Week 4 Preview of Love God Greatly’s, The Importance of Prayer
Looking Back
Last year we looked at these same verses around this same time of year and here’s what I wrote that day in response:
My daughter gave birth to her first child this weekend, my first grandchild. What a wonderful gift from God that has filled our family with rejoicing! As my mother said, “He’s the beginning of a new generation.” My father, who recently passed away, would have certainly been rejoicing over this little guy. He would have been rejoicing in the hope of him knowing the Lord and the hope of God using him for great things would have been at the top of his list. It strikes me how fitting this is with today’s lesson about “rejoicing in hope”, specifically in the “Hope of God’s glory”. God’s glory, as defined by Bibleref.com, “is Himself and all that is His”. As God’s children, we have the great privilege of HOPE – not a hope that something may happen but of the expectation that it will happen. An expectation that comes from believing in Christ without seeing – and trusting in the promises associated with our faith. The hope of eternity, the hope of peace and grace and mercy, the hope of forgiveness! We rejoice in the HOPE of His love come down every Christmas, and in His death, burial and resurrection with baptisms and every communion we partake of. As God’s children we have HOPE and when we truly understand the foundation of our HOPE we will be moved to rejoice in the goodness of our God and all that is His – and this my friends – should have a great effect on how we pray.
Looking Ahead
Sweet to look back on memories like this – sweeter still is the HOPE that is renewed by what God has done in the past that has demonstrated His love and faithfulness to His children.
Week 4 promises to be interesting, as we will journey through both the Old and New Testaments, covering some passages that reveal “How God Answers Prayers”. On Friday we will look at one of my favorite Ephesian passages, which proclaims that God is able to do more than we ask or even imagine – Talk about HOPE!
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT
I invite you to join me daily and pray that you will find the journey to be a source of delight and an encouragement to your soul. Jeremiah said it like this – “[God], Your Words were found and I ate them and Your words became to me a source of joy and the delight of my heart -” Jeremiah 15:16.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.
Romans 8:26-27 NET
I remember the first time I read this verse, well – at least the first time I read it with any understanding and appreciation for what it says. That day was more than three decades ago and even though I’ve experienced many seasons of stifled prayers since that time the truth is still as sweet and refreshing today as it was then. When emotions or tiredness or life bogs us down – we may want to pray but find that no words will come, or when words come but they are all jumbled up because mind and heart are a jumbled mess of trials or temptations and we just aren’t sure how to pray – this is the truth that allows us to sit quietly before God knowing His Spirit is at work on our behalf – by and for God’s will. That’s a powerful truth and a privilege of prayer that we must not miss. God, so wants to interact with us – and He so wants us to be confident and able to rest in Him that in His sovereign knowledge and provision He provided a means for us to pray even in our weakest moments, or greatest temptations, or deepest griefs. Whether we are so physically tired we can’t think, or so spiritually weak we don’t know if we even want to pray – God made a way. Not only does His Spirit teach us and remind us of everything He has said (Jn 14:26), He takes our groans, our unutterable words, our aches and pains of heart, mind, body, and soul and He delivers them to God on our behalf – and He does this because God willed it to be so. – Why? Because, as Peter wrote, God cares for us – (1 Peter 5:7). So, here I was studying this verse again – so familiar to me that I can say it in my sleep and claim it often in those moments of unformed words, which are all too-frequent now – yet I found myself once again making notes like I had never read or understood it before. I’m looking back at those notes now and here’s the one that jumped off the page at me – actually it’s been on my mind everyday for the last 6 days … “Just because we don’t know how or what to pray doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray – We may be silenced by our emotions or distracted by our season of life but we can still sit quietly before Him – trusting Him to know our hearts and minds as His Spirit intercedes on our behalf.”
” Just because we don’t know how or what to pray doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray – We may be silenced by our emotions or distracted by life but we can still sit quietly before Him – trusting Him to know our hearts and minds as His Spirit intercedes”
Inspired by The Importance of Prayer, a LGG Study, w3d2
Today’s Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:13-15; SOAP: 1 John 5:14
I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
Once upon a time …. God lived in a temple built by human hands. His presence was behind a curtain and accessible only through an earthly priest. God’s people would come to the temple to worship as they had been instructed and to offer sacrifices of the blood of animals. Their sacrifices were atonements to pay for all the ways they had broken the laws that God had given them – no matter how hard they might try to keep the law as God desired – it was an impossible feat. The earthly priest, who was allowed to pass behind the curtain once a year, would make sacrifices on behalf of himself and the people year after year because their’s was not an everlasting atonement.
