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Morning by Morning, August 18 - The Coming Day the Sun will be Darkened Across America
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- I worship You in every dimension of Your Being and welcome You into every dimension of my being. ...
"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls" (Joel 2:30-32 NKJV).
In a few days, on August 21, 2017, "the sun shall be turned into darkness" across America. On that day many will gather to celebrate the signs in the heavens, and many will gather to cry out to God in repentance and prayer for the sins in the heart of our nation. Many will study the science of this event, and many will search for it's spiritual significance.
It's of interest to me that this day of the total eclipse of the sun marks the first of the forty days leading up to the Day of Atonement on the Biblical calendar -- the forty days set apart for prayer and repentance to prepare for the most holy day on the Jewish year. Perhaps it's a sign in the heavens of a call to prayer for repentance and revival in our hearts and in our land -- as if we needed one.
And just as the ancient prophecy speaks of dramatic moves in the heavens, it also speaks of a dramatic move of the Spirit: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days" (Joel 2:28-29).
So often in Your Word and in our lives, Your judgment leads to conviction; conviction leads to repentance; repentance leads to mercy; and mercy leads to revival, as You "create in (us) a clean heart," "renew a (right) spirit with (us)," and "restore unto (us) the joy of Your salvation" (Psalm 51:10-12). May Your signs in the heavens lead us to seek Your Scriptures and search our hearts and lead us to our Savior. And by the power of the grace of God, may we yet repent and return to You in our hearts and in our land to experience a great breakthrough revival and awakening and outpouring of Your Spirit in the great "harvest" Your Word promises to come (Matthew 9:37-38; 13:24-30 and 36-43).
Thank You for Your covenant of revival that comes in power, as Your people see what You're revealing, hear what You're saying, and obey what You're doing. "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV). "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12 NKJV).
So come, Holy Spirit. May we hear the voice of Jesus and "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17) May You use these signs in the heavens to lead us to repentance in our hearts and revival in our land. Thank You that the Day of Atonement was eternally fulfilled on the Day of the Cross. And may the day that the sun is darkened across America be a day that America begins to repent and return to the light of the glory of the Son. "For it is the God who commanded light to 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). Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you'll be moved to pray and repent in your heart and for our land, that we may experience revival and awakening for the great harvest to come, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Join me on the journey of prayer every day!
Morning by Morning
Second Edition
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!
Morning by Morning, August 17 - The First Word of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
Good morning, Lord Jesus. In my prayers and worship, in these offerings of the first fruits of day, I draw near to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- and welcome You to draw near to me. ...
"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.... Then Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men' " (Mark 1:14-17 NKJV).
The first word of the gospel of the kingdom of God is not "Believe in Me" or "Follow Me" or "Go into all the world and make disciples of Me" or even "Go, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, pursue the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit, save souls, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, storm the gates of hell, preach with power, teach with authority, grow up into the maturity of Christlikeness, as you are being transformed and conformed into the image of the Son of God." Without question, these are all part of the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 6:7; Matthew 10:8 and 28:18-20; John 14:12 and 20:21; Luke 9:1-2; Acts 1:4-8). But all these powerful commands and worthy aspirations are not first.
The first word of the gospel of the kingdom of God is simply "Repent."
Before anything else, we must repent. We must make a choice to turn to You -- to change our mind, to have a change of heart, to trust You and entrust our lives to You, as best as we can and all by Your grace, just as we are. We must simply repent.
And it's not just a one-time choice, a one-time prayer, a one-time mark of a red-letter day on our spiritual calendar. It's choosing a lifestyle of repentance -- choosing to continue to turn our hearts over to You, every moment of every day. It's the on-going attitude of a heart of being transformed by the renewing of minds, being conformed to the image of the Son of God, being filled with Your Spirit, and being empowered to be more like You every day.
We can't do any of that in our own power. We can't even desire any of that in our own will. Apart from You, we can do nothing that would ever bring any good or lasting fruit for ourselves or for others. You have to give us the desire and the power. But You're always so ready to do just that. Our part is to make that choice and keep on making that choice. Our part is to repent.
We repent because the kingdom of God is at hand. And as we repent, the kingdom of God begins to live and grow in our heart -- for "the kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21 NKJV). "For the kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
So come, Holy Spirit. Move in my heart to repent and keep on repenting in a lifestyle of repentance -- allowing You to keep changing my mind, my heart, and my soul into who I'm created me to be. Abba Father, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done, here on earth and here in my heart, as I continue to turn and entrust my heart to You.
