What a fun Saturday afternoon in Maseru, Lesotho!
praising God
Glorifying or Profaning His Name?
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (NIV) Psalm 86:12
From Genesis to Revelation we see that God has one central purpose for creation and for mankind. It all comes down to 1 issue – His glory! As Christians live like Christ, others see the character of God fleshed out before them. . . our visible lifestyle spotlights the invisible yet Almighty God. . .and that brings Him glory! In contrast, the Hebrew word that is translated “profane” basically means “to treat as common or ordinary.” We “profane” God’s name, when our lives reflect that our God is just “ordinary.” Today we either glorify or profane God’s Name by what we say and think and do.
- You profane God’s Name when you harbor anger or bitterness against someone. You glorify God’s Name when you forgive.
- You profane God’s Name when you steal the limelight when you use His gifts. You glorify God’s Name when you’re in His shadow and give Him the glory.
- You profane God’s Name when you are critical of others. You glorify God’s Name when you build others up.
- You profane God’s Name when you gossip or when you are quick to speak. You glorify God’s Name when you think before you speak.
- You profane God’s Name when you squander your time. You glorify God’s Name when you use your time wisely.
- You profane God’s Name when you are jealous of what others have. You glorify God’s Name when you are thankful for what God has given you.
Are you glorifying or profaning God’s Name?
Making Him Ordinary
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (NIV) Psalm 86:12
From Genesis to Revelation we see that God has one central purpose for creation and for mankind. It all comes down to 1 issue – His glory! As Christians live like Christ, others see the character of God fleshed out before them. . . our visible lifestyle spotlights the invisible yet Almighty God. . .and that brings Him glory! In contrast, the Hebrew word that is translated “profane” basically means “to treat as common or ordinary.” We “profane” God’s name, when our lives reflect that our God is just “ordinary.” Today we either glorify or profane God’s Name by what we say and think and do.
We profane God’s Name when. . .
Money is a higher priority than God
Our careers are a higher priority than God
Approval from others is more important than approval from God
Achievement is a higher priority than God
Possessions are a higher priority than God
Notoriety is a higher priority than God
When we attempt to use any of these to meet our needs instead of God, we proclaim to those around us that “God is not enough.” What about you? Are you glorifying God’s name or making it “ordinary”?
Thanking Him
. . .but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV) 1 Corinthians 15:57
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:15
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (NIV) Colossians 1:12
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIV) Colossians 3:17
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (NIV) Revelation 7:12
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. (NIV) Revelation 11:17
Giving Thanks!
Join me in giving thanks to God for who He is!
- Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (NIV) 1 Chronicles 16:34
- Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (NIV) Psalm 100:4
- You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. (NIV) Psalm 118:28
- The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (NIV) Psalm 28:7
- Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (NIV) 1 Chronicles 16:8
Join me in giving thanks to God for what He has done for all His children!
- . . .thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV) 1 Corinthians 15:57
- Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:15
- I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. (NIV) 1 Timothy 1:12
- But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (NIV) Romans 6:17
- Thanks be to God– through Jesus Christ our Lord! (NIV) Romans 7:25
- give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 5:18
And I thank God for each of you!
- We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 1:2
- We ought always to thank God for you, brothers (and sisters), and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. (NIV) 2 Thessalonians 1:3
- I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. (NIV) 1 Corinthians 1:4
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. (NIV) Revelation 11:17
The Worry Solution
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NAS) Philippians 4:6-7
What do you worry about? Do you dwell on the unforeseen? Do you worry about imaginary events that never happen? Do you worry over people or matters which you have no control over? Do you worry when you have nothing to worry about?
Which do you spend more time doing, worrying or praying? The Bible tells us, don’t worry about anything. . . but pray about everything!
The next time that you find yourself a worried mess, get alone with God. Begin by praising Him for who He is and then unload your heart. God will not be surprised by what you tell Him, He already knows all about it! But, after you’ve made your requests known to Him, don’t miss out on expressing your appreciation to Him. Thank Him for all He’s done for you. . . and all that He will do for you. . . “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” What an incredible promise: God’s peace will stand guard over your heart and mind! Notice that it doesn’t say that your problems will go away, but, that you will experience a peace, a quiet confidence, regardless of what is going on around you. I don’t know about you, but I find it’s a great trade-off, I get rid of worry and in return receive peace from God. Which will you choose?
Powerful Praying
Once you have prepared your heart by praising God and cleansed your heart through confession of sin, you are prepared for powerful praying in God’s will. The Bible tells us: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us– whatever we ask– we know that we have what we asked of him.” (NIV) I John 5:14-15
There is one sure way to know that your requests are according to God’s will. If there is a verse or passage of Scripture that directly relates to your request or a principle from God’s Word that applies, you can pray with confidence! God’s Word will never contradict God’s will.
George Mueller (1805-1898) of Bristol, England was one of the mightiest men of prayer in his time. He raised over $8 million dollars (think of how much that would be in today’s money!) through prayer for the several orphanages that he founded. But, George Mueller never prayed for anything just because he wanted it, or even if he felt that it was needed for God’s work. Here’s what one author writes about Mueller’s prayer life:
“When it was laid upon George Mueller’s heart to pray for anything, he would search the Scriptures to find if there was some promise that covered the case. Sometimes he would search the Scriptures for days before he presented his petition to God. And then when he found the promise, with his open Bible before him and his finger upon that promise, he would plead that promise with an open Bible before him.” (from The Power of Prayer by R.A. Torrey)
Are you that kind of a “pray-er”? Do you pray with complete confidence because you know it’s God’s will because it came from God’s Word?
“Breathing Out” Praise for God
Here’s another insight on praising of God. In response to the question “Why praise?” is another question, “Why breathe?.” Praising God is as essential to spiritual health and growth as breathing is to our physical well being.
As we breathe out our praise to God, we can then breathe in the further blessedness of who He is. A Christian who has shallow spiritual breathing can trace the problem to his heart, the center of his emotions. In the physical realm, heart failure results in shallow breathing with serious consequences unless the heart problem is recognized. So too in the spiritual arena.
King David said it well in Psalm 26:2, “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. . .” Then with David again, we can rejoice and praise God as he said in Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
By God’s grace may we all “breathe praises” to God and have “leaping hearts!
Written by Neil Glass used with permission.