365 Days of Praise
Praise to Our UPRIGHT Lord
“Let my teaching drop as rain…A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and UPRIGHT is He.”
120 years. That’s how old Moses was when he commissioned Joshua to take his place. Moses’s words, ever so eloquent, are recorded in Deuteronomy 32. I’d love for you to read them. In verses 2-3, Moses poured forth, “Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, … For I proclaim the name of the Lord.” Moses continues, “UPRIGHT is He.”
Why did Moses say that God is upright? He wanted us to know that God is believable. He is just, true, and His word is just and true.*
As we go about our lives in a world that is often far from being upright and where people speak words that are untrue, let these refreshing words wash over you – God and His Word are just and true!
UPRIGHT LORD GOD, we praise You that You and Your Word are just and true. All praise and glory belong to You!
*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3477&t=NASB
www.debbietaylorwilliams.com.
Praise to Our UPHOLDER
“For I am the Lord your God, who UPHOLDS your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”
I’ve had the blessing of holding our newborn children and grandchildren. Holding them was no problem. They weren’t heavy. As a matter of fact, it was a delight to hold them. I could intently gaze on their faces. I could pray for them. The more I held them, the deeper my love grew. Wouldn’t it have been silly if our little ones had argued, “Don’t hold me. I’m too heavy.” Or, what if they had said, “I don’t want to bother you. You don’t need to hold me.” In light of that, consider our Heavenly Father’s words, “I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will UPHOLD you with My righteous right hand,” Isaiah 41:10. In the Bible, God’s right hand symbolizes His strength. His right hand is the strong hand of righteousness. We can relax in His hands. We can become increasingly aware of His deep love for us. In case you feel like you’re faltering, be assured – your UPHOLDER has you. Don’t be afraid.
LORD, Thank You for UPHOLDING us with Your righteous right hand. Thank You for the depth of Your love for us. Thank You that we don’t have to be afraid.
*Copyright Debbie Taylor Williams, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. This is the book that began my collection of God’s 365 names, titles, and attributes. It features chapters that give an in-depth description of 26 of His A-Z names, and includes lined space for you to record your prayers, repentance, and praise. Also included are discussion questions for group or personal study. I pray it blesses and deepens your prayer life.
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Praise to Our UNSEARCHABLE Lord
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is UNSEARCHABLE.”
One of the exciting aspects about the day in which we live is that the Bible is being recognized as a reliable historical and scientific source. Things at which earlier civilizations scoffed, we nod our heads in agreement, “The Bible was right about that. The earth is round, not flat.” (Is 40:22) However, the psalmist addresses an important fact. Although we may “know” God and acknowledge that He is great, the reality is, God is UNSEARCHABLE. We’ll never know or understand everything about Him. Our praise of Him today is just the beginning of an eternity of our praise.
Lord, You are UNSEARCHABLE. We praise and worship You.
Praise to our UNEQUALED Lord
“‘To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?’ says the Holy One.”
In Isaiah 40, God proclaims His greatness.
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (vs 21-22)
God makes it clear that no one is equal to Him. He calls us to lift up our eyes and see the heavens He created and holds in place. What does this mean for us? It means we are not alone. It means that nothing is too difficult for Him. It means God deserves our time and worship.
Lord, You are UNEQUALED. There is no one deserving of praise, honor, and worship like You.
Praise to Our UNDERSTANDING Lord
“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.”
Do you have a problem? Are you confronted with a challenge? Guess what! You have a Helper. That’s what Jesus calls the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 and again in verse 26. A Helper who is always with us. I think that if the LORD established the heavens by UNDERSTANDING, which in the Hebrew language means “intelligence, skill, and insight;” then He’s an incredible source for us to go to with our problems and challenges. Think of the intelligence, skill, and insight He can give when we call on Him for help.
LORD, we praise You that You are a God of UNDERSTANDING and that we can come to You for help.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H8394&t=NASB
Praise to the UNDEFILED Christ
“For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, UNDEFILED, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;”
This is one of my favorite of Christ’s attributes. Why? For the reason it gives. Christ is able to save us not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Our stubborn sinfulness doesn’t throw Him. Our sin doesn’t cripple His saving power. We have an innocent UNDEFILED Savior who has gained our salvation on the basis of His righteousness. I’ll take that any day of the year. How about you? With a grateful heart to our Lord, I’m singing His praises.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus – there’s something about that name. Holy, innocent, UNDEFILED, able to make intercession for us. We love and praise You!
Praise to God for His UNCHANGING LOVE
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity…
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in UNCHANGING LOVE.”
Have you ever wanted someone to change? Maybe the person was a little rough around the edges, grumpy, or a complainer. “If only they would change!” we might sigh. But One whom we do not want to change is God. Why? He pardons our iniquity. He doesn’t stay angry. He delights in UNCHANGING LOVE for us. What a joyful thing for us to contemplate. Does it make you smile? It does me.
Lord, we praise You for Your UNCHANGING LOVE! What a blessing You are.
Praise to Jesus, the Truth
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me'” (John 14:6).
Perhaps John 14:6 is a familiar Scripture to you. But is it to everyone? No. Many are seeking to know truth. They’re looking for it everywhere. Yet, Jesus claims to be the embodiment of truth. He states, “I am the truth.” In a world that is filled with deceit, isn’t it a blessing that the One to whom we’re entrusting our lives is the truth? With whom do we need to share the good news?
Lord Jesus, we praise You, the TRUTH and the way to the Father!
Praise to Our TRUSTWORTHY Lord
“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are TRUSTWORTHY and true.’”
Today, trust is at an all time low. Lying appears to be culturally acceptable. But, it’s not acceptable to God. One of His Ten Commandments is, “Do not lie.” The Lord God Almighty is not a liar. What He says is trustworthy and true. If at any time we should believe God and follow what He says is morally and spiritually correct, it is now. If you’ve been hurt by an untrustworthy person, don’t let that keep you from trusting God. He has an eternal track record of being TRUSTWORTHY. Take His hand. Side with Him, not the changing culture.
Lord, we praise You for being TRUSTWORTHY!
Praise to the TRUE VINE
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”
Some time ago I noticed a vine growing in my flower bed and wasn’t quite sure what it was. I didn’t know if it was a weed I needed to remove or a vine to keep. I had to make a decision. Uproot it or keep it and let it grow? Many today are making the wrong decision about Christ. They don’t recognize Him as the TRUE VINE. Rather than keeping Him and His words planted in their hearts, they’re allowing vines of humanism and false teachings to grow. What can Christians do in response? We can bear the fruit of Christ in our lives. We can let others see who He is. We can pray that people will open their eyes and recognize the TRUE VINE. When we display Christ’s fruit in our lives, the false is more easily distinguished.
Lord Jesus, We praise You, the TRUE VINE! Help us discard anything in our lives that hinders the fruit of Your presence in us. Help others see You and turn to You.