The 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. It is 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 understand. 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. (See Psalm 89:14b)

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?

One and Only God

As Christ followers we believe that God is the One and Only True God. There is none like Him. He is unique in that He is Omniscient (all-knowing); Omnipresence (all-present); Omnipotent (all-powerful). No other god or person or angel or anything has these attributes. These are what make God ~ God. It is important that we learn what these words mean so that we can understand why prayer is so important and must be a part of our lives as His children. 

Don’t let these words overwhelm you. Allow God’s Holy Spirit, through this lesson, help you understand more of God’s worth. Allow Him to open your heart to true worship of the Holy One. I am beginning to understand more and more about Him and it thrills me. He will thrill you, I know He will.

The Omniscience of God (All-Knowing)

Read Psalm 147:5 (NIV) and write out the verse below.

Underline or highlight the last part of the verse, “His understanding has no limit.” Now read it aloud. This is the meaning of the omniscience of God ~ His understanding has no limit.

God perfectly and eternally knows all things. He knows the past, He knows the present and He knows the future. It is in this knowledge that He perfectly and eternally understands each and every situation you and I encounter.

Read Isaiah 40:27-31. Focus on verse 28. Write out what you learn about God in this verse.

This passage is one of my favorites. Verse 28 describes God and gives us reason for our worship. It tells us that God is everlasting; God is Creator; God is tireless; God’s understanding is limitless.  It describes the omniscience of God. You and I must place our faith in His complete and perfect understanding because He is the everlasting, Creator, tireless and infinitely understanding of all things.

“His understanding no one can fathom.” We can truly worship God by realizing that our understanding is limited and God’s understanding is limitless. When you and I can grasp this and lay our human understanding and reasoning down, God can do His work in our lives. We begin to understand more and more. In this knowledge and understanding of God’s omniscience we can truly worship Him. 

For so long I felt like I needed an answer to all my questions. But, when I lay this notion aside and accept that His understanding is complete and mine is not, I feel a freedom like none other. You see, there is no need for excuses. I don’t need to explain everything and can rest in the fact that God is perfect in His understanding. 

Read Romans 11:33-36 (NIV) and fill in the following blanks:

Doxology

Oh, the _______________ of the riches of the _____________ and _________________   of God! 

      

How __________________ His__________________, and His ______________ beyond tracing out! 

 "Who has ____________ the ___________ of the Lord? Or who has been   His _________________?" 

 "Who has ever _______________ to God, that God should __________  him?" 

For _________ Him and ________________ Him and ________ Him are all things. To Him be the ______________ forever! Amen.

God’s judgments are based on His perfect wisdom and knowledge. You and I will never match that. We are not the Lord’s counselor, He’s our Counselor. There is nothing, nothing, nothing we can give to repay God for all He has done for us. Our existence is because of Him. We must honor and respect Him in how we lead our lives. Worshiping God includes our acknowledgement of His omniscience.

Let us worship the omniscience of God!

The Omnipresence of God

This attribute of God describes His absolute filling of the whole universe in all its parts with His presence everywhere at once. All of God ~ God the Father ~ God the Son ~ God the Holy Spirit ~ Three in One are present everywhere and at all times. When we accept Him as our Lord, our Leader, we receive all of Him. We don’t receive one billionth of Him. He is all present in every believer’s life.

Let’s look at a few verses that describe God’ omnipresence. Read the following portions of scripture and describe the omnipresence of God you find in each on:

Psalm 139:7-12

Jeremiah 23:23 -24

God is always present. He is everywhere. Without Him, this world, the universe, you and I would cease to exist. It is hard to get our limited minds around this truth. But, it is truth! God is nearby and far off. He fills heaven and earth. He is always present when we need Him. He is never absent.

“God is our refuge and strength, 

an ever-present help in trouble.”Psalm 46:1

In Hebrew the word “ever-present” is “nimsa meod” and literally means “speed, completeness and might. It means God is to be found in all circumstances and He responds with speed, completeness and might when we seek Him”. 

Let us worship the omnipresence of God!

The Omnipotence of God

The omnipotence of God describes God’s ability to do whatever He wills. When you and I decide to do something, the decisions of others may get in the way. Nothing, nothing, nothing thwarts God’s will. God’s will is only limited by His nature because He cannot do anything contrary to His Holy nature as God. For example, He cannot sin, nor can He ignore sin. He does not contradict Himself. God is not controlled by His power, but has complete control over it. 

