365 Days of Praise

God is so good!

Taking break from writing to combine all social media through Ping.fm.

“Please be good. It’s Father’s Day.”

The words rolled off Keith’s tongue years ago to our two young children as we hung suspended in a bucket high above the Magic Kingdom. Days earlier we had boarded a flight to Orlando, Florida. Everything from our happy face tee shirts to our hotel had been well thought out. Keith and I were giving Taylor and Lauren the vacation of their dreams. Had it not been for the heat and forty-five minute long lines for what seemed to be forty-five second rides, I think everyone would have been happy. However, human nature’s fussy side showed up even in the midst of Disney waffles and pictures taken with Mickey Mouse.

Somehow Keith’s plea seemed reasonable. “It’s Father’s Day.” In other words, the cards and presents our children had given Keith earlier that morning had been nice. However, the gift for which he yearned was behavior that showed they appreciated being in the Magic Kingdom.

Yesterday, Keith taught our adult class at church. Since it was Father’s Day, he emphasized our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Unlike children’s classes that often make Father’s Day cards for their earthly fathers, we closed the lesson by writing words of thanksgiving and praise to our Heavenly Father. It was a meaningful lesson. However, this morning as I woke, God reminded me that today is Father’s Day, too.

Lying in bed I pondered that reality. Keith had a right to expect love and behavior appropriate to the Magic Kingdom. Our Heavenly Father has a right to expect love and behavior appropriate to the Heavenly Kingdom. Unfortunately, I often forget the wonderful place to which my Heavenly Father has taken me. Colossians 1:13 reminds me, however. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

This morning, my Heavenly Father pierced my heart with several truths.

1. Every day is Father’s Day.

2. Matthew 22:37, “to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind,” isn’t just a verse to memorize. I’m to live it from the time I rise until I go to sleep. The morning devotionals I give Him pale if I think and behave as an ungrateful child later in the day.

3. The war between my Father’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom is real. My Heavenly Father calls me to walk wisely; not according to the world, but rather according to His Kingdom. I must be more mindful of this and quick to stand against the enemy or I unwittingly revert to unredeemed patterns of thinking and acting.

4. My behavior is an expression of either my appreciation and love for my Heavenly Father or my callousness to the gift of His Kingdom.

“Please be good. It’s Father’s Day.”

I don’t know in what bucket you find yourself suspended today. However, if you’re a Christian, your Heavenly Father is in your bucket with you. May each of us show by our good behavior and the way we speak to one another that we love and appreciate Him for taking us to His Kingdom.

Love,

Debbie

“Though they call them to the One on high, None at all exalts Him.”

Hosea 11:7 jumped off the pages of my Bible this morning. Turning from the highlighted words on page 1388, I flipped to page 1387; thinking surely I’d highlighted more than just those words.

As assumed, the first part of the verse was also marked. Hosea 11:7’s black print beamed from beneath the yellow highlight. “So My people are bent on turning from Me.”

I’d love your thoughts. Are God’s people in America bent on turning from Him? Certainly there are a few who aren’t, just as there were in Hosea’s day. However, God made a general statement about the spiritual condition of the nation. Would He say the same thing about many of us today?

What does God explain is the opposite of being “bent on turning from Him”?

Is it calling on Him? No.

It’s exalting Him.

God wants us to exalt Him in our lives. Although exalting Him in worship at church is nice, I don’t think that’s what He’s talking about. I think God wants people to look at us and find Jesus.

What do you think?

Love you,
Debbie

Friends,

If you haven’t read Ezra in a while, jump in! It’s been so awesome. I’m in chapter 6 today, so let me bring you up with what’s happened since the Lord stirred the spirit of King Cyrus to let the Jews rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra 1 & 2 record all who returned. It lists ALL the families. It’s neat to read through them all. Ezra 3 tells how they began reconstruction “as one man.” I loved reading that part. In other words, they really came together for this project!

Ezra 4 is so cool because it tells how their enemies, who didn’t want them to rebuild the temple, played like they did and asked to be a part. Do times ever change??? However, and this is a big however, in Ezra 4:3, Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest replied, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.” In other words, “thanks, but no thanks.” Somewhere in there is a whole sermon on being astute.Let’s jump forward to verse 4.

After the foxes in lambs’ clothes were told “thanks, but no thanks,” they got mad and began a campaign against the rebuilding of the temple. It’s a long story. You can read about it in Ezra 4:4-24. Bottom line, the rebuilding was stopped. Don’t you hate that? What a reminder that we live in a fallen world and there will always be opposition to the ongoing work of the Lord. Opposition, but not ultimate defeat! Keep reading.

