365 Days of Praise

Heavenly Father, we praise YOU, LORD OF ALL THE EARTH! Your majesty and power are glorious. You reign in perfect righteousness.  Stir our hearts to speak boldly about You to others. 

The wise men worshipped Jesus. The Jews and Romans whipped Jesus.

The wise men gave Jesus gifts. The Jews and Romans gave Jesus the cross.

The wise men celebrated Jesus’s birth. The Jews and Romans celebrated Jesus’s death.

Not all kings are recognized as kings. Such was the case with Jesus when He walked on earth. Such is still the case with those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. But one day all people will bow before the KING OF THE JEWS.

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. Matthew 2:2

Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS and our King, we bow before You in praise and worship You. Reign in our lives in such a way that others see Your influence in us.

Have you ever wished you’d gone in a different direction than the path you took? Have you reflected on words you said and thought, “I wish I’d said that differently.”  If so, Psalm 32:8 is an encouraging reminder that we can handle things and communicate differently in the future. How it that possible? We have a personal life coach. Yep, someone who will give us personal instruction on how to live, relate to others, and even speak. Psalm 32:8 assures us, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go…”  Think about those words. In addition to the Lord being our Savior and friend, He wants to instruct us so we live in the best way possible.  Don’t you agree that’s an incredible gift and blessing? We might wish for the top stock broker to advise us financially but not have access to the person. We might wish the most successful business people would coach us, but there’s no chance of getting a personal audience with them. But, our LORD GOD says, mosey on up. I’ll teach you. I’ll instruct us. I’ll be your life coach, your business coach, your marriage coach. Amazing! The Lord, who has infinite understanding and an eternity of knowledge, says He will teach us.  Why not pray now about a situation or relationship where the Lord’s instruction would help you?

Lord, You are infinite in understanding. Open our eyes to how Your Word is leading us. Open our ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, made landfall in Florida on October 10, 2018.  Governor Rick Scott and other governors issued warnings and called on residents in the path of the hurricane to evacuate and find shelter. Some ignored the warning.  Hurricane Michael, as predicted, brought devastation and death.  As human governors are looking out for their residents, our Heavenly Father is looking out for us.  Psalm 91:1 describes God as a shelter and says, “He who dwells in the SHELTER of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”  From what and how does our Heavenly Father shelter us? His words in the Bible shelter us from wayward thinking. His righteousness shelters us from temptation. His love shelters us from hate. His presence shelters us from loneliness and despair. God is a SHELTER. Are we heeding His warnings and staying close to Him?

“I’m tired! I’m tired of work. I’m tired of the tension in the world. I’m tired of struggling with… I’m tired of taking care of….” How would you finish those sentences? God understands. Our body, mind, and soul need rest. The Bible says God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2) One of His Ten Commandments is, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Today, some ignore God’s command to have a holy day of rest each week. Their reasoning? Believers aren’t bound by Old Testament laws. I agree that we are not legalistically bound to keep the Jewish Sabbath. I agree that Jesus’s work to obtain our salvation on the cross means that we don’t work for our salvation. I agree that God has provided a future eternal sabbath rest. (Hebrews 4:9-10.) However, is there value in setting aside a day of holy rest and gathering with others to worship?  (Hebrews 10:25) Apparently God places value on both. (Exodus 16:22-30, John 20:19, Isiah 58:13-14) What that looks like will be different for us. But no doubt, holy rest and worship are important.  What does your day of soul rest and worship look like?

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for YOUR SOULS.  Matthew 11:29

I spoke in New York shortly after September 11, 2001. Shortly after Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked three planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. Shortly after a fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board after passengers and crew heroically attempted to take control from the hijackers. Evil reigned in the hands of the terrorists that day but evil didn’t ultimately win then and evil will never ultimately win. Christ Jesus is victor over evil! He overcame evil and sin and the sting of sin – death. All who place their faith in Christ will live eternally in His glorious presence. Today and continually we remember with gratefulness our loved ones, friends, and the many we will never know until heaven – those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Today we also remember with utmost gratefulness the Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life for our souls. We must never forget either.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making PURIFICATION OF OUR SINS. We love and praise You for the ultimate sacrifice of Your life to make us pure as You are pure. 

