Happy New Year!

Do you wish you could twitch your nose or snap your fingers and presto, what you long for would appear this year? The fact is, those techniques may work in movies, but not real life. However, God does work wonders. Sometimes those wonders take time. Other times, moments. Regardless of the timing, our Heavenly Father is the One on whom we are to set our hearts if we’re in need of wonder-working power.  Moses is but one of many who needed a miracle and God stepped in. Listen to his words of praise in  Exodus 15:11. “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” If we’re in need of wonder-working power, we can go to God, be still in His presence, ask Him for help, and listen to what He quietly impresses on our hearts. Have your Bible, pen, and journal with you so you can turn to a Bible verse He directs you to look up and so you can write down what He prompts you to do.  Imagine a year of God’s wonder working power in your life. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s real and it’s available for the person who seeks Christ and desires to glorify Him with their life. 

As you look at the past year are your thoughts, “It’s been great!” Or, are your thoughts more along the lines of, “It’s been a rough or bad year”? Perhaps the “rough” or “bad” is related to the pandemic, finances, work, marriage, children, parents, or friendships. It may be related to your frustration with yourself, that you continue to struggle with sin. Whatever the case, something that God wants us to be mindful of is that He was there for us in the past and He’s not going anywhere. He’s staying by our side. As Romans 3:26 reminds us, He is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”  It’s important for us to have an increasingly grateful heart for who God is and for His presence in our lives. It’s important for us, but it’s also important because of how we affect other people.  For instance, who would you rather be around? A negative, cup is always half empty, grumbling person or a grateful person who is mindful of the blessings they have in Christ? Psalm 63:4 says, “I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” Would you join me in making this year one in which we are intentional about living out Psalm 63:4?  If you have  Prayers of My Heart Journal, a great place to daily lift your hands in praise of God is in the Month at a Glance section. That’s where I daily write three+ praises to God.  A second place to continue your praise is in the first column of the Week at a Glance section. That’s where I will record today’s character trait of God, “Justifier.” While I am writing it in my journal, I will lift up my heart and soul to Him and thank Him for justifying me in Christ Jesus. Yes, we can kick start our day with or without intentionally directing our spirit to bless the Lord and “lift up our hands in His name.” What will it be for us this year? Order Prayers of My Heart today for a donation of any amount. JOIN the POMH Gathering on Facebook for additional encouragement. Love you and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Debbie

We praise you, Lord, for being both just and our justifier. We are so grateful!

Last year, innocent people were killed. Covide struck suddenly. You made it through one storm and another hit. Are you ready for a new year?  If so, may I recommend how Psalm 61:3 describes God.  “You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.” A tower is a high place where we can look at life from God’s perspective, where we pray, pour out our heart to God, intercede for others, and quietly listen for His counsel. If we want to experience God’s best next year, we can. Our Father is a tower of strength and refuge to whom we can go.  Start the New Year strong…with your face set like flint toward heaven…with your pen in your hand ready to write words of praise to your Father, intercessions for your family, church, nation, friends, and yes, yourself.  The Bible is a journal of God’s interactions with man, of peoples struggles and God’s faithful interventions and merciful hand. Prayers of My Heart is a journal of God’s interactions with you, of your struggles and God’s faithful interventions and merciful hand. I encourage you to get a journal for a donation of any amount. Take a glance at the benefits of journaling here.

Jesus, tower of strength and refuge, we praise You. When we don’t know how we can get through the next minute, You help us get through the next year. You are our strength and help. Thank You for all the ways You guarded and guided us this past year. We look to this coming year with joy and hope because of You.  

Do you know what often rises to the top of people’s New Year resolutions? You may have guessed it: eating healthier. Why is it such a challenge for us to put healthy food instead of unhealthy food in our mouths? How do people successfully make the switch to good habits? They have a plan along with their resolution. What other resolutions do we often make? To read the Bible every day. To pray more. Why are these good resolutions? Because as food is healthy for our bodies, reading the Bible and praying is healthy for our souls. Psalm 34:1 says, ”I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” If you get stuck on what to praise God for, check out Beyond Ourselves, a free devotional you can receive every day that features a different trait of God for which you can praise Him. Resolve to not only put healthy food in your mouth but to also put healthy praise in your mouth…a resolution with a plan.

Record your daily praise in Prayers of My Heart. On sale now!

Sin. It’s here. Our sin or another person’s sin is a part of life. Perhaps one of the most glaring sins is selfishness. We want what we want. We want it when we want it. Things or people who stand in our way frustrate us. But what if sin didn’t exist? What if we were free of sin?  The good news is – that day awaits us.  Because of Christ, our Savior and VICTOR over death, we will one day be sin-free as 1 Corinthians 15:57 reminds us. “…thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We will one day experience the magnitude of what our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ achieved through the virgin birth and cross. In the meantime, let’s remember to give thanks to God for daily victory over sin through the Spirit’s empowerment and for eternal victory over sin through Christ. Today, let’s raise our voices in praise of Christ, who has won the VICTORY over sin.  

LORD, We praise You for being VICTORIOUS over sin and death. We worship You. 

Friends, please consider a year end donation of any amount to help us continue to spread the Word and Love of Jesus in 2021. Your gift is tax deductible and deeply appreciated.

“He’s coming with a sleigh and reindeer.” That’s what some parents tell their children about Santa, and oh, the kids get so excited in anticipation of his arrival. But, hey, believers! The real gift giver from above is flying into our universe and He isn’t accompanied by reindeer. Rather, our Lord Jesus is accompanied by a host from heaven who are coming to earth!  Revelation 19:16 says that “on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'” This is no fairy tale. This is a fact. It’s incredible to think about it. It’s beyond exciting and each of us who calls on the name of Christ for salvation should be looking toward the sky with jubilant hope because He is coming. As Old Testament believers looked forward to the day the Messiah would come, believers look forward to the day Jesus will return in glory. How magnificent that will be! Are you ready?

Christ Jesus, LORD OF LORDS, we bow in worship and praise. We. Can’t. Wait! 

Do you remember the account when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac? I’ll never forget when the words jumped off the pages of the Bible. Abraham said to Isaac as they walked to the place where he was to sacrifice Isaac, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.” (Genesis 22:8) Think about those words.

God will provide the lamb for the sacrifice. 

And, He did. A ram appeared in the bushes and Abraham sacrificed the lamb in Isaac’s place. And, so God does that for us.  He provided the Lamb – Jesus – innocent, holy, undefiled – to be the sacrifice for us.

God provided for Himself the sacrifice. 

God provided for Himself what no human could provide – a worthy sacrifice; heaven’s Lamb. Years later, the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth was first made to shepherds. The shepherds left their flock to find and worship Jesus, the LAMB of God. ‘Behold, the LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sin of the world!‘” John 1:28-29

Jesus, LAMB OF GOD, thank You for giving Your precious life as a sacrifice for our sins. Father, thank You for sacrificing Your Son to save us from our sins. We adore and worship You!