WHOA!!! I feel smoke coming out of my ears! Do you? This is so hard for me to get my limited mind around. It’s no use trying to get my human mind to figure out the omnipotence of God. That’s like trying to sweep up all the sand on the sea shores with a whisk broom and a dust pan.  It is by faith that I allow His Holy Spirit to teach me what the omnipotence of God is. By the Spirit of God I learn that God is all-powerful and His plans and purposes will prevail.

Read Job 42:1-3. What does Job say about God’s plans?

Does anyone obscure God’s counsel?

Do you, like Job; speak of things you do not understand? Explain.

If you read the whole book of Job, you will see that God was never out of control. God’s plans and purposes for you and I cannot be thwarted. That is comforting news, if we view His will as perfect. 

Why do we often prefer our will over God’s? If you believe that God is all-powerful why do want to do things our way?

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.”  Revelation 19:6 & 7a

     

Let us worship the omnipotence of God!

Prayer Journal

Go to your Prayer Journal and take the time to worship the One and Only God. Thank Him that He is all-knowing ~ all-present ~ all-powerful. 

* Worship the omniscience of God. Worship His perfect and eternal knowledge. Place your faith and hope in the fact that He knows your past, present and future. 

* Worship the omnipresence of God. Worship His presence in everything and everywhere. He fills the heavens and earth. Allow Him to fill you with His presence through the power of His Holy Spirit.

* Worship the omnipotence of God. Worship God’s infinite ability to do all He wills. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. Allow Him to fill you with His power.

Discussion Questions

1. As Christ followers we believe that God is the One and Only True God. There is none like Him. He is unique in that He is Omniscience; Omnipresence; Omnipotence. Describe what each of these mean and how you can apply them to your life.
2. God perfectly and eternally knows all things. He knows the past, He knows the present and He knows the future. It is in this knowledge that He perfectly and eternally understands each and every situation you and I encounter. Do you believe this about God? Why or why not? 
3. God can and does whatever He wills. When you and I decide to do something, the decisions of others and our own limitations may get in the way. How is knowing that God is all-powerful helpful in a believer’s life?

The Joy of Praise

The act of praising God is essential to our prayers, our communication with Him. It is essential because it directs our desires from the attributes of this world to the attributes of God. When we see the power, majesty, mercy, grace, love and all the unfathomable attributes of God, an inexpressible joy is ours. It is a gift from Him by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This kind of joy is contrary to the world’s definition of joy which is limited to the pleasures of this world. The joy of praising God is a delight that touches our spirits. It goes indefinitely deeper and never ends.

Today’s lesson will focus on 1 Peter 1:3-9. We will take these seven verses and look at each one. It will be even better than holding the Hope Diamond in our hands and watching the light hit each facet. With each sparkle, may His light fill us with the miraculous joy that comes from the praise we speak to the Holy One.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. Peter starts off with a sentence that he shouts in his words to the reader:

Praise be to the God and Father 

of our Lord Jesus Christ!

He then lists the reasons for our praise. Look at each verse and list the gifts given to us because of God’s mercy:

Verse 3 -

Verse 4 -

Verse 5 -

These three verses reveal the reasons for our joy, the delight that fuels our praise of God. Praising God is essential to our prayers, our communication with Him. It is essential because it directs our desires from the attributes of this world to the attributes of God. When we see the power, majesty, mercy, grace, love and all the unfathomable attributes of God, an inexpressible joy is ours. It is a gift from Him by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This kind of joy is contrary to the world’s definition of joy which is limited to the pleasures of this world. The joy of praising God is a delight that touches our spirits. It goes infinitely deeper and never ends.

Read on.1 Peter 1:6-9. Answer the following:

What will we have to do for a little while?

Why do these trials come?

Even though the Christ follower does not physically see Him, they do what?

What is the believer filled with?

Why?

What does this mean to you?

How can you apply it to your life?

These four verses are an explanation of the reality of our faith in this life. So many times we look through rose-colored glasses at the Christian life. In reality our lives are hard sometimes. Yet, as Christians, there is an underlying life–fulfilling, peace-giving joy. Let’s dig into the Word of God to find out more on the subject of the inexpressible joy God gives us.

