365 Days of Praise
TEMPLE
We’re nearing the completion of our year of 365 DAYS of Praise!
Many have asked if 365 DAYS of Praise will be available in a book. The answer is YES! You can have your own keepsake of 365 descriptions of God on which to reflect and use for future study or share with others.
REPLY “YES“
to today’s attribute to be notified when it is available.
“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”
John 2:19-21
The question the Jews had asked Jesus was, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” The “things” Jesus had done included making a scourge of cords and driving the sheep and oxen out of the temple, pouring out the coins of the money changers and overturning their tables; and saying to those selling doves, “Stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” In other words, Jesus acted like He owned the temple and the Jews asked for a sign of His authority. “I’ll give you a sign,” Jesus said in so many words. Destroy the temple and I’ll rebuild it in three days. But, ahh, He wasn’t talking about the building. He was talking about His body; which they did destroy, and He raised in three days. Miraculous, yes. But the point God is driving home to me is the action Jesus took in the temple. He drove out all that wasn’t supposed to be there. Certainly, He feels the same about my body – His temple – in whom His Spirit dwells.
Lord Jesus Christ, TEMPLE of the Most High, thank You for coming from heaven and tabernacling among man. Please drive out of my body all that is displeasing to You so that I honor You.
SURPASSING GREATNESS
Merry Christmas!
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the SURPASSING GREATNESS of His power toward us who believed.”
Ephesians 1:18-19
Surpassing greatness. Our God isn’t just “great.” He is “surpassing greatness!” His greatness is beyond anything we’ve known. It’s “out of this world.” All we have to do to glimpse God’s surpassing greatness is look at the stars. Or, look at the greatest star – Christ. Born in a stable. Where else would the Lamb of God be born, but a stable? Surpassing greatness bundled in one tiny baby. Surpassing greatness taking our sins away. Surpassing greatness waiting in heaven to receive us into His arms!. What a surpassingly great God He is!
Heavenly Father, You are SURPASSING GREATNESS OF POWER. I praise You for extending your surpassing greatness of power to me through Jesus Christ!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.
RICH in MERCY
“But God, being RICH IN MERCY, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
Ephesians 2:4 ff
What powerful words these are! If someone has ever made you mad or hurt you or a loved one, perhaps you know what it’s like to be resentful or to harber negative feelings toward the person. Yet, God doesn’t harbor resentment toward us. He doesn’t hold a grudge in His heart. Rather, on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, He forgives us. He is RICH IN MERCY.
Lord, I praise You and thank You for being RICH IN MERCY! What a wonderful God you are!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.
PLEDGE
“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God; who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”
2 Corinthians 5:5
God’s eternal purpose is for us to live with Him in glory. We won’t see the fulness of His glory until we die and are “at home” with Him in heaven. In the meantime, God hasn’t left us alone. He has given us His Spirit as a pledge of what we will inherit. The Holy Spirit is awesome. He is good. He is joy. He is peace. He is lovely. It is in our best interest to understand everything we can and explore everything there is to know about the Holy Spirit; then live by His nature rather than by ours.
Lord God, thank You for giving us the Spirit as a PLEDGE. Help me increasingly know Him.
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.
POSSESSOR of HEAVEN & EARTH
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.”
Genesis 14:19
Melchizedek, priest and the king of Salem, had no problem knowing who God was. When he met Abram, he immediately blessed him saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.” How different our lives might be if we lived mindful that God possesses the heaven and earth and nothing slips by Him.
Lord God, POSSESSOR of HEAVEN & EARTH, how comforting it is to know that You possess my life and everything in it and in heaven. I can rest in You.
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah
OIL of GLADNESS
“Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Recently, I watched a friend prepare a salad. First, she washed and dried the lettuce leaves. Next she tore them into pieces. But the salad wasn’t ready to be served. She took a bottle of olive oil and poured it on the lettuce, flavoring it. As Christians, Christ has washed us and put us in places of service in our homes and work places. Sometimes we may feel as the lettuce – torn and shredded. But we must always remember that Christ, anointed with the oil of gladness, stands above us – ready to pour Himself into us and flavor our lives with His joy.
Lord Jesus Christ, I praise You! Pour Yourself and the OIL of GLADNESS upon me that I may faithfully and joyfully serve You.
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah
NOBLEMAN
“While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return;“
In this parable, Jesus portrayed Himself as a nobleman who went to a distant country (heaven) to receive a kingdom for Himself and then return. Before He departed, the Nobleman gave talents to His slaves with which they were to do His business. The greatest praise we can give the Lord and Nobleman of heaven is not with our mouths. The greatest praise we can give Him is by our lives – investing the talents He has entrusted to us in His business on earth.
Jesus Christ, Nobleman of heaven, I pray my life brings You praise as I invest my talents to do Your business on earth.
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah
MESSIAH
“He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).”
Jesus came to earth as a baby so that He might grow into a man, but not just any man. He came to be our Savior. He came to die for our sins. He came as our Messiah. Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, recognized that He was the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world. Andrew, who heard John’s proclamation about Jesus, followed Jesus and asked where He was staying. After spending time with Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother Simon Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” Andrew was intentional about his search for the Messiah. He was intentional about telling others he had found Him. Shouldn’t that be being said about us?
Jesus Christ, MESSIAH, You bring all good things: love, forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy! May I be as Andrew and be intentional about following You and about telling others about You.
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah
LOOSENS BONDS
“O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.“
Do you ever feel “tied up” with some form of spiritual, physical, or emotional bondage? Or, are you concerned for a loved one who is in bondage? In Psalm 116 we’re reminded that God can do what no one else can do. He can loosen cords that so tightly bind us that we feel we might die. And, even if we die, He reminds us that He will loosen the bonds of death and give us freedom in His heavenly home. “Unbind him and let him go,” Jesus commanded those who witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. “Unbind her,” Jesus commands when we call on His name.
Lord, You are the great and mighty God who LOOSENS BONDS. I praise You!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah
KEEPER OF THE KEYS
“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘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.“
Revelation 1:17-18
Can you imagine what it was like for John to see the glorified Christ? To say that it was an overpowering experience is an understatement. John writes that “he fell like a dead man at Jesus’ feet.” John’s experience was more than a vision. Jesus placed His right hand on him. Then, Jesus assured John that although He had been dead, He was alive forevermore. In addition, He explained that He had the keys (power and authority) over death and Hades. No doubt you feel as I do – blessed beyond words that Jesus has flung open the gate of death and invited us into eternal life with Him!
Lord Jesus Christ, You who have the KEYS OF DEATH AND OF HADES, I praise You and thank You for bringing me out of death and into Your eternal light!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah