowed by Your name! Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!" (Romans 8:15; Matthew 6:9) Your kingdom is "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). And "in Your Presence there is fullness of joy!" (Psalm 16:11) Fill me now with the joy of Your Presence, as all the joy of Heaven fills my heart! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My Friend, I pray you are filled with the joy of the Presence of the Lord, as you abide in Him and He abides in you, in your heavenly mansion and in the mansion of your heart, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 31 - The Festival of the Great Harvest

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 31, 2018 at 10:00
Morning by Morning, October 31 - The Festival of the Great Harvest
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You today.  ...
 
"You shall observe the festival of harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall observe the festival of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor" (Exodus 23:16).
 
When some people see pumpkins, they think of jack-o'-lanterns and Halloween. But with the eyes of Heaven, I think of Jesus and the great harvest. Prophetic voices say the spring and fall feasts of Israel are ultimately fulfilled in the first and second coming of Christ; and that the festival of harvest -- the festival of ingathering -- speaks of the great harvest and final ingathering of souls for the Kingdom of God just before the return of Christ. As You explained Your parable of the wheat and the weeds growing up together, You said, "The One who sows seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world" and "the harvest is the end of the age" (Matthew 13:36-43).
 
In great anticipation of the harvest of souls in every age and in the great harvest of souls at the end of the age, You commanded us to pray and invited us to be the answer to that prayer. You said, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:35-38).
 
So tonight while some are lighting their candles to shine through the faces of their pumpkins, I pray You'd light a fire in our hearts to shine through the faces of Your children. "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!" (2 Corinthians 4:6) Come, Holy Spirit. Stir in our hearts, shine through our faces, and send us into Your harvest, that we can celebrate through all eternity the great ingathering of souls to Your Kingdom! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you shine with the light of Christ on your face from His Spirit in your heart to be part of the great harvest of the Kingdom of God in our age, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 30 - Overcoming Evil with Good

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 30, 2018 at 10:43
Morning by Morning, October 30 - Overcoming Evil with Good
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- help me start this day and live out each moment centered and grounded in You.  ...
 
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
 
Evil actions of hatred and violence, along with simmering cauldrons of chaos seem to be invading and infusing the soul of our nation. Even in our personal relationships and everyday encounters, patience runs thin, nerves are frayed, and tempers flare. A thin veneer of pretended politeness often covers seething emotions ready to erupt with even the slightest expression of a differing of opinion. Lord, help us. We need You now as much as ever, maybe even more than ever.
 
It is as You said it would be in these days, ever-nearing Your return, since You first spoke the words to warn us (Matthew 24:2-14). It is as Your Word prophesied long ago, that "darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples" (Isaiah 60:2). Yes, "the days are evil" because of the evil choices made by those willing to embrace the darkness rather than the light (Ephesians 5:16). But even in the midst of the evil, Your Word tells us to welcome Your Spirit, to worship through the wickedness, with gratitude for Your goodness, "giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-20). 
 
This is how we "overcome evil with good." This is how we "shine like stars in the world" even "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (Philippians 2:15). This is how we "Arise, shine; for (our) light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon (us)" even when "darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples" so that "nations will come to (our) light, and kings to the brightness of (our) dawn" (Isaiah 60:1:3). This is how we can embrace and live out the promise of Your Word even in the midst of our dark and angry world:  "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" (John 16:33a NLT). But with our faith in You and Your nature being formed in us, we can "take heart, because (You) have overcome the world" (John 16:33b NLT). "For every child of God defeats this world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5 NLT)
 
Come, Holy Spirit. Empower us with nature of Christ in our hearts to shine with the light of Christ in our world. Give us courage to speak the truth and to speak it in love -- neither truth without love, nor love without truth. "We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ" and by the power of the grace of God at work within us, "(we will) let the Spirit renew (our) thoughts and attitudes" seeking to "put on (our) new nature, created to be like God -- truly righteous and holy" in the midst of our world in these dark and evil days (Ephesians 4:15-24 NLT).
 