Inexpressible and Glorious Joy

The Greek word used to describe this type of joy is: “Agalliasis” meaning “exultation, exuberant or ecstatic joy; ebullience. This type of joy denotes a highly expressive, demonstrative and celebratory joy. It is sometimes associated with dancing.”

This type of joy is illustrated in the following verses. Describe how joy is used in this passage:

Read Luke 10:1-24 (focus on verse 21)

The joy that is described in Luke 10:21 is one that describes how we should celebrate our relationship with Jesus. The disciples saw Jesus Himself express this type of joy when He sent the 72 people out to prepare the way for Him before He went into each town. They were also given the ability to heal the sick and cast out demons in the Name of Jesus. 

Can you imagine Jesus leaping and dancing with joy? He rejoiced this way because ordinary folks did extraordinary things through the power of His Name. They discovered the mystery of God that even the learned and wise of the earth couldn’t understand. This type of joy is ours when we place our faith in His plan and purpose for our lives. This gives us great reason for rejoicing.

Oftentimes the idea of prayer has been defined by folded hands and bowed heads. But, I pose to you that it is ok to lift our faces, raise our arms, leap for joy and dance in the throne room of God during our prayer time. It’s not disrespectful. NOT AT ALL! 

I suspect that He is dancing too. You know what? He adores our praise and through our rejoicing, fills us with His inexpressible and glorious joy! The goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls and we’ve received that through our precious Lord Jesus, so ~ REJOICE!

Prayer Time

Go to your Prayer Journal and take this time to rejoice in Him. Put on your dancing shoes if you want. Whatever way you would like to praise Him, do so now. Write out any thoughts, prayers or feelings that you may experience. Go ahead, let your hair down! 

Discussion Questions

1. The act of praising God is essential to our prayers, our communication with Him. It is essential because it directs our desires from the attributes of this world to the attributes of God. Why do you suppose this is true?

2. So many times we look through rose-colored glasses at the Christian life. In reality our lives are hard. Yet, as Christians, there is an underlying life- fulfilling, peace-giving joy. How can this be?

3. You know what? Jesus adores our praise and through our rejoicing, fills us with His inexpressible and glorious joy! The goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls and we’ve received that through our precious Lord Jesus, so ~ REJOICE! How do you view this type of praise? Is this a new concept? Discuss.

“The Object of Our Desire”

Have you ever longed to spend time with someone? This person makes you feel special and loved. They laugh at your jokes and comfort you when you are down. I feel this way about my husband. I desire to have this relationship with him. In fact, God created everyone for relationship. I’m not just referring to a husband/wife relationship, but relationship with one another and but especially with God.

Our relationship with God is the basis for relationships here on earth. And yet we often neglect our relationship with God. When we spend time with God we express our desire for Him. Our spirits long for a relationship with Him. It is essential to our spiritual well-being to have our spirits mingle with His Holy Spirit.  Our “inmost being” desires to have a relationship with the Lord because God created us with this desire. This desire often gets buried under our fleshly desires; desires that stem from our self-centered, “me first”, mindset.

Read Genesis 1:26 & 27. In verse 26a, what does God say?

Write verse 27 here:

In verses 26 & 27 the word used for “God” in Hebrew is “Elohiym.” This word is plural, but is singular in construction. It describes “the magnitude and majesty of the Triune God ~ God the Father ~ God the Son ~ God the Holy Spirit.” God said, “Let us make man (mankind) in our own image, in our likeness…”  This indicates the plural. The Trinity decided to create people in their image. This means that we are created to have relationship with God and one another, just as the Trinity has among the Three in One. We are created to desire what God desires. We are created to reflect His majesty on earth. We are created to have a relationship with Him.

Read Genesis 2:7. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils. What did God breathe into man?

What did man become? 

God didn’t just perform CPR on man; He placed His life into Him. He breathed His eternal breath into him.

God’s breath is eternal.

Let’s look at these two phrases we glean from Genesis 1 & 2:

1. The Breath of Life
2. God is a Living Being

The Breath of Life

The Hebrew Word for “breath” is “nesamah” Which literally means “to breathe, or a puff of air. It is used here to represent the Spirit of God who imparts life and wisdom.”

