365 Days of Praise

If You’re Disturbed

10/01/2024

Have you been disturbed by some of the changes and trends in our nation and world? Does it seem like it’s not even the same place where you grew up? It’s interesting, but it’s almost like our Heavenly Father and Jesus are readying us. Readying us for what? To go home to where we are citizens above our citizenship on earth.

Our nation is beginning to become foreign to us because heaven is our home. Heaven is where truth abounds, love is premiere, and relationships are characterized by godliness. Sound good? If so, keep that in mind as you go through your day. Make it a priority to build your life and family on Jesus. Hold tightly to Christ and loosely to things of the earth. Be assured when things of this earth crumble and fail, Christ will stand the test of eternity as Isaiah 28:16 states: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.”

Rest assured that if you’ve been disturbed by what’s happening in our world, it is because heaven is your home and you’re one step closer to being there. That warrants a hallelujah from me. How about you?

Lord Jesus Christ, once again we’re reminded of the joy and privilege of calling You our God. You are foundational to all we believe, a pure and holy TESTED STONE. We praise and worship You!

In the midst of cultural chaos, we can find rest and comfort in God’s grace and peace. To learn more, grab a copy of Debbie’s Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. You can access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE

 

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How’s Your Heart Toward “That” Person?

09/30/2024

Have you ever known a hard-hearted person? In other words, no matter how hard you tried, they shut you out. If you did anything wrong, they were relentless and unforgiving. Not so with our Lord. Although He has every reason to be hard-hearted toward us, He instead pursues and forgives us. What a tender-hearted Lord we have!

This is important – in Ephesians 4:32 He commands us to be like Him – kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving each other. If there’s someone you’re hard-hearted toward, this would be a good time to “forgive, as God in Christ has forgiven us.

Lord, we praise You for being TENDER-HEARTED toward us. Thank You for Your mercy! Thank You for Your grace!  Help us faithfully follow You and forgive others as You have forgiven us. 

Have you ever struggled to find the right words to pray? In those times, it can help to pray God’s Word. Click HERE to discover prayers for discernment, discouragement, knowing God’s way, and forgiveness.

 

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What Does It Mean to Be A Temple of God?

09/29/2024

John 2:19-21 records a question the Jews asked Jesus as well as Christ’s response. Their question? “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” The “things” Jesus had done included driving sheep and oxen out of the temple, pouring out the money changers’ coins, overturning their tables, ordering them, “Stop making My Father’s house a place of business,” and then as recorded in Matthew 21:13 chiding them, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a robbers’ den.” In other words, Jesus acted like He owned “the house – the temple.” He called for others to account for their behavior regarding His temple, His house.

Jesus’ comment in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” was not understood. The people thought Jesus was talking about the stone temple. Instead, He was talking about His body, the temple of God living among men. As Jesus foretold, He did raise His body three days after they destroyed it. Miraculous!

There are two points God is driving home to me regarding Jesus’ actions and words in relation to His temple. First, the stone temple from which Jesus drove out the money changers was not divine because of the rocks but because of God’s presence – it being a place of prayer. The stone temple no longer exists nor is Jesus tabernacling among us. Rather, since Christ’s resurrection, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 explains that God tabernacles among us through His indwelling Holy Spirit in each believer. Every Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit. A temple of prayer. A temple housing the glory of God. What does that mean for us? First, it makes me incredibly mindful that Jesus drove from the temple the things that were not supposed to be there. It means Jesus wants to purify us of anything that hinders God’s glory shining forth in us.

The second point is that since we are temples of the Holy Spirit and God’s temple is a place of prayer, then we are to be not only in a constant state of being purified, but also mindfully praying, seeking the will and heart of Christ, interceding for others, and listening for as well as obeying God’s voice. What a blessing!

What glory for us to be partakers of the divine nature and to be God’s temples! Are you mindful of the blessing? Are you sensitive to what Christ is driving out of you? Are you becoming increasingly prayerful? That is your blessing.

Lord Jesus, You are the divine TEMPLE of the Most High. You have appointed us as temples in whom You dwell through the Holy Spirit, tabernacling among our families, friends, neighbors, and world. Increase our awareness of Your presence and the glorious position You have given us. Drive out anything that keeps Your glory from shining and from prayer flowing between us.

Debbie talked about Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple in her teaching on John 2. Listen to her teaching on the subject HERE.

 

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How Are You When It Comes to Stinky Feet?