Only in Christ, can we pray for those who persecute us, bless those who curse us, and even love those who hate -- loving our enemies, overcoming evil with good, calming the chaos with peace, while standing firm in our convictions and true to our consciences -- just like You (Matthew 5:43-48). We are in Christ and Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). So Christ is in our world because the "Spirit of Christ" is in us -- having already overcome this world and, at the same time, still overcoming this world through our attitudes and our actions every day (Romans 8:9).
 
"Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing Him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.... In Christ, we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in His presence" (2 Corinthians 2:14-17). In our world, "we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Lord, let it be so in our hearts and through our lives. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you shine with the light of Christ in you everywhere you go, overcoming evil with good, praying for those who persecute you, blessing those who curse you, loving those who hate you; and I join with you in pray for our nations, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
   
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 26 - Wisdom and Understanding from Holy Angels and the Holy Spirit

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 26, 2018 at 10:10
Morning by Morning, October 26 - Wisdom and Understanding from Holy Angels and the Holy Spirit
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here in Your presence -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- I want to hear Your voice and sense Your leading from the intimate place of communion in prayer.  ...
 
"While I was speaking, and was praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God -- while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He came and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your supplications a word went out, and I have come to declare it, for you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision" (Daniel 9:20-23).
 
Lord, You draw us near in prayer, as a beloved children of God. You forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from my unrighteousness, that there would nothing separating us from You (1 John 1:9). You send Your Spirit, You send Your angels, You send Your word with wisdom and understanding to consider Your word and understand Your vision. You're a God who's intimately involved in our lives -- speaking to us and leading us into the fulfill of Your purposes though our lives (John 10:3).
 
In the days of Daniel, Your Spirit came upon Your people at particular times, in particular ways, for particular purposes. But in Christ, we encounter You and embrace You through an even "better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22). In our days, You still send Your angels with Your word to give us wisdom and understanding to see Your vision and follow Your leading (Acts 5:19-20; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7; 27:23-24). "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14) 
 
But at the same time, You have now poured out Your Spirit on all flesh to hear Your voice and see Your vision with the wisdom and understanding You impart to our hearts (Acts 2:16-18). Your very Spirit fills us and abides within us (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:19). From within us, You shape our thoughts and guide our steps, giving us the desire and the power to hear You, to trust You, and to obey You (Philippians 2:13). You give us the wisdom and understanding "from above" because the Spirit of the One who is all true Wisdom and Understanding, the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, lives in us (James 3:17; Romans 8:9).
 
So I pray for Your wisdom and understanding. I pray for Your vision of all I need to see and to know, and the patience and faith to rest in You from all I have no need to see and to know at this time. I pray for the divine service of Your holy angels who come in "swift flight" at Your command -- the "mighty ones who do His bidding, obedient to the His spoken word" (Daniel 9:21; Psalm 103:20). I pray for Your abiding presence, here in my heart, as You abide in me and I abide in You (John 15:4). And I pray for an ever-increasing filling of Your Holy Spirit -- Spirit to spirit, Deep to deep -- in the communion of prayer and intimacy with You, where You invite me to "pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication" (Ephesians 5:18 and 6:18). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you are filled with the Holy Spirit and receive the ministry of the Lord's holy angels to know the wisdom and understanding of God for your life each day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 25 - Pregnant with the Promises of God

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 25, 2018 at 10:05
Morning by Morning, October 25 - Pregnant with the Promises of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart and make me more like You today.  ...
 
"Shall I open the womb and not deliver? says the Lord; shall I, the One who delivers, shut the womb? says your God" (Isaiah 66:9).
 
In faith, we are pregnant with the promises of God. Your words go forth; they do not return void; they accomplish all to which You have purposed them (Isaiah 55:11). "I the Lord will speak the word that I speak, and it will be fulfilled. It will no longer be delayed.... None of My words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 12:25-28).
 