The Hebrew word for “life” is “hay” and means “fresh running water; livelihood, refreshment; to remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever, and be vigorous.”

God breathed His Spirit into man, giving him a life that is like fresh water, full of livelihood and refreshment. His Spirit sustains life; causes prosperity, vitality and eternity. This is what God intended for mankind.

Read Isaiah 32:1 & 2. This portion of scripture describes what the kingdom of righteousness is. In verse 2 we see a description of what God intends for mankind. What are we created to be like?

1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________

God’s purpose in creating mankind is for us to have a relationship with Him. By having this right relationship with Him, we take on His attributes. We plainly see these attributes in Jesus. And as His followers we embody who Jesus is. It is our responsibility to display them in our everyday life and in our prayer life as well. 

We are to display the characteristics of Christ  ~ A Shelter ~ A Refuge ~ A Stream of Water ~ A Great Rock and worship Him,  the object of our desire. These attributes are exhibited perfectly in God the Son ~ Jesus. He is the object of our desire. He is the Breath of Life and the reason for our praise.

God is a Living Being

We’ve already learned that the Hebrew word for “life” is “hay.” “Living” is the same word and means “alive.” Now stick with me here. The Hebrew word for “being” is “nepes” and means, “that which breathes.”  It is similar to the Greek word “psyche” which is translated “life” or “soul.” You see, God breathed His life, which is eternal, into Mankind, making us “living beings” or “living souls,” eternal in nature, created in the image of God. God created our “inmost being” to be in union or fellowship with Him.

Read the following passages and answer the following:

Job 12:10. What is in God’s hand?

What does this mean to you?

Job 32:8. What gives a person understanding?

What does this mean to you?

God has created us and we are connected to Him whether we like it or not. He created life and can end life. He gives us the ability to reason and understand which enables us to choose Him or not choose Him. Whatever we choose, our spirits are eternal like His, created in His image and designed for relationship. If we choose Him we have life eternal with Him. If we don’t choose Him we have life eternal without Him. 

This means that when our earthly bodies die, our spirits live on in eternity. Now the thing is ~ what is our choice going to be? Is it going to be life eternal with Him or life eternal without Him? In plain English, our choice is Heaven or Hell.  Heaven is living a vibrant, joy-filled eternal existence in His presence. Hell is living a wretched existence full of living death. It is a pain-filled eternal existence without Him.

You would think we’d make the obvious choice of Heaven and having a relationship with our loving Creator, but many don’t. God the Father ~ God the Son ~ God the Holy Spirit should be the object of our desire. Our praises of Him and to Him spring forth from the joy and fulfillment we have when our spirits are united with His. He desires our company. He wants to have a relationship with us that will last for all eternity.

While we are on this earth God has a plan and purpose for each and every moment we live. The only way to know it is to seek God. We can all go our own way, but God has His best in mind. This should be reason enough for making Him the object of our desire.

“Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.”

Psalm 66:1 & 2

Prayer Time

Go to your Prayer Journal and take time to allow your spirit to enjoy the object of your desire. Write out your praise of desire for God. If your spirit is not united with His, then why not take this time to do so. It’s your choice either way.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever longed to spend time with someone? This person makes you feel special and loved. They laugh at your jokes and comfort you when you are down. Who is that person for you? Explain. 

A personal relationship with God the Father ~ God the Son ~ God the Holy Spirit is the most fulfilling there is. How do you view your relationship with God?

God determines the times and places set for us. Why do you think He does this? (Refer to Acts 17:26 & 27)

"Praising God in Prayer"

The subject of praise to the Most High is so much more than we can imagine. To “praise” God, literally means to say “good words” about God. And in response to our “praise” God pours out His favor on us. The “good words or praise” we say to God actually calls down His favor on us. It’s like when you say something nice about someone and it causes a smile to spread on their face. Their smile is their favor given back to you. 

I’m not talking about a patronizing, drippy sweet, cotton-candy-fluff type of praise. Our praise comes directly from having a right relationship with God. We know God through Jesus and we want to express our knowledge about Him. We are expressing the truth about our loving Father through our words. This lesson will help direct us to a deeper understanding of praising God. Let’s dig in.

Turn to Revelation 5:9-12. Who is surrounding the throne of God?

