365 Days of Praise

Did you ever play Marco Polo in the swimming pool? I have fond memories of playing it with my sister, Vicki. We’d take turns closing our eyes and calling out, “Marco.” The other one would respond, “Polo,” then swim away to avoid getting tagged.

Some of us may think of Jesus as one who is blindly searching for us when we call out to Him. That is far from the case. Jesus has His eyes on us and is waiting for us to call on Him. 

Jesus is the seeker of the lost as He explains in Luke 19:10,  “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

What does the Bible mean when it refers to people as being “lost”?

The Greek word for “lost” is apollymi. The context of this verse is that people have strayed from Jesus. They are “lost” in sin. Jesus came to earth to “reclaim people from wickedness,” like a shepherd might reclaim his sheep from a wolf. 

Jesus came to earth to seek and to save the Father’s children who are bound in sin and Satan’s snare.  

Jesus loves you. He sees your unsaved family and friends. He loves them and is seeking the unsaved to come to Him and be saved. 

Lord Jesus, SEEKER OF THE LOST, thank You for seeking and saving me. Thank You for continuing to seek my unsaved family members and friends.

The Gospel of John is full of examples of Jesus seeking and saving the lost. It also recounts the death and resurrection of Jesus, which made a way for all to come to Him for salvation. Access Debbie’s free online Bible study of John along with her other online Bible studies HERE.

We all know what we mean when we say, “I don’t have it in me…” then we complete the thought. “I don’t have it in me to change.” “I don’t have it in me to keep working this hard.”

It’s important to recognize if we do or don’t have something in us. A top concern should be if we have Christ in us. We either do or we don’t. Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that every person should test themselves to see if they do. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test.” 

Paul makes a most important point. Attending church, enjoying nature, or being a nice person doesn’t make a person a Christian. A Christian is someone who has Christ “in” them. As a result, they bear the evidence of Him in their lives. 

How do we get Christ in us? We receive Christ through His Holy Spirit into our spirit; as soil receives a seed and then bears the fruit of that seed. 

Jesus is first referred to with the imagery of “seed” in Genesis 3:15 when God announced that Satan would be defeated by “the Seed of the woman,” a reference to Christ being born of a virgin.  

As soil produces the fruit of the seed that is planted in its soil, Christians produce the fruit of Christ in their hearts. Is Christ in you?

Lord Jesus, SEED OF SALVATION, thank You for planting Your Holy Spirit in me. I love and adore You. Increasingly bear the fruit of Your Spirit in my life so that others see and believe in You.

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.”

Are there any Bible verses that make your heart sing because they’re so beautifully written and the praise so magnificent? 

Such is the case with Jude 1:24-25. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

In these verses, Jude proclaims that the LORD is our only Savior, but not only that. Our Savior is able to keep us from stumbling! 

Our Savior is able to make us stand blameless in God’s presence and glory with great joy. 

If you’ve ever attended a celebration where a toast was made to the person being honored, then you heard words of accolade for the person. No words could be greater, however, than Jude’s praise of the LORD, our Savior, who rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13); who saved us from the penalty of sin and death and made us holy and righteous, able to stand before God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  

Jude’s heart overflows in praise of the Savior. Use his words as your words of praise. “To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Lord, I worship You; my only God and SAVIOR. 

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I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? Do you ever tire of your impatience, bad habit, or perhaps careless words? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our sin nature. As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says, “For the  flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.” So we have this little, um, big war going on inside of us.

Here’s the wonderful news recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God in His grace has chosen to sanctify us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God has done and will continue to do.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to lift your voice in praise to God?

Heavenly Father, SANCTIFIER, thank You for setting me apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify me completely and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am so ready!

The Apostle Peter, who contended with his sin nature, boldly encourages us that we have everything we need for life and godliness in 2 Peter 1:1-4. To listen to Debbie’s teaching on the subject, click HERE.

Would you have ever believed some of the things going on in our country? It can make your head spin. The changes are happening so fast that people who don’t read or watch the news are going to be shocked one day to learn that their freedoms have been taken away and that they are mandated to do things against their will. Am I advocating that we read or watch the news all day? Not at all. But I can speak to the importance of being informed. I highly recommend having your Bible open and studying (not skimming) what God wants us to know about the days in which we live and about the days that are coming.

In Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus said, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”

It is clear that God spoke through prophets. They warned of future events. Although your head may be spinning at the ever-changing society in which we live, what a blessing to know that Jesus will not change. As Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Yes, our nation is changing. The world is changing. But Jesus will always be the same holy, loving, grace-filled God that He’s always been. If we ever wonder with whom to align ourselves, it is Christ.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, I love You and thank You that You are the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.

Want to learn more about discerning the times in which we live? Purchase a copy of Debbie’s Bible study, End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do HERE. You can also access free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE. 