By Your Spirit and by Your Word, fulfill Your promises in me. And by the power of Your grace, may I fulfill my purposes in You (Ephesians 2:10). Find me to be faithful; empower me to be persistent. Apart from You I can do nothing; but through Christ I can do all things in accordance with Your will through my life, for with God, all things are possible (John 15:5; Philippians 4:13; Mark 10:27).
 
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we are saved" (Romans 8:22-24). 
 
We are groaning in labor. We are pregnant with the promises of God. We are ready to give birth to all You desire to bring forth in us and through our generation. O Lord, You will not delay. You will not relent. You will not hold back. We travail and pray, we praise and proclaim, calling forth the promises of God in our lives and in our day "in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in (us)" that we may at last be secure and confident in our identity to fulfill our destiny in You (Galatians 4:19). 
 
Like the woman in Revelation who "was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth" even in the face of all the forces of evil seeking to devour and destroy all that You would birth through her, may we have courage to press through the pain and take hold of Your promises (Revelation 12:2). May we have faith in the promises of Your Word and the power of Your Spirit to open our womb and bring to pass all the promises of God You are birthing in us. 
 
Both personally for each of us individually and together as the people of God in the unfolding of Your plan and purpose for our times, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth, right here in us, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). In the passionate prayer of Daniel for the fulfillment of Your Word by Your Spirit in his day, "O Lord, listen and act and do not delay!" (Daniel 9:19) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you would press in and and pray through until every promise of God for your life is birthed through you and breathing life in Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 23 - Weighty Words

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 23, 2018 at 10:03
Morning by Morning, October 23 - Weighty Words
 
 Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I speak out these words, my spirit comes to attention, to wait and to listen for the leading of Your Spirit.  ... 
 
"The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will" (Isaiah 50:4 NLT).
 
 Father God, my Sovereign Lord, give me ears to hear what Your Spirit is speaking to my heart and through my words. Your words of wisdom are weighty words. Your words of wisdom are "alive and powerful ... sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow ... and expose our innermost thoughts and desires" (Hebrews 4:12 NLT). 
 
Lord, sanctify my heart and sanctify my tongue. Show me "what to say and how to say it" as an expression of Your heart and Your hope to the weary who need Your words of comfort and encouragement (John 12:49 NLT). As You waken me in the morning, I welcome You in my spirit and set apart my words to be Your words, as You make my heart to be more like Your heart and align my will with Your will.  
 
As I behold You and embrace Your Word and Your Spirit to divide my spirit and soul, to expose my most innermost thoughts and desires, to remove the scales from my eyes and the veil from my heart, You are changing me into Your image. "Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord -- who is the Spirit -- makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT).
 
Surrounded and yielded to You -- as best as I can and all by Your grace -- I can allow Your words to flow though my words, as my nature becomes more like Your nature and my ways become more like Your ways. You've given us Your gifts to serve Your people and glorify Your name. And You give us the grace to grow in these gifts, to express them in love, and see them bear fruit that honors Your heart:  "God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever!" (1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT) 
 
So I pray for weighty words that carry the weight of the glory of God to inspire hope, to heal wounds, to break chains, to awaken courage, to save souls, to advance Your kingdom, and to glorify Your name. I pray my words would be Your words, the words of the One who is the Word of God abiding in me (John 1:14 and 15:4). So keep crucifying my flesh, keep sanctifying my heart, keep purifying my words, so that my nature becomes more and more like Your nature each day until I can say "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20 NLT). Then my words will truly be weighty words that make a difference in my world. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray your words are weighty words that flow from heart of God being formed in your heart by the power of the grace of God at work in you to crucify your flesh, sanctify your heart, and purify your words, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 22 - Learning to Live from My High Place in Christ

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 22, 2018 at 11:16
Morning by Morning, October 22 - Learning to Live from My High Place in Christ
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day.  ... 
 
"But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved)! For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in the all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7 NLT). 
 
