Debbie Taylor Williams

Quick question: Have you ever been ungrateful? Have you ever needed a loan? Have you ever been wrongly judged? Have you ever crossed the line or done something really bad? 

That was more than one question, wasn’t it? But they all point to topics that Jesus addressed prior to His statement in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” 

That’s something to think about, isn’t it? 

Our Heavenly Father is merciful to us. 

Now He says that we’re to show mercy to others. That’s a good reminder for me. Is it for you? Why not record a list of ways God has shown mercy to you? Then thank Him for each one and consider how you might show mercy to someone.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being MERCIFUL to me each and every day. Fill me with Your Spirit of mercy towards others.

Would you like an organized way to record you prayers and praises? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal.

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.

Throughout history, earthly rulers and leaders have ascended to positions of power, only for their authority to eventually be removed through the succession of another leader or by death. However, the Lord has always reigned over all the earth, and His reign can never be undone or overthrown. 

Joshua 3:13 confirms God’s unmatched position of authority: “It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth…” 

Psalm 24:1 also declares God’s supremacy: “The earth is the LORD’s and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.”

I often hear people say that it doesn’t matter who you worship, as long as you worship someone or something. But it matters to the Lord of all the earth. Why would the Lord of all the earth want His creation to bow to and follow another god? He doesn’t! He’s the One we’re to bow before, listen to, and follow—Him alone. Unlike earthly rulers, God is perfectly loving and just. We can trust His authority and leadership in our lives. 

Heavenly Father, I praise You, LORD OF ALL THE EARTH! Your majesty and power are glorious. You reign in perfect righteousness. 

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As we have studied the names of God, perhaps you’ve noticed that there are times when God announces, “This is who I am. This is My name.” Such is the case in Isaiah 42:8 when God announced, “I am the LORD, that is My name.”

He continues in the same breath, explaining what it means that His name is LORD. He states He will not give His glory to another. What does He mean? 

He means we are to praise Him and Him alone.

His announcement should cause us to think about our life and if we are giving praise to anything or anyone besides Him. In other words, are we making anything or anyone besides God the priority of our life? If we are, then we must bow before the LORD, repent, and profess Him as LORD. We must realign our life so it is a praise to Him. 

Consider: Is my life a praise to the LORD?

Heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, You alone are LORD. Forgive me for putting anything or anyone before You. I bow in humble reverence and praise before You. Make my life a praise to You.

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On April 8, 2024, millions of people witnessed the rare total solar eclipse. People watched in awe through their solar eclipse glasses as the moon passed in front of the sun, blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on the Earth. This extraordinary event gave observers a small glimpse into what life would be like without the light of the sun. 

Just as the sun illuminates darkness and provides light to the earth, Jesus provides spiritual light to the world. We’re reminded of this in John 8:12: “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’”

Although the sun may be dimmed by solar eclipses and clouds, Jesus is constantly brilliant and will one day be the source of Light by which we live for eternity. No doubt, when Jesus announced He was the Light of the World, He must have sounded braggadocios to His listeners. How could a carpenter from Nazareth claim to be the Light of the world? Yet, Jesus made the claim, and He is who He says. 

Jesus came from heaven bringing truth that enlightens every man who will receive Him. Invite Jesus into your heart and live in His brilliance for eternity.

Lord Jesus, You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD and our Light. We give You honor and praise!

Want to learn more about Jesus being the Light of the World? Debbie addresses this topic in her teaching on John 8. Watch it HERE. 

Have you ever looked for “life” in someone or something apart from Jesus? Perhaps in your younger years you were “the life of the party.” Maybe in your adult years you bought into the idea that the right job, house, car, or person would bring you all you wanted in life. But, perhaps later you realized that things and people can disappoint and fall short of that for which we long. 

If the temporal things of this world fail to provide true life or lasting fulfillment, then where or to whom can we turn? Jesus declared in John 14:6, “…’I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” This verse encourages us to turn to Jesus as the source of all life, both physical and spiritual. 

You see, nothing in this world can bring complete satisfaction. Our hearts will never be truly happy or fulfilled until they’re at home with the Lord. He is the life for which we yearn.

