365 Days of Praise

What do you think about Jesus, the King of the Jews? To say that He is a controversial figure and has been throughout history is an understatement. For instance, Matthew 2:1-2 records that magi traveled a great distance to worship Jesus following His birth. They asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Yet Jesus’ birth caused King Herod to become troubled and then enraged to the point he slew all the male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under in an attempt to kill Jesus.

The controversy about Jesus did not end. The Pharisees and Sadducees, threatened by Jesus’s popularity, delivered Him to the Romans who sentenced Him to death on the cross.

Today, anti-semitism, prejudice against or hatred of Jews, is at an all time high, the likes of which have not existed since the Holocaust. What effect and impact does that have on people’s worship of the King of the Jews, Jesus?

Where do you stand in relation to Jesus, the King of the Jews? Do you worship Him as the magi? Or, are you troubled by Him as Herod? Or, are you threatened by Jesus as were the religious leaders of His day? One day all people will bow before Jesus, King of the Jews. Are you bowing before Him now?

Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS, wise men bow before You. I pray to be increasingly wise and worshipful. Reign in my life in such a way that others see You and want to worship You.

Jesus, King of the Jews, is worthy of all our praise. Discover the power of prayer and praise in Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. Get your copy HERE.

Who is your king? If a foreigner asked us that question, we might reply that in America we have a president, not a king. But is that totally true? If we are believers, we not only have a president, we also have a king. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that the reason for our victory in daily life, the reason our focus and countenance are above earthly circumstances? We have a sovereign King who is ruling our life.

Our King transferred us from Satan’s domain to His glorious Kingdom. Our King sealed us with His Holy Spirit. Our King’s laws are eternal and good. Our King calls us saints, not subjects. “Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.” Revelation 15:3 NKJ.

Yes, you are a saint of the Lord. I am a saint. But, do we always act like a saint? Is our demeanor that of a saint? Do we display our King’s love, kindness, and grace? Do we show forth His glory and speak His words?

What a glorious title our Lord has given us: saint.

KING OF SAINTS, I love and thank You for changing my title from sinner to saint. I know it is only through the sacrificial blood of Christ that I am given that name. Help me daily live up to the title and calling You have bestowed on me so I bring honor and glory to You and Your kingdom. I love You, my Lord and King. 

Do you know someone who could use some encouragement today? Scroll down and click on “Forward to a Friend” to share this blog post.

Do you ever read verses in the Bible and get a holy jolt, your eyes opened to holy words that are to be taken to heart, not skimmed over? In 1 Timothy 6:15, Paul describes the Lord saying, “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the KING OF KINGS and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

His glorious description of Jesus as King of Kings who dwells in unapproachable light is in the fuller context of verses 7-19 in which he tells us we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it; that those who want to get rich fall into temptation; the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil; we are to flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” He tells us to “fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which we were called, keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; that if you are rich not to be conceited or to fix you hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies all things to enjoy. He says to do good, be rich in good works, be generous and ready to share.

Which of his words in relation to the King of Kings who dwells in unapproachable light give you a holy jolt and wake up call?

KING OF KINGS, who dwells in unapproachable light, give me a holy jolt to obey You rather than gloss over how I am to live in this present age. 

Would you like an organized way to record what God is speaking to you? Grab a copy of Prayers of My Heart prayer journal to write down what God places on your heart.

Do you ever have a dreary day when life doesn’t seem so grand? When that happens remember that the King of Glory lives in you. Consider Psalm 24:7-10 with that in mind.

“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.”

Psalm 24 points us to Christ, the King of Glory, taking His throne. Glory in this Psalm means “majesty, splendor.”

What is amazing and should redirect our thinking if we are having a dreary day is to remember that the Spirit of the King of Glory is in believers. We are to continually acknowledge His presence and open our hearts for His glory to fill us (Ephesians 5:18).

KING OF GLORY, majestic splendor, I lift my hands and heart asking You to cleanse me and fill me with Your glory. Help others see Your presence in my life and be drawn to You. 

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

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what’s in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender love for him.

The eyes tell us what fills the heart. And so we wonder—what fills Jesus’ eyes? What if you were in His presence and He looked deeply into your eyes. What if you couldn’t take your eyes away from His. What would you see in His eyes for you? You’d see kindness; kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. Kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.

As the Apostle Paul asks in Romans 2:4, do we think lightly of His kindness and tolerance and patience toward us? In other words, are we going about our day hardly looking Christ’s way? When He convicts us of our sin, do we look in Jesus’ eyes and sincerely apologize to Him and perhaps the person we’ve wronged? Or, are we like a child who is caught doing something wrong and maybe at best, we mutter, “sorry.”

“Look in Jesus’ eyes,” we’re reminded. “Do we think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads us to repentance?”

Pause now to look into Jesus’ eyes and respond accordingly.

Dear Savior, You are so KIND and loving and patient. Forgive me for sinning against You when I sin against others.  May I look deeply in Your eyes and then turn and reflect Your kindness to others. 

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.

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18).

Can you imagine what it was like for John to see the glorified Christ? To say that it was an overpowering experience is an understatement. John writes that “he fell like a dead man at Jesus’ feet.” John’s experience was more than a vision. Jesus placed His right hand on him. Then, Jesus assured John that although He had been dead, He was alive forevermore. In addition, He explained that He had the keys (power and authority) over death and Hades.

No doubt you feel as I do—blessed beyond words that Jesus has flung open the gate for us to enter into eternal life with Him!

Lord Jesus Christ, KEEPER OF THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES, I praise You and thank You for bringing me out of death and into Your eternal light!

Want to deepen your understanding of Bible prophecy and what God’s Word says about the End Times? Watch Debbie’s  End Times Bible Study: What You Should Know, What You Can Do on YouTube HERE. In this 5-session study, Debbie walks through important topics such as the reasons for and reliability of end time prophecies, the reality of the rapture, the revealing of end time events, and the reward for faithful living.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to her channel so you never miss new teachings and encouragement from God’s Word! 

Do you ever feel “blah,” that nothing in life is important or worth doing? Or, perhaps you are “dragging around” because of the weight of unconfessed sin, or not spending time with Christ, or perhaps a sin of commission, not doing that to which He has called you.

If any of those are the case, be encouraged. God has not forgotten you or abandoned you. Rather, His eye on you as Psalm 121:3-4 explains. “He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

The Lord is our keeper, and as Isaiah 38:17 tells us, the Lord casts our sins behind His back and keeps us from a pit of nothingness. “It is You who have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Isn’t it nice, no…more like wonderful, to think about our Heavenly Father keeping us, casting our sins behind His back, and keeping us from a pit of nothingness? 

In addition, Psalm 121:5-7 explains, “The Lord is your keeper… The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.” 

We have a keeper of our soul who watches out for us. There is no one better to whom we can entrust ourselves. The more we draw near to Christ, learn His ways, and are filled with His Spirit, the more heavenly joy we’ll experience. The less we’ll walk in sin and experience the “pit of nothingness.” 

Heavenly Father, KEEPER OF OUR SOUL, I praise You for keeping me from evil and from the pit of nothingness. I love You! 

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean!

“That’s not fair!” How many times have we heard that impassioned objection from a child when they perceive something as unjust or inequitable? From an early age, we gain a sense of what’s fair and unfair or what’s just and unjust. We can quickly recognize other people’s sin nature when they’re acting unfairly, but as we mature, we must also learn to contend with and recognize our own sin nature.

The good news is that there is One who is not only perfectly just, but the ultimate justifier as well. That One is God. Romans 3:26 says, “…so that He [God] would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” 

What does this verse explain? That God declares us righteous when we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. God’s justification is not based on anything we’ve done. Rather, it is a gracious and merciful gift from God, based solely on the sacrificial death of Christ.

If we’re not already lifting our hands in praise of God; that He is both just and justifier, now is a good time to praise Him. “I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name” (Psalm 63:4).

I praise you, God, both just and JUSTIFIER!

Want to learn more about how to live by Christ’s divine nature instead of our sinful, fallen nature? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by going HERE.

Do you ever feel like things in life aren’t fair? Have you wondered why some people get away with things with no apparent consequences? 

Often, those questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder about fairness. But when we question why certain people get away with doing wrong, we must quickly remember that in the end, no one gets away with anything. God sees everything, including what is in our heart. He knows our thoughts and even intentions and motives. Most importantly, God is just, as Psalm 89:14 states, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” 

If you’ve been upset and concerned because life isn’t fair, because wrong too often prevails over what is right, because our world’s justice system doesn’t always rule fairly, remember that God is just. Also, remember that there is a day when every person will stand before the judgment seat of God (Hebrews 9:27).

God weighs hearts and motives. He forgives repentant sinners. He renders judgment on unrepentant ones. Set aside any vengeance you have toward another person knowing God will rule justly because that is His nature–just. 

Lord, thank You that I can trust You for You are JUST. 

TIP:  Write God’s attribute that I highlight in every 365 Days of Praise devotional in Prayers of My Heart. Writing it on paper writes it on your brain. When you’re troubled, flip through the pages of your journal and thank God for who He is as you reflect on His nature. It will build your confidence, decrease your stress, and help you live a more joy-filled life. Click HERE  to order.

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to Judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).

My husband, Keith, and I celebrate our anniversary in the month of June. I’ve known him for over 50 years. I knew him when he didn’t have money to buy me french fries with my hamburger at McDonald’s. I know him as the guy who loves to put on an old t-shirt and mow the grass. But, I’ll never forget the first time I sat at the back of the room when he was holding court. After sentencing a criminal, he motioned to me to approach the bench. All eyes turned on me, and I suddenly felt nervous and intimidated. Why in the world did I feel that way? Was it the courtroom? Was it that he sat in judgment in a long black robe?

If I felt that way approaching the judgment seat of my husband, who I wake up to every morning, I can’t imagine what it will be like to sit in God’s courtroom and hear Him call my name to approach His bench.

Are you ready to hear your name called? Because it will be. Regardless of whether you want to think it or not, like it or not, it’s not your choice. Every single soul will appear before God and Christ Jesus, the Judge. Those who accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as judgment for their sins, will receive rewards at the Judgement. Those who rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ, will be judged for their thoughts, words, and actions based on God’s holiness. I can’t imagine!

Lord, I, who have received salvation through Christ humbly, gratefully praise You, JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.

Are you prepared to stand before the judgment seat of God? One way to be ready is by standing firm in your faith during these dark times in which we live. Dive deeper into how to do that in Debbie’s Bible study on Jude, Contend Earnestly for the Faith. Grab your copy HERE. 

Happy Father’s Day! We hope all you fathers, grandfathers, and father figures have a blessed day and know how appreciated you are!