365 Days of Praise

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. 

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Do you have children or have you ever babysat? Think for a moment about a time when a child cried for you. Maybe they were in their crib. Or perhaps you heard a thud, then the cry of a toddler who had fallen. What happened at the moment they cried out? Their voice “came into your ears.” 

I love the way that just as a child’s cry “comes into our ears,” the psalmist, David, worded that our cries “come into God’s ears.” 

Second Samuel 22:7 says, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God, and from His temple, He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.” 

Yes, just as we can hear a child’s cry even if we’re in another part of the house, so God hears our cry from His temple. Our cries to God reach His ears. Our Heavenly Father is a hearing God, not a deaf God. What will you cry out to Him about today? 

Loving Father who HEARS me, thank You for listening to and answering my cries. I love You.

As we approach the National Day of Prayer on May 7, take time to grow in your faith and draw near to the God Who Hears through prayer. Discover the many resources on our website that can help you. In addition to our books and Bible studies, we offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

On February 28, 2002, God healed my mother. Bernice Ruth Taylor went to be with the Lord. No longer did she suffer from the physical ailments that had ravaged her body. She was ready to be with Jesus. She took off her oxygen mask, smiled at us, and after we verbalized our love for one another, she closed her eyes. 

However, none of us were prepared for the next moment. Mama’s eyes flew open and she startled us with, “boo!” I’ll never know how long she’d planned that dramatic moment or if it was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Regardless, she made her point. She wasn’t scared. She was, in fact, excited. Her attitude reflected Jeremiah 17:14, which says, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” 

My mother knew Jesus was her healer and that she was on her way to Him for her complete, ultimate healing. With that, she closed her eyes a final time on earth and opened them in heaven…fully healed. How can we not praise Him? Jesus is our hope and our healer. On this, we need to focus in these difficult days. 

Lord God, You are my HEALER. I praise You! 

Jesus demonstrates His healing power in John 5 when He told a man who had been ill for 38 years to pick up his pallet, walk, and sin no more. Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 5 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

I recently heard a television anchor report on a well-known religious leader whose viewpoint on a moral issue was contrary to the Bible. She then invited viewers to weigh in. “Let us know what you think. You can share your thoughts on social media if you agree or disagree.” As she continued with the next story, my mind lingered on her words. Does she not know that our opinion or even religious leaders’ opinions are not what matters, but rather Jesus’ stance? 

In Ephesians 1:22, Paul clearly states, “And He [our Heavenly Father] put all things in subjection under His [Jesus’] feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.” 

We have seen in Scripture how Jesus is head of man, head of the church, head over all rule and authority. Paul now with a broad sweep of his pen summarizes that Jesus is head over all things. 

It concerns me when churches and denominations vote their opinion rather than stand with Biblical teachings. Does it concern you, too? 

Lord Jesus, HEAD OVER ALL THINGS, I confess our nation is drifting from You. Yet, some churches are also drifting from You and following cultural trends. Raise up strong, committed Christians who speak truth as recorded in Your Word and submit to You.

As we approach the National Day of Prayer on May 7th, let’s turn from opinions to prayer, seeking Jesus, who is Head Over All Things. Will you pray for our nation and our churches to stand on His truth?

If you want help praying more purposefully, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion is a helpful resource. You can also watch Debbie’s teaching on YouTube HERE and download the free listening and note-taking guides HERE.

Do you worry about where our nation is headed? Although evil may temporarily prevail, the Bible tells us the end of the story, and it’s a good ending. God prevails. Colossians 2:10 tells us Christ is not only the head of a believer and head over the church, He is head over all rule and authority. “…in Him [Christ] you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” Isn’t that exciting? 

One day every knee will bow before Him. Examples of people humbling themselves before the Lord who is the head over all rule and authority are found throughout the Bible. Just such a case is King Nebuchadnezzar, who prided himself in his power. Read his testimony after God humbled him. 

“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34). 

Jesus is head over all rule and authority. Do you acknowledge Him as such and therefore have an uplifted countenance knowing the end of the Bible? Is there someone you can encourage with the reminder that in spite of the moral decline and turning away from God, that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord? 

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY! Use me to speak of my confidence in You and Your reign. 

Do you know someone who could use some daily encouragement in their inbox? Tell them about the 365 Days of Praise e-devotional! They can subscribe by filling out the pop-up form on our homepage or by going HERE.

The updated edition of the 365 Days of Praise Devotional is also available in print. You can order your copy HERE. 