My Father God, teach me what it really means that I have already been raised from the dead along with Christ and You have already "seated (me) with Him in the heavenly realms because (I am) united with Christ Jesus." Give me deeper "spiritual wisdom and insight so that (I) may grow in (my) knowledge of God" to understand more clearly the truth of this mystery (Ephesians 1:17 NLT). Help me "understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else -- not only in this world but also in the world to come" (Ephesians 1:19-21 NLT). 
 
I'm here on earth in this earthly realm. But already, at the same time, I'm also raised up and seated with Christ in the place of honor at Your right hand in the heavenly realm. That's my high place in Christ You've prepared for me. I have such a strong sense that it's so important to grow in my understanding of the truth of this mystery and to live it out. Help me learn to live it out in the way I pray, in the way I speak, in the way I see myself and see all who believe and have been seated with me and united with me and with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realm. 
 
In the heavenly realm, where I am in Christ and Christ is in me, I am "far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else" (Ephesians 1:21 NLT). In that realm, sin is under me, sickness is under me, selfishness is under me, Satan is under me along with every satanic scheme to steal my identity or silence my voice or suppress my spirit. Discouragement, depression, disappointment, defilement, deception, darkness, and every devil sent to delay or destroy my destiny is under me and defeated by the victory of the cross and the glory of the resurrection. "All praise to God, the Father of (my) Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed (me) with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because (I am) united with Christ!" (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)
 
Let this truth get into my spirit. Let my spirit come alive in Your truth. 
 
It's from there -- from the heavenly realm of my identity in Christ, united with Christ in the place of honor as a child of God at the right hand of God -- that I want to learn to live. I want to learn to live from my high place in Christ. I'm alive in Christ and I want to fully live into all that means. Living from there, together with all who believe You and fully entrust ourselves to You, "we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). And living from there, may our "hearts be flooded with light so that (we) can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called -- His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance!" (Ephesians 1:18 NLT) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray your heart is flooded with the light of God's truth and love, with wisdom and revelation, to learn to live from your high place in Christ, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Friends, thank you so much for all your prayers for us last week at Aldersgate Renewal Ministries outside Nashville, Tennessee for the Annual Gathering of the Board and Advisory Council, where I was so honored to share a keynote address and also teaching on prayer ministry. 
The Holy Spirit moved mightily in our heart with encouragement and strength to grow in God's grace. God bless you and your ministry to Him and His people!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 18 - "Glorious and Beautiful" Anointed Priests of God

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 18, 2018 at 10:22
Morning by Morning, October 18 - "Glorious and Beautiful" Anointed Priests of God
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God.  ...
 
"For Aaron's sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings that are glorious and beautiful. Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so that they can serve as My priests" (Exodus 28:40 NLT).
 
Together as "one in Christ Jesus," we are all Your priests -- Your sons and daughters, "heirs according to the promise," faithfully serving You in the ministry of faith, hope, and love to You and Your people (Galatians 3:25-29). "All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever!" (Revelation 1:5-6 NLT) In You, "(we) are a chosen people. (We) are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession" so that "(we) can show others the goodness of God, for He has called (us) out of the darkness into His wonderful light!" (1 Peter 2:9 NLT)
 
Our priestly garments are "the garments of praise" (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV). We are clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:27). And the anointing oil of our consecration and ordination is the anointing and abiding Presence of Your Holy Spirit. "(We) have been anointed by the Holy One.... As for (us), the anointing that (we) received from Him abides in (us)" (1 John 2:20-27). Your "glorious and beautiful" nature covers us and changes us from the inside out to be priests of our God and "ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). 
 
In You, we are "holy partners in a heavenly calling" looking to "Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession" (Hebrews 3:1). You are our faithful "High Priest of the good things that have come" -- the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, here in our world and available to be right here in hearts (Hebrews 9:11). And as You are, so are we to be in our world (1 John 4:17). In Jesus' name I pray.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you are freed in Christ to fully embrace your identity and destiny as a child of God and one of His glorious and beautiful anointed priests of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Friends, please keep us in prayer this week. I'm at Aldersgate Renewal Ministries outside Nashville, Tennessee for the Annual Gathering of the Board and Advisory Council, where I'm excited to be sharing a keynote address and also teaching on prayer ministry. 
God bless you and your ministry to Him and His poeple!
 