In Ezra 5 the construction is renewed due to the “preaching of the prophets.” (Amen and amen to pastors preaching the Word of God.) A letter was written to counter the enemies’ letter that had thwarted the rebuilding, and guess what? King Darius not only affirmed Cyrus’ original blessing on the rebuilding, he added his own blessing. See Ezra 6:8-10.

In addition, Daius made sure no more sassy enemies would deter the Jews and rebuilding. Listen to his warning in Ezra 6:11, “And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.” I mean he is one serious guy. Thankfully, he’s on the Jews’ side this time!

Let’s continue with the kings’ thoughts in Ezra 6:12, “May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to chage it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”Now, to the part I really want to emphasize today. Ezra 6:22, (upon completion of the temple) “And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

Oh, my dear friends, did you hear that? The Lord turned the heart of the king. We should never despair. The Lord hears our prayers. I pray you are calling out to the Lord who turns kings’ hearts.

For those journaling in Prayers of My Heart, this is an awesome attribute of God upon which to base your prayers for others and yourself. Need a heart change? Know someone who does? P.R.A.Y. to the One who changes hearts.

Love you,
Debbie

Friends,

I started reading Ezra a few days ago and in the first verse of the first chapter, I discovered a wonderful description of our God. Read with me,

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persian, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, …” Ezra 1:1.

There are so many wonderful revelations in that one verse!

First, God is going to fulfill what He has spoken through His prophets. Did you notice how God stirred Cyrus’ spirit, so Jeremiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled? (I guess we could add that to our list of 300 Names, Titles, and Attributes of God. “God who fulfills prophecy!”)

A second wonderful word for us is that God stirs kings’ spirits. Oh, let us pray for God to stir our president’s spirit and other leader’s spirits to do His will.

Third, Cyrus acted on what God stirred his spirit to do. The king bowed to the King, followed His orders, sent a proclamation, and “also put it in writing.”

Questions for us to think about today:

1. What word does God want to fulfill in and through us?

2. Are we praying, watching, and waiting on God to stir our spirit? In other words, do we live in anticipation of God?

3. Are we fervently praying for God to stir other’s spirits to act in accordance with His word?

4. Are we proclaiming and putting in writing that which God has stirred our spirits about?

Love you and pray you are having a good day as you open your spirit to God’s stirring,

Debbie

Friends,

At the last P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference, I promised my Wisconsin sisters I would provide the A – Z list of God’s names and attributes from my book, Pray With Purpose, Live With Passion. You will find them listed below. I suggested that a great way to begin your day is by looking up one of the Scripture references and praising God for how He is revealed in that passage. You can then continue your prayer time, repenting and confessing ways in which you realize you may be missing the mark in relation to that aspect of His divinity. Then, you can ask God for help in that area; as well as intercede for others. As discussed at the PRAY Conference, our prayer lives expand as we focus our prayers on God’s attributes.

For instance, we might worship God saying, “Lord, You are the Almighty God! I praise You.” Praising God for being Almighty may then cause me to contemplate on how I don’t always bend my will to His. Neither do I walk by His strength which He so willingly offers. With that prayerful realization, an opportunity to repent presents itself.

Next, I open my heart to God. “Fill me with Your power. Help my husband and children walk in Your strength today. Help the unsaved turn to You, the Almighty, and be saved.”

Having praised, repented, and asked, I now focus on yielding to God. My prayer time doesn’t end with my “Amen.” It begins as I listen to God’s voice and yield to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

The following list of A-Z attributes contans 26 names and attributes to get you started. If you’d like to continue broadening your praise, repentance, asking, and yielding, I have a complilation of 225 + Names, Titles, and Attributes of God. In addition, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion provides valuable Scriptural insights, personal examples, stories, and guided prayer opportunities for you with each A-Z attribute. It also has discussion questions if you’re reading it with a group or using it for your Bible study. You’ll also find a P.R.A.Y. chart that gives examples for how to praise, repent, ask, and yield in relation to the 26 A-Z attributes included in the book.

For those new to Prayers of My Heart Prayer Journal, I suggest you label your first column in the Week at a Glance section, “LORD.” At the Wisconsin P.R.A.Y. Conference, we labeled April 5, “Almighty” and agreed to lift our voices each morning, praising God for a different attribute each day. This morning as I praised God as Immanuel, it was a blessing knowing that my Wisconsin sisters were joining me.

I pray the following is just the beginning of a lifetime of praising God!

