365 Days of Praise
Do You Need a Miracle?
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster defines a miracle as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best hope for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Jesus as the Miracle Worker.
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” When we study Jesus’ miracles we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than having a demanding, “God, do it now,” attitude, we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives, thank Him that He hears us, and then take the next steps He shows us.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being involved in our lives. You are the MIRACLE WORKER who can help us. Open our ears to Your instructions so we can faithfully follow Your promptings.
Jesus, the Miracle Worker, demonstrated 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.
Better Than Mighty Mouse
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord!”
God is the Mighty One. He can save you and He alone. Call on Him. Commit Psalm 119:147 to heart,
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words.”
Heavenly Father, help us be mindful that You are the MIGHTY ONE who saves us no matter the dire situation. Help us confidently wait for Your words to guide us through each situation.
Do you have a friend or family member you would like to introduce to Jesus? Share this link with them: “Meet Jesus…Experience His Grace.”
From the Cave to Light
Have you ever explored a black cave with only a dim flashlight? Some time ago, I had the opportunity to walk two miles in a black cave. Did I say opportunity? It was only because I knew my time in the cave was temporary. Had I thought I couldn’t return to the outdoors and light I would have gone mad. Is that what hell is? Trapped in what Colossians 1:13 describes as a “domain of darkness”? Jesus Christ is Light. The beauty of heaven reflects His nature. Close your eyes and picture an eternity of despairing people screaming for release from Satan’s dark domain. Now open them and praise Jesus, whom Malachi refers to as “the messenger of the covenant,” Malachi 3:1.
“‘The Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of armies. ”
Having been in the cave has made me mindful of how important it is to live a celebratory life. Why? There are people who don’t know Jesus, the messenger of the covenant, and that He can save them from the black torment of eternal damnation. We have the opportunity to celebrate our present-day and eternity. We have reason to celebrate Christ’s Light in our hearts. Are we a bright or dim reflection of Christ to the unsaved?
Lord Jesus Christ, MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, thank You for transferring us from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of Light! Help us be mindful and joyful about our freedom and take every opportunity to shine brightly and point others to You.
Jesus is referred to as the Light several times in the Gospel of John. To learn more about Jesus as the true Light of the world, watch or listen to Debbie’s teachings on the book of John HERE and HERE. Free listening guides are also included!
Quick Question
Heavenly Father, thank You for the MERCY You show us every day. Fill us with Your Spirit of mercy toward others.
Would you like an organized way to record you prayers and praises? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal.
I Shudder to Think…
Following the Israelites exodus from Egypt, Moses recounted their conquests and urged the people to obey God’s Law. In his discourse, he spoke the poignant words in Deuteronomy 4:7. “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?”
Have you ever thought about his words in relation to our nation? The LORD our God is our God and whenever we call on Him, He’s near?
You may think that God has not heard our prayers for our nation. But, we have no idea the amount of evil that might have occurred had God not been answering our prayers.
Therefore, keep praying. Keep calling on God to raise godly leaders and to protect all who are standing for truth. What we see on earth is a reflection of the unseen spiritual warfare being played out in the heavenliness; so pray like never before, assured there is power in your prayers. And, remember to have a grateful heart for daily victories. Is there any good in your life? Is a family member standing strong for their beliefs rather than compromising them? Are you mindfully thanking God? If not, begin. It is important that our thanks reach God’s ears.
LORD OUR GOD, we shudder to think what our nation and world would be like if You removed Your restraining hand. Thank You for being near and hearing our prayers. We give You praise and glory.
The Lord is always present and wants us to talk to Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
If You’re Looking for Someone Kind
I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what is in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender of 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 would see kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. The kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.
Yes, Jesus is kind, and causes the apostle Paul to write in Romans 2:4, “…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?”
What a question!
Do we think lightly of the riches of God’s 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 sin, do we look in Jesus’ eyes and sincerely apologize to Him? Do we pause during the day and look into His eyes and say thank you for the gifts He gives us?
Look in Jesus’ eyes today. Think deeply of the riches of His kindness.
Dear Savior, You are so KIND, tolerant, and patient towards me. Forgive me when I think lightly of the riches of Your kindness. Help reflect Your kindness to others.
The book of John is filled with examples of Jesus’ kindness and compassion. To learn more, watch or listen to Debbie’s teachings on the book of John by going HERE and clicking on John Part 1 and Part 2.
The Gift of A Comforter
One blanket. Two blankets. Three blankets. Four. Keith and I sat in front of the fire trying to get warm. The winter storm had brought a temperature of 3 degrees that felt like minus 11. If only we had power and water. We had neither.