As Your Word proclaims and promises, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14 NKJV). Come, Lord Jesus. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'" (Revelation 22:17) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you'll daily choose to repent and embrace the kingdom of God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength -- as best as you and all by God's grace, that the King of the kingdom may advance His kingdom in you and in the world around you every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Join me on the journey of prayer every day!
Morning by Morning
Second Edition
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!
Morning by Morning August 16 - Guided by Grace in the Joy of His Presence
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You that You're with me always -- just like You said -- "Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20 NLT).
"Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to You for refuge. I said to the Lord, 'You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You.... Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.... I will bless the Lord who guides me.... I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice! My body rests in safety.... You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasure of living with You forever!" (Psalm 16:1-11 NLT)
Thank You for guiding me every day. "I will bless the Lord who guides me." I trust You to guide me in Your good ways -- in "the way of life." I trust You to know and to desire what's best for me. I trust You to nudge me when I'm tempted to step off Your path and to encourage me with every step on the right one. And I trust You to go with me, "granting me the joy of Your presence" in every moment of my day.
Even on a hard day, You have all Your little ways of reminding me You're with me, that You're watching over me, and that You're committed to me to bring me through everything I face. I'm free to be fully alive to the full range of emotions that every moment brings -- whether good or bad, joyful or painful, encouraging or discouraging -- because I know You'll not let me get stuck in any place that would forever steal my peace and my joy. You'll even turn the most painful or destructive things into good, reminding me there's no place I'll ever go where You're not right there with me through it all. "I will not be shaken, for (You are) right beside me."
"No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice!" I'm truly blessed -- like every one of those who have truly entrusted their lives to You -- to be guided by grace on my journey of faith in "the joy of Your presence!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you'll truly entrust your life to the Jesus, to be guided by grace in the joy of His presence, knowing He's with you and for you every step of the way, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Join me on the journey of prayer every day!
Morning by Morning
Second Edition
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!
Do your prayers reflect your purpose in life? I suspect they usually do. If the purpose of your life is success, your prayers will be driven by your ambition. If you just want to have fun, that purpose will certainly taint your prayer life. Is your ultimate purpose luxury or comfort? Do you live for pleasure? Is your life driven by fear or avoiding pain of any kind? Is your goal to always be at peace in yourself? That was not the purpose of our Lord.
In Matthew 12:27 Jesus said,
“Now is my heart troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Scripture could not declare that Jesus was tempted in every way we are, (Heb. 4:15) if He were spared inward disturbances. Does that mean we should never pray to be delivered from them? Not praying such prayers may never have occurred to you. But I think this is an important question to ask.
We know that Paul prayed for his thorn to be removed. (2 Cor. 12:8) Whatever Paul's thorn was, it disturbed him. He prayed three times for the Lord to take it away. Then he heard the Lord telling him that His power was made perfect in weakness.
Let me suggest some principles of God's purpose in our prayers.
First, you need to understand that God has a purpose for your life too. His ways are certainly as far above ours as the heavens are above the earth. (Isaiah 55:9) And we may need God to shake us pretty hard before we can can understand that pain may be an important part of His will, even His joy in us.
And we need to know that God will tell us what His will for us is. This may be too small of a way to look at this. God may be telling you His will for all the earth, for all of history or eternity. Such cosmic perspective is crucial to our prayers and even our comfort in difficult and painful situations.
We need to trust that God's will is good. But to see problems as good we have to see the larger picture. You have to cultivate a whole life view of happiness. You need to see your growing faith and promised hope to properly rejoice in God's grace. The life of Annie Johnson Flint was crushed by grief, sorrow, disease and physical pain. I am convinced that God used her suffering to show her glories the rest of us hardly glimpse. Among many others she wrote this hymn.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving has only begun.
Here is the chorus.
His love has no limits. His grace has no measure.
His power no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again!
Is God molding your perspective and growing your prayers? Are you praying for or against God's purpose?
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Morning by Morning, August 15 - Satisfied with Nothing Less
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my spirit with Your Spirit and my heart with Your heart, so that Your will becomes my will and Your ways become my ways -- more and more, every day. ...