“The veil in the temple was a constant reminder that sin renders humanity unfit for the presence of God. The fact that the sin offering was offered annually and countless other sacrifices repeated daily showed graphically that sin could not truly be atoned for or erased by mere animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, through His death, has removed the barriers between God and man, and now we may approach Him with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16).”
Gotquestions.org
However, in time, God sent forth His only “begotten son” to become an atonement that would forever cover the sins of all those who believed in him. The atonement did not come easy, not only did God give up His one and only son, the son had to be born as a human and dwell among men. He took on the form of a servant and He loved like no one had loved before. He called others to follow him and performed miraculous acts of compassion through healing. He walked among the pious, devoutly religious, and sinners. He was questioned, ridiculed, and eventually sentenced to death – though no wrong could be proved against him.
Though he had faced all the temptations known to man – he was a man without sin. He was hung upon a criminal’s cross and He was crucified. A crown of thorns was used to mock his claim to be ‘king of the Jews’. He was stripped of his clothes, spit upon, and tortured beyond our understanding – all so that God’s plan would be accomplished. This plan, His plan, was born out of His love and His desire to dwell among men. It was a plan to save people from their sins – not through the sacrifices of animals over and over again but through His son who met all the requirements of a perfect sacrifice, a once and for all sacrifice. He was the true and spotless ‘Lamb of God’.
Remember the curtain… the one that stood between man and God … the one that was a constant reminder of sins that separated man from God? Well, when the son died, he proved to be the true and spotless lamb, for when he died the curtain in the temple, where God lived, was torn in two. It was not torn by human hands but miraculously from the top to the bottom – torn as a symbol that the wall between God and man was forever removed.
The size and thickness of the veil make the events occurring at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross so much more momentous. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51a). … So, what do we make of this? What significance does this torn veil have for us today? Above all, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus’ death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It signified that now the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile.
Gotquestions.org
From that time forward, even to this day, the son’s blood covers all the sins of every man, woman, and child – from every tribe, nation, and tongue who believes in him, the son of God. Believers are adopted into God’s family and given the full rights of sons and daughters of God. As such, they are no longer separated by a curtain but are invited to approach God – to come before Him – with confidence that when they ask anything according to His will He will hear them and answer accordingly.
I haven’t posted weekend reflections for a while now but decided I would this weekend. As I was typing them out, this passage from James came to mind – may it be a help and encouragement to you as we continue on this Journey through God’s Word –
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25 NLT
REFLECTIONS FROM WEEK 2 OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER –
What do we learn when we see how Jesus took time out of His day to get away and pray?
How to anger and unforgiveness hinder your prayers?
How was the power of prayer exhibited in Acts 9:40? What does this teach us about the power of prayer?
When we pray for ourselves and others, what is one thing we should pray for based on Ephesians 3:16?
Why is it important to abide in Christ? How can we do this when we pray?
If you missed any of the posts for week 2 you can find them at the following links –
Inspired by a LGG Bible Study, “The Importance of Prayer”, w2d5
Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8; SOAP (5)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit because apart from me you can accomplish nothing”
John 15:5 NET
Jesus is teaching His disciples that He is their source of life ; and He goes on to say that they [the disciples] are the branches. He doesn’t stop with that analogy though, but continues the lesson that gives them the key to being a healthy – thriving “branch”, which is to abide, or remain in Him. In the context of the analogy it might sound like this – ‘the one who remains attached to Me – and I remain in him – bears much fruit …” or the evidence of Christ in us – Galatians 5:22-25)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. \
Galatians 5:22-25
As for the little clause, “and I in him“, is a given fact, for Christ said – “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20. And, of course, in John 14:18 He told them that He would send the Holy Spirit so that they would not be orphans, in other words He wouldn’t leave them alone. Jesus made it clear that He will always be with us – the choice is ours – to stay the course of a true disciple, remaining attached to Jesus, the “True Vine” – or not. Note the passage from Galatians defines those who“belong to Christ” [a true disciple] as having “nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.” He then identifies the disciples who belong to Him as ones who live by the Spirit, and encourages them to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of their lives.
Oh Father, may we choose well in our walk of faith, holding fast to the eternal life to which you have called us and about which we have declared before many witnesses in our churches and neighborhoods, at our jobs and to our families. Lord let us not falter but help us to faithfully keep in step with the Spirit – so that in all things we do and say – fruit will abound – disciples will multiply and You will be glorified! In the mighty name of Jesus – Amen!
