365 Days of Praise
Remember This On Dreary Days
Dreary days. Gray skies. They can make us feel gloomy. The death of loved ones, separation, or estrangement from family or friends weighs heavily on our hearts. On what can we focus in those times? Malachi 4:2 tells us. “…for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” What does that mean? Theologian Charles Spurgeon explains: “Jesus, like the sun, is the center and soul of all things, the fullness of all good, the lamp that lights us, the fire that warms us, the magnet that guides and controls us; he is the source and fountain of all life, beauty, fruitfulness, and strength.” Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness because on the most dreary of days, when we are gloomy and despairing, we can ask Him to fill us with His Spirit and shine in our hearts and minds. Call on Him now to rise in your heart and mind in the full strength of His glory.
We praise You, SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and look to You to enlighten us.
*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1020.htm
When You Want to Run Away, Go Here
Do you ever want to run away from your circumstances, the evil in our world, or perhaps your own wayward thoughts? If so, go to God, who David likens to a STRONGHOLD. In Biblical times, a stronghold was a high place, a place of retreat, and for many years, it was David’s safe house. In 2 Samuel 22:3, after the Lord saved him from Saul, David pens these words of praise, “My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my STRONGHOLD and my refuge.” Is God your stronghold? If so, you’re well aware that He invites us to come to Him. You are well aware that you can flee from your fears, Satan’s lies, and your wayward thoughts by scaling to heaven’s heights in prayer. Do you know the Lord as your stronghold? If you do, you are blessed of all people.
Heavenly Father, we praise You, our STRONGHOLD. Thank You that we can scale the heights of heaven and find strength in Your presence.
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When What You Want is Different from What God Wants
Lord Jesus, thank You for modeling being submissive to our Heavenly Father and trusting in His ultimate will.
“He went a little beyond them and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39
Do You Want More Strength
An AT&T commercial once asked a group of children, “Who thinks more is better than less?” A little girl quickly responded, “We want more. We want more.” We can identify with her plea for more when we’re going through a difficult time. We want more of God’s strength. We want more of His grace to get us through our day. The truth is, we already have it. Second Corinthians 12:9 reassures us, “My grace is SUFFICIENT for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'” What does it mean that God’s grace is SUFFICIENT? Does it mean barely enough? No. Rather, the Biblical word means, “to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to be enough.”* God’s strength is the answer to our cry when we are weak. Call on Him. Yield humbly to Him. Ask Jesus to fill and empower you. He will.
Heavenly Father, thank You that when we’re weak, You respond to our cry for help. Thank You, that Your grace is SUFFICIENT unfailing strength.
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What Song Are You Singing
Are you dragging through your day singing the blues? If so, that can change. Yes, we have a choice about the music and songs we play in our head and walk through our day singing. In Exodus 15:2, Moses tells us the music that empowered his walk. “The Lord is my strength and SONG, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him…” The word song in this verse can mean music or melody. In effect, Moses says, “The Lord is my melody. He’s the music to which I walk through my day.” What music or words play in your head as you go about your day? We can make the choice to tune our hearts to God’s voice and walk through our day singing His praises. Will we?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the SONG and melody by which we walk through our day.
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Beyond Our Imagination – A Deeper Understanding of the Spirit
Do you know all that God has prepared for you in eternity? The answer is “no, we don’t know.” First Corinthians 2:9 says, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Does that bless your heart? Our earthly days may be rough, but God has prepared a future for us beyond our imagination. The passage explains that no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.
“For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,” First Corinthians 2: 10-12
Do these verses about the Spirit make you want to have a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and how you can walk by His promptings? If so, I encourage you to get “Listen UP! When the Spirit Speaks,” our gift to you for a donation of $20. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to Christians. Know Him. Listen to Him. Love and adore Him, for He is the Spirit of Christ abiding in you.
Heavenly Father, Your gift to us of the SPIRIT who SEARCHES ALL THINGS, is the most amazing gift. Thank You! Help us faithfully walk by Your Spirit.
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Speaker of the House
So what do you think of the Speaker of the House? Oh, I’m not talking about the speaker of the US House of Representatives. I’m referring to the Speaker of God’s House, the Speaker of Righteousness, as Isaiah 45:19 describes the LORD. “‘I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land…I, the Lord, SPEAK RIGHTEOUSNESS, declaring things that are upright.’” How refreshing that we have a Speaker of the HOUSE who is the Speaker of Righteousness. In reading the Bible, we hear His righteous voice. As citizens of His Kingdom, we are wise to pay attention, ponder, and practice what the SPEAKER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS says above what all other speakers say. Are we listening? Are we sharing the words of the Speaker of Righteousness with others? One of the ways my ministry shares what God has spoken is through our ministry page on Facebook. It is a “microphone” we use to “go out into the world.” When you “Like” the page, it increases the Speaker’s reach. Even if you don’t often use Facebook, you can still click HERE and check “LIKE” to help the Speaker of Righteousness’s voice reach others.
Thank You, LORD, SPEAKER of the House of RIGHTEOUSNESS. May we listen to and follow Your voice above all others.
God’s Perspective
Perspective. It’s everything. We can look around and feel hopeless and vulnerable; wondering why God has abandoned us. Or, we can turn to the Lord, scale the heights of heaven and gaze on who God is, what He’s done, and has promised to do. Proverbs 18:10 reminds us, “The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER; The righteous runs into it and is safe.” God is not uncaring and He is not inactive. He sent Jesus to overcome the eternal consequences of evil for all who call on Him. God has given us His Spirit to comfort and strengthen us. He’s creating a new world where evil doesn’t exist. From the perspective of heaven’s heights, I’d say our God is wonderful, loving, and faithful to we who often are unfaithful. What say you?
Learn more of God’s character traits in my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. Here. Or Amazon.
Heavenly Father, You are a loving, good, faithful STRONG TOWER to whom we run. Help us have eyes to see with Your perspective.
Is There Anyone You Can Trust?
The TRUTH. When listening to the news, do you ever long for the truth? When questioning a child, have you ever doubted their words and said, “Tell me the truth.” If a person has lied to you once, do you wonder when they tell you something if it’s the truth? How refreshing that in John 16:13 Jesus tells us we can trust God’s Holy Spirit, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. There’s not a lie in God’s holy body, Word, or Spirit. So when we question or wonder if we should do things our way or God’s way, the world’s ways, or God’s way, we have the answer. Believe the Spirit of Truth. Follow the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Obey the SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
Lord God, how refreshing that we can wholeheartedly trust You, the SPIRIT of TRUTH!
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13
Praise to the Sower of God’s Seed
He went out of the house. Maybe He just wanted to get some fresh air. Maybe He wanted to gaze at the sky and worship His Father. Maybe He went out so people would see Him by the sea, and come to Him to hear Him speak. That’s what happened. First, a few people saw Him, then, a family of seven. “Go get the neighbors and tell them Jesus is teaching!” Word spread and as Jesus spoke a large crowd gathered. This is what He told them. “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as He sowed, some seeds fell beside the road and….” It’s too long of a story to tell here. You can read it in Matthew 13. Here’s the point: Jesus sowed seeds of eternal truth among people. Whether it bore fruit depended on the person’s heart. The Sower stills sow seed through His Word and still quiet voice. Have we received His seed? Are we sowing seeds of eternal truth among people?
Lord Jesus, the sower of God’s seed, prepare our hearts daily to hear and act on Your Word so we bear much fruit that glorifies You. Impassion us to sow Your seeds of truth among others.