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith" (Philippians 3:7-10).
I've tasted and seen much of what this world has to offer. And at times, I've tried to do good and be good at what I thought religion had to offer and required of me. But whether I was trying to please the rulers of this world or the leaders of religion, what I've come to know is that what I really want, deep down inside, is to please You. That's become my hunger and my passion. And by the power of the grace of God that stirs my heart and moves my soul, by God I'll settle for nothing less because I've come to know I'll never be satisfied with anything less.
"I want to know Christ" (v. 10). I want to "gain Christ" (v. 8). I want to "be found in Him" (v. 9). I want to be free from trying to live a life that somehow defines success as "having a righteousness of my own," based on my own abilities or hard work or self-will or self-righteousness. And I want to embrace a life where I daily humble myself to willingly choose to be desperately dependent on You alone -- hungering and thirsting for more of You, more of Your Presence, more of Your Spirit, more of Your power at work in me to change me from the inside out to be more like You every day. This is the righteousness of a right heart that I'm asking You to form in me.
So as best as I can and all by Your grace, this is the choice I choose to make today and that I pray I will make every day: "I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.... I press on toward the goal for prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (v. 12-14). To be like You, because You are work in me, from the inside out by Your Spirit within me, is my goal. And You are my Prize. May I settle for nothing less and never be satisfied with anything less. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you'll be free from the expectations and demands of the world and religion, and be free to pursue Christ by the desire and power of His Spirit at work within you, just as He is pursuing you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Join me on the journey of prayer every day!
Morning by Morning
Second Edition
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!
Morning by Morning, August 14 - "Overcome Evil with Good"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, here in my heart and here in these first moments of my morning that I offer to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
Don't curse the darkness, be a blessing of light. Stop murmuring and complaining about all that's wrong, and be a part of all that's right. Quit staring down the problems and start looking up to the One who is the answer. Let go of your longing for the good 'ole days and take hold of the hope that promises the best is yet to come, even in the midst of all that's dark and evil and wrong. "For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you! Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn!" (Isaiah 60:2-3)
So with hope in your heart and passion in your spirit, "Arise, shine; for your light has come, (for) the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!" (Isaiah 60:1) "Lift up your eyes and look around.... Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice.... and I will glorify My glorious house.... I will appoint Peace as your overseer and Righteousness as your taskmaster. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.... the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.... Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever.... I AM the Lord; in its time I will accomplish it quickly!" (Isaiah 60:1-22)
Yes, Lord. Your kingdom come; Your will be done -- here on earth, as it is in heaven; here in my heart, as it is in Your heart; here in my home and my community and my nation, as it is in Your kingdom -- the kingdom of God, where our God rules and reigns. As You encouraged us with Your promise long ago -- long before the depths of darkness and evil we see and are yet to see -- "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33 NKJV)
Yes, Lord, You have overcome. Now, by the power of Your Spirit living in me, come overcome through me today. Let Your good overcome evil; let Your light overcome darkness; let Your love overcome hatred; let Your kingdom overcome my world, starting right here in my heart. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray the light of the glory of God will arise and shine through you in your world today, as He empowers you by His Spirit to overcome evil with good and advance His kingdom through your life, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Join me on the journey of prayer every day!
Morning by Morning
Second Edition
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!
Morning by Morning, August 11 - Great and Awesome Deeds We did not Expect
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ...
"When You did awesome deeds that we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your Presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:3-4).
You love to surprise us with Your "suddenlies." You love to bewilder us with Your breakthroughs. You love to show up and show off in Your glory and grace when we need You the most. You do great and awesome deeds that we don't expect and we don't deserve just because You love us and You're for us and You want Your very best for us. No one's ever seen any God like You. There's no one like You, Lord!
Give me faith to expect the unexpected. I believe in the God of the breakthrough. I believe in my miracle-making God. So let Your Spirit fill my heart with gratitude and fill my mouth with praise, even before I see You move again, like I've seen You move so many times before.
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of (Your) glory, (You) may grant that (I) may be strengthened in (my) inner being with power through (Your) Spirit, and the Christ may dwell in (my) heart through faith, as (I am) being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that (I) may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that (I) may be filled with all the fullness of God! Now to Him who by the power at work within (me) is able to accomplish abundantly far more that all (I) can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever!" (Ephesians 3:14-21) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray the Holy Spirit stirs up in your heart great faith to expect the unexpected from our Great God who loves to do for you exceedingly, abundantly far more than you could ever ask or imagine, in His power for His glory, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
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!