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,
Ephesians 3:14-16
To understand the “reason” that Paul talking about when he kneels before the Father we need to look back at the previous verses, specifically verse 12 where Paul writes about coming before the Father with boldness and confidence. “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” He continues the thought here by putting it into practice. He kneels before the Father to pray. He continues on by uniting Himself to the Father in name and then praying according to His glory. He prays specifically for strength and power, but notice how even Paul’s requests draws the focus to the Father as he acknowledges the power would come through God’s Spirit. What a powerful and God honoring prayer that we would do well to model. I couldn’t help but think of another verse as I was writing – one that is most likely very familiar to you as well.
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15
The above comments were written when I was soaping this verse a year ago. My observations this time around were very much the same but also included the following:
looking back to verse 1 for insight to the phrase, “For this reason”, which could also include his opening words – “For the sake of the Gentiles”. focusing on the goal to reach all people with the Gospel message.
Noting, as I have before, that the posture of kneeling is believed to be a gesture of attributing lordship to God
However, perhaps the best additional nugget of truth was a deeper look at his particular prayer that they be strengthened with power through His Spirit, “in the inner person”. As noted above, Paul was drawing the focus to the Father and acknowledging the power would come from His Spirit, but how sweet is this last little phrase that serves as a reminder that “it’s who’s on the inside that makes us strong and able.”
Without His Spirit living in us we would not remember or understand what has been written in His Word – John 14:26
We would not be able to approach His throne – certainly not with confidence and boldness 1 John 5:14-15
We would not be able to claim with Paul, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us – Phil 4:13
We would not have everything we need for a godly life or be able to participate in the divine nature – 2 Peter 1:3-4
We would not be able to claim the promises of benefits in this life and in the life to come – 1 Tim 4:8
We would not know peace of mind and heart – John 14:16-30 (27)
Sweet stuff – right? These are the truths we must cling to, they are the truths that should move us to live and pray as Paul did. They are the truths we should share with others
Father, help us not just to come boldly but to come with confidence and not just to come with confidence but with the distinct purpose of reaching all people with the message of the Gospel. Help us to live and to pray in the Spirit – to continually be growing and straining toward the righteousness you desire for Your children – for we are called by Your name – saved by the blood of Your Son, and filled with Your Spirit in who we are made strong and able! – Amen, In Jesus’ Name –
Heres a little line from a song that came to mind as I was writing … “My God is so big so strong and [able] there’s nothing that He cannot do …” May it get stuck in your head and lived out in your life and prayers.
Inspired by the LGG study, “The Importance of Prayer”, w2d2
Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:17-23; SOAP Matthew 5:23-24
23 (So then), if you bring your gift to the altar and there (you remember that your brother has something against you,) 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24
“So then” refers to something that came before, which in this case would be the teaching of Jesus that unity between believers was very important, vs.17-22. Verses 21 and 22 specifically referred to anger, murder, insults, and even careless words and the judgement these things would bring. Bringing your gift to the altar [worshipping] was important business between man and God – but the teaching here indicates, even more, the value God places on a pure heart, which includes right relationships with others*. So great was the priority of your relationship with others that Jesus said it would be better to delay the act of worshipping God to settle the issue. Make note here that the teaching isn’t to forego worship because of anger but to lay ‘it’ aside until there has been reconciliation and then return to worship. Also note that this verse isn’t talking about you being wronged but about someone who believes you have wronged them in some way. Jesus’ teaching is vital to the unity of the body. The bottom line is. We must care so much about others that we seek to not offend them and to quickly make things right if we do.
Jesus replied, the most important commandment is this: Listen O Israel, the Lord our God is the one and only Lord and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and with all your mind. The second is equally important, love your neighbor as your self. No other commandment is greater than these.
35 (Then Jesus) got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, (and) went out (to a deserted place), and there he spent time in prayer.
Mark 1:35 (NET)
Where did you learn to pray? Perhaps it was at the dinner table or by your bed, maybe it was in church, or in a small group meeting. Wherever it was, whenever it was, and whoever it was that taught you – there is no better place to learn about prayer than in God’s Word from Jesus Himself. Most of us are familiar with the “Lord’s Prayer”, where Jesus taught His disciples how to pray – with examples of what to say. However, throughout His ministry Jesus showed us, by example, so much more about prayer. And as Paul wrote to Timothy, what is written in the Scriptures is meant to train us in righteousness – to equip us for every good work.