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 16 - Relentless Love

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 16, 2018 at 10:00
Morning by Morning, October 16 - Relentless Love
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, You are the same yesterday and today and forever. Steadfast and true, faithful are You. Empower me to be faithful too.  ...
 
Some speak of Your reckless love -- reckless because it's so overwhelming and we're so undeserving. Some speak of Your unfailing love -- unfailing because it never ends and always wins. But above all, I've experienced Your relentless love -- relentless because You never relent, You never retreat in Your passionate pursuit of my heart -- no matter how undeserving or unfaithful, how timid or compromising, how I've been tempted to turn to the world or put up a wall or settle for something less than all You've desired for me. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). That's relentless love.
 
So who could resist Your relentless love? Why would we run from Someone running so hard after us? What a picture You gave us in the parable of the prodigal son when You showed us the relentless love of a father running to embrace his lost son. "But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). You are that Father, just as we are that son that could never run far enough away and never do wicked, selfish enough things that could make You stop loving us. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful -- for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). That's relentless love.
 
Father, forgive me for ever resisting Your relentless love. Forgive me for ever taking it for granted. Forgive me for ever squandering the blessing and invitation of a lifetime of intimacy with You. You are so worthy of my relentless love in return. I love You because You first loved me; I pursue You because You first pursued me (1 John 4:19). You "have loved (me) with an everlasting (relentless) love" when there's nothing I could ever do to ever earn it or deserve it (Jeremiah 31:2). So this day, here in a deeper surrender of my heart and vulnerable intimacy in Your presence, I embrace Your relentless love for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you fully embrace the relentless love of our passionately pursuing God in a deeper surrender of your heart and vulnerable intimacy in His presence, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 11 - Hell Can't Stop What Only Heaven Can Do

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 11, 2018 at 10:06
Morning by Morning, October 11 - Hell Can't Stop What Only Heaven Can Do
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my heart and speak out Your name and welcome You in to every moment of my day.  ...
 
"(Jesus) said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven'" (Matthew 16:15-19).
 
You've given us these keys of Your kingdom that unlock the gates of heaven, that invoke the presence of Your Spirit, and embrace the blessings of God when we put our faith in You and our lives in Your hands. And You've given us our identity as the sons and daughters of God, the church of Jesus Christ, declaring our hope and trust in You, that breaks through every gate of hell and breaks off every chain of bondage to set us free to be all You created us to be (Romans 8:29). In You, the gates of hell will never prevail against us. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
 
So with the authority of the name of Jesus on my lips and the maturity of the nature of Jesus being formed in my heart, let the gates of hell fall before me today. In their place, let the kingdom of God advance in my spirit and through my life today. Let the gates of heaven, the gates of "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" be open wide, as Your kingdom comes and Your will is done in me and through me as a catalyst of change and messenger of hope in my world today (Romans 14:17). 
 
Hell can't stop what only heaven can do! And the gates of hell will never prevail against the advancing armies of the kingdom of God! "This is what the Lord of Heaven's armies says:  'The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled to the ground, and her massive gates will be burned!'" (Jeremiah 51:58 NLT)  Come, Holy Spirit, "consuming Fire" of God, to burn in me with "righteousness and peace and joy" as You burn down and break through the gates of hell today! (Hebrews 12:29) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray the kingdom of God advances powerfully in you and through you today, as hell can't stop what only heaven can do, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 10 - The Day to Run to the Battle!

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 10, 2018 at 10:05
Morning by Morning, October 10 - The Day to Run to the Battle!
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I begin my day in the assurance of faith that I am in Christ and Christ is in me (Colossians 1:27).   ...
 
"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. David inquired of God, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them in to my hand?' The Lord said to him, "Go up, and I will give them into your hand.' So he went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. David said, 'God has burst out against my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.' Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim. They abandoned their gods there, and at David's command they were burned" (1 Chronicles 14:8-12).
 