Love,

Debbie

Sunday Almighty, Ps 91:1
Monday Beloved, Mt 3:16-17
Tuesday Comforter, 2 Cor 1:3
Wednesday Door, John 10:10
Thrusday Eternal, Deut 33:27
Friday Faithful, Rev 19:11
Saturday Guardian of My Soul, 1 Peter 2:25

Sunday Holy, Psalm 99:5
Monday Immanuel, Is 7:14
Tuesday Just, Deut 32:4
Wednesday King of Kings, Ps 5:2-3
Thursday Light, John 8:12
Friday Majestic, Psalm 8:1
Saturday New Life, 2 Cor 5:17

Sunday Overcomer, John 16:33
Monday Potter, Is 64:8
Tuesday Quickening Spirit, Ps 80:18 KJV
Wednesday Righteous, Psalm 7:17
Thursday Shield, Psalm 3:3
Friday Tower, Proverbs 18:10
Saturday Upholder, Is 41:13

Sunday Vinedresser, John 15:1
Monday Wonderful, Psalm 105:2-5
Tuesday eXalted, Psalm 34:3
Wednesday Yahweh, Exodus 3:14-15
Thursday Zealous, Is 9:7

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO OTHERS SO THEY CAN JOIN US AS WE P.R.A.Y. Across the Nation. If I haven’t been to your state and your church can host 200+ women, email me about having a P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference. debbie@hillcountryministries.org.

Friends,

Do you ever feel like you need someone to defend you or your cause? This morning in my reading of Isaiah 37, I came upon verse 35, in which the Lord is speaking. “For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”

In this passage, the king of Assyria has threatened King Hezekiah of Jerusalem. Hezekiah, realizing he could not defend Jerusalem against the armies of Assyria, grieved and prayed. He asked others to pray with him. When the threat intensified in the form of a letter, Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messenger and placed it in the hand of the Lord. Isaiah 37:14 states he literally gave the letter to the Lord. What a lesson for us! “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.” God answered Hezekiah with reassuring words and a promise to defend and save Jerusalem.

What problem or challenge do you face today? Why not literally follow Hezekiah’s example? Though he was king, he depended on a higher power. The result? God answered in a god-sized way that man could not have accomplished.

God is still on our side if we are living to bring Him honor and glory. Why not go before the Lord today? Spread out your situation before Him. Kneel in His presence. Acknowledge that although you may be king of your castle, queen of your home, or president of your business, you need a higher power. After you spread out your situation before God, stay quietly in His presence. He directs our thoughts in the silence of meditation moments.

Friends,This isn’t my normal kind of post, but it definitely causes one to pause and think…maybe even pray. A friend sent this to me. Feel free to forward it.

Terrorist groups operating in churchesLatest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Osama Bin Lucifer, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy. However, there have also been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. This group appears to be very weak. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along. Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return. Which cell group do you belong to?

Friends,

Keith’s mother, Grace, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning. His brothers, Kenneth and Gayle, their wives, Loes and Cyndie, and Keith and I had the privilege of sitting by her bedside her last days. I say privilege because it was just that. Grace was a wonderful woman and it was an honor to be with her, pray for her, and share that time as a family. Needless to say, we are all sad. However, with that sadness is a quiet joy as we reflect on the glorious reunions she is having in heaven…first with her Lord, then with those who have gone before her. I’ve had a smile on my face numerous times as I’ve thought about Grace and my mother seeing each other again!

As I thought of Grace this morning during my quiet time, my heart went to Matthew 22:31-32 where Jesus expounds on the afterlife. “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”What powerful words for us to remember. God is the God of the living! Add that to your 200 A-Z Names, Attributes, and Titles of God.

Along with that passage, my heart raced to one of my favorite passages and one I often teach on at the P.R.A.Y. Conference: Luke 9:29-32. “And while He (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Friends, this passage is awesome! First, we’re taught that if we need a face lift, a change of countenance, it’s found in prayer. Second, in regard to death, Christ’s teaching that God is the God of the living is reinforced. Moses and Elijah are alive. They are in glory. They are distinguishable and recognizable. Third, Jesus’s death is not spoken of as a tragedy, but rather as His departure. Just as I board a plane to depart from San Antonio to fly to your city to lead a conference, Jesus had a departure day, time, and place. He had a destination: heaven. So do we, if we have confessed our sins and professed our faith, “Jesus is Lord.”

If you have never called on the name of the Lord for your salvation, I beg you to do so today. We never know when our departure will be. However, we can know our destination. Jesus has died so that we might be saved. Won’t you call on Him today? Join those who are headed to heaven and those who are already in God’s presence in glory. If you need help with Bible verses or a prayer of salvation to pray, please see How to Know Jesus on my web site. Or, email me at debbie@hillcountryministries.org or call me toll free 888-815-8412. I would love to visit with you or pray with you.

Love,

Debbie