Morning by Morning, August 10 - "This is My God, and I will Praise Him!"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I willingly choose to be desperately dependent upon You alone. ...
"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: 'I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name.... The Lord will reign forever and ever!" (Exodus 15:1-18)
I sing the song of Moses -- the song of victory and deliverance and salvation of my God. I join in the eternal of song of all who have seen the mighty hand of God move mightily on their behalf in their darkest hours and toughest battles, to make a way where there seemed to be no way, and to make Yourself known and show Yourself faithful in Your constant and certain presence through it all. "This is my God, and I will praise Him!"
Praising You lifts my eyes up to the hills where my strength comes from. Praising You reminds me of the One who is greater than anything I'm facing. Praising You proclaims Your victory even before the battle is fought. And praising You shifts the atmosphere of everything around me for the kingdom of heaven to break in to the kingdom of my world.
So I will praise You. I will trust You. I will worship You in spirit and truth, as I sing this song of victory and deliverance and salvation over my day, even before the battles are fought, believing in faith that in You my victories are already won. "This is my God, and I will praise Him!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you the song of victory and deliverance and salvation rising up in your spirit, as you praise our God through every battle you face, knowing your victory is won in Him, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
Morning by Morning, August 9 - God Will Make a Way
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day and every day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
"I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19).
You're the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. And while You're making a way, You call me to wait. It's in the waiting that I'm learning to trust You and allow You to make the way in Your wisdom, Your power, and Your timing. It's in the waiting that I'm learning to "trust in the (You) with all (my) heart, and lean not on (my) own understanding; in all (my) ways acknowledge (You), and (You) shall direct (my) paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to wait for You to make a way in the places where I look but can't see a way. Open the eyes of my heart to see the One who is the Way -- "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). With my eyes on You, with my heart set to wait on You, trusting in You, I'm choosing to believe You will make a way. And that way will be good and right and true, because it's made by You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you will be filled with trust and faith as you wait on God, trusting in Him with all your heart, to make a way for you in the places where there seems to be no way, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
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!
Taif is a beautiful mountain city set in the province of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This city is known as the "summer holiday" location for many Saudis due to it's temperate climate and incredible harvests of grapes, figs, dates and honey. This city is surrounded by many local and national parks, a crater and filled with beautiful gardens.
Along with its natural beauty comes a great infrastructure and technological development. It is a stop on a main highway through the region as well as home to a large Middle Eastern television network.
Prayer Points
- Romans 1:20 - Pray that the Lord would use the natural beauty of the region to help Saudis see "His eternal power and Godhead."
- During the holiday months in Saudi, pray that the visitors that come to Taif would meet local and expat believers who would share the Gospel with them clearly.
- Taif is a key city in that region. Pray that the Lord would raise up more missionaries from many countries to converge there to see His church established that it might influence the entire region.
View this video and pray for Taif! |
*** Please note that PTAP will be on break for the next two weeks. In the meantime, please continue to pray for the Arabian Peninsula. ***
Early this morning, the Lord woke me and began releasing words of encouragement for the WOMEN in His Kingdom. These are not just "Esthers" and "Deborahs," as we have heard previously, but also "Annas," those welcoming new things of the Spirit for this new season. I heard Him saying:
“There is a Spirit of GRACE upon My women today which will carry them through the next season. There is grace in the Spirit on them the way strength of the flesh rested upon Samson. These women will do mighty exploits in My Name, because they have believed.
I am calling forth the “Annas:”* prophetic intercessors whose eyes have been opened to see the new season that is upon them. (As Anna welcomed the arrival of the age of Christ.) They will prophesy of the new miracles just birthed, identifying them to a deaf and blind people who cannot see My promises in their midst.
These are the nurturers of the promise, women who cherish deeply the things of God. They will not only see these promises manifesting and identify them to others, but they will also take the promises in hand themselves and bless Me for them.”
Morning by Morning, August 8 - "I Will Look and See the Salvation of My King"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart, come lift up my spirit, come shape my thoughts, come guide my steps in the way that leads to life in You today. ...
"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you!" (2 Chronicles 20:17).
My heart is stirred with the words of a song of trust and praise You're writing on my heart this morning. ...