Have you ever worked hard for what you thought was for Christ but you experienced little joy? As a matter of fact, you felt agitated as you worked? If and when that happens, it helps to step back and consider if what we’re doing is an assignment from Christ and if we’re doing it in His power. Or, are we doing something we decided was a good idea and we’re pushing through in our own strength. 

Why is this important? Just as Christ is the head of every man (1 Corinthians 11:3), He is also Head of the church, His body, which He metaphorically describes in 1 Corinthians 12 as some members being the eye and some the feet. 

Writing to the church in Colossians 1:18, Paul states Christ is “head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” 

When we do the work Christ assigns us it may be challenging and difficult, but we will also experience Christ’s joy (Matthew 25:23). How joyful are you in your service to the Lord?

Lord Jesus, I praise You, HEAD OF THE CHURCH and life of the body of believers. May my words and actions be an extension of Your will, strength, and power. 

Would you like to better be able to discern the voice of the Lord to ensure that you’re walking in His will? Listen to Debbie’s teaching, “How to Discern the Voice of God,” on Spotify or YouTube.

Are you careful to read the words of the Bible in the context of the verse and chapter? Why is that important? If we take words out of context, the message can come across much differently than intended.

An example is in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where the apostle Paul tells believers to imitate him. If we stop short of the rest of the verse, Paul might come across as arrogant. However, Paul goes on to say, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am imitating Christ.”

Why should we imitate Christ? Paul answers that question in verse 3, explaining, “I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man.”

Speaking metaphorically, Paul says Christ is our “head.” As a body without a head is dead, so we are dead apart from Christ. He is our life. Another important emphasis of Christ being our head is that just as a head sits at the top of our body, over our body, Christ as our head is over us; supreme, master, Lord.

If we want to be a faithful imitator of Christ, our Head, we must learn and submit to Him and His ways. We must pray and follow His lead. Can we say as Paul, that we are imitators of Christ, our Head? If not, let’s begin today.

Lord Jesus, HEAD OF EVERY MAN, convict me where I need to submit to Your headship. Fill me with Your Spirit so I bring glory to You.

If you want to become more intentional about following Christ as your Head and imitating Him in your daily life, 365 Days of Praise and Prayers of My Heart can help you stay focused on His Word, listen to His voice, and respond to His leading.

Did you know that God distinguishes between when we unintentionally sin and when we intentionally sin? Yes, He notices. In Leviticus 4:1-3 the Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.”

In these verses we see several important points. First, the Lord has spoken regarding sin. Sin, intentional or unintentional, is doing what the Lord has commanded us not to do. Second, the person who sins is guilty before the Lord. Third, the penalty for a guilty sentence is death. Fourth, in God’s mercy, rather than the death sentence being carried out on the sinner, a bull took the guilty person’s sentence of death. This Old Testament sacrificial system pointed toward the day in which Christ would die on the cross as a once for all guilt offering for our sin. 

Isaiah 53:10 explains God’s love which is beyond our comprehension. “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him [Jesus], putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering…” The “if He would” was answered when Christ laid down His life so that we might be sin-free, guilt-free. What a wonderful Lord. 

Heavenly Father and Jesus, I praise You for paying my sin debt by Jesus becoming a GUILT OFFERING in my place. Your love is beyond my comprehension. 

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Have you ever felt uncertain about what to do? I have. Probably one of the most challenging times was when I was 29 years old and received a letter from M.D. Anderson saying I had stage 1a ovarian cancer. The oncologist I was seeing agreed that it would be wise for me to get a second opinion. When I did, I was told I did not have cancer. In spite of the second opinion, my oncologist’s advice was to follow M.D. Anderson’s diagnosis and have a hysterectomy.

We had one child, but wanted more. If we followed M.D. Anderson’s advice, I’d immediately have a hysterectomy. My husband and I didn’t know what to do. We turned to the Lord.

Isaiah 42:16 says, “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them.” God is our guide to eternal life, but He’s also our guide for daily life.

When we pray, which is what Keith and I did along with many family and friends who prayed for us, God guided us and we felt peace about what to do. Instead of immediately having a hysterectomy, we were blessed by being able to quickly conceive and have our daughter, Lauren; then followed up with the hysterectomy. 

Difficult, stressful, tearful times occur, but in each and every one of those times, we can be assured we are not alone. Our Heavenly, triune God—the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit—is present to guide us. Look to Him. Follow His will. 

Thank You, Lord, for being our ever-present GUIDE. I love You and thank You for caring for me and for guiding me. 

God cares about you and what’s going on in your life. Would you like to learn more about giving your worries over to Him? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 5 HERE or listen to it HERE.