Tag Archives: glory to god

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Language of Heaven

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Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! —Psalm 66:1

When believers gather and worship the Lord, something wonderful happens. As Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). This does not mean that God lives in the church. In a sense He does, if we are speaking of believers. Because we are the church, He lives in us. But God doesn’t live in a building.

But when God’s people meet together, something changes. And what changes is that He manifests His presence in a supernatural way when we gather to worship Him and honor Him. And when we praise God together, whether it’s in prayer or in prayer set to song in worship, we are doing what we were created to do. We are here to bring glory to God.

The Bible tells us that God has created all things for His glory (see Isaiah 43:7). And Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Some might say, “Well, I don’t really have a good voice.” Neither do thousands of contestants on American Idol, but that didn’t stop them. And it shouldn’t stop you. When we sing to the Lord, it is not a performance for each other; it is a performance for an audience of one: God. And God isn’t really all that impressed with your pitch or how loudly you sing. He is really far more interested in what is going on in your heart. So if that is all you can do, then that is good enough.

From Genesis to Revelation, our faith is one of worship. And in Heaven, we will sing (see Revelation 15:2–4). Worship is the language of Heaven. So let’s start practicing now.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Water Problems

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Our Daily Bread

Romans 13:1-7

There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. —Romans 13:1

Our church family was excited to see work begin on our new sanctuary. Each Sunday we eagerly looked at the big hole in the ground. But progress seemed slow.

It all came down to water. Too much in one place and not enough in another. An underground spring was one problem. Construction could not continue until inspectors were satisfied that water was being directed away from the site. At the same time, city officials said we didn’t have enough water coming into the building for a sprinkler system—so new lines for water had to be added. None of us wanted the project to be slowed down by these rulings, but we realized that if codes weren’t followed, we would face serious problems in the future.

Sometimes we grumble about government and other officials. But a proper respect for authority honors God. Paul, who had his own problems with those in charge, wrote, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1). And later, “Do what is good, and you will have praise from [the authorities]” (v.3).

As we let God’s Spirit teach us, we can have a healthy attitude toward government. It’s for our good, the testimony of our faith, and most of all for God’s honor. —Dave Branon

Thank You, Lord, for people who are willing to serve in

our local, state, and national governments. We pray that

they will seek righteousness and justice and that You

will help us to respect those You have placed over us.

Respect for authority brings glory to God.

 

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John MacArthur – Praying As Jesus Prayed

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“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen'” (Matt. 6:9-15).

Many people have memorized the Disciples’ Prayer so they can recite it often, but as beautiful as it is, it wasn’t given for that purpose. In fact, after Jesus gave it, no one in the New Testament recited it–not even Jesus Himself (cf. John 17)!

The disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them a prayer, but to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). There is a significant difference. Jesus preceded His prayer by saying, “Pray, then, in this way” (v. 9), which literally means, “Pray along these lines.” His prayer was a general pattern for all prayer, and although it wasn’t recited, its principles are evident in all New Testament prayers.

Christ’s model prayer teaches us to ask God for six things: (1) that His name be honored, (2) that He brings His kingdom to earth, (3) that He does His will, (4) that He provides our daily needs, (5) that He pardons our sins, and (6) that He protects us from temptation. Each one contributes to the ultimate goal of all prayer, which is to bring glory to God. The last three are the means by which the first three are achieved. As God provides our daily bread, pardons our sins, and protects us when we are tempted, He is exalted in His name, kingdom, and will.

If you understand and follow Christ’s pattern for prayer, you can be assured that you are praying as He instructed, and that whatever you ask in His name, He will do, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

Suggestions for Prayer: Do your prayers reflect the six elements outlined in the Disciples’ Prayer? If not, work on making them a regular part of your prayers.

For Further Study: Read Matthew 6:1-8, where Jesus discusses some of the practices of the Jewish religious leaders.

What practices and motives did He mention?

How did He feel about their spiritual leadership?