365 Days of Praise
Praise the FIRSTBORN of All Creation
“He is the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN of all creation.”
When we think about Jesus’s birth, we must go back…way back, further back than our minds can imagine.
Jesus was Mary’s firstborn Son, but before His birth to Mary, Jesus was the FIRSTBORN of GOD, the FIRSTBORN of ALL CREATION.
May we have the wonder of a child as we set up nativities in our home. May we have the wonder of a child as we consider Christ in the hay; that He would do that for us.
…and let us worship and adore Him.
FIRSTBORN SON, LORD JESUS CHRIST, we honor and worship You. Thank YOU, glorious Lord, gift from heaven.
Praise the ETERNAL KING
“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for ETERNAL LIFE. Now to the King ETERNAL, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Do you feel the passion in Paul’s words? He says that he is the chief of sinners and that God’s patience with him demonstrates that God can be patient with anyone.
The ETERNAL KING is not only patient, He is also giving. He gives ETERNAL LIFE to anyone who calls on Him.
What greater love could there be? Jesus, our ETERNAL King is patient toward us; not wishing that any perish, but that all come to salvation.
ETERNAL Lord Jesus, ETERNAL KING, we praise and worship You. You are the focus of our admiration, love, and gratitude this season and every season.
Praise Jesus, the DOOR
“I am the DOOR; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’”
Escape! “Escape from what? Escape from whom?” we might ask Jesus. He’s come down from heaven to save mankind. Save us from what? We feel safe. We feel fine. Don’t we? Is there something our Heavenly Father and Son can see that we can’t see? Yes.
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost,” Jesus said on another occassion. There’s that word again – saved – that word Jesus keeps using. And, He keeps saying He’s the way of escape. Go through Him. He’s the DOOR. The door to what? The door to heaven.
There was once another door. The door on the ark. There was once another warning. But people didn’t listen until it was too late. And the door was shut.
Today, if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. There is something to be saved from – hell. There is something to be saved for – heaven. The door is open right now. But it, like the door on the ark, will one day be shut. Don’t be on the outside.
Christmas isn’t about Santa Claus. It’s about Jesus coming to earth to save us.
Lord Jesus, You are the DOOR of heaven through which we can enter and be saved. We praise, worship, and glorify You!
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Praise CHRIST, the Son of God
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He *said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the CHRIST, the Son of the living God.’”
Maybe they were walking and talking. Maybe they were resting under a tree or sharing a meal. And Jesus asks, “Who do people say I am?”
Then, He asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Isn’t that always the ultimate question? It’s not who other people say Jesus is. It’s who you say He is. It’s who I say He is.
We will each stand before our Heavenly Father one day and give an account for our lives. So, today, right now, who do you say Jesus is?
Lord, You are the CHRIST, the Son of the Living God. We worship, adore, and praise You.
Please share, forward, or like our FOCUS on JESUS leading up to Christmas. Help others prepare their hearts for Christmas. Help others focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Praise the BELOVED SON
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN from the Father, full of grace and truth,”
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; …and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my BELOVED SON, in whom I am well-pleased.”
I remember the moment our son, Taylor, was born. No words adequately describe giving birth…to your firstborn, to your beloved child. Miracle. Joy. Love. Gratefulness. He had my heart from the moment he was conceived. Jesus, our Heavenly Father’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, had His Daddy’s heart from the moment Mary conceived Him by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, God’s BELOVED SON.
The incarnation of Jesus, God the Son being born and fleshed out to live and die among us, is the greatest of all mysteries and wonders. And, we’re the recipients of God’s grace.
That the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON would come to earth and live and die for you and me is beyond comprehension.
Heavenly Father, thank You for sharing Your Only Begotten Beloved Son with us so that we might become Your adopted children. We adore, worship, and praise You, Jesus, Only Begotten of the Father, His Beloved Son.
Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas Daily Devotional Readings, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com.
Praise Jesus, the APPOINTED SON
“For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, APPOINTS A SON, made perfect forever.”
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Praise the Lord, Who REWARDS Us
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a REWARDER of those who seek Him.”
Do you ever think about pleasing God? Did you know it’s possible to please God? Hebrews 11:5 states that Enoch was “pleasing to God.” I can’t think of a more admirable thing to be said about someone than they please God. And, when we live by faith in Him, it pleases God and He rewards us.
How does God reward us? I don’t know all the ways, but I do that when I’m anxious or afraid and I bow before Him and thumb through my journal where I’ve listed all His attributes, my faith is increased. “He is able. He is almighty. Nothing is impossible to Him,” I read. As I call on Him in faith to help me or I intercede for my family and friends, I believe that He is who the Bible reveals God to be. No, I don’t know what all rewards the verse is talking about. But, the reward of His peace, the reward of relationships being miraculously restored, the reward of Him quickening my thoughts is reward enough.
The reward? For me, it’s His presence. His wonderful, guiding presence.
What a blessed relationship we have with our Heavenly Father.
Lord, REWARDER OF THOSE WHO SEEK YOU, You amaze us as we meditate on who You are and the relationship You invite us to enjoy with You. Help us please You more each day as we exercise our faith in You.
Praise to the Lord who PRESERVES the Simple
“The LORD PRESERVES the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.,”
Have you ever thought of God in terms of being your Life Preserver? The Hebrew word, “preserve,” means keep, guard, protect, saves life. A preserver is “someone who keeps safe from harm or danger.”** No doubt, our Lord fits the description. He is the ONE we can praise for being the PRESERVER of our soul!
Lord, we praise You, the Only One to whom we can look to PRESERVE our life, our soul!
The Spirit Is A PLEDGE of Our Inheritance
“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God; who gave to us the Spirit as a PLEDGE.”
2 Corinthians 5:5
God’s eternal purpose is for us to live with Him in glory. We won’t see the fulness of His glory until we close our eyes on earth and open them in heaven. But in the meantime, we have God’s Spirit with us, in us, as a pledge that we are His; that our inheritance awaits us.
Today, we may be gathering with family or friends. Or, we may be alone, heartbroken, or struggling. Even if we can’t think of one other thing for which to be thankful, we can think on this: God gave us HIS SPIRIT as a PLEDGE. Everything on earth will one day be gone. God’s Spirit, given to you, is eternal and of more value than anything or any person. If you are a believer, there is reason to be thankful. Abundant reason.
Lord God, thank You for giving us the Spirit as a PLEDGE. Help us think on how incredible the gift of Your Spirit is and let those thoughts fill us with joy.
Would you like to know more about the Spirit, God’s PLEDGE to you? My Listen UP! DVD is filled with 31 Points about the Holy Spirit every Christian should know. Listen in the car, watch in the privacy of your home or with a group. God’s gift of His Spirit is a PLEDGE and so much more.
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Praise to the HONORED CHRIST
How much honor do we have for Jesus? Here’s a test to help us answer that question.
Do we ever use Jesus’s name in vain?
Does Jesus ever prompt us to do something and we ignore Him?
Do we ever read Jesus’s teachings and we close our Bible and go on living like we want rather than according to His commands?
How often do we prayerfully invite Jesus into our decisions?
HONOR surrounds Christ’s throne. He is honored by His Father. Are we in the circle of those who honor Him?
Lord Jesus, You are HONORED in heaven and by Our Father. We pray our lives show that we honor You.