I will look and see
The salvation of my King
There's nothing I can do
There's nothing I can be
It doesn't rest on me
I don't have the strength
But trusting in Your power
Trusting in Your Word
Trusting in the One
Who's with me in this hour
I will have no fear
I will not retreat
I will look and see
The salvation of my King
Yes, Lord. By power of Your grace, I will look and see the salvation of my King. My position in the battles I face is not to get stronger or get smarter. It's not to be Father of the Year, Husband of the Month, Boss for the Day, or Winner of the Lottery. There's nothing I can do to win the battles I face every day of my life but turn it all over to You. You are Lord. And I am not. You're my Savior and my King; and You alone sit on the throne of my life and my world.
So I will position myself for the battle -- here in my heart, here on my knees, here in worship and remembrance and gratitude for who You are and all You've done. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I will trust in You as I entrust it all to You. Apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). And the Good News is that I'm never apart from You, that You are with me always, that You've already gone before me to fight and win my battles in the ways that have already won the victory for me in all the ways that really matter (John 15:7). So as for me, I will look and see the salvation of my King. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you are filled with hope and faith and peace, as you position yourself in your heart and on your knees to look and see the salvation of our King in every battle you face, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, some days just seem a little bit overwhelming with all the pressures and responsibilities around us. I woke up kind of feeling that way today. I'm thankful the Holy Spirit lifted my heart and my eyes to look and see the salvation of my King and embrace the love and presence of my Father today. I feel much better now as I send out my morning prayer than when I began. I praise God for the way He's ready to do that every time we turn to Him in trusting surrender. Thank you for joining with me in this daily journey of prayer, this daily journey of life. I pray you are strengthened and encouraged by the Spirit of the Lord in your life today and every day. God bless you! --Tommy
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!
In Mark 6:45 Jesus made His disciple get into the boat and sent them into the storm. Why did he do that? Why does God insist that we go through storms in life? It is a principle that storms will come into our lives. We are not likely to understand the reason for many of the storms that we face until we stand before our Lord in glory. But you can at least understand that this is the will of God for you. Every Christian ought to be aware of the series of commands beginning in 1 Thessalonians 5:16. There God says, “Be joyful always.” Rejoice all the time. To do this you need to be able to reason with God's reasoning. Joy does not come because everything is easy in your life. Real joy depends on considering the reality of God, the intervention of God in your life and His clear purpose for you. To do that you have to spend time in God's word, prayer and in the worship and the true fellowship of church.
When Jesus sent His disciples into the storm, He went up on the mountain and prayed for seven hours. Do you ever pray that long? Of course we are so much stronger than Jesus that we can get by with a couple of minutes. Do I need to tell you I am being facetious? The next command in 1 Thessalonians 5 is “Pray continually.” This is the key to thanksgiving and joy.
God's third instruction there is, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Here we are given the reason we can and should give thanks in or out of the storm. “For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” God is not surprised by your situation. He still has His loving hand on you.
God has strengthened me again and again from John 12. In verse 27 Jesus said, “Now is my heart troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. 'Father, glorify your name!’”
In Mark 6 Jesus came to His disciples in the storm. But they didn't recognize Him. “It's a ghost!” While storms are inevitable in life, Jesus will come to believers in the storm. And even though that storm may be no benefit to you, God will work powerfully through it. He will teach you more in the storm than He would in a hundred seminars. He will strengthen your faith in ways He could not do in the sunshine.
This relates to God's whole purpose in creation and redemption. When God created the earth He knew Satan would tempt and we would fall into sin. Why didn't He refrain from creating us. He also knew the extent He was willing to go to to redeem us.
When your sports team is far behind, you might say,”This is a terrible game.” But when they come back to win against amazing odds, your joy abounds! We have a friend who occasionally says, “I started out with a disadvantage.” In fact, we all begin life with moral, physical and spiritual disadvantages. In this God has set us up for His incomproble love and redemption. His grace in our lives is greater than it would have been had we never sinned. When we come to know Him, He receives us into the embrace of forgiveness. We have been adopted into His family. We become children of God! We are now set up to receive the glory only God knew from before creation.
When storms blow up on your sea, you can be sure Jesus will come bringing His rescue, your redemption and your ultimate joy!