Lord, let the temple of Baal and all that it represents come down! Drive out the Philistines and all that they represent! Let their gods be abandoned and their idols be burned! Get them out of our hearts and out of our land! Come "like a bursting flood!" Come like "a rushing mighty wind!" (Acts 2:2 NKJV) Come fill our hearts and our land with Your Holy Spirit and the Spirit of revival and awakening!
 
The enemy of our souls and our land will not run away with a whimper. There will be a battle. But this is the day to run to the battle! When the Philistine sought to regroup and rebound, You told David and his armies, "When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines!" (1 Chronicles 14:15). They charged ahead and did not retreat; they ran to the battle and did not shrink back. And You gave them great victory in their land!
 
By the power of Your grace, may we never surrender and never retreat before the enemies of the cross. Our true enemy, our true battle is not against the kingdoms of man, but against the kingdoms of darkness. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand!" (Ephesians 6:12-13)
 
I hear in my heart, "Press the battle! Press the battle! Sound the alarm and run to the battle! No surrender; no retreat! No shrinking back! Press ahead and do not withdraw! Pray and proclaim! Worship and rejoice! Victory, victory, victory is in your midst! Do not slumber; do not sleep! Do not grow weary and do not faint! Awaken and arise, for the day of the great battle is at hand!"  ...
 
Yes, Lord. Your Word comes now to my heart: "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you! Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.... be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!" (Ephesians 5:14-20) These are mighty "weapons of our warfare (that) have divine power to destroy strongholds!" (2 Corinthians 10:4)
 
We are in Christ and Christ is in us (Colossians 1:27). And as we stand in Christ, Christ stands in us. When our spiritual enemies are under the feet of Christ, they're under our feet, as we stand firmly in the victory in Christ (Acts 2:34-25; Colossians 2:15). So despite the intensity of the battle and the fierceness of the threats and battle cries of retaliation and intimidation from the enemy of our souls, Your Word will surely come to pass: "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under (our) feet! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with (us all)" -- here in our hearts and here in our land (Romans 16:20)! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 


Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you are stirred your spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit in a fresh anointing to run to the battle, that you never surrender and never retreat before the enemies of the cross -- whether in your life or in our land -- in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning - Death has No Victory when We Die in Christ

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 9, 2018 at 10:03
Morning by Morning, October 9 - Death has No Victory when We Die in Christ
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- help me sense Your presence, hear Your voice, and follow Your leading, as I begin my day seeking You.  ...
 
"For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:  'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' This sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
 
A dear friend of mine and faithful minister in our prayer ministry passed on from this side of eternity to the next over the weekend. He fought and overcame so much so many times. He was literally a fighter pilot who became a mighty spiritual warrior. And in his last breath of his last battle here on this earth, death had no victory and death had no sting. He was delivered through death into eternal life in You, the One who is "the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25). Truly he has "fought the good fight" and received his eternal reward in the fullness of Your presence (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
 
So I join with his wife and family and all who love him dearly to both celebrate his victory and his life in the Spirit with You in heaven, even as we also mourn and grieve our loss of his life here in the flesh with us on earth. Thank You that in You, we do not have to "grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have died" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). 
 
Through Your victory of the resurrection, we will all rejoice with You and with one another again. In that way, even through hard times like this when our hearts are both full of hope and sorrow at the same time, we hold fast to the promise of Your Word, "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). My dear friend is experiencing the healing of the resurrection; and at the same time, we need the comfort of Your resurrection love here in our hearts as we celebrate his victory in You.
 
