365 Days of Praise

Who’s your president?

Who’s your king?

If a foreigner asked us who our king is, we might reply that in the US we have a president; not a king. But, is that totally true? If we’re a believer, we have a king. Our King is victorious over Satan. Our King purchased us with Christ’s blood. Our King transferred us from Satan’s domain to His glorious Kingdom. Our King sealed us with His HOLY Spirit. Our King’s laws are eternal and good.

Day in and day out, how mindful are we that we have a King? How are we showing respect for our KING and His authority in our lives?

Our KING, forgive us when we ignore You and Your authority. Help us be mindful of You as we go about our day in Your kingdom.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the KING of KINGS and Lord of lords”

1 Timothy 6:15

The apostle Paul was given a glimpse of heaven. It was with tremendous conviction that he therefore dedicated his life to serving God. Were we to have the same glimpse, perhaps our lives and lips would flow in unwavering praise as Paul’s,

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the KING OF KINGS and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen,” 1 Timothy 6:15-16.

Do we believe God is the KING OF KINGS who dwells in unapproachable light? If so, may our words flow in praise.

You are the KING OF KINGS and Lords of lords; We praise you, blessed, Sovereign KING!

Enjoy 3 places from which to choose to journal your praise to God for who He is in Prayers of My Heart:  1) Month at A Glance, 2) Week at A Glance, or 3) Meditations, Notes, and Prayers. Writing the names of God seals them more firmly in your mind. You can also go back and thumb through the pages of your journal and reflect on who the Lord is. I know you’ll enjoy journaling in Prayers of My Heart. I’m so happy to share it with you!  Your preorder will help spread the news, so thank you for getting a journal for yourself or as a gift!

“‘Where is He who has been born KING of the JEWS ?

For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’”

Matthew 2:2

If the only way you could save your child was to let him kill you, would you? The LORD Jesus loved mankind that much.  What is your response to Christ’s sacrificial love; because we will either love or hate Him.

The wise men worshipped Jesus. The Jews and Romans whipped Jesus.

The wise men gave Jesus gifts. The Jews and Romans gave Jesus lashes.

The wise men celebrated Jesus’s birth. The Jews and Romans celebrated Jesus’s death.

Not all kings are recognized as kings. Such was the case with the Lord Jesus  when He walked on earth. Such is still the case with those who refuse to acknowledge His Lordship. But one day, all people will bow before the KING OF THE JEWS.

Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS and our King, we worship You. Reign in our lives.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what’s in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender of love for him.

The eyes tell us what fills the heart. And, so we wonder — what fills Jesus’ eyes? What if you were in His presence and He looked deeply into your eyes. What if you couldn’t take your eyes away from His. What would you see in His eyes for you? You’d see kindness; kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. Kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.

As the Apostle Paul asks in Romans 2:4, do we think lightly of His kindness and tolerance and patience toward us? In other words, are we going about our day hardly looking Christ’s way? When He convicts us of our sin, do we look in Jesus’ eyes and sincerely apologize to Him and perhaps the person we’ve wronged? Or, are we like a child who is caught doing something wrong and maybe at best, we mutter, “sorry.”

“Look in Jesus’ eyes,” we’re reminded. “Do we think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads us to repentance?”

So, we pause now to look into Jesus’ eyes and respond accordingly.

Dear Savior, You are so KIND and loving and patient. Forgive us for sinning against You when we sin against one another.  May we look deeply in Your eyes and then turn and reflect Your kindness to others. 

Record your prayers in Prayers of My Heart. Click to ORDER. 

“The Lord is your keeper…
 The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.”

Psalm 121:5-7

I need a keeper. Someone to watch out for me and over me. Why? Because sometimes I don’t know the right path to take. Sometimes I start to let my emotions run around like a cat let out of a bag. I need a keeper with a capital K. And, you know what? I have One and so do you if you’re a Christian.

Isn’t it nice, no…more like wonderful, to think on the fact that we have a Keeper? And, our Heavenly Keeper isn’t dozing on a puffy cloud. Psalm 121:3-4 says, “He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel (and we’re grafted into Israel) will neither slumber or sleep.” In other words, our Soul Keeper is alert and watching out for us; guarding, preserving, and protecting us.  So, of all the people in the world to whom you could entrust your soul, who more wonderful than our Heavenly Father?

And, here’s something to think about. Isaiah wrote, “It is You who have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”* Isn’t that a marvelous visual? God casts all our sins behind Him and keeps our souls from the pit of nothingness.  I’m jumping up and down in my spirit over that one. The more time we spend with Him learning His ways, the more filled we are; guarded and protected from the pit of nothingness.

Will we ever have bad things happen? Yes, because we live in a sinful world. But we aren’t destined today or for eternity to a pit of nothingness.  And, even on our worst day, we have no idea what evil our Father has kept from us.  So, today and every day, we can have gratitude to our Heaven Father for keeping our souls.

Heavenly Father, Soul Keeper, we praise You for protecting us from eternal evil and the pit of nothingness. Thank You, Lord. 

*Isaiah 38:17

“I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

God is just. But, in addition, He is the justifier. What does His revelation of Himself to us explain? That God declares us righteous when we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord.

If we’re not already lifting our hands in praise of God; that He is both just and justifier, now is a good time to praise Him. “I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name” (Psalm 63:4).

We praise you, God, both just and JUSTIFIER!

I hope you’re getting a copy of Prayers of My Heart so you can join me in daily recording a character trait or name of God each day. It increases our mindfulness when we not only read the way in which God reveals Himself, but we also write it.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne…”

Psalm 89:14

Do you ever feel like you’re getting a bad rap, that things aren’t fair? Have you wondered why someone gets away with “wrong doings” with no apparent consequences? Often, our questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder. But then we must quickly remember the truth. No one “gets away” with anything before God. He sees our sin and knows our thoughts. Most importantly, God is JUST. He seeks justice. Justice is the foundation of His throne. He weighs hearts and motives. He forgives the repentant sinner. He deals with the unrepentant one. Lay your vengeance at His feet. He will rule justly because that is His nature – to be JUST.

Lord, we praise you. You are JUST!

Countdown to the release of Prayers of My Heart. Am I excited? Yes! Why? I encourage people to write God’s attribute every day in their journal. Writing it seals it more firmly in our minds. In addition, you can use God’s attributes as the springboard for your prayers for yourself and others.  If you’re not one to journal, then you’ll enjoy meditating on the encouraging verses on prayers. Click HERE and take your prayer life a step further.

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;“

Psalm 16:11

This attribute is important, don’t you agree? We’re thrilled that God is our instructor. We sigh relief that He is forgiving. But we long for JOY, some lightheartedness along the way. We need, or want, to feel the exhilaration of a lifted spirit. But in our dark world, in our daily struggles, where is that illusive joy to be found? The answer: in God’s presence. Maybe we’ve been looking for the hand of joy in the wrong places – in money, the right job, health. And those things certainly help. Yet the message is that even in the midst of chaos and turmoil, when things are NOT going right, God’s right hand is still there. We can kneel. We can kiss it. We can rest our weary head on it. We can listen to His voice. And in HIS PRESENCE, all alone, we can find a moment of solitude and know everything will be alright. And we can feel a trickle of joy deep within our hearts; an indication of the fullness of joy to come.

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!