Debbie Taylor Williams

“… the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” 

Isaiah 52:12

Do you feel like every time you take a positive step forward, something else happens that you didn’t want or expect? Do you sometimes feel like you need eyes in the back of your head? Until we get to heaven we won’t know all the ways that God has and is protecting us. Not only does He go before us, God also describes Himself as a rear guard to those who are moving forward in His will according to His commands. Keep moving forward, dear one. The Lord will go before you and be your rear guard. All praise to Him!

Lord God, thank You for going before me and for being my REAR GUARD. All praise to You!

*Find additional verses, songs, & encouragement HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1

If we ever needed to be reminded of a truth, perhaps it is this one. God is our refuge. Government can’t save us from evil. Money can’t save us from evil. Physical fitness can’t save us from evil. God is our refuge. God is our strength. God is a very present help in trouble. God is worthy of our praise.

Lord, You are my REFUGE. I praise You!

*Find additional verses, songs, & encouragement HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” 

Zephaniah 3:17

Bombs. Terrorists. Pain. Suffering. “Where is God?” people often ask. Is He weak? Does He not care? Today we live in what is often referred to as a “fallen” world. We have fallen away from God. We have fallen from living by His commandments. We have a “fallen” nature that if left alone falls further and further into sin and evil. But, God is still with us. He is the ultimate victorious warrior. He is joyous over us when we turn to Him for salvation, and we will see that joy one day when we are in His presence. He is quiet in His love. No, we don’t hear trumpets and cymbals announcing God’s love. Rather, we know it in our hearts. We sense God’s presence and love. Wherever you are right now, God is with you.  He is quiet in His love for you, assuredly loving you. 

Heavenly Father, I praise You, that You are with me and QUIET IN YOUR LOVE for me.  

*Be encouraged HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him (Jesus) purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 

1 John 3:3

How do you feel about drinking dirty water? Not keen on the idea? How do you feel about following an impure savior? That doesn’t sound appealing either. In fact, it sounds horrible. We would want to run in the opposite direction if we discovered that the one to whom we committed our lives was deceitfully wicked. But our Lord is not. The One on whom our hope is fixed is pure.  He is worthy of our praise. He is worthy of us purifying ourselves as He is pure. 

Lord Jesus Christ, I praise You, a PURE spotless Savior! 

*Be encouraged HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

1 John 2:2

PROPITIATION. That’s a mouthful! It’s even harder to type. And, it’s probably not the first word you think of when you’re praising God. “Lord, You are love, joy, peace” rolls off our tongues a little easier than “Lord, You are the propitiation for my sins.” However, what trouble we’d be in if this did not describe our Savior. What does it mean? Satisfaction.  Do you remember the song that included the lyrics, “I can’t get no satisfaction”? Until Christ offered His life as a sacrifice for our sins, man tried every way to make up for sin. But, we might have heard the words, “I can’t get no satisfaction” flowing from heaven’s throne. Man’s attempts did not satisfy Holy God. Jesus Christ did satisfy God. And so we sing His praises!

Lord, thank You for being the PROPITIATION for my sins and for the sins of the whole world!

*More hints for living the Christian life can be found by clicking HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Do you ever fear for your life or the lives of loved ones? Recently, after speaking at a church, a young mom approached me and confided that she feared for her child. Part of her fear was because she had been molested as a child. Part stemmed from the culture in which we live, which is increasingly immoral. What comfort can we possibly find in the day in which we live? Prayer. As Jesus instructed in the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to deliver us from evil. We ask Him to protect us and others. 

Lord, You are faithful. I praise You for strengthening and PROTECTING us from the evil one!

*More hints for living the Christian life can be found by clicking HERE. Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“…Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people.”

Luke 24:19

Do you wish you knew the answer to your problems? Have you ever prayed, “Lord, direct me!” Or, “Show me what to do!” What if you were a prophet who could foretell the future. Would that be cool? Jesus was a prophet. He knew what was coming down the road. And, although the Bible doesn’t always outline the specifics of our day, Jesus used the Scriptures to point out events past, present, and future; a good reason to read what our Prophet taught. It will prepare you for today and tomorrow. It will help answer your questions.

Jesus, You are a PROPHET mighty in deed and word. I praise You!  

*Click HERE for daily encouragement.  Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“…you put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.”

Acts 3:15

Can you imagine the conversations that took place after God raised Jesus from the dead? Some didn’t believe it at first. Others couldn’t help but acknowledge it when they saw Jesus, touched Him, and observed Him eating fish. He wasn’t a ghost. He wasn’t a figment of their imagination. 500 people witnessed seeing the resurrected Prince of life. In other words, they couldn’t kill Him dead forever. He took one walk down death’s corridor and experienced death in its fulness. But then He walked right back into life. Why? How? Because Jesus is the PRINCE of LIFE. He couldn’t stay dead. And, what’s more – He is your Prince of life. He won’t let you stay dead. He’s waiting on the other side when you walk the corridor of death. You need not fear.

Lord Jesus, I praise You, the PRINCE of LIFE. In you, death has lost its sting.  

*Find more daily encouragement HERE.  Did you miss an attribute? The list is HERE. Be sure to record them in your Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365 at the end of 2013!

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Peace? Continually? In every circumstance? Are you kidding?” we might ask someone and then continue, “You don’t know my circumstances!” Is the apostle Paul delusional? No. In fact, he knows loneliness, being ship wrecked, and the harshness of being beaten and wrongly imprisoned. His circle of ministry includes people who won’t work but expect handouts and others who are busybodies. He knows physical suffering. So perhaps he’s someone to whom we should listen. Why? Because what Paul is talking about is experiencing GOD in the midst of our circumstances. We have it wrong if we expect all peaceful circumstances on this earth. That’s what heaven is. But today, right now, God offers Himself: the Lord of peace and His presence to us. 

I praise You, Lord, for Your PEACE and presence with me in every circumstance. 

*Find more encouragement HERE.  Did you miss an attribute? The list is HERE. Be sure to record them in your Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365 at the end of 2013!

“There is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

1 Timothy 2:5

31 flavors. Baskin Robbins wowed ice cream lovers when it opened. Instead of offering only a few flavors, it offered multiple ones through its combinations of flavors and cones.  Unfortunately, our world has adopted a “31” viewpoint about God. We’ve decided we can get to Him through self-improvement programs, buying our way, or the world religion of our choice. But guess what. God has already chosen His mediator: Christ. Jesus is the one mediator between God and us. God sent Him to save the WORLD. There are not 31 flavors of salvation. There is one. Let’s praise HIM! 

Christ Jesus, We praise You, the ONE MEDIATOR between God and us!  

*Use the weekend to be encouraged in your faith HERE.