365 Days of Praise
How Are You When It Comes to Stinky Feet?
Have you ever thought, really thought, about Jesus washing His disciples’ stinky feet? Have you seriously applied His words in John 13:14 to yourself? “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Lord and Teacher – meditate on Jesus putting those two titles for Himself in one command. The Lord is on His knees washing dirty feet. Messy. Time-consuming. Dirty. Unpleasant. Didn’t He have better things to do? Yet, His act demonstrated more than the simple act of washing feet. Jesus was teaching us the importance of humility toward one another. He was teaching us about servanthood and, yes, even forgiveness.
Our Lord and Teacher physically illustrated what He would do spiritually through His substitutionary death on the cross. It would be messy (a bloody mess). He would wash our filth and sins from our inner man. As His disciples, He instructs us to go and do as He did. Take the time to humbly forgive, to humbly serve one person at a time. And hopefully, prayerfully, it will gain us an opportunity to share with the person why we are doing it, and in whose Name we are serving.
Jesus, Lord and TEACHER, thank You for washing and cleansing us of our sins. Make us increasingly mindful of following Your example.
Our key verse today is John 13:14. Watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 13 HERE or listen to it HERE.
I Need Jesus
I need Jesus. Why? Eternally, Jesus is the only sinless sacrifice acceptable to God on my behalf and the One through whom I’ll be raised to eternal life in heaven. On a daily basis, I need Jesus to forgive me, cleanse me, and strengthen me to walk through my day by His Spirit. I need Jesus to guide me and prompt me if I start to veer off course.
How does Hebrews 4:15-16 describe Jesus? “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Can I hear a hallelujah, friend? Imagine what it would be like if you were accountable to a heavenly being who didn’t sympathize with your weaknesses? But our merciful, mighty Savior does. We can say, “I sinned. I failed. I rebelled against You and Your ways. I’ve been wrong.” When we come to Jesus in honest confession and repentance, Jesus doesn’t make us feel worse and withhold forgiveness. Does that mean we should blow off our sin? No, we should think about how, when, where, and why we fell for temptation and were deceived. We should learn from it. With every misstep, we have a God-step opportunity to learn and grow. With bowed heads and hearts, we confess our sins to our sympathetic High Priest, accept His mercy, and take seriously His words, “Go and sin no more.”
Jesus loves you and doesn’t want you wallowing in your sin. If you’ve been avoiding one-on-one time with Jesus, your High Priest, because you feel so bad about your sin, go to Him. He loves you and is waiting.
Lord Jesus, perfect, SYMPATHETIC HIGH PRIEST, we love You and thank You that we can draw near to Your throne of grace and find mercy to help in our time of need.
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Do You Ever Feel Fragile or Like You Might Pop?
Do you ever feel fragile or like you might “pop” because of the daily pressure you are under? David knew what it was like to feel that way and found God to be the sustainer of his soul. Listen to his words in Psalm 54:4. “God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”
What does it mean for God to be the sustainer of our soul? It means that God revives our minds and emotions when we sit in His presence, meditate on His truths, and absorb encouragement from His Word. God, the Holy Spirit, refreshes and sustains us so we can carry on rather than break or pop. What story do you have of how God has been your sustainer?
Lord God, we praise You, SUSTAINER of our souls. Thank You for the many times and ways You sustain us. We love and praise You!
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Do You Wish You Had More Support?
Do you ever wish you had more support at work? Perhaps you wish you had support parenting your children. Or, you may wish you had a supportive spouse or friend. I remember a night long ago when I realized that God was my support. I was in a position where no one could help me. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t. It was that I had to go through something by myself. I was lonely and didn’t know what to do. It was just God and me. During that time I found that I wasn’t without help. God was with me. He was my support. As 2 Samuel 22:19 says, “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.”
If you’re looking for support today and don’t have it, it can be lonely. In some cases, terrifying. In reality, though, you do have support. You may be at a time in your life like I was – where God is allowing you to get to a new place with Him, a deeper place, a more real relationship. Jesus is not causing your loneliness, rather He is there for you in it. Remember, if anybody knows what it’s like to go through something alone, He does. If anyone knows what it is to be misunderstood, it’s Him. When you pray you’re talking to a friend who loves you and can appreciate what you’re going through. I guess that’s why Jesus went away by Himself to pray early in the mornings – to get His thoughts straightened out while talking to His Father.
If you’ve been blessed with a father or someone you’ve been able to talk things over with, then you know how helpful it can be to talk things out. That’s the same relationship you can have with your Heavenly Father. Just start talking like you would to a trusted person. Now here’s the key we often overlook. Have your Bible and a notepad and pen close by. When Jesus brings thoughts or a verse to your mind, jot them down. Think deeply about the verse. Act on what He brings to mind. Be assured that if David found the Lord to be supportive, you can find Him to be supportive, too.
