365 Days of Praise

Death. It seems so final. 

I’d prepared for my mother’s death because she’d been ill for a long time. But the casket. The cemetery. I broke down weeping. Some family members whispered they were surprised at my grief, but all I could think of was how much I was going to miss her.

What does Jesus want us to know about death? What did He prove when He raised Lazarus and others from the dead? 

Jesus wants us to know that death isn’t final. In fact, Jesus describes death as sleep. Just as someone rouses us from sleep by calling our name, Jesus will rouse us from death as He states in John 5:25. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25).

Isn’t it comforting to know that after you pass from this earth you will hear Christ’s voice and awake in His presence? 

There are no better, more comforting words we could hear. Who do you need to share them with?

Lord, who RAISES THE DEAD IN CHRIST, thank You for Your eternal promise that I will one day see You and my loved ones who have died in faith in You.

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“You look radiant.” Do people say that when they see you? Does the glow on your face cause them to comment? If you said no, neither has anyone said that about me. Guess who that is said about, though? Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 describes Him as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

The word “radiance” is only used 5 times in the Bible and each reference is to God. 

Commentator Vines defines God’s “radiance” as “shining forth, of a light coming from a luminous body.”

One day we will see Jesus in all His radiance. So remember that when things around you are dark. Jesus is radiant, not dark. Look to Him. Go through His attributes and the revelations of His divine character. Turn your face from the darkness to His glorious nature.

Nothing can extinguish Christ’s radiance. One glorious day we’ll join those who are living in God’s radiance. We’ll fall on our knees and worship Him. 

The day is coming when we will either go to Jesus or He returns through the clouds. Keep watching and living for Him.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, my heart is overwhelmed when I think of how I will one day behold You in Your RADIANT glory. I praise You and look with anticipation to that day. 

Jesus is referred to as the Light several times in the book of John. Want to learn more? Watch this video clip of Debbie’s teaching on the subject.

Tomorrow, we kick off our James Bible study. If you haven’t signed up, there’s still time! Click HERE for more info and to register. 

“Lord, are You there? Speak to me.” Have you ever wanted to hear from God? If so, be encouraged. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God is in our midst. He’s a victorious warrior but also quiet in His love. 

What does that mean? 

I like to think of when I’ve held our little ones. My heart felt like it could jump out of my chest because I’ve been so full of love for them. However, I’ve not been loud with them. Instead, I held them close to my heart and wondered if they could feel my heartbeat as their little bodies nestled against me.

God is magnificent. He is larger than life, the creator of life, in fact. The Bible is His love letter to us. If we wish God would speak to us, we need to recognize that He has. 

Open the Bible. Hold it close to your heart. Feel God’s heartbeat as you read His Word. Listen for what He is lovingly saying to you.

Zephaniah 3:17 captures both the Lord’s magnificence and His quiet love. “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” 

Lord, thank You that although You are majestic in glory, You are also QUIET IN LOVE for me. Help me feel Your heartbeat as I read Your Word. Help me know Your love in new ways. 

Let God speak to you through one of our free online Bible studies. Click HERE to access them. 

Do you ever feel sluggish? You know—blah? Can’t quite find your “get up and go” even though there are things you could be, should be doing? 

Nobody likes that feeling. So what do we do when we don’t feel motivated to pray, work, or get moving? We lift up our souls to God (Psalm 143:8). 

We read God’s Word regardless of how we feel and while reading we are encouraged and inspired. God’s thoughts become our thoughts. His passions become our passions. 

We ask our Heavenly Father to give us the mind and energy of Christ. 

The King James Version of 1 Corinthians 15:45 contrasts the first man, Adam, with the “last Adam,” Jesus, in this way: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit.”

Jesus’ quickening Spirit arouses and invigorates us. 

Christ-followers are not spiritually dead. We’re spiritually alive in Christ. Pray and ask God to fill you with His Quickening Spirit. Then pay attention to what He quickens (nudges, prompts) you to do. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus who is a QUICKENING SPIRIT! Arouse and invigorate me to do Your will. 

Are you looking to deepen your relationship with Christ? Check out our Bible studies! You can purchase printed Bible studies in the shop by clicking HERE. You can also complete free online Bible studies by clicking HERE.

Debbie will be teaching an 8-week series on the book of James beginning September 17. Learn more and register HERE.

Can’t make it in person? We’ve got you covered. Debbie’s teachings will also be available on her YouTube channel. Click HERE to subscribe and get notified of new teachings.

Have you ever thought, “I can’t believe I said that,” or “Why did I do that?” after saying or doing something you regretted and knew was wrong? Do you ever feel frustrated with your own sinful nature? I’m sure we’ve all been there. But here’s the good news—there is One who can purify us of our sins, and that One is Jesus. 

Hebrews 1:3 says, “When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Jesus did what we could never do for ourselves. He became the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for our sins, so that we could be purified and reconciled to God. Jesus was the only acceptable sacrifice because He Himself is pure and without sin. One who is not pure cannot make another pure, but One who is pure can purify us. 

How do we receive Christ’s purification for our sins? First John 1:7 says, “…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and walk in His ways, we are cleansed from our sins and made right with God. Oh, what a great and glorious work our Savior has done. He has purified us from our sins!