What are the words to their song? (Verse 12)

The vision John experienced describes the actual throne room of God. As wondrous as these words are, they will pale in comparison to what we will experience when we are in our glorified bodies, with Him eternally. However, through our receiving of Christ’s Holy Spirit, we are able to enter into the throne room now and experience true praise. Christ is worthy of our praise, He is worthy because God has bestowed upon Him power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.

Let’s look at the aspects of the Christ, the focus of our praise:

Power ~ Wealth ~ Wisdom ~ Strength ~ Honor ~ Glory ~ Praise

1. Power

The power that Christ received is the authority given to Him by God. This power encompasses all that is in heaven and earth and under the earth. He has been given the right to exercise this power of God by God. This power is absolute and unrestricted.

Read Ephesians 1:17-23. What did Paul pray for the Holy Spirit to give the believers in Ephesus? (Verse 17)

He also prayed for the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened. What reason did he give for this?

Describe this power. (Verse 19)

How is this power used?

Christ received the power of the Almighty One. This is important and impressive. You and I have been given the privilege of this powerful insight into the mysteries of God. This revealed truth was hidden from mankind until Christ came to earth and gave His life for you and me. It is revealed to those who choose Him as their Lord, the Forgiver of their lives. 

This excites me so much. We, those who love and trust Jesus, are privy to this great mystery of God because it has been displayed in Christ’s death, resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God. Because He sits in authority and power in the throne room of God which we are priveledged to enter into it freely.

Jesus stands before God in the believer’s defense. He is our advocate before the Father. This power that has been given to Him by God is the power able to raise those who believe in Him from death to eternal life. Hallelujah! God has seated Jesus at His right hand, a position of power and full authority and that power is used to defend, heal and strengthen those He loves. Now that’s a reason to praise Him!

Praise Him for His position and authority 

at the right hand of God.

2. Wealth

The wealth of God through Christ is His abundance of all that is praiseworthy.  Another way to define wealth is “having abundance.”  Often in Scripture the word abundance is used in place of wealth. Let’s look at two areas of abundance in Christ: 

Abundant Grace 

Read Romans 5:17. When we receive God’s grace and the gift of righteousness (a right relationship with God), through whom will we reign in life?

An exceeding measure of God’s grace is ours through Christ Jesus. Grace is God’s favorable regard toward us because of Christ. Through God’s abundant grace, a gift we do not deserve, we reign in this life through Christ Jesus. In other words, we are victorious over sin and death when we accept Jesus as our Lord. Without Him there is no abundance of grace, there is only death. 

Abundant Joy

Read Philippians 4:4-7. What are we to do at all times ?

In verses 5-7 we see the evidences of joy. Can you find them? 

(Verse 5)

(Verse 6)

(Verse 7)

An exceeding amount of God’s joy is ours through Christ Jesus. Joy is our delight in Him and is part of His grace. God delights in His Son and His Son delights in His Father. The Holy Spirit pours this delight into those who love Him. He gives us joy. Through God’s abundant joy from our fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we rejoice in Him. 

Praise Him for the wealth of grace and joy

 and all that is ours because of Jesus.

3. Wisdom 

The wisdom of Christ is the infinite and perfect comprehension of all that is or might be.

Read Colossians 2:2 & 3. What does Paul state we are to do? (Verse 2a) 

Why? (Verse 2b)

What is hidden in Christ? (Verse 3)

Through Christ and our receiving of Him as the Leader and Forgiver of our lives, we can understand the mystery of God. “Jesus is the infinite and perfect comprehension of all that is or might be.” Every believer has access to the complete wisdom found in Christ Jesus. When we enter the throne room of God, we are filled and surrounded by the Holy Presence of the Triune God ~ God the Father ~ God the Son ~God the Holy Spirit. His wisdom, infinite and perfect, is ours because we are His. 

Praise Him for His infinite wisdom.

4. Strength

Christ is endowed with spiritual, physical and mental power like none other. He is our knight in shining armor who frees us from the chains of sin. The evil one is no match for the strength of the Holy One of God.