Lord, thank You for being our SUPPORT. When no one else is there, or even if they are, You are the ultimate support we need.
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Praise to God, Our Supplier
Do you ever feel empty or drained? What about anxious or uptight? Does mad or angry better describe you? Or sad and melancholy? Whatever our condition, whatever our need, we have a supplier. Short on perseverance? Ready to give up or cave in? Feel like you’re going to blow a fuse? Don’t know how you’ll ever smile again? Those are temporary feelings that we can have at times, but if we’re a Christian, we have hope.
God offers to supply all our needs. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Don’t hold on tightly to feelings of anger or discouragement. Rather, open your heart and hand. Take hold of what you need through God’s supply of glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the SUPPLIER of all we need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus!
Would you like an organized and convenient way to record your praises and prayer requests? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal HERE.
Praise to the Sunrise From On High
Have you ever been tongue-tied; you couldn’t say what you wanted to say? The godly priest, Zacharias, had such an experience, except he was literally unable to speak. It hadn’t always been that way. He had led a remarkably righteous life. Then, one day, when he was performing his priestly service, he was chosen to burn incense in the temple. As the people prayed, he alone entered the temple. That’s when things changed. The angel, Gabriel, appeared to Zacharias and fear gripped him. The angel spoke wonderful news. His wife, who had not been able to get pregnant, was going to conceive and bear a son. They were to name him John. Most importantly, their child would be the forerunner to the long-awaited Messiah. Shocked at both the news that they were going to have a baby and that their child would hold such an esteemed position, Zacharias asked, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). Gabriel told Zacharias that since he didn’t believe him, he wouldn’t be able to speak until John was born.
How’s that for a sign? Imagine what it would be like to have a marvelous encounter with an angel, to watch your beloved wife grow with child, and not be able to speak. Finally, when John was born, Zacharias’ tongue was loosed. Words of praise poured from his heart and soul. He became filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. In his prophecy, he spoke these words: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).
Let’s sit for a moment and meditate on Zacharias’ words, on the reality of Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and comes to earth to deliver messages, of tongues tied and loosed, of Jesus visiting us….to shine upon we who are in darkness, to guide us into the way of peace. “Holy, holy, holy” is all I can say right now. What are you thinking?
Lord Jesus, SUNRISE FROM ON HIGH, we smile in joy and praise of You, who came from heaven’s glory to visit us on earth. We praise You for the light You shine on us and for guiding us to the way of peace. We can’t wait to worship You in heaven!
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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. What can we focus on in those times? Malachi 4:2 tells us. “But 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.
Praise is a powerful weapon we can use to turn around feelings of hopelessness or discouragement. Download this free printable of the attributes of Jesus from the book of John. As you read through them, praise God for each one!
*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1020.htm
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 cries when we are weak. Call on Him. Yield 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.
Would you like to experience God’s sufficient grace and peace in your life? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
When What You Want Is Different From What God Wants
There are times we’re called to do something we’d prefer not to do. Perhaps for you, it’s a medical procedure. For a parent, it may be changing another diaper. A person might wish they could stay in bed rather than go to work. Then, there are those excruciatingly painful occasions when we may be called to help with an intervention or change the lock on a door to keep an abusive person out of the house.
There is only one person who has known the great sacrifice of dying on the cross so the human race could be saved. Jesus asked His Father for a way other than the cross, but when it was the only way, He submitted His will to His Father.
“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).
Is there something you don’t want to do or perhaps want to do that is different from God’s will? Will you trust your Heavenly Father and walk through it in His strength?
Lord Jesus, thank You for modeling being SUBMISSIVE and trusting in our Heavenly Father’s ultimate will.
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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 what He 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.”
Did you catch the promise? Is safe. Say it out loud. “I am safe.” Think through the implications for your believing loved ones. They are safe. Yes, far from what may at times seem to be uncaring and inactive people around us, God is the opposite. He is caring and He is active. Look at the ways He proves His activity in your life far beyond sending Jesus to save you.
Enjoy the release of God’s Spirit in your life comforting and strengthening you. Let your mind relax in the reality of the new heaven and world awaiting you and your loved ones. Purposefully ponder your life and your loved ones’ lives from the perspective of heaven’s heights. Say a prayer to the Lord thanking Him for being wonderful, loving, and faithful.
Heavenly Father, You are a loving, good, faithful STRONG TOWER to whom we can run. Help us have eyes to see with Your perspective and walk through our days with gratefulness and hope.
Do you ever wonder if we’re in the end times? Would you like to learn more about the signs of the end times? Grab a copy of Debbie’s Bible study, End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do HERE. Access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.