365 Days of Praise

“I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom” (Daniel 7:21-22).

Do you ever wonder what in the world is going to happen? Wars and rumors of war increase. Hostility, not peace, is increasing. In the book of Daniel, he records God’s vision to him of future events. There will be a war and God’s saints will be overpowered until the One who is more powerful than any other, the Highest One, steps in.

I wonder if you feel as I do—honored to be on God’s side. And not only to be on His side, but to be designated as His saint: forgiven, washed, and anointed by His Spirit.

Lord God, there is none like You. You are the HIGHEST ONE, over all. I am honored to be called by Your name. 

Want to go deeper into what the Bible says about the end times? End Times: What You Should Know & What You Can Do is a powerful Bible study that will help you better understand Biblical prophecy, what to expect, and how to live faithfully in light of it. CLICK HERE to learn more and get your copy.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be accountable to a high priest who didn’t sympathize with our weaknesses? How haughty would that high priest be? How unrelenting might he be? Yet, that is not our Lord. Yes, He is a high priest. The highest of highs. Yet, He is merciful and sympathetic. We can approach Him and say, “I messed up! I sinned! I failed…again.” And, the remarkable thing is, He offers mercy. He extends grace. He admonishes us, “Go and sin no more.” Why? Because He loves us and doesn’t want us bound in sin. 

If we’ve been avoiding Jesus because of our sin, today is the day to turn and draw near to our High Priest, and be encouraged by the words found in Hebrews 4:15-16.

“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.”

I praise You, Lord, that although You are high and lifted up, you sympathize with my weaknesses. Thank You, Jesus, my HIGH PRIEST!

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.

Things aren’t always what they seem. And just because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross we might have concluded, “Jesus failed.” However, what appeared to be Jesus’ lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really, “Jesus accomplished His mission and is now at the right hand of God having died for our sins and opened the way to salvation and eternal life.” 

Isaiah 52:13 prophesied that God’s plan and Jesus would be successful. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” The Isaiah passage prophesied Jesus would be a suffering servant, lifted up on the cross for our sins. 

Hebrews 12:2 gives us the rest of the story. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is high and lifted up, this time not in shame, but high and lifted up to a place of glory at the right hand of God. 

What is Jesus doing in this place of exaltation? Among many things, interceding for us as Hebrews 7:25 states. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” 

Jesus, high and lifted up on the cross, paid our sin debt. Jesus, high and lifted up to the right hand of God is interceding for us. 

Jesus, HIGH AND LIFTED UP, greatly exalted, I thank You and worship You. 

NOTE to Moms (or anyone who has a mom or loves a mom) as we approach Mother’s Day: Hey Mom, we can sometimes (or often) feel like a failure. God knows how many times we fail and cry out to Him for forgiveness, strength, “overs,” wisdom, protection for our children, and that they will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. If you can relate, I encourage you to get my book, The Plan A Mom in a Plan B World. (A different book from The Plan A WOMAN in a Plan B World.) I had mom friends of all ages/stages share personal stories that will encourage you and provide practical/spiritual tips. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for mom groups as well. Grab a copy HERE!

PS: If you aren’t getting my monthly Kidz Time devotional activity for your kids to watch, get it here and spread the word. It’s free and it’s fun! Subscribe & it’ll be delivered to your inbox monthly. A great Saturday morning or rest time activity.

King David was deceived. He thought his sin of adultery and murder was hidden; no one would find out about it. But sin isn’t a kind bedfellow. Psalm 32:3-4 records how it affected David. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” Notice that David said, “Your hand.” He knew God knew and God’s hand was heavy on him.

But what happened when David acknowledged his sin and confessed it to the Lord? We find the answer in Psalm 32:5. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.’” 

What advice does David give us in Psalm 32:6? “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found.” David discovered that instead of attempting to hide his sin and himself from God, it was better to make God his hiding place. “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). 

There may be times when we, like David, think we can hide our sin from God. But the truth is, we can’t. He sees us and even knows our thoughts. Yet even while we are in our sin, He invites us to a place of forgiveness—Himself. Today we can choose to stop trying to hide our sin. We can turn to God and humbly confess and repent of our sins. 

Lord, how sweet to know You as my HIDING PLACE who preserves me from trouble and surrounds me with songs of deliverance. Thank You. I praise You. 

Repentance is the way to come clean with God and enter into His forgiveness. To learn more about repentance, watch Debbie’s teaching on it HERE.

“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. My friend needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help that is needed when we’re at our wit’s end and we don’t know how much more we can take. And so, God wants us to know that He is our help. Psalm 46:1 assures us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 

Could you use some help from God today? Perhaps you need wisdom about a decision. James 1:5 says ask God for it. He is your help.

Could you use something “good” in your life? If so, James 1:17 reminds us that every “good” thing is from above. God is your help.

Are you anxious and long for peace? God is your help. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that you can pray and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. 

You may be in a situation where you are despairing. Psalm 43:5 tells us once again that God is our help. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” 

Yes, God is our help. Unlike my friend who had to wait for me to arrive in order to help her, we can experience the Lord’s present help no matter our situation if we would only call on Him. 

