Prayer Study Week Four Lesson Two

“Righteousness of God”

God always acts in righteousness even when we do not understand His actions.  He is righteous in all things especially in His relationship with us. Knowing this about God is essential to prayer. In God’s relationship to mankind He is always right. We may not think or feel that He is, but in all truth, He is. God doesn’t have to work on His relationship with us because it is  already perfect. We have to get our relationship right with Him. To do this, we must understand what righteousness from God looks like.

Read Psalm 89:14 (NIV) and fill in the blanks. “____________________ and ______________ are the _____________________ of Your throne; __________ and ___________________ go before You.”

The Throne of God
God’s throne is the place of His authority and His is the ultimate authority. No one outranks God. This passage tells us that the foundation of His throne, the seat of all authority, is righteousness and justice. Theses two go hand-in-hand and perfectly describe His position as God. Let’s look at both words and see why they are coupled together:

Righteousness
The word for “righteousness” in Hebrew is “sedeq” and means, “the unswerving adherence to the standard of fairness. It denotes honesty in regard to weights and measures and is made according to the truth without partiality.”

Justice 
The word for “justice” in Hebrew is “mispat” and means “the upholding of what is just and fair. It is the giving of due reward in accordance with the law.”

So, if we combine these words we see that God is unswerving from the adherence to the standard of fairness. He is always right in His relationships.

Righteous + Justice = Fairness

God upholds righteousness in His actions of justice, giving due reward in accordance with His law. I’m not trying to give you a course in the Hebrew language but looking at these definitions in the original language helps us to better comprehend. I want you to understand, as I want to understand myself, the foundation of God’s throne as we approach Him in worship. We’ve got to realize that He issues only righteousness and justice in His actions toward us. Though righteousness and justice are attributes of God and define His authority, the foundation of His throne, we also see that love and faithfulness go before Him.


Psalm 89:14b (NIV) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Read Psalm 85:10 -13. How is God’s righteousness described in these verses?


Love and faithfulness meet together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. When the two are joined, a picture is seen. When we respond to God’s righteousness (right relationship) with the righteousness that He supplies us, then peace is the result no matter what the circumstances indicate. Love and faithfulness, resulting in His peace, are attributes of God and we see them plainly as we enter the throne room of the Almighty in prayer and worship.

Love + Faithfulness = Peace

The Horn of God
Read Psalm 89:15-18. (NIV) Fill in the blanks.


“________________ are those who have ________________to ______________ You, who walk in the _____________ of Your __________________, O Lord. They rejoice in Your _____________ all day long; they exult in Your _________________________. For You are their __________ and ____________, and by Your _____________ You exalt our __________. Indeed, our ______________ belongs to the Lord, our King to the __________ _________ of Israel.”

Verse 17 reads, “For you are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt our horn.” The “horn” was a symbol of strength. In this particular verse it symbolizes “the strong one,” indicating an individual which we now know to be Jesus. He is the “Strong One” who has defeated sin, death and the evil one by placing Himself on the altar as a sacrifice for our sins before God. Jesus supplies the strength we need for our lives. When we go to Him in prayer, we worship Him because of His mighty power and strength.

Worship God because of Jesus the perfect display God’s strength!

The Shield of God
We all know what a shield does. It is a means of defense and protection. When we come under the protection of God’s shield, we submit to His power and authority. Don’t misunderstand, there are still arrows aimed at us from the evil one. However, by faith, we submit to the protection of God’s shield through our obedience to Him. When we choose to walk around the shield of His perfect will and do things on our own, we leave ourselves open for attack. Our submission to God Almighty is the key. We stand behind our Strength ~ Jesus and He protects us from the assault of Satan.

Read the following verses and write in your own words how the shield is used and the effect of it:


Psalm 18:1-2




Ephesians 6:16




1 Peter 1:3-5



Jesus is the Shield of our salvation and provides spiritual protection against the forces of evil in this world. Our earthly bodies may be harmed or even die, but no one can touch the eternal part of us ~ our spirits, they belong to the Holy One ~ The Shield of God ~ Jesus!

Satan is after our spirits and desires to destroy our relationship with God. He may kill our earthly bodies, but he can never touch our eternal lives because we belong to God. We are victorious because Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords because He has triumphed over death.

Worship God because of His Shield ~ Jesus Christ!

Prayer Time
Go to your Prayer Journal and take time to worship the righteousness of God. Realize that the way He relates to you in your relationship with Him is completely perfect. Approach His throne that is built on the foundation of righteousness and justice, knowing that His love and faithfulness emanate from it, surrounding and indwelling those who choose to worship the Holy One.


Discussion Questions
1. God always acts in righteousness, even when we do not understand His actions.  He is righteous in all things, especially in His relationship with us. How can you apply this to your life? How does knowing this enhance your understanding of prayer?




2. God’s love and faithfulness meet together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. When the two are joined, a picture is seen. What picture do you see in the love and faithfulness that God shows towards you?




3. We worship God because Jesus is the perfect display of God’s strength. How have you witnessed the strength of God through Jesus?