Throughout the Psalms David wrote about the strength of God. Look up the following verses and describe how God’s strength is displayed:

Psalm 18:1 & 2

Psalm 29:11

Psalm 118:13 & 14

The Lord is strong! His strength is infinitely more than what we consider strong to mean in human terms. When we have reached our limit we fail. There is no limit to His strength. He never gets tired. Jesus pulls us from any edge that we are about to fall from. He strengthens those who belong to Him. He provides a place of refuge because He is the Solid Rock, a Mighty Fortress and Deliverer. Jesus is our Strength and Shield and we are filled with His joy. 

Praise Him for His unmatched strength.

5. Honor

Christ’s value is unfathomable. What He has done for us, by providing a way out of our death sentence, is priceless. The weight lifted from those who believe is beyond measure. Christ is honored by God and we are to honor Him in our praise.

Read Hebrews 2:5-9. Focus on verses 7-9. Who is the author speaking of when he writes, “You made Him a little lower that the angels.”?

What do you think that means?

What did God do for Him?

What does that entail?

According to verse 8b, everything is not yet subject to Him. This may sound contradictory in human terms, but sounds right to a believer’s ear. How do we see Jesus as believers?

Would you get off a throne and take off your royal robes to put on the rags of this world? Jesus did just that. He came to this world, lowering Himself to human form and overcoming the darkness of sin and death. He tasted death for us and made a way for us to receive a right relationship with God that is eternal. Jesus sits at the right hand of God and is honored by Him with the highest of honor as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Honor Jesus with your praise.

6. Glory

The glory of God shines forth in Christ. It has been shown in His mighty acts on this earth for everyone. His everlasting power and divinity are His glory. His creations ~ mankind, animals, nature and the universe reveal His glory. God’s glory is manifested in the perfect character of Christ. He displays the aspects and ways of the Lord God by bringing glory to His Name.

Read John 1:14. (NIV) Fill in the blanks. “The ____________ became ___________ and made His __________________ among us. We have ___________ His _______________, the glory of the ___________ and ______________, who _____________ from the Father, full of _____________ and ________________.”

Christ’s glory has been displayed for all to see. He is the One and Only. He is the embodiment of God’s glory. Jesus is one of a kind, precious and loved by the Father. Their relationship is unique and their love for each other spills over onto us by the Holy Spirit. All glory is due to Christ Jesus. 

Recognize the glory of Jesus, the One and Only.

7. Praise

We will conclude this lesson with the praise that is due His Name. To praise Jesus, means to “speak words that exalt and honor Him.” We exclaim the qualities of the Holy One. He alone is worthy of praise.

Read Psalm 103:1. (NIV) Fill in the blanks: “Praise the Lord, O my _____________. All my ________________ being praise His Holy Name.”

The Hebrew word for “soul” is “nepes” and means “life or self.” This part of us has physical cravings and desires. It is the decision-making part of us. It is the rational part of us. We must praise God with this part of who we are. When we praise Him, we decide that He is God.

The Hebrew word for “inmost being” is “qereb” which means “the heart or the mind; seat of thought and desire; a person’s total being.” This part of us houses our spiritual desires. It longs for the Spirit of God Himself. So often a person’s “qereb” is buried so deeply that the hard crust of life obscures the longing created within their spirits.

Once we have decided with our “soul”(mind) to turn over our physical desires to be filled by God, the layers of debris from sins supernaturally, by the power of the Holy Spirit, slough off and fall away enabling our “inmost being” (spirit) to commune with God our Creator.

Let’s decide with all that we are to praise our God. Our praise is essential to our prayer life.

Prayer Time

Have you decided with your “soul” (your mind) to praise Him? Has your “inmost being” (your spirit) communed with Him, resulting in your praise?  Go to your Prayer Journal and take this time to praise God for:

• Christ Power (absolute and unrestricted)

• Christ’s Wealth (abundant in grace and joy) 

• Christ’s Wisdom (infinite and perfect) 

• Christ’s Strength (power unequaled)

• Christ’s Honor (due to Him for His victory over sin and death)

• Christ’s Glory (shown in His mighty acts for us) 

Discussion Questions

The subject of praise to the Most High is so much more than we can imagine. What does it mean to praise the Lord? How do we go about praising Jesus? Name ways that you have praised Him.

Through our receiving of Christ’s Holy Spirit, we are able to enter into the throne room and experience true praise. When you pray how do you visualize God’s throne room?

What are seven aspects of Christ, the focus of our praise? Discuss what each one represents.