365 Days of Praise

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Do you feel hopeless? Perhaps the last ray of hope to which you’ve clung just went out the window. Things may look black. Your future may appear bleak. Dark clouds may seem to hover over you no matter where you go or what you do. But the good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to have hope. Why? Because the God of hope resides within you through the Holy Spirit. It’s not a question of if you have hope. You do. The question is, are you allowing the God of hope to fill you with His joy and peace?

You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a matter of switching gears. Rather than attempting to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, try believing that God is on the throne. He’s sovereign. He sees you. He loves you. He has your best interest at heart. In faith, pray, “God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

God of HOPE, I praise You for giving me the Holy Spirit so I can abound in hope by His power. 

Would you like to learn more about how the God of Hope can fill you with joy and peace through the divine power of His Holy Spirit? Check out Debbie’s Bible study on 2 Peter, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature. This study will help you understand how to live by God’s divine nature even when life feels heavy. Click HERE to learn more and purchase your copy. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE. 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, He prepared His disciples for His departure; comforting them that the Holy Spirit would come to them. Can you imagine their confusion? Their frame of reference for the Holy Spirit was the Holy Spirit anointing individuals for divine work. The names Elijah and Elisha certainly came to mind. But them? “Dazed and confused” might have described the disciples as they listened to Jesus tell them about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would be their Helper. God the Father would send Him in Christ’s name. The Holy Spirit would teach them “all things” and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus said to them. Holy. Spirit. Isn’t that what God knows each of us needs? So, He sent Him, a who, not a what, to live in us. Are we treating the heavenly presence who abides in us as a welcomed, Holy guest?

I praise You, God the HOLY SPIRIT, sent in Christ’s name, to be with me forever. 

Want to deepen your understanding of the Holy Spirit? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit. This study will help you understand the Holy Spirit’s role in the Christian life and respond to His leading and presence. Click HERE to listen. 

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him….And one called out to another and said ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled…” (Isaiah 6:1-4a).

I don’t think there’s any way we can get our minds around what the holiness of the Lord is like. I don’t think we have the slightest idea of what the glory of heaven is like. Those who glimpsed the Lord and heaven were dramatically changed. Their response? They gave their lives wholeheartedly to God and served Him unreservedly. Isaiah’s reaction? “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips—And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). All Isaiah could think in response to seeing the Lord was that he was unclean.

Were it not for Jesus bearing our sins on the cross, we couldn’t live eternally in the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord’s presence; which is why we praise Him today and every day!

I praise You, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Lord!

In a world where truth is often blurred, we’re called to live holy lives and stand firm in our faith. Debbie’s study, Contend Earnestly for the Faith: Jude Bible Study, will help you recognize deception, pursue holiness, and stand for the truth. Click HERE to learn more and order your copy. 

Do you ever wonder what in the world is going to happen? 

Wars and rumors of war seem to increase in spite of temporary peace agreements between nations. Hostility, not peace, is an ever-present undercurrent in spite of who is sitting in power. 

In the book of Daniel, he records God’s vision to him of future events. There will be a war and God’s saints, believers, will be overpowered until the One who is more powerful than any other, the Highest One, steps in.

He writes, “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom” (Daniel 7:21-22).

In the midst of Daniel’s prophetic vision of end times, one fact is clear. God is the Highest One and believers, who are referred to as “saints” belong to Him and His kingdom. 

Do you feel as I do—honored to be on the Highest One’s side? And not only to be on His side, but also identified as His saint: forgiven, cleansed of sin, and gifted with His Spirit? 

When you hear discouraging news or someone comments, “I wonder what in the world is going to happen,” assure them. The Lord, the Highest One, will prevail.” In the meantime, look to Him, pray to Him. Live for Him. 

Lord, there is none like You. You are the exalted HIGHEST ONE. I worship and praise You and am honored to be called Your saint. 

Happy Mother’s Day! Today we celebrate all the moms who selflessly love and care for others, while also remembering those who are grieving the loss of a mother or carrying the unfulfilled longing to be a mom. We pray your day is filled with love, blessings, and the peace and presence of God.

If you’re looking for encouragement or a meaningful gift for someone you love, From My Heart Poems of Faith offers heartfelt poems, prayers, and reflections that point you back to the love and truth of God, the Highest One.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be accountable to a high priest who didn’t sympathize with our weaknesses? How haughty would that high priest be? How unrelenting might he be? Yet, that is not our Lord. Yes, He is a high priest. The highest of highs. Yet, He is merciful and sympathetic. We can approach Him and say, “I messed up! I sinned! I failed…again.” And, the remarkable thing is, He offers mercy. He extends grace. He admonishes us, “Go and sin no more.” Why? Because He loves us and doesn’t want us bound in sin. 

If we’ve been avoiding Jesus because of our sin, today is the day to turn and draw near to our High Priest, and be encouraged by the words found in Hebrews 4:15-16.

“We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

I praise You, Lord, that although You are high and lifted up, you sympathize with my weaknesses. Thank You, Jesus, my HIGH PRIEST!

If you enjoyed this content and want to watch video teachings by Debbie, consider subscribing to her YouTube channel. Go HERE and click the subscribe button to be notified of new teachings.

Things aren’t always what they seem. And just because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross we might have concluded, “Jesus failed.” However, what appeared to be Jesus’ lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really, “Jesus accomplished His mission and is now at the right hand of God having died for our sins and opened the way to salvation and eternal life.” 

Isaiah 52:13 prophesied that God’s plan and Jesus would be successful. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” The Isaiah passage prophesied Jesus would be a suffering servant, lifted up on the cross for our sins. 

Hebrews 12:2 gives us the rest of the story. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is high and lifted up, this time not in shame, but high and lifted up to a place of glory at the right hand of God. 

