365 Days of Praise

We’re more than halfway through 365 days of praising God. Thank you for joining me on our journey to better know our LORD. Today, we’re meditating on how God is marvelous. In what ways?

• God’s works are marvelous. Revelation 15:3 says, “And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God…!’” Thank God for marvelously working in your life.
• God’s lovingkindness is marvelous. Psalm 31:21 states, “Blessed be the LORD, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me….”  In this verse, marvelous means “wonderful, surpassing, extraordinary.” In what way can you testify to God’s lovingkindness being marvelous?
• God’s salvation is marvelous. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus asks, “‘Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone…from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’” Praise God for His marvelous plan to save you.
• God’s light is marvelous. First Peter 2:9 states, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  We are to tell others about the excellencies of Christ, His excellent, extraordinary light. In what way are you fulfilling your divine purpose and telling others about Christ’s marvelous light?

Lord, You are MARVELOUS in Your work, love, kindness, salvation, and light. I celebrate, worship, and praise You!

There are countless marvelous and praise-worthy attributes of Jesus. Download this FREE PRINTABLE to explore the attributes of Jesus listed in the book of John.

In Christian circles, we often speak of the joy of the Lord and rightly so. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. However, that doesn’t mean every day will be free of sorrow. Isaiah 53:3 states that Jesus, although filled with godly joy, was also “…despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

I remember when this reality hit home with me. I was reading and then praying Philippians 3:7-10: that I “know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” I was changed after that prayer. The Holy Spirit filled me and I read the Bible with new eyes. I had an intimacy with and passion for Christ that I’d not experienced. But I stopped my prayer before the end of verse 10: “that I know the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” I had no desire to experience Christ’s sufferings and sorrows. 

Years later, I discovered what the “fellowship of His sufferings” meant. It hurt. It was not fun. I cried. I journaled Scriptures. And, most importantly, my intimacy with the Lord deepened in a way it might not have had I not gone through that time and other times since then; including a lung cancer diagnosis in 2024.

If you are going through a time of sorrow or grief, stay the course with Jesus. Get up close to Him. “Curl up” in His presence with your Bible. Hold His Word close to your heart. Pour out your fears, desires, and questions to Him. Be still and wait for His comforting thoughts and verses He brings to your mind. Be mindful that He is near to you and will love you through whatever you are facing. 

Jesus, MAN OF SORROWS, thank You for being with me as I go through hard, sorrowful times. Deepen my intimacy with You and trust in You. Use me, my voice, to sound forth Your sufficiency to others. 

Are you walking through a difficult season or know someone who is? Visit our Hope for the Cancer+ Journey page for free, faith-filled resources designed to encourage and strengthen not only those battling cancer, but anyone facing hard times. 

July 12, 2021 news outlets reported a biological male “mother” attempting to breastfeed a newborn birthed by his biological female “boyfriend.” The biological male holding the baby to his chest commented, “The baby has been able to latch, but I have not been able to produce any milk…” ¹   

As I watched the news my heart sank for the newborn baby being taunted with a biological male’s breast.

Where do you stand in relation to the Lord being our maker who created us male and female (Genesis 1:27)?

Do you agree or disagree with Isaiah 44:24 that clearly states, “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, ‘I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth all alone’?”

The Lord is our maker. We are to worship Him and abide by His created order. Then and only then will we find peace with Him and others.

Lord, You are the MAKER of heaven and earth, who formed me from the womb. Bring revival to our nation for the sake of innocent babies, children, and those who have not heard about You. 

Would you like to become better equipped to stand for the truth of Christ’s teachings and share your faith in love? Check out Debbie’s Bible study on Jude, Contend Earnestly for the Faith, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

¹  “Patty McMurray, “Biological Male ‘Mother’ Attempts to Breastfeed Newborn Birthed by His Biological Female ‘Boyfriend’ [VIDEO],” The Gateway Pundit, July 15, 2021, https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/07/biological-male-mother-attempts-breastfeed-newborn-birthed-biological-female-boyfriendvideo/.