Holy Spirit of God, comfort us and strengthen us through the night times and hard times we endure through the battles of this world, as we look forward to that glorious morning to come. "Thank be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My Friend, I pray you are strengthened and comforted through every battle you'll face through the night time, knowing joy comes with the morning in the resurrection love of God in Jesus Christ, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
Friends, please join with me in prayer for the family of Gary and Judi Cheek of San Antonio, Texas. Gary is deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Judi shared this photo of Gary that really captures his personality and this beautiful note to their friends: "Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my wonderful husband of 60 years. I will miss him terribly but I know that he's with Jesus which brings me much comfort And I'll see him again. Until then, my love...."
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Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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Morning by Morning, October 5 - Pursing Both Peace and Holiness

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 5, 2018 at 10:00
Morning by Morning, October 5 - Pursing Both Peace and Holiness
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my steady Rock and the Anchor of my soul. You are one with the Father, one with the Holy Spirit; and as I entrust to You my heart and my life, You make me one with You (John 17:21).  ...
 
"Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God" (Hebrews 12:14-15).
 
Your Word compels me and commands me to pursue both peace and holiness -- not just peace and not just holiness; not peace without holiness and not holiness without peace. And it's only by the grace of God that I can. 
 
In my pursuit of holiness, help me never become religious, self-righteous, and "holier-than-thou" in some kind of spiritual pride as if it's by my own goodness or wisdom. Holiness is Christ in me (Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Holiness is my heart surrendered to Your heart, allowing You to form Your thoughts in my mind, Your desires in my heart, and Your nature in my nature. "For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him" (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
 
And at the same time, in my pursuit of peace, help me never compromise with holiness and truth, just "going-along-to-get-along," excusing and condoning something less than Your will and Your ways, for the sake of being liked or not being rejected, maligned, or misunderstand for simply seeking to walk in Your Truth and honor Your Word. That's appeasement, not peace. That's the world's peace, not Your peace (John 14:27).
 
Pursuing both peace and holiness -- all by the power of Your grace at work within me -- is impossible apart from a living, vibrant, and deeply personal relationship with You. Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). So I praise You and thank You that I never have to spend a single moment of my life apart from You. You are with me always (Matthew 28:20). I am in You and You are in me (John 15:4).
 
So You lead me by Your Spirit to walk in both peace and holiness, growing in grace and the nature of Christ, step by step, seeking to "follow in (Your) steps" on my journey of faith through every challenge and question I face (1 Peter 2:21). "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this:  when He is reveled, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2).
 
My Father God, I welcome Your Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus today. "Love has been perfected among us in this:  that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17). As You do -- with "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" -- You empower me to pursue both peace and holiness with all my heart because You're changing my heart every day from the inside out (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray your heart is being changed from the inside out every day in your deeply personal and intimate journey with God, empowering you to pursue both peace and holiness, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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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!
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Morning by Morning, October 4 - "Wonderful Joy Ahead" through the "Many Trials" We Endure

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 4, 2018 at 10:05
Morning by Morning, October 4 - "Wonderful Joy Ahead" through the "Many Trials" We Endure
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name over every moment of my day, that everything I encounter must bow it's knee to Your name (Philippians 2:9-22).
 
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting in Him will be the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT).
 
Sometimes it may look like there is anything but "wonderful joy ahead." Sometimes it may look like things are growing worse, darkness is growing darker, division is growing deeper, and hope is growing fainter. And it will, just as You said (Matthew 24:1-28). But at the same time, the light of the glory of God in those who believe, in those who love You and trust You, will arise and shine within us, as the glory of the Lord arises upon us! (Isaiah 60:1-3)
 
When "(our) faith remains strong through many trials," we see our faith grow brighter than the darkness; we see our hope overcome every moment of despair; and we see our God display His glory through every trial we face. That's how we can "rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy" that the world around us can't understand and even our own hearts find hard to believe, as we see You bring us through the battles and storms and every trial of our faith. And that's worth so much more than any false peace or hollow victory this world could ever offer. That's the gift of God -- "the reward for trusting in Him" -- that lasts forever as eternal treasure in our souls "far more precious than gold!" 
 
These days we live out on this earth, through the trials of this broken and fallen world, are the flames of the Refiner's fire (Malachi 3:2; Daniel 12:10; Revelation 3:18). But it's only in the fire You refine our souls into the pure gold of Your glorious love and "inexpressible joy" You've created us to know by learning to trust in You. Holy Fire of God, All "Consuming Fire," burn in me today, as I encounter and overcome ever trial I endure (Hebrews 12:29). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you are filled with "inexpressible joy" as you faithfully endure every trial you face in the power of God's grace and love for you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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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!