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Morning by Morning, August 7 - Treasure the Word
"With my whole heart I seek You; do not let me stray from Your commandments. I treasure Your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against You" (Psalm 119:10-11).
Is Your word truly a treasure to me? Do I treasure Your word in my heart? Or is it some kind of obligation, some list of all the dos and don'ts of a legalist, religious life? Is Your Scripture my treasured authority to judge right from wrong, what is good and what is evil, how to live a life that honors You and delights in You? Are the words I hear in my heart, as I seek You with my whole heart, to welcome Your Spirit to guide my steps like precious jewels more valuable any treasure this world has to offer me? ... Or am I just pretending to believe You and follow You?
Come, Holy Spirit. May I truly treasure the word of God. May God's word be "spirit and life" to me (John 6:63). May it be like the kingdom of heaven to me -- "like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matthew 13:44). May it be like a precious pearl to me -- "like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that had and bought it" (Matthew 13:45-46). "For where (my) treasure is, there (my) heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).
You have blessed me as Your very child. You've called me by name and told me I'm Yours. You've given me Your written Word as the authority for my life, and every day, You speak to me Your living word to lead me and empower me to live it out in the mercy and love of Your grace. May I truly treasure what I have and never take it for granted. By the grace of the One who is the Word made Flesh, now living in me to live out Your word through me life, may I "guard the good treasure entrusted to (me), with the help of the Holy Spirit living in (me)" (2 Timothy 1:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you are stirred by the Holy Spirit to treasure God's word in your life today and every day, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
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!
Morning by Morning, August 4 - Morning Mercies
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be high and lifted up, here in my heart and throughout my day. ...
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.... The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:22-25).
There's something about the morning. No matter the troubles of a challenging day before or even the anxieties of a restless night before, there's something about the dawn of a new day. When the sun comes up, my spirit lifts up. When my heart opens up to You to wait for You in my morning prayer, when my soul seeks You to worship You in spirit and truth in the offering of my first fruits of the my morning, it seems all is well with my soul.
You use the freshness and quietness of these morning moments alone with You to simply remind me that Your mercies are "new every morning," that "great is Your faithfulness," that Your "steadfast love ... never ceases," that Your "mercies never come to an end." These are my morning mercies. And I'm so thankful for them.
No matter how hard the day before, no matter how hard today or tomorrow may be, no matter that sorrow or anxiety may have lasted for the night, Your joy and mercy and peace come with the morning in my morning mercies of God! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray all is well with your soul, no matter what you may be going through, as you begin this day revived and refreshed in the morning mercies of God, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
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!
We live in a time of extraordinary circumstances and events. We all—our culture, our nation, our world need grandparents to be actively influencing their grandchildren for Christ. We need to be intentional. It takes effort. It takes prayer. It takes you.
Our role as a grandparent in the lives of our grandchildren is unique and powerful. Our influence is incredibly important. No one else has the power or the influence that we do in the lives of the grandchildren.
Never forget that no matter who you are or what your situation is, God is in it with you. He has the power to make your efforts for His kingdom take root and bear fruit. He just needs grandparents to stay involved. Show up. Be there. Remain in the game. Or get in the fight. Then watch what God does to reach our grandchildren for Him.
As grandparents, we have the responsibility to pray for our grandchildren deliberately. Ultimately, it is up to Him to draw hearts and minds to Himself, including the hearts and minds of our grandchildren and their parents. However, we can partner with God to influence our families for Jesus Christ.
As one of the Prayer Directors for Christian Grandparenting Network, I would like to encourage you to participate in a Grandparents @ Prayer intercessory prayer group. There are many groups throughout the United States, Canada, and South Africa meeting to pray for their grandchildren intentionally. I have guidelines and resources to help you get started. Grandparents tell me repeatedly how they appreciate having a place where they feel safe requesting prayer for their grandchildren going through difficult times. You my learn more at https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/
Lillian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net
Sherry Schumann, sherry@christiangrandparenting.net
Grandparents’ Day of Prayer is an excellent time
to plan an event to gather grandparents to share with them
about starting a Grandparents@Prayer group.
Dear Lord, help my grandkids learn how to recognize
Your voice when you speak to them.
In Jesus” name.
Morning by Morning, August 2 - Standing Firm in Faith and Moving Forward in Action
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You and I need You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. So I welcome You here in my heart, here in my thoughts, here in every dimension of my life and every moment of my day. ...