Have you ever looked forward to something and then it didn’t turn out to be as great as you expected? Are you looking forward to something now and hoping it won’t disappoint? Whichever might be the case, there is something to which you can look forward that will definitely not disappoint you. In fact, it will exceed your expectations. What is it? The day you see God the Father and Son in their glory.  The apostle Peter described his earthly glimpse of Jesus’s glory at the Mount of Transfiguration. It was so astounding the word “glory” simply wouldn’t do so Peter referred to his experience in God’s presence as majestic glory.

“When He [Jesus] received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the majestic glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’” (2 Peter 1:17).

We will one day see, hear, and experience what Peter saw, heard, and experienced—God, the majestic glory, and His Son. Are you ready? Are you excited? I can’t wait!

Heavenly Father, MAJESTIC GLORY, I can’t wait to be in Your presence. Thank You for this eternal opportunity! I love and praise You. 

Today’s key verse is from 2 Peter. To watch all of Debbie’s teaching on the book of 2 Peter, click HERE. You can also listen to her teachings on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean by clicking HERE.

Are you a sourpuss? You know, grumpy, negative, never satisfied? If so, take your thoughts captive to Christ. Pay attention to what you’re thinking. Why? Our thoughts make us who we are. An example: After God opened a way for the Israelites to miraculously cross the Red Sea on dry land to escape the Egyptian army, Moses could have said, “Boy, that was close! I don’t know why God let that happen! He about got us killed.” Yes, Moses could have complained. Instead, he chose to sing praises to God. 

“Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6). “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders” (Exodus 15:11)?

So, yes, we can look at our day and circumstances and complain. Or, we can choose as Moses did to see the deliverances God has brought us through and how He’s empowered us when we’ve been weak. If we’re a sourpuss and tend to focus on the negative, we’re not doing ourselves or anyone a favor, including God. As a matter of fact, we’re being a bad showcase of our Majestic Lord. Isn’t it time we change? If you want to take your thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), do it now. Go to God’s throne room and examine your thoughts in the light of His glory. Remember, Moses isn’t the only one who has a God who is majestic in power and holiness. We do, too. Isn’t it time we align our thinking with Philippians 4:8? 

You, O Lord, are MAJESTIC in holiness and power! I sing Your praises for all the things You’ve done, are doing, and will do. Help me showcase You by being a person of praise.

Knowing the Word and being able to discern God’s voice are essential for taking our thoughts captive to Christ. To learn how to discern the voice of God, listen to Debbie’s teaching on the subject HERE. 

Would you like to experience magnificence? If you said “yes,” you are in alignment with God’s will for you. He never intended our lives to be filled with anxiety and the consequences of sin. Rather, He created Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to share life with Him and experience His magnificent glory. But now? We live in a sin-sick world. However, as believers, our hope is not lost. Rather, our hope is firm in Christ Jesus. We can once again experience God’s magnificence as 2 Peter 1:4 tells us—“[God] has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

God has granted to you His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become a partaker of the divine nature. Are you experiencing Christ through the divine nature He has given you?

Rather than allowing the world’s despair, anxiety, and hopelessness to infiltrate your soul, begin each day welcoming your Heavenly Father and Spirit’s presence, praying, “Heavenly Father, fill me with Your Holy divine nature and Spirit. Help me walk in Your magnificent divine promises.”

The Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Bible are all magnificent. Immerse your mind in the Father’s ways. Walk by His magnificent divine nature/Spirit.

Lord, You and Your promises are MAGNIFICENT. Thank You for salvation by which I am a partaker of Your divine nature. Help me walk by Your promises so others see and believe in You. 

Learn more about becoming a partaker of Christ’s divine nature through Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be found HERE.

How many movies have you watched that portray love as a warm and fuzzy emotion? We’ve probably all seen those sappy movies that depict how a couple “fell in love” after knowing each other for a few days, or even a few minutes. This is often what the world thinks of when they hear the word “love,” but the Bible speaks of a different type of love. 