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Morning by Morning, October 3 - Only by "Sharing in the Spirit" are Dividing Walls Broken Down

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 3, 2018 at 10:51

Morning by Morning, October 3 - Only by "Sharing in the Spirit" are Dividing Walls Broken Down

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God, I look to You and listen for Your leading to begin my day intentionally, deliberately pursuing and embracing Your Presence  -- here with me and here within me.  ...

 

"If 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 one mind" (Philippians 2:1-2).

 

Religion and politics will never unite us. Doctrinal decisions and theological dogma will not unite us. Enforcing the rules and demanding obedience cannot unite us. Only "sharing the Spirit" can unite us with "the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and one mind." 

 

As we each pursue Your Presence and welcome Your Spirit in our hearts and our lives, You align us with You and with one another. In the "sharing of the Spirit," You "break down the diving wall, that is, the hostility between us" so that "through (Christ, all) of us have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:14-18). It's the "Spirit of Christ" -- the Holy Spirit of God -- who unites us as one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world (Romans 8:9).

 

Your Word compels us and commands us to be found daily "bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as (we) were called to the one hope of (our) calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:1-6).

 

So the ancient prayer, "Come, Holy Spirit" is one of the most important and powerful prayers we could pray --- as Your Church, as the Body and Bride of Christ, as Your people who are called by Your name in our land and throughout the earth. As we pray, "Come, Holy Spirit" we are "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). Then we are united as one in the Spirit and one in the Lord to embrace the great blessings of God that can only flow from our unity of "sharing in the Spirit" according to the ancient promise of Your Word:

 

"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard of Aaron running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore!" (Psalm 133)

 

Yes, Lord. Stir in our hearts, stir in my heart to pray as one with my kindred in Christ across this land and throughout the earth, "Come, Holy Spirit!" For there -- there in the place of unity, in the place of Your Presence by the unity of "sharing in the Spirit" -- You command and ordain Your blessing of Your life for us. 

 

Lord Jesus, as You prayed by the Spirit to our Father in heaven during Your last days on the earth on behalf of all Your disciples to come and follow You throughout all generations:  "That they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me" (John 17:21). May Your prayer be answered, may Your kingdom come, and my Your will be done -- here in me and here in us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 


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

 

 

 

 

My friend, I pray you are filled with the Holy Spirit to be of one mind with Christ and His Bride throughout our land and our world, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 

      

Friends, I'm excited to be sharing a message of hope and healing at the First Wednesday Service of Worship and Prayer at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio this coming Wednesday Night, October 3, at 7pm. All are welcome!

First Wednesday Service of Worship and Prayer 

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Morning by Morning, October 2 - "Made Right in God's Sight"

Posted by Tommy Hays on October 2, 2018 at 9:38
Morning by Morning, October 2 - "Made Right in God's Sight"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Release the authority of Your name on my lips and grow the authenticity of Your character in my heart. Make me more like You today (Romans 8:29).  ...
 
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.... We know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.... So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 5:1-11 NLT).
 
I'm made right in Your sight. I'm set free to be more like You. I'm a friend of the God who's a friend of sinners like me. I'm filled with the Spirit of the God who fills me with His love. I'm privileged to stand in the place of underserved privilege that I could never earn and that can never be taken away. And every day, I'm joyfully looking forward to embracing all You have for me because of all You are to me and all You've done for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
 
 
 
My friend, I pray you live into the fullness of your inheritance as a child of God, joyfully embracing all the Lord has for you and deeply confident of the truth you've been made right in God's sight, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
 
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Friends, I'm excited to be sharing a message of hope and healing at the First Wednesday Service of Worship and Prayer at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus in San Antonio this coming Wednesday Night, October 3, at 7pm. All are welcome!
 
 
 
 
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!

Read more…