Has anyone ever sacrificed something for you? Have they sacrificed sleep so you could rest? Have they sacrificed advancing so you could succeed? Have they sacrificed their plans so you could pursue yours? Sometimes we sacrifice, but do so begrudgingly.

Ephesians 5:2 tells us Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for us. “…walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Not only did Jesus willingly sacrifice His life for us, but He was also the only perfect and completely acceptable sacrifice to God for our sins. Under the law of Moses, high priests were appointed to offer sacrifices in the temple day after day for their own sins and the sins of the people. However, Jesus provided a better way. He became both the perfect Priest and the perfect Sacrifice. 

Jesus is holy, blameless, pure, and set apart. Unlike the earthly priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day for His own sins and our sins. He sacrificed for our sins once for all when He offered Himself willingly on the cross (Hebrews 7:24-28). When He did, He thought of us, not Himself. He did what we could never do for ourselves. 

Lord Jesus, thank You for willingly giving up Your glory, Your comfort, and Your life for me; for being a SACRIFICE to God on my behalf so that I can be reconciled to You. Help me sacrificially fulfill Your commission and tell others about You. 

Discover the joy of praying more purposefully and living passionately for Christ as He equips you to do His work on earth. Get a copy of Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion HERE. The book can be used as a personal study or a 10-week group study.

I’m tired! I’m tired of work. I’m tired of the tension in my life. I’m tired of struggling. I’m tired of taking care of…. How would you finish the sentence? God understands. He gets it.

The Bible makes a point that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. One of the Ten Commandments is to keep the Sabbath Day as a holy day and to not work on it. 

Jesus’ work of gaining our salvation on the cross resulted in our not working for salvation but rather resting in what Christ accomplished on the cross.

God cares about you being weary. We will one day enter God’s ultimate provision of His presence—an eternal Sabbath rest. Until then, we can thank God that life won’t always be so hard. We can thank Jesus for paving the way for our future rest. And, we can prayerfully ponder and walk daily in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Yes, as promised, “…there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9-10). 

Lord, thank You for the SABBATH REST I have in You for eternity. Thank You that I can come to You every day and learn from You and find rest for my soul.  

Do you commute to work and want to listen to some encouraging teachings by Debbie while you drive? Let her podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify help you set your mind on Christ before you start your day!

Here in the United States, presidential election seasons are often marked by tension and divisive rhetoric among politicians, citizens, and the mainstream media. There’s often a sense of uncertainty as voters anticipate the changes that will come with the next elected president. If you live in another country, you can probably relate to the feelings of insecurity that may arise from a change in leadership. However, we must remember not to place our trust, confidence, or hope in earthly kings or presidents. Instead, we should look to Jesus, the supreme ruler and authority over all the kings of the earth.

Revelation 1:5 says, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” This verse reminds us that Jesus is the ruler over all earthly authority. Instead of placing our trust in mere humans, we can look heavenward in confidence to the King of kings who reigns with justice and mercy. 

While Jesus is presently sovereign and ruling over all earthly authority, we will one day see Him reigning visibly over the earth. The Bible says that the current Heaven and earth will one day be replaced with a new Heaven and earth. God will dwell with His people during that time and we will see the glorious King of kings ruling over all (Revelation 21:1-4).

Lord Jesus Christ, what a wonderful blessing to know that this world is not spinning out of control. You are the enthroned, RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. 

Would you like more grace and peace in your life? Peace with God? Peace with others? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 1 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

Have you ever heard someone say “that stinks” when something awful happens?

If bad things repeatedly happen, they might even say, “Life stinks.” 

Instead of focusing on the foul, though, we have a choice to breathe in what Song of Solomon 2:1 refers to as the Rose of Sharon, a reference to Christ and His splendor, heavenly fragrance, and beauty.

When life stinks, stay extra close to Christ. Breathe in His fragrance. “I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys” (Song of Solomon 2:1).

Lord Jesus, You are the ROSE OF SHARON, the fragrant aroma of heaven. Thank You that I can breathe in the beauty of Your fragrance in the midst of whatever my day brings. 

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Do you know who your ancestors are? How far back can you trace your family tree? Being able to trace one’s lineage is important to many and is definitely important in Jewish culture. 

Jesus’ human lineage can be traced to Israel’s King David. But Jesus has an even more illustrious lineage as He states in Revelation 22:16: “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” In other words, His roots go further back than David. They go all the way to creation.

Jesus is the bright morning star, heaven’s light. In our often dark and lonely culture, it’s important for us to daily bask in the SonLight. It’s important for us to invite others to the Son.

ROOT AND DESCENDANT OF DAVID, bright morning star, I praise, worship, and love You.

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. You can also find free printable Scripture-based prayer cards HERE.

And if you’d like others to be praying alongside you, visit our Prayer Wall HERE. It’s a simple way to share what’s on your heart and know others will be lifting you up.