365 Days of Praise

Have you ever thought of God as being a Life Preserver? Psalm 116:6 describes Him that way. “The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.” The word “preserve” in this verse means to save a life. No doubt Jesus fits the description. He rescues those who are drowning in sin when they call on Him for salvation.

We understand the need for someone to save us from raging waters. Do we understand the need for Jesus to save us from raging sin? We understand the need to be saved from physical death. Do we understand the need to be saved from spiritual death?

Jesus, You are the only One who can rescue us from sin and PRESERVE our soul for eternity. We call to You. 

Do you have a friend or family member you would like to introduce to Jesus? Share this link with them: “Meet Jesus…Experience His Grace.”

It’s messy. It’s hands-on. It’s a commitment. It’s time-consuming. It’s up close and personal. What is messy, hands-on, time-consuming, and up close and personal? Being a potter, which is how God is described in Isaiah 64:8. “O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You are our Potter, And all of us are the work of Your hand.”

If you feel like your life is spinning out of control, remember that you’re in the divine Potter’s hands. He’s not going to let you fly off His Potter’s wheel. Rather, just the opposite. He’s molding and shaping you into a vessel of honor and glory. Rest in the assurance of His divine hands. 

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You are our POTTER. Thank You for shaping us into a divine vessel.

Would you like an organized way to record what God is speaking to you? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal to write down what God places on your heart.

Does a holy fear ever rise in you? What kind of holy fear? The good kind. A reverential fear. An overwhelming acknowledgment of God’s greatness and our smallness. Utter awe at the thought of standing in God’s majestic presence. Tear-filled sorrow for those who don’t know Jesus. Trembling for those who defy God and set themselves against Him.

One day every person will give an account of their lives to God, who Genesis 14:19 describes as “…God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.” Christ tells us that those who deny God will spend eternity apart from Him.

If we’re in a relationship of saving faith with Jesus, what are we doing to make sure others know Him? May holy fear cause us to think more of others than ourselves, to speak to the unsaved about Jesus, and pray for them.

Heavenly Father, POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, how comforting to know that because of Jesus we will live eternally in Your presence. Stir our hearts to share the good news with those walking in darkness.

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Do you ever feel like you can’t please anyone? Or at least, you can’t please someone you want to please? Maybe it’s a co-worker, spouse, parent, child, or friend. You do your best, but it seems they’re never satisfied.

Trying to please people who are never pleased can cause us to feel defeated and drained. Unless we keep in mind that we can’t please everybody, and we focus on pleasing the most important person – our Heavenly Father. Jesus models doing that even when others were disappointed in Him. For instance, the disciples were no doubt shockingly disappointed when Jesus didn’t resist being crucified. Martha and Mary were disappointed when Jesus delayed coming to their sick brother’s side. John 8:29 explains Jesus’s position. “He (the Father) who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” No, we can’t always please others. But we can follow Christ’s example of pleasing our Heavenly Father.

Following are some of the ways Jesus pleased the Father. Which are you already doing? Which do you want to begin doing?

• Jesus used Scripture to stand against Satan’s temptations. We can do that.
• Jesus shared His Father’s kingdom principles, how to be forgiven, and how to be saved. We can do that.
• Jesus was sensitive to others and reached out to them. We can do that.
• Jesus looked up in prayer and thanked His Father for hearing Him. We can do that.
• Jesus prayed before He made decisions. We can do that.
• Jesus followed His Father’s leading rather than doing things on His own initiative. We can do that.

Heavenly Father, as Jesus was PLEASING to You, help us please You. 

Looking for some more resources to deepen your relationship with God? Click HERE to check out the books and Bible studies written by Debbie. You can also access free online Bible studies by clicking HERE. 

Do you ever get perturbed when someone tells you, “Chin up! Everything will get better.” I get it. People may be well-intentioned, but the fact is, things may not get better. We may not be able to keep our marriage together. Our child may have special needs for the rest of their life. Our job may be tough. A person may refuse to forgive us. That’s why 2 Thessalonians 3:16 tells us to find our peace in Jesus, the Lord of peace.

“Now may the Lord of Peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Is it easy? No. But, it’s real. I experienced it when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I experienced it when my parents were dying. In John 14:27, Jesus describes His peace as “out of this world.” In other words, it comes from heaven into our hearts so we can go through our day with inner peace. Changing the position of our chin doesn’t change anything. Opening our hearts to the Prince of Peace changes everything. 

Thank You, PRINCE OF PEACE, that You supersede circumstances. Fill us with Your peace that is not of this world.