"As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord.... But Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still." Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground' " (Exodus 14:10-16).
You told the Israelites to "stand firm" but also "go into the sea." Your Word says it would be "the deliverance that the Lord (would) accomplish" for them, but You told Moses to "lift up (his) staff, and stretch out (his) hand over the sea and divide it." At one level, my heart wants to ask, "Which is it, Lord? Do we stand still and see the deliverance of God or do we move forward? Do we trust You to part the waters or do we lift up our staff and stretch it out over the waters to divide it?"
And as soon as I ask the question, this answer comes to my heart: "Apart from Me, you can do nothing. But hear the good news, you are never apart from Me. I am with you always. I lead you forward, as you stand firm in Me. I part the waters, as You lift up the staff of your faith to believe Me and trust Me to move mightily on your behalf. Faith is not passive, but active. Faith is obedient to move with action as you boldly trust Me with a stillness in your soul and a steadiness in your heart."
Yes, Lord. You defeated Pharaoh and the Egyptians that day. You alone were their Deliverer. But You moved mightily on their behalf as they actively participated with You in response to Your commands with the faith You supplied -- the Israelites as they chose to go forward and Moses as he chose to lift up his staff.
The battle belongs to You. And so do all glory, honor, and praise. But at the same time, You call us to actively participate with obedience and faith. And when we do, we can look back one day by the power of Your grace and know that all that pursued us to destroy us, we will never see again. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you stand firm in faith, trusting God alone as your Deliverer, and moving forward with obedience and action in the power of His grace to see the enemy of your soul defeated, as you cross over into all the Lord has prepared for you, 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 Tonight, August 2nd, in San Antonio at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus, pastored by Max Lucado at 7pm. All are welcome! Please come join us in the South Room Worship Center. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
A small community of local believers is facing a strong challenge as they watch a member fall away. Pray for restoration, strength, and unity, and that His bride will emerge victorious for His glory in this situation.
Praise the Lord for restoration of a believer who was mentioned in a previous request. The believer has renewed faith in the Lord and is once again walking in fellowship. Please pray for continued strength and for freedom from the issue that caused the falling away.
A young woman agreed to read the book of John. After reading, she asserted that Jesus is not the Son of God, explaining, as is a common notion, that the book has been changed. She has, however, agreed to receive the entire Book. Please pray that as she reads further she will encounter Jesus and believe that He is who He says He is.
Morning by Morning, August 1 - God's Words in My Mouth
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Lord of my life and every moment of my day. ...
"Listen to Me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord.... I have put My words in your mouth, and hidden you in the shadow of My hand" (Isaiah 51:1-16).
Before I step out into my day, I first want to come away with You in the intimacy of worship and the communion of prayer to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. Give me a heart that pursues You first, above all else. Remind me to seek first the kingdom of God and Your righteousness. Then everything else, then all that I need and all You've place in my heart to desire will be added unto me (Matthew 6:33).
As I seek You, I'm also aligning my heart with Yours. As I behold You, You're changing my thought and my desires, my character and my nature, my perceptions and my attitude -- making me more like You, "transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
And as You put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, You're also putting Your words in my mouth, as You hold me in the shadow of Your hand (Isaiah 51:16). Then You send me out into my world to speak Your words of spirit and life and truth.
So with all my heart, I want my words to be Your words -- purified in Your fire and sanctified by Your Spirit, to speak life and not death, to speak blessings and not curses (James 3:9-10). You have high standards and high expectations for every word that comes out of my mouth. As You said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.... I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:33). And as Your Word confirms: "The words of the mouth are deep waters.... From the fruit of the mouth one's stomach is satisfied; the yield of the lips brings satisfaction. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:4-21).
By the power of Your grace, may I be a faithful servant and good steward of all the power of my words You've entrusted to me as a child of God and disciple of Christ. "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. The Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever!" (1 Peter 4:10-11) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray the Holy Spirit stirs you with a passion to pursue God and His righteousness, as our Father holds you in the shadow of His hands and fills your mouth with His words to speak His spirit and life and truth into your world today, 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 tomorrow night, August 2nd, in San Antonio at Oak Hills Church, Crownridge Campus, pastored by Max Lucado at 7pm. All are welcome! Please come join us in the South Room Worship Center. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