09/28/2024

Have you ever thought, really thought, about Jesus washing His disciples’ stinky feet? Have you seriously applied His words in John 13:14 to yourself? “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Lord and Teacher – meditate on Jesus putting those two titles for Himself in one command. The Lord is on His knees washing dirty feet. Messy. Time-consuming. Dirty. Unpleasant. Didn’t He have better things to do? Yet, His act demonstrated more than the simple act of washing feet. Jesus was teaching us the importance of humility toward one another. He was teaching us about servanthood and, yes, even forgiveness.

Our Lord and Teacher physically illustrated what He would do spiritually through His substitutionary death on the cross. It would be messy (a bloody mess). He would wash our filth and sins from our inner man. As His disciples, He instructs us to go and do as He did. Take the time to humbly forgive, to humbly serve one person at a time. And hopefully, prayerfully, it will gain us an opportunity to share with the person why we are doing it, and in whose Name we are serving.

Jesus, Lord and TEACHER, thank You for washing and cleansing us of our sins. Make us increasingly mindful of following Your example. 

Our key verse today is John 13:14. Watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 13 HERE or listen to it HERE.

 

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I Need Jesus

09/27/2024

I need Jesus. Why? Eternally, Jesus is the only sinless sacrifice acceptable to God on my behalf and the One through whom I’ll be raised to eternal life in heaven. On a daily basis, I need Jesus to forgive me, cleanse me, and strengthen me to walk through my day by His Spirit. I need Jesus to guide me and prompt me if I start to veer off course.

How does Hebrews 4:15-16 describe Jesus? “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Can I hear a hallelujah, friend? Imagine what it would be like if you were accountable to a heavenly being who didn’t sympathize with your weaknesses? But our merciful, mighty Savior does. We can say, “I sinned. I failed. I rebelled against You and Your ways. I’ve been wrong.” When we come to Jesus in honest confession and repentance, Jesus doesn’t make us feel worse and withhold forgiveness. Does that mean we should blow off our sin? No, we should think about how, when, where, and why we fell for temptation and were deceived. We should learn from it. With every misstep, we have a God-step opportunity to learn and grow. With bowed heads and hearts, we confess our sins to our sympathetic High Priest, accept His mercy, and take seriously His words, “Go and sin no more.”

Jesus loves you and doesn’t want you wallowing in your sin. If you’ve been avoiding one-on-one time with Jesus, your High Priest, because you feel so bad about your sin, go to Him. He loves you and is waiting.

Lord Jesus, perfect, SYMPATHETIC HIGH PRIEST, we love You and thank You that we can draw near to Your throne of grace and find mercy to help in our time of need. 

If you enjoyed this content and want to watch video teachings by Debbie, consider subscribing to her YouTube channel. Go HERE and click the subscribe button to be notified of new teachings.

 

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Do You Ever Feel Fragile or Like You Might Pop?

09/26/2024

Do you ever feel fragile or like you might “pop” because of the daily pressure you are under? David knew what it was like to feel that way and found God to be the sustainer of his soul. Listen to his words in Psalm 54:4. “God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”

What does it mean for God to be the sustainer of our soul? It means that God revives our minds and emotions when we sit in His presence, meditate on His truths, and absorb encouragement from His Word. God, the Holy Spirit, refreshes and sustains us so we can carry on rather than break or pop. What story do you have of how God has been your sustainer?

Lord God, we praise You, SUSTAINER of our souls. Thank You for the many times and ways You sustain us. We love and praise You!

Do you commute to work and want to listen to some encouraging teachings by Debbie while you drive? Let her podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify help you set your mind on Christ before you start your day!

 

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Do You Wish You Had More Support?

09/25/2024

Do you ever wish you had more support at work? Perhaps you wish you had support parenting your children. Or, you may wish you had a supportive spouse or friend. I remember a night long ago when I realized that God was my support. I was in a position where no one could help me. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t. It was that I had to go through something by myself. I was lonely and didn’t know what to do. It was just God and me. During that time I found that I wasn’t without help. God was with me. He was my support. As 2 Samuel 22:19  says, “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.”