All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. [So that] the servant of God may be throughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
One such occasion is found in Mark 1:35. On this particular occasion Jesus did four specific things. He 1got up, 2departed, 3went out and 4spent time in prayer. While I love spending time in prayer the first thing of the morning and believe it is important, I do not believe that this is the main point here; but rather – that He intentionally got up from what He was doing. A couple of translations combine the next two actions (went out and departed) found in this translation and at least four others that I use in my studies, but I love the separation of them. While I agree that they sound or seem similar in nature – “departed” and “went out” – I also believe when separated they tell the more accurate picture of what Jesus was doing. Indulge me for minute. It wasn’t enough for Jesus to just leave the room or the house where He was. After He left He then went out – or went further away from the place where He had been, specifically, to a deserted place. It’s really a beautiful picture and a great illustration for us. In this situation it wasn’t enough for Jesus to be in the next room with the door shut or outside on a ‘porch’. He wanted to make sure He was alone. Why? Because He wanted, and needed, to spend time with His Father in prayer. Knowing His need, He was determined and strategically took precautions against interruptions. He didn’t just need time away from people but time alone with God.
This leads me back to the start of the verse, Mark 1:35, where we read, “THEN Jesus got up …” The word ‘then‘ caused me to look back to see what came before and what I found was that He had been healing the sick (29-34). A similar situation to Mark’s rendering here is found in Matthew 14:13-23, where Jesus had fed thousands and then sent His disciples on ahead of Him and after sending the crowds away He went up the mountain “by Himself” to pray. We would be remiss not to notice that the context of both passages has Jesus needing, not just wanting, to be alone with the Father following the pouring out of Himself to others.
And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23
Jesus didn’t always go away alone to pray. Luke 11:1 tells us that after He had finished praying one of the disciples asked Him – “teach us to pray”. He prays a blessing over the food in Matthew 14:19. He also prays in the presence of His disciples in John 17:1-26, as well as in the presence of many witnesses as He hung on the cross Luke 23:33-34, and in one final cry to the father in Matthew 27:46 . However, He certainly did make a habit of getting alone with the Father as seen in our passages today, as well as Luke 5:16 and others. We would do well to follow His examples regularly. Separating ourselves not only from people but distractions of all kinds, including phones and other media devices. The noise and clamor of home or work, the needs and cries of the people, the activities, delights, and pleasures of the world all demand that we separate ourselves, not just to rest but more importantly, to spend time with the Father.
Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 5:16
For more from The Importance of Prayer, by Love God Greatly, read today’s blog at LoveGodGreatly.com
The Importance of Prayer, Love God Greatly 2023, w1d5
Read: Romans 15:30 and Colossians 1:9-12; SOAP: Colossians 1:9
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.11 We also pray that youwill be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
Colossians 1:9-12
He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
Colossians 1:8
Devoted to Prayer
Paul’s devotion to prayer teaches us much about praying for others in this one little passage, even in just this one focus/soap verse. Starting with the very first word we learn that we are to pray with a purpose. “So”, or “For this reason”, as found in the NET is a word or phrase that indicates the need to look back in order to truly understand why Paul and Timothy haven’t stopped praying for the believers at Colossae. When we look back to verse 8, we find the answer is because they heard how the Colossian believer’s love for others, a love given to them by the Holy Spirit. When we share the common bond of love – in the Spirit, whom we have received through faith in Christ, we will be or should be drawn to pray for one another. If we look carefully at verse 9 we will see at least three other lessons worth noting and I believe implementing in our own prayer lives.
Pray with a purpose: “because of your love in the Spirit.” (8)
Pray with others: “we have not stopped praying for you” (9)
Pray faithfully: “We have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you“. (9)
Pray specifically and in accordance with God’s will:“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His willand to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.“(9)
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Colossians 1:9
“I’ll pray for you” can easily become a trite statement, something we say as a Christian nicety but with very little or consistent follow through. However, I believe this passage, specifically verse 9, gives us cause to guard ourselves against the nicety of prayers and implement this example in our everyday prayer life. When we invest in the lives of other believers, like Paul teaches, we will make an impact not only in each other’s lives but in the way we live for God. We will be known to bear fruit and honor God, and we will develop and deepen a relationship with Him. We will find ourselves strengthened with His power, not lacking in endurance or patience, and filled with joy. Oh the blessing and privilege of praying for each other. May He find us faithful and may we find ourselves different because of it.
10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.11 We also pray that youwill be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
Colossians 1:10-12
Reflection Questions:
Who are you praying for?
Do you pray with purpose and faithfulness?
Do you pray specifically and in accordance with God’s will?