“When He had made PURIFICATION of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”  Hebrews 1:3

Does the news ever shock or alarm you?  It increasingly shocks me.  “I can’t believe this is happening in our nation,” I’ve said to Keith increasingly through the years. The disregard for other’s lives, blatant deception, and what sometimes seems irrational decisions is concerning. What can we do in the midst of rising tensions?  We must do our part to cover relationships in prayer. We must take the high road of Christ’s example. We must pray for our leaders and pray for our enemies rather than speak or plan evil against them. We must believe that God’s is sovereign. So, no, I’m not going to live in fear or anger. I’m going to take my cues from a great example – Daniel. We find his story in Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and demanded that it be interpreted or he would kill all the wise men. Daniel’s name was on the list of those to be executed. However when Daniel learned of the situation, he didn’t go into hiding. Rather, he gathered his friends and prayed. Daniel 2:18 says they requested, “compassion from the God of heavens” concerning the interpretation of the King’s dream. That night, God revealed the interpretation to Daniel. In Daniel 2:20, he praises the LORD. “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.” He continues in verse 23, “To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You.”  Do you believe God is powerful and that He can give you wisdom and power to know what to do in these troubling days? He can.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making Yourself available to us. Thank You that Your eyes are on our nation. Thank You that in the midst of evil days, You are holy and exalted and always there for us. We look to You for wisdom and power. Guide our thoughts and steps so we are instruments of peace. 

June 14, my husband, Keith, and I are celebrating our anniversary. I’ve known him for almost 49 years. We’ve been married 47 years today. I knew him when he didn’t have money to buy french fries with my hamburger. I know him as the guy who likes to put on an old teeshirt 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 for 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 his position behind the bench in a long black robe? If I felt that way approaching the judgement seat of my husband, 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 God call your name? Because He will…whether you like it or not.  Second Timothy 4:1 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to Judge the living and the dead…” In other words, every person will appear before God, our Judge.  Those who received Jesus’s death on the cross as judgement for their sins will be given rewards at the Judgement. Those who rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ will be judged for their thoughts, words, and actions and not on the basis of worldly goodness, but rather on God’s holiness. If you know someone who hasn’t professed their faith in Jesus, diligently pray for them. If you’re not sure what or how to pray for the unsaved, click here.

Lord, we who have received salvation through Christ humbly, gratefully praise You, JUDGE of the LIVING and the DEAD. Open our eyes to the unsaved. Open our mouths to speak loving truth to them. Quicken the hearts of our unsaved friends and family to acknowledge their sin and turn to You; to say “yes” to Your gift of salvation. 

“Hell on earth” is a phrase some people use to describe a horrible place or horrible time they’re going through.  Their struggle goes on and on and doesn’t appear to have an end. No doubt the Jews felt that way in Nazi concentration camps. So can a spouse who is in an abusive marriage. Or an employee who has a relentless boss. Might a Christian feel that way when principalities of evil are rampant? Yes.  Ephesians 6:12 says Christians struggle against rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Too often, though, we may not recognize the forces at play in our lives. We go to church, read our Bible, and try to live a good Christian life. Then something horrible happens or perhaps is ongoing. All we see is what is visible to our eyes. We are deceived into thinking our problem is with a person, ourselves, the government, or society at large. Paul tells us to open our eyes. Satan hates believers and the cause of Christ and will do everything on earth to take you down, destroy your witness, and make you miserable. Why? Because he knows he can’t have you or keep you. Revelation 1:17-18 records Jesus’s words to John when he was exiled on the island of Patmos.

“‘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.”

What you are experiencing that may feel like hell on earth is temporary. Jesus has made sure of that. Satan will be bound. You’ll be free. Jesus has the keys and is locking Satan away. In the meantime, remember, Jesus also has the keys to joy and fullness of life. If you know Christ and you know the Bible but are miserable, isn’t it time to start MEDITATING on Scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your heart to understand God’s inspired Word. Study Ephesians 6 and arm yourself against Satan. Stand firm against what feels like “hell on earth” knowing it is stoked by an invisible enemy.

Lord Jesus Christ, You were bombarded by Satan. Demons nipped at your holy feet. World forces of darkness blinded the religious leaders. But you showed us and taught us the way to peace. You have given us kingdom keys. May we not be blind and ignore Your holy teachings but rather pray without ceasing and walk by Your Spirit.

TIP:  If you need help growing in your faith or prayer life, visit my website where you’ll find resources to help you. Begin with Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion,  If God is In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case,  the P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference available on DVD or CD, or Listen UP: 31 Points about the Holy Spirit every Christian should know.  Take advantage of the many free website resources – slideshows and videos, or podcasts on a variety of topics you can listen to on the way to work or while you go about your day. Browse around. Find what you need. Begin today.  

Have you ever been with a person whose convictions changed as often as the seasons? Perhaps they read a book and decided to follow that person’s opinion and philosophy of life.  Then they read another book and decided to follow a different view. Thank goodness believers don’t have to worry about God flipping His opinion every other year.  Thank goodness and thank God that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) In other words, we can depend on Him. Christ and His teaching are  IMMUTABLE. They are unchanging. What He called holy yesterday is holy today and will be holy tomorrow. What He called sin yesterday is sin today and is sin tomorrow. And, the grace God extended yesterday is the grace He extends today and extends tomorrow. We follow and serve an unchanging, IMMUTABLE God.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, IMMUTABLE, unchanging Lord God!