If you’re looking for support today and don’t have it, it can be lonely. In some cases, terrifying. In reality, though, you do have support. You may be at a time in your life like I was – where God is allowing you to get to a new place with Him, a deeper place, a more real relationship. Jesus is not causing your loneliness, rather He is there for you in it. Remember, if anybody knows what it’s like to go through something alone, He does. If anyone knows what it is to be misunderstood, it’s Him. When you pray you’re talking to a friend who loves you and can appreciate what you’re going through. I guess that’s why Jesus went away by Himself to pray early in the mornings – to get His thoughts straightened out while talking to His Father.

If you’ve been blessed with a father or someone you’ve been able to talk things over with, then you know how helpful it can be to talk things out. That’s the same relationship you can have with your Heavenly Father. Just start talking like you would to a trusted person. Now here’s the key we often overlook. Have your Bible and a notepad and pen close by. When Jesus brings thoughts or a verse to your mind, jot them down. Think deeply about the verse. Act on what He brings to mind. Be assured that if David found the Lord to be supportive, you can find Him to be supportive, too.

Lord, thank You for being our SUPPORT. When no one else is there, or even if they are, You are the ultimate support we need. 

Would you like to grow in your faith? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you. In addition to our books and Bible studies, we offer several free Christian resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

 

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Praise to God, Our Supplier

09/24/2024

Do you ever feel empty or drained? What about anxious or uptight? Does mad or angry better describe you? Or sad and melancholy? Whatever our condition, whatever our need, we have a supplier. Short on perseverance? Ready to give up or cave in? Feel like you’re going to blow a fuse? Don’t know how you’ll ever smile again? Those are temporary feelings that we can have at times, but if we’re a Christian, we have hope.

God offers to supply all our needs. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t hold on tightly to feelings of anger or discouragement. Rather, open your heart and hand. Take hold of what you need through God’s supply of glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the SUPPLIER of all we need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus!

Would you like an organized and convenient way to record your praises and prayer requests? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal HERE.

 

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Praise to the Sunrise From On High

09/23/2024

Have you ever been tongue-tied; you couldn’t say what you wanted to say? The godly priest, Zacharias, had such an experience, except he was literally unable to speak. It hadn’t always been that way. He had led a remarkably righteous life. Then, one day, when he was performing his priestly service, he was chosen to burn incense in the temple. As the people prayed, he alone entered the temple. That’s when things changed. The angel, Gabriel, appeared to Zacharias and fear gripped him. The angel spoke wonderful news. His wife, who had not been able to get pregnant, was going to conceive and bear a son. They were to name him John. Most importantly, their child would be the forerunner to the long-awaited Messiah. Shocked at both the news that they were going to have a baby and that their child would hold such an esteemed position, Zacharias asked, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). Gabriel told Zacharias that since he didn’t believe him, he wouldn’t be able to speak until John was born.

How’s that for a sign? Imagine what it would be like to have a marvelous encounter with an angel, to watch your beloved wife grow with child, and not be able to speak. Finally, when John was born, Zacharias’ tongue was loosed. Words of praise poured from his heart and soul. He became filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. In his prophecy, he spoke these words: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).

Let’s sit for a moment and meditate on Zacharias’ words, on the reality of Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and comes to earth to deliver messages, of tongues tied and loosed, of Jesus visiting us….to shine upon we who are in darkness, to guide us into the way of peace. “Holy, holy, holy” is all I can say right now. What are you thinking?

Lord Jesus, SUNRISE FROM ON HIGH, we smile in joy and praise of You, who came from heaven’s glory to visit us on earth. We praise You for the light You shine on us and for guiding us to the way of peace. We can’t wait to worship You in heaven! 

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Remember This On Dreary Days

09/22/2024

Dreary days. Gray skies. They can make us feel gloomy. The death of loved ones, separation, or estrangement from family or friends weighs heavily on our hearts. What can we focus on in those times? Malachi 4:2 tells us. “But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” What does that mean? Theologian Charles Spurgeon explains: “Jesus, like the sun, is the center and soul of all things, the fullness of all good, the lamp that lights us, the fire that warms us, the magnet that guides and controls us; he is the source and fountain of all life, beauty, fruitfulness, and strength.”* 

Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness because, on the most dreary of days when we are gloomy and despairing, we can ask Him to fill us with His Spirit and shine in our hearts and minds. Call on Him now to rise in your heart and mind in the full strength of His glory.

We praise You, SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and look to You to enlighten us.

Praise is a powerful weapon we can use to turn around feelings of hopelessness or discouragement. Download this free printable of the attributes of Jesus from the book of John. As you read through them, praise God for each one!

*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1020.htm

 

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