Lord, You are the way, the truth, and the LIFE! I bow and worship You.

To learn more about Jesus as the gate to eternal life in heaven, watch Debbie’s teaching on John 14 HERE or listen to it HERE.

When you were a child, did you play “follow the leader”?

If so, you probably remember how important it was to do what the leader did. If they placed their hand on their head, you were supposed to place your hand on your head. If they touched their toes, you were supposed to touch your toes. In order to follow, you had to keep your eye on the leader. You had to pay attention to the leader’s words. 

In Isaiah 48:17, God explains something that is not child’s play. Rather, it’s an incredible offer by our Spirit guide and leader from on high. He says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.”

Many people seek a human guide, palm reader, or turn to tarot cards for direction. Yet those are mere human instruments. God freely offers Himself, His Holy Spirit, to lead us. 

How closely are we listening to Him? How well are we following His lead?

God, You are my LEADER! What a blessing to follow You! Help me follow You more closely.

Have you ordered a copy of From My Heart, Poems of Faith? Within the pages, Debbie beautifully records her thoughts and prayers through the following sections: “Prayers to the Father,” “Poems of Faith,” and “Poems to Encourage.” As you read through each poem, you’ll find words of hope, comfort, and encouragement that deeply resonate with your heart. Grab a copy HERE. 

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what’s in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender love for him.

The eyes tell us what fills the heart. And so we wonder—what fills Jesus’ eyes? What if you were in His presence and He looked deeply into your eyes. What if you couldn’t take your eyes away from His. What would you see in His eyes for you? You’d see kindness; kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. Kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.

As the Apostle Paul asks in Romans 2:4, do we think lightly of His kindness and tolerance and patience toward us? In other words, are we going about our day hardly looking Christ’s way? When He convicts us of our sin, do we look in Jesus’ eyes and sincerely apologize to Him and perhaps the person we’ve wronged? Or, are we like a child who is caught doing something wrong and maybe at best, we mutter, “sorry.”

“Look in Jesus’ eyes,” we’re reminded. “Do we think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads us to repentance?”

Pause now to look into Jesus’ eyes and respond accordingly.

Dear Savior, You are so KIND and loving and patient. Forgive me for sinning against You when I sin against others.  May I look deeply in Your eyes and then turn and reflect Your kindness to others. 

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.

“That’s not fair!” How many times have we heard that impassioned objection from a child when they perceive something as unjust or inequitable? From an early age, we gain a sense of what’s fair and unfair or what’s just and unjust. We can quickly recognize other people’s sin nature when they’re acting unfairly, but as we mature, we must also learn to contend with and recognize our own sin nature.

The good news is that there is One who is not only perfectly just, but the ultimate justifier as well. That One is God. Romans 3:26 says, “…so that He [God] would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” 

What does this verse explain? That God declares us righteous when we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. God’s justification is not based on anything we’ve done. Rather, it is a gracious and merciful gift from God, based solely on the sacrificial death of Christ.

If we’re not already lifting our hands in praise of God; that He is both just and justifier, now is a good time to praise Him. “I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name” (Psalm 63:4).

I praise you, God, both just and JUSTIFIER!

Want to learn more about how to live by Christ’s divine nature instead of our sinful, fallen nature? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by going HERE.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Do you feel hopeless? Perhaps the last ray of hope to which you’ve clung just went out the window. Things may look black. Your future may appear bleak. Dark clouds may seem to hover over you no matter where you go or what you do. But the good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to have hope. Why? Because the God of hope resides within you through the Holy Spirit. It’s not a question of if you have hope. You do. The question is, are you allowing the God of hope to fill you with His joy and peace?

You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a matter of switching gears. Rather than attempting to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, try believing that God is on the throne. He’s sovereign. He sees you. He loves you. He has your best interest at heart. In faith, pray, “God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

God of HOPE, I praise You for giving me the Holy Spirit so I can abound in hope by His power. 

Would you like to learn more about how the God of Hope can fill you with joy and peace through the divine power of His Holy Spirit? Check out Debbie’s Bible study on 2 Peter, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature. This study will help you understand how to live by God’s divine nature even when life feels heavy. Click HERE to learn more and purchase your copy. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.