First John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” In this verse, John is writing to believers. He is exhorting them to love one another. The love spoken of in this passage is agapē, a self-giving love that is not selfish, but sacrificial. God demonstrated this kind of love by giving His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus demonstrated this type of love by willingly sacrificing His life. 

You see, love is not based on feelings like so many in our world are accustomed to believing. True love, like the kind spoken of in the Bible, is unselfish and giving. It puts others first. 

How can we demonstrate this type of love? First, it’s important to recognize that we can’t give what we don’t have. Our ability to love in the way the Bible speaks comes from having a relationship with God, the source of love. As believers and recipients of Christ’s love, we are called to allow His love to transform us and to willingly extend that love to others. 

Lord, I thank you that You are LOVE. That is the very essence of who You are. As a recipient of Your love, help me extend Your love to others. Help me love the body of believers as You have called me to do. 

Some of our key verses today are from John 15. Want to dive deeper? Watch Debbie’s full teaching on John 15 by clicking HERE.

“I need this. I need that.” Sometimes our human nature screams for what we want. We want a heavenly genie to grant our desires. We may be frustrated because God isn’t dropping from heaven what we envision to be a perfect life. 

What do we do when Jehovah Jireh, “The LORD will Provide,” doesn’t appear to provide exactly as we want? First, it’s important that we understand the context of Genesis 22:13 when God’s name, “The LORD Will Provide,” is introduced. The scene was when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a test of his obedience. Abraham walked in faith, assuring Isaac that God would provide a sacrifice. The Hebrew name “Jehovah Jireh” means “the LORD will see to it.” In other words, Abraham believed that God would provide a substitute sacrifice in place of Isaac. It foreshadowed God seeing to our salvation by providing Jesus as a sacrifice for us. 

But it’s important to realize that God has seen to even more. He has provided us with abundant life by giving the Holy Spirit as a substitute for our fallen spirit. God has seen to our daily questions about how to do life by providing Biblical instruction as a substitute to cultural trends on marriage, sex, money, parenting, envy, anger, and more. Yes, God has seen to our eternal and daily needs by providing Jesus, the Bible, and Holy Spirit. The question isn’t if there is a heavenly God who hears and answers our prayers. Rather, it is whether we are walking in faith according to God’s instructions, as Abraham did. If not, begin today. 

Heavenly Father, I praise You, Jehovah Jireh, the LORD WHO PROVIDES. Help me not foolishly ignore the Spirit’s presence and Biblical truth but rather walk by both. 

Want to learn more about God’s provision? Read this related blog post. 

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 heavenlies, 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, I shudder to think what our nation and world would be like if You removed Your restraining hand. Thank You for being near and hearing my prayers. I give You praise and glory. 

Would you like to grow your prayer life? Click HERE to explore our prayer resources, and be sure to check out our free Prayer Cards by clicking HERE.

Does the word “work” scare you in relation to serving the Lord? For instance, when a minister announces the need for more workers for Vacation Bible School or for volunteers to go on a mission trip, do you sink in your pew and hope your eyes don’t meet his? Do you shrink back from the idea of talking about Christ openly with friends and co-workers? If so, perhaps it’s because we haven’t yet gotten our minds around the incredible privilege and invitation Jesus invites us to. 

In Matthew 9:37-38 when Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest,” He wasn’t calling us to busy work. Rather, Jesus looked at the fields of people who were stressed and discouraged and had compassion for them. He invites us to share the good news that His Heavenly Father loves them, that sins can be forgiven, and we can live by Christ’s divine nature rather than by our flawed human nature. We have the hope of heaven and eternal life. What greater, more meaningful “work” could we be employed doing than joining Jesus’ team? 

If you want to be a part of something bigger than the daily grind of the earth–something heavenly and eternal, then pray and ask God to use you. Be open and sensitive when the Spirit prompts you to share Christ with others. Keep your heart open to ways God wants to use you. 

LORD OF THE HARVEST, thank You for coming to earth and telling me the way to eternal salvation. Use me to share the good news with others so they can have a relationship with you like I do. 

Want to learn more about living by Christ’s divine nature? Get Debbie’s Bible study on 2 Peter, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.