Lord, I praise You, my present HELP and lifter of my countenance.

Would you like to experience more grace and peace? Check out Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.

Have you ever been the recipient of an inheritance? Perhaps a parent or grandparent died and left you money. Perhaps a loved one is still alive but has told you that you are the heir to their estate; or perhaps a joint heir with a sibling.

Genesis 15:2 is the first time in the Bible that heirship is mentioned. Abram responded to God’s promise of a great reward by asking what good it would do since he was childless and had no heir with whom to leave God’s reward. God assured Abram that he would have an heir and descendants; great in number as the stars in the sky.

In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable about vine-growers who wanted to kill the heir to a vineyard; foretelling His death (Luke 20:9-16).

Hebrews 1:1-2 builds on Jesus’ words. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

Jesus is heir to God’s world and universe, of all things. What’s additionally amazing is that God appointed believers to be fellow heirs with Christ. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17). No doubt, our hearts will soar when our eyes feast on our inheritance in heaven.

Lord, I praise You for appointing Jesus as the HEIR OF ALL THINGS and that I will see His glory when I reign with Him.

Do you ever wonder if we’re in the end times? Would you like to learn more about the signs of the end times? Grab a copy of End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE. Access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

How would you describe your earthly father? Was he “perfect”? Did you know him or was he an absentee dad? Was he loyal or disloyal? On this side of heaven, there are no perfect fathers. But we have a Heavenly Father who is…um….heavenly. He’s perfect. What a blessing it is to know that He is here for us. He loves us. He is available 24/7. He wants us to come to Him with our needs. 

If you’re feeling alone or down, be encouraged. Your Heavenly Father has His eye on you. Call to Him in your need. Wait silently for Him to speak to your heart and direct you.

“Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank You for being ever present and for loving me. I praise You. 

Stay connected with Debbie beyond the blog! Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Do you have children or have you ever babysat? Think for a moment about a time when a child cried for you. Maybe they were in their crib. Or perhaps you heard a thud, then the cry of a toddler who had fallen. What happened at the moment they cried out? Their voice “came into your ears.” 

I love the way that just as a child’s cry “comes into our ears,” the psalmist, David, worded that our cries “come into God’s ears.” 

Second Samuel 22:7 says, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God, and from His temple, He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.” 

Yes, just as we can hear a child’s cry even if we’re in another part of the house, so God hears our cry from His temple. Our cries to God reach His ears. Our Heavenly Father is a hearing God, not a deaf God. What will you cry out to Him about today? 

Loving Father who HEARS me, thank You for listening to and answering my cries. I love You.

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 resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

On February 28, 2002, God healed my mother. Bernice Ruth Taylor went to be with the Lord. No longer did she suffer from the physical ailments that had ravaged her body. She was ready to be with Jesus. She took off her oxygen mask, smiled at us, and after we verbalized our love for one another, she closed her eyes. 

However, none of us were prepared for the next moment. Mama’s eyes flew open and she startled us with, “boo!” I’ll never know how long she’d planned that dramatic moment or if it was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Regardless, she made her point. She wasn’t scared. She was, in fact, excited. Her attitude reflected Jeremiah 17:14, which says, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” 

My mother knew Jesus was her healer and that she was on her way to Him for her complete, ultimate healing. With that, she closed her eyes a final time on earth and opened them in heaven…fully healed. How can we not praise Him? Jesus is our hope and our healer. On this, we need to focus in these difficult days. 

Lord God, You are my HEALER. I praise You! 

Jesus demonstrates His healing power in John 5 when He told a man who had been ill for 38 years to pick up his pallet, walk, and sin no more. Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 5 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

I recently heard a television anchor report on a well-known religious leader whose viewpoint on a moral issue was contrary to the Bible. She then invited viewers to weigh in. “Let us know what you think. You can share your thoughts on social media if you agree or disagree.” As she continued with the next story, my mind lingered on her words. Does she not know that our opinion or even religious leaders’ opinions are not what matters, but rather Jesus’ stance? 

In Ephesians 1:22, Paul clearly states, “And He [our Heavenly Father] put all things in subjection under His [Jesus’] feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.” 

We have seen in Scripture how Jesus is head of man, head of the church, head over all rule and authority. Paul now with a broad sweep of his pen summarizes that Jesus is head over all things. 

It concerns me when churches and denominations vote their opinion rather than stand with Biblical teachings. Does it concern you, too? 

Lord Jesus, HEAD OVER ALL THINGS, I confess our nation is drifting from You. Yet, some churches are also drifting from You and following cultural trends. Raise up strong, committed Christians who speak truth as recorded in Your Word and submit to You.

Today, as we observe the National Day of Prayer, it’s a reminder that the Lord is always present and wants to hear from us. He invites us to talk with Him, not just today, but every day.

If you’d like to grow in praying more purposefully, consider Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. It’s a helpful resource for deepening your daily walk with God through meaningful prayer. You can also download the free listening and note-taking guides by clicking HERE.