365 Days of Praise

“Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

 Revelation 5:5

Are you ever familiar with a description of Jesus and read it quickly without much thought? If so, I suggest that you pause and read the description in the context of the chapter. When we do, we open our hearts for the Lord to stir and convict us. Such is the case with the Lion of Judah. Christ, who came from the noblest of Israel’s tribes, and is the only one found to open the book and seals, is also the lamb slain for my sins. Is it any wonder that those surrounding Him are bowed in worship and adoration?  

Lord Jesus, Lamb of God and LION OF JUDAH, I praise You for Your sacrifice on my behalf. I praise You, worthy One! 

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“‘It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.’”  

 Isaiah 38:17

There are some descriptions of God that “wow” us. This is one of them. “Nothingness.” I don’t know anyone who wants “nothingness” to describe them or their lives. Within us is a yearning to be significant. But without God, we circle in a pit of nothingness carrying the burden of our sins on our back. Then, one day, we look UP. We respond to the outstretched hand of Jesus. He takes our sins on His back, where He was scourged for our transgressions. We recognize that in His death, we were made clean. “Nothingness” no longer describes us. We are children of the King and destined for His throne room!  

Lord, KEEPER OF MY SOUL, I praise You for casting all my sins behind Your back and for keeping me from the pit of nothingness! 

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” 

Hebrews 13:8

Have you ever been with a person whose convictions changed as often as the seasons? Perhaps they followed one person’s teachings, then changed and followed another person who held a totally different view. One of the things about which we can be confident is that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In other words, we can depend on Him. He and His teaching are immutable – unchanging over time. What He calls holy today is holy tomorrow. What He calls sin today is sin tomorrow. And the grace He extends today is there for us tomorrow. What a wonderful, immutable God we serve!

Lord Jesus, I praise You, IMMUTABLE Lord God!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“He (Christ) is also 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.” 

Colossians 1:18

Christ is the founder of the church: the body of believers. Therefore, He is the rightful HEAD.  And, as a body is lifeless without its head, so the church is lifeless apart from Christ. We may do what we consider to be important work for the church, but if it is done apart from Christ’s Spirit, it is merely human work. Therefore, may we each continually seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18); so that both our individual and corporate deeds flow from Christ’s mind and are done in His power.

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

I’M ON A 6:45 A.M. FLIGHT TO NJ FOR A P.R.A.Y. WITH PASSION ACROSS THE NATION CONFERENCE. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS FOR GOD’S ANOINTING ON MY TEACHING & THAT HE INSPIRE & EQUIP EACH TO PRAY MORE PURPOSEFULLY & LIVE MORE PASSIONATELY FOR CHRIST. THANK YOU!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man,….” 

1 Corinthians 11:3

The word “but” is an important word, and in the context of this verse, we appreciate its significance. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, the apostle Paul encourages believers to imitate him in seeking the good of others over the good of oneself. However, he is quick to follow his statement by explaining that he is merely an imitator of Christ. Christ is the true head of every man and the one we are to follow. Isn’t it wonderful that we have Christ as our HEAD leader? 

Lord Jesus Christ, HEAD OF EVERY MAN, I praise You, my leader and the one I can imitate!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?” 

Romans 3:29

“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” is an American spiritual that was first published in 1927. However, long before the song, God revealed Himself to Abraham, Moses, and others as the God of the Jews. It is with great praise that both Jews and Gentiles celebrate, “God is our God!” 

GOD OF THE JEWS, I praise You for including me in Your gift of grace and salvation! 

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 

2 Corinthians 1:3

What was or is your father like? Strong? Caring? Harsh? Absent? In today’s verse, God reveals Himself as the Father of mercies. As Father, He is the the “originator and transmitter”* of mercy. So when we think about our Heavenly Father, we can be assured that He not only thought about mercy, He actually transmitted it to us. Does that cause you to sing His praises? 

FATHER of MERCIES, I praise You! Thank You for not just thinking about being merciful, but for extending it to me. I love You.

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3962&t=NASB

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,”

2 Corinthians 1:21

Could you in your own strength and with out the help of equipment make a mountain? No. But, Psalm 65:6 praises God who “establishes the mountains by His strength.” Can you change times and epochs; remove and establish kings? No, but Daniel 2:21 reminds us that God does. Can you in your own strength be established in Christ? No. But, praise be to God, HE establishes us in Christ, meaning “causes us to be steadfast in our fellowship with Christ.”* Where we are in inept; God exudes power and does what we cannot do.

LORD GOD, I praise You, who ESTABLISHES mountains, kings, and me in Christ!

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G950&t=NASB

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

 Psalms 27:1

Have you ever feared how someone would respond to you or treat you because of your convictions about Christ? Have you ever dreaded talking to someone about a failure in your life? Isn’t it incredible that the highest of HIGHs and holiest of HOLIES is the One who has chosen to give us salvation and come to our defense?

LORD, You are incredible! Thank You for being my light, salvation, AND the DEFENSE of MY LIFE! I love You!

 Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 

 2 Corinthians 1:3

On a cold winter evening, nothing feels quite as cozy as snuggling in bed under the warmth of a soft comforter like amish quilts. However, no blanket can compare to the God of all Comfort when life blows us off course, when a person’s sharp tongue chills us to the bone, or when the howling wind of despair beats upon our heart. The Greek word for comfort is parakaleo, which means “to call to one’s side, speak to, in the way of exhortation, console, teach.”¹ How awesome it is that God gives every believer the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. This Comforter is an abiding presence who will never wear out, become threadbare, or leave us. The closer we stay to God in prayer and Bible study, the more fully we experience the warmth of His abiding presence. (excerpt from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, pg 67)

LORD, You are the God of all COMFORT! I praise You for the blessing of Your presence!

 Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.