Would you like more grace and peace in your life? Peace with God? Peace with others? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 1 HERE or listen to it HERE.

Life is filled with joy, but also pain. Sometimes the most painful questions we ask are why didn’t God heal a loved one or friend. If you’ve had those questions, you’re not alone. We don’t know the answer to many questions. In times of pain, when we don’t understand and we don’t have answers, we look in faith to Jesus. He allowed Himself to die so we’d have visible evidence of not only His love but also eternal healing. 

Jesus knew there would be challenging questions on this side of heaven. He said to those listening to His teachings in Luke 4:23, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!'” But instead of preventing His death, He died a painful death with no pain killers and with no one holding His hand. He died to pay for our sins, and by His resurrection, gives proof of ultimate eternal healing. For that, we are grateful beyond words and continue to look in trust to our loving Savior and Great Physician. 

Jesus, eternal PHYSICIAN, thank You for rising from the dead so we can see the ultimate healing You give to all who place their faith in You. 

If you’re struggling with disappointment or unmet expectations, find encouragement in Debbie’s book, The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World. 

Are you concerned for a family member or friend who refuses to trust Jesus for salvation? Are you worried they’ll die apart from Christ? If we’re concerned for the unsaved, it’s for good reason. This world isn’t all there is. There is life beyond the clouds that we can’t see just as there is life below the oceans we can’t see. Yes, all people are alive after they pass through this life – either in Christ’s presence or apart from Him for eternity.  Jesus implores us to take the way to heaven – through Him. So, what do we do if an unsaved friend or family member refuses to turn to Christ? We align ourselves with the Lord, who we’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 is “not slow about His promise, but is patient…, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God is patient. Keep praying. Keep looking for opportunities to speak the truth in love.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being PATIENT. Help us be like you – patient and prayerful.

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Has anyone ever given their life so that you could live? Countless stories were told of that happening when first responders rushed into the Twin Towers to save lives on 9/11. But what about you? Has anyone ever heroically, intentionally jumped in front of a car to save your life or pulled you to safety from flood waters only to be swept away?  If they have, no doubt you cherish them for what they did for you. Perhaps you have honored their memory in some way.

In 1 Corinthians 5:7, in Paul’s letter to the believers in Corinth, he reminds them that they should be living in a Christ honoring way since Christ gave His life so they could live. Paul’s words hold true for us, too. He writes, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover also has been sacrificed.”

Christ. Our. Passover. Christ being the Passover is a reference to the Passover lamb that was slain as a sacrifice for sin. Paul is rebuking the believers because rather than being a Christ honoring church, they allow immorality. Rather than mourn over sin, they permit it. Paul is spinning their heads (and maybe ours) back in the right direction.

• Someone has died because of our sin and immorality: Jesus. How can we think accepting what He died for is okay?
• “Clean the sin from your life,” Paul urges.
• Demonstrate our love, honor, and respect for Christ, our Passover Lamb, by living righteously for Him.

Paul isn’t the only one who urges believers to stop tolerating sin. In Revelation 2:20 Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality…” Are we individually or as a body of believers tolerating the sin for which Christ died? If so, we must repent. We must learn what it means to live by His divine nature rather than our old sinful nature. We must begin today knowing that the time of His reappearing is near.

Christ, our PASSOVER, forgive us when we live for what You died for – our sin.

Want to learn more about living by Christ’s divine nature? Get Debbie’s Bible study on 2 Peter, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

Are you familiar with Jesus’ teaching, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” Matthew 7:7? Ask means to call for, to request of someone. Jesus teaches us to request of the Father what we need. But Jesus not only teaches us to ask God for desired needs, but He also asks God for things. In John 14:16, Jesus told His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), that He may be with you forever…”  Who is the Paraclete?  He’s the Holy Spirit (Helper) who is with us forever.

Studying the Greek definition of the word “Helper, Paraclete,” ummm – helps.  Consider the following definition of Paraclete:*

• Someone summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid.
• One who pleads another’s cause before a judge, counsel for defense, an advocate.
• Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after His ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.

It’s staggering when we think of the magnitude of God’s provisions for us. Our Heavenly Father not only took it upon Himself to send His Son to save us but also sent the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be an abiding divine presence within us. We never walk alone.

Heavenly Father, Son, and PARACLETE, the blessing of Your Presence is something we will only fully realize when we are in Heaven. Thank You, Lord!

Want to learn more about the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, and how to discern His voice? Listen HERE.

*https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3875&t=NASB