What is Jesus doing in this place of exaltation? Among many things, interceding for us as Hebrews 7:25 states. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” 

Jesus, high and lifted up on the cross, paid our sin debt. Jesus, high and lifted up to the right hand of God is interceding for us. 

Jesus, HIGH AND LIFTED UP, greatly exalted, I thank You and worship You. 

NOTE to Moms (or anyone who has a mom or loves a mom) as we approach Mother’s Day: Hey Mom, we can sometimes (or often) feel like a failure. God knows how many times we fail and cry out to Him for forgiveness, strength, “overs,” wisdom, protection for our children, and that they will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. If you can relate, I encourage you to get my book, The Plan A Mom in a Plan B World. (A different book from The Plan A WOMAN in a Plan B World.) I had mom friends of all ages/stages share personal stories that will encourage you and provide practical/spiritual tips. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for mom groups as well. Grab a copy HERE!

PS: Looking for a fun way to help your children or grandchildren learn God’s Word? Visit my Kidz Time page for videos and printable activities designed to make learning Scripture meaningful, engaging, and fun for kids. You can also check out Kidz Time 1: Bible Verses A to Z and Kidz Time 2: Praising God A to Z in my shop and download and print the free Kidz Time 1 Memory Verse Cards.

King David was deceived. He thought his sin of adultery and murder was hidden; no one would find out about it. But sin isn’t a kind bedfellow. Psalm 32:3-4 records how it affected David. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” Notice that David said, “Your hand.” He knew God knew and God’s hand was heavy on him.

But what happened when David acknowledged his sin and confessed it to the Lord? We find the answer in Psalm 32:5. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.’” 

What advice does David give us in Psalm 32:6? “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found.” David discovered that instead of attempting to hide his sin and himself from God, it was better to make God his hiding place. “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). 

There may be times when we, like David, think we can hide our sin from God. But the truth is, we can’t. He sees us and even knows our thoughts. Yet even while we are in our sin, He invites us to a place of forgiveness—Himself. Today we can choose to stop trying to hide our sin. We can turn to God and humbly confess and repent of our sins. 

Lord, how sweet to know You as my HIDING PLACE who preserves me from trouble and surrounds me with songs of deliverance. Thank You. I praise You. 

On this National Day of Prayer, let’s remember that we don’t need to hide our sin from God. We can go in prayer to the One who already sees us, loves us, and offers forgiveness and grace. Take a few quiet moments today to pray, reflect, and rest in Him as your Hiding Place. And if you’d like encouragement and practical resources to help you grow your prayer life, visit the Grow Your Prayer Life page for tools to help you pray with purpose and draw closer to God.

“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. My friend needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help that is needed when we’re at our wit’s end and we don’t know how much more we can take. And so, God wants us to know that He is our help. Psalm 46:1 assures us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 

Could you use some help from God today? Perhaps you need wisdom about a decision. James 1:5 says ask God for it. He is your help.

Could you use something “good” in your life? If so, James 1:17 reminds us that every “good” thing is from above. God is your help.

Are you anxious and long for peace? God is your help. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that you can pray and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. 

You may be in a situation where you are despairing. Psalm 43:5 tells us once again that God is our help. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” 

Yes, God is our help. Unlike my friend who had to wait for me to arrive in order to help her, we can experience the Lord’s present help, no matter our situation, if we would only call on Him. 

Lord, I praise You, my present HELP and lifter of my countenance.

Would you like to experience more grace and peace? Check out Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.

Have you ever been the recipient of an inheritance? Perhaps a parent or grandparent died and left you money. Perhaps a loved one is still alive but has told you that you are the heir to their estate; or perhaps a joint heir with a sibling.

Genesis 15:2 is the first time in the Bible that heirship is mentioned. Abram responded to God’s promise of a great reward by asking what good it would do since he was childless and had no heir with whom to leave God’s reward. God assured Abram that he would have an heir and descendants; great in number as the stars in the sky. 

In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable about vine-growers who wanted to kill the heir to a vineyard; foretelling His death (Luke 20:9-16).

Hebrews 1:1-2 builds on Jesus’ words. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” 

Jesus is the heir of all God the Father has. What’s amazing is that God appointed believers to be fellow heirs with Christ. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17). 

Does it make your heart soar to think of being a fellow heir with Christ? Imagine what it will be like when you’re in heaven and in astonishment gaze at heaven – your inheritance. 

Lord, I praise You, HEIR OF ALL THINGS. Thank You for making it possible for me to be in heaven through Your great sacrifice on the cross.  I can only imagine the glory I will behold when I see You and Your majesty.

Do you ever wonder if we’re in the end times? Would you like to learn more about the signs of the end times? Grab a copy of End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE. Access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

How would you describe your earthly father? Was he “perfect”? Did you know him or was he an absentee dad? Was he loyal or disloyal? On this side of heaven, there are no perfect fathers. But we have a Heavenly Father who is…um…heavenly. He’s perfect. What a blessing it is to know that He is here for us. He loves us. He is available 24/7. He wants us to come to Him with our needs. 

Not only that, our Heavenly Father has shown us in His Son, Jesus, how we are to live as His adopted children. We have the opportunity and responsibility to pattern our lives after Him. 

How do we do that? We watch how Jesus related to people. We consider our thoughts and actions in light of His teachings. We confess our shortcomings and ask Him to conform us to His way of thinking and acting.

Your Heavenly Father loves you and has His eye on you. Call to Him in your need. Wait silently for Him to speak to you and direct you. Follow how He guides you. 

Lord, thank You for being my HEAVENLY FATHER. Thank You for loving me and adopting me into Your family. I love and worship You. 

Stay connected with Debbie beyond the blog! Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Pinterest.