2I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. 3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
Psalm 145:2-3
For me, soaping this passage might look like the following –
Scripture:2I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. 3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Psalm 145:2-3
Observation:1. David makes it personal. He isn’t simply leading others to praise God – He is declaring his personal heart felt adoration for His God. 2. David is committed, pledging to praise God every day – forever. 3. David declares the Lord to be great and worthy of praise. 4. David is certain that no one can measure God’s greatness.
Application: If I am to emulate David, who was a ‘man after God’s own heart, I should seek to praise God forever and ever. I will declare His greatness, remember that He is “most” worthy of praise, and not allow anyone a greater place or tribute in my life – not because I’ve been told that He is great or because other people are praising Him but because I personally know that so great is He, His greatness cannot be measured.
Prayer: Father, thank you for David’s reminder that you are great and most worthy of praise. Help me to praise you throughout every day of my life, forever and forever. – Amen!
My SOAP
SOAPing Scripture is a beautiful and helpful technique of studying and understanding God’s Word. However, it is important, when doing so, to allow yourself the time and the joy of mining for other treasure. Or, as I like to say, to chase some ‘scripture squirrels’. So, naturally when my study for today – The Importance of Prayer by Love God Greatly – called for me to read Psalm 145 and SOAP only verses 2-3 – I ended up chasing down some squirrels.
As we discovered yesterday, praising God makes for a great time of worshipful prayer. This Psalm of David is an excellent example. He begins by lifting up, or exalting, the Lord in verse 1 and is still praising Him in verse 21. David declares in his own singular praise – I will exalt you, my God and King, and I will praise your name. Keep reading though and you will see that his praise leads to more praise, followed by an invitation or the expressed hope (4) for others to continue the praise – “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” Watch, then, as he purposes to meditate on some of the most beautiful characteristics and works of our God. According to David, when we think of God’s majestic, glorious splendor and His wonderful miracles we will proclaim His greatness. And because praise is contagious God’s awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue not just his own; David will proclaim God’s greatness, yet not just His greatness toward David, but an extensive resume’ of God’s character and previous works.
He keeps His promises;
He is gracious in all He does.
The Lord helps the fallen
He lifts those bent beneath their loads.
He gives them their food as they need it.
He satisfies the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
He is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on him,
He grants the desires of those who fear him;
He hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The Lord protects all those who love him
He destroys the wicked.
Look back with me to verses 5-13, and note that by proclaiming some simple yet profound truths of God, like His greatness and the fact that He is worthy of praise, David’s Psalm turns from the singular ‘I will’ statements to declaring that ‘everyone will’ and ‘they will’.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
Psalm 145:7
David knows what it is to benefit from or to see the Lord’s mercy and compassion or to experience His goodness. He knows how his own heart responds in praise to these things and surmises, based on his own experience, that because the Lord is merciful and compassionate and because the Lord is good to everyone, that His faithful followers will also cry out in praise. He says, they will speak of the Glory of God’s kingdom, they will tell about His mighty deeds and give examples of His power and talk about the majesty and glory of His reign.
… your faithful followers will praise you. 11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. 12 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
Psalm 145:10b-12
David ends the Psalm with the same declaration that he opened with, the pledge that “I will praise the Lord.” He then entreats everyone on earth to do the same. May we follow David in this most worthy quest. May our eyes and hearts and minds be opened to see, to hear, and to experience God – and then may we respond with praise – not just silent or whispered praises to Him but bold and confident praise that will testify to His goodness, His mercies, His grace, love, and magnificent works. May our praise ignite more praise both in us and in all those who hear or see what He is doing.
I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:21
Me, from the inside out
Reflection: What is something you can praise the Lord for today? I invite you to be the spark and leave a comment below.
It strikes me how fitting this is with today’s lesson about “rejoicing in hope”, specifically in the “Hope of God’s glory”. God’s glory, as defined by Bibleref.com, “is Himself and all that is His”. As God’s children, we have the great privilege of HOPE – not a hope that something may happen but of the expectation that it will happen. An expectation that comes from believing in Christ without seeing – and trusting in the promises associated with our faith. The hope of eternity, the hope of peace and grace and mercy, the hope of forgiveness! We rejoice in the HOPE of His love come down every Christmas, and in His death, burial and resurrection with baptisms and every communion we partake of. As God’s children we have HOPE and when we truly understand the foundation of our HOPE we will be moved to rejoice in the goodness of our God and all that is His – and this my friends – should have a great effect on how we pray.
Me From the Inside Out 