Lord Jesus, PURIFIER, thank You for Your sacrifice for my sins. I love, adore, and praise You!

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!

James is one of the most practical books of the Bible. It shows us how to live out our faith in real life. Join us for this 8-week study starting Sept. 17. Register HERE. 

If you can’t make it in person, the study will also be available online. Click HERE to access the James study when it begins along with other Bible studies. 

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words? If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners.

Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit: “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

We don’t please God by trying to improve our old selves. We please God by learning to walk by His Spirit who is in us. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). We’ll also struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work in us, perfecting us. 

Lord, my PROVIDER, thank You for Your Spirit by whom I can walk. 

Would you like to learn more about being led by God’s Spirit and become better equipped to discern God’s voice? Listen to this free podcast teaching: “Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.”

Does the prevalence of evil in our society cause you to be fearful for loved ones, yourself, and even those you don’t know? Once, after speaking at a church, a mom confided in me that she feared for her child. Part of her fear was because she had been molested as a child. Part was due to the moral decline in our nation and the increase in lawlessness throughout our world. What hope was I able to give her?

Prayer. Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:13, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We can pray daily for others and ourselves. We can pray for the unsaved and those who are blinded by evil. We can pray God will open their eyes and they will turn to the Truth and Light.

The Bible. The Bible is a safeguard that teaches us what to do and not do. We can teach our children to respect and obey God and His Word which will keep them from walking in evil ways.

Eternal Salvation. We can’t escape all evil influences, but, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 comforts us that the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. That is a promise to which we can cling. 

Which of the above could you strengthen to safeguard you and your family from evil?

Heavenly Father, You are the PROTECTOR of my loved ones and me. Thank You for Your Word that shows us how to live. Thank You that I can pray to You rather than be afraid.

Today, we remember 9/11. A day when our nation was shaken by evil. But evil didn’t win then, and it will never ultimately win. Christ Jesus is the victor over evil. He overcame evil and sin and the sting of sin, death. All who place their faith in Christ will live eternally in His glorious presence. Today and continually we remember with gratefulness our loved ones, friends, and the many we will never know until heaven—those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Today we also remember with utmost gratefulness the Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life for our souls. We must never forget either.

Would you like a way to record prayers for your loved ones and our world? Get a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal HERE. 

There’s still time to sign up for the James Bible study beginning September 17. Click HERE to learn more and register. If you can’t attend in person, the teachings will also be available on YouTube. Go HERE to subscribe to Debbie’s channel so you don’t miss the James study and future Bible studies. 

Would you like to be more prosperous? When you think of being prosperous, what comes to mind? 

Most of us probably equate prosperity with material wealth. However, there is another kind of prosperity which Jesus demonstrated and Isaiah 52:13 points out. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).

Isaiah says Jesus would be prosperous? Was He? In what way?

The word “prosper,” which is used in Isaiah 52:13, is translated from a word that means “successful.” Was Jesus successful? Yes. Although at times it appeared He was anything but successful or prospering, He was. He wonderfully fulfilled God’s will as no one else could have and secured our salvation for eternity in heaven. 

Jesus was successful because He was obedient to the will of God. His success story involved humility and suffering rather than wielding His power and authority. Jesus prospered, in fact, by making Himself nothing, by taking on the very nature of a servant, by becoming obedient to death on a cross. The result? God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:7-11). 

Yes, when you think of Jesus, think of Him prospering, succeeding on your behalf. 

Lord Jesus, PROSPEROUS ONE, I praise You. Thank You for successfully securing my salvation and a place with You for all eternity.

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Are you familiar with the Rolling Stones’ 1965 song “[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”? 

Keith Richards and Mick Jagger’s lyrics, “can’t get no satisfaction” resonated with people in the 1960s and also today. But do you know who has found satisfaction? God.

First John 2:2 says, “He [Jesus] Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 

The word propitiation means satisfaction. This verse tells us that Jesus satisfied God’s righteous requirement that sin be dealt with rather than ignored. 

How did Jesus do that ? He substituted His life for ours. How incredible!

If its been a while since we thanked Jesus for satisfying God’s righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, now would be a good time to do that. 

Jesus, PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS, thank You for sacrificing Your life for my sins. I love You! 

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Have you been wishing you could do something in response to the July 4 flood? You can! Gather a few friends and join Debbie’s teaching on James. She’ll be unpacking why we face trials, how to prepare for them, and how to walk through them when they come.

This is a study for everyone and lasts just 8 weeks. Register HERE today so you don’t miss the important introduction on September 17.

Have you ever called a psychic hotline or used Tarot cards because you wanted to know what was in your future? If so, you’ll be encouraged to know there’s a better option.

Ezekiel 13:7 tells us not to seek knowledge by means of divination (Tarot cards, psychic hotline, etc.), but rather to look to “…Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people” (Luke 24:19). 

Yes, God tells us to look to Jesus and the Bible for wisdom, insight, and comfort and to trust Him for today’s and tomorrow’s needs.

When we want to know the future and want to know what to do, we are to read the Bible and pray. 

Jesus is the One we are to seek. He is the One we can trust.

Jesus, You are God’s PROPHET who speaks truth. Stir my mind and heart to seek You and Your will when the future is unsure and I need direction. Help me walk trustingly in how You guide me.  

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.