The winter storm continued, and our driveway was too icy to get down. If you’ve lived in an area affected by winter storms, you know how devastating the cold can be, especially if you run out of wood, which happened to us. We couldn’t complain, though. We had a comforter. A comforter that we had once taken for granted, we now deeply appreciated.
So, too, our spiritual Comforter, who 2 Corinthians 1:3 describes as the God of All Comfort, is a blessing when we are experiencing life’s storms. Yes, when a person’s crisp tongue chills us to the core or the howling wind of despair blows through our heart, the God of all Comfort comforts us like none other. Why?
The Greek word for comfort means “to call to one’s side, speak to in the way of exhortation, console, teach.” God gives believers the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. Our Comforter is an abiding presence who will never wear out, never become threadbare, and never leave us. The more we blanket our lives with His teachings, the more we’ll know the warmth of His abiding presence. 1
Heavenly Father, You are the GOD of ALL COMFORT. Please comfort those who are suffering. Give them Your wisdom. Strengthen them as only You can.
1 Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, page 67. Copyright Howard Publishing 2006, Debbie Taylor Williams, Monroe, LA
When Fear Overtakes You
Have you seen the look in a child’s eyes when they were afraid because they couldn’t find their parent? Have you watched that child locate their parent and run to him? Have you heard a child cry for their parent? If so, consider Romans 8:15, which says believers have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba Father.’”
Abba Father can be translated from the Greek as “daddy.” So what does Romans 8:15 tell us? It tells us that our relationship with God is like that of a loving father with his child, tender and close. Our Heavenly Father chose to adopt us. Jesus chose to get into human skin so we can see and smell Him. We can watch and learn from Him. We can run to Him. We can feel His embrace.
Our Heavenly Father and Jesus deeply care for us. In a world that sometimes seems indifferent and uncaring, it’s reassuring to know that we have a Heavenly Father. Although we may be afraid at times due to the events in our life, nation, or world, we can look to our Father and be assured that He’s watching out for us and watching over us.
Heavenly Father, ABBA FATHER, thank You for adopting us as Your child. Help us walk confidently through our day assured that You are an ever-present help.
Friends, I’d love to have you join me beginning Wednesday, January 10th at 10 am for our weekly Bible Study of John Part 2 or on Thursday, January 11th at 6:30 pm. Click here for more info.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study.
Good Year? Bad Year?
FRIENDS, IF YOU RECEIVE DUPLICATES OF THIS DEVOTIONAL, PLEASE ACCEPT MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES. WE ARE WORKING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. HANG IN HERE WITH US & PRAY IT CAN BE QUICKLY RESOLVED. THANK YOU!
As you look at the past year, are your thoughts, “It’s been great!” Or are your thoughts more along the lines of, “It’s been a rough year”? Perhaps the “rough” is related to health issues, finances, work, marriage, children, parents, and friendships. It may be related to your frustration with yourself, that you continue to struggle with the same issues. Whatever the case, God wants us to be mindful of the fact that just as He was there for us in the past, He’ll be there for us in the new year. That’s something for which to be grateful!
Why not be intentional about developing a more grateful attitude in the new year? Why develop a more grateful attitude? Consider – who would you rather be around? A negative person or a grateful person; someone who takes advantage of your kindness or someone who expresses their appreciation? Psalm 63:4 says,
I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Are you daily blessing the Lord by recalling what He does for you each day? I’m not referring to generalities such as, “Thank you, God, for this food and our home and family,” although we should express our appreciation to God for those things. Rather, I’m referring to blessing the Lord by gratefully celebrating how He has worked in your day and in the lives of those for whom you have prayed. I hope you have a copy of Prayers of My Heart journal so you can begin the new year daily lifting your hands in praise, lifting your pen to paper, and journaling God’s character traits and what He has done each day. It is not too late to order. Make this next year distinct by making it the year you daily bless God with your thanks.
Here’s a good place to start: Our Heavenly Father is
just and justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:26
We bless you, Lord, for being both just and for being our justifier. We are so grateful!
This is Excellent!
It’s easy to get down about things, right? Even if you’re an optimist, you can’t help but be sad when reports of a school shooting occur or a loved one is given a bad diagnosis. When your surroundings aren’t uplifting, it is time to do some lifting. What kind of lifting? Lifting up your voice in praise to our excellent Lord who has done excellent things.
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Psalm 150:1-2
Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things;
Let this be known throughout the earth.
Isaiah 12:5
Perhaps there are not many days you would describe as excellent, but you can always describe your Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ as excellent. Will you? Today, take time to journal ways you know God to be excellent. Journal excellent things the Lord has done in your life.
LORD, You are excellent in greatness and You do excellent things. I love and adore You.