2 The Prayer of Praise "How much an earthly father delights in the words of worthy praise his children give to him!" "And how very close his children

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The Prayer of PraiseThe Prayer of Praise

"How much an earthly father "How much an earthly father delights in the words of delights in the words of worthy praise his children give worthy praise his children give to him!" to him!"

"And how very close his "And how very close his children feel toward him and children feel toward him and what great joy and what great joy and satisfaction they receive satisfaction they receive because they tell him of their because they tell him of their admiration, respect, and love admiration, respect, and love for him!"for him!"

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"Does not our heavenly "Does not our heavenly Father, who loves us more Father, who loves us more than any earthly father, also than any earthly father, also take delight in the praise and take delight in the praise and adoration expressed to Him by adoration expressed to Him by His loving, faithful children; His loving, faithful children; and do they not feel very close and do they not feel very close to Him and receive great to Him and receive great spiritual satisfaction and spiritual satisfaction and upliftment because they have upliftment because they have so spoken to Him in prayer?"so spoken to Him in prayer?"

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"The very act of a Christian "The very act of a Christian acceptably praying to God acceptably praying to God presupposes his respect for presupposes his respect for the infinite grace, dignity, the infinite grace, dignity, love, majesty, and goodness love, majesty, and goodness of the heavenly Father, whose of the heavenly Father, whose name is supremely holy."name is supremely holy."

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"How can any Christian who is "How can any Christian who is deeply devoted to God, loving deeply devoted to God, loving Him with all his heart, soul, Him with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, possibly mind, and strength, possibly keep from expressing this keep from expressing this attitude of devotion and love attitude of devotion and love when he prays to Him from when he prays to Him from whom all blessings flow, the whom all blessings flow, the source of every good and source of every good and perfect gift?" (James M. Tolle: perfect gift?" (James M. Tolle: Prayer, p. 39, 40)Prayer, p. 39, 40)

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Speaking to God About GodSpeaking to God About God

Praising God in prayer is Praising God in prayer is speaking to God about God, speaking to God about God, relating to Him the effects relating to Him the effects that He has on us.that He has on us.

He is marvelous; and we marvel He is marvelous; and we marvel at Him.at Him.

He is magnificent; and we He is magnificent; and we magnify Him.magnify Him.

He is glorious; and we glorify He is glorious; and we glorify Him.Him.

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Praising God in prayer is Praising God in prayer is speaking to God about God, speaking to God about God, relating to Him the effects relating to Him the effects that He has on us. that He has on us.

Praise can be thought of as a Praise can be thought of as a string of truths about God string of truths about God strung together with the joy of strung together with the joy of the beholder.the beholder.

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These truths seem to center These truths seem to center around certain themes around certain themes including:including:

The attributes of His character.The attributes of His character.

The holiness of His Name.The holiness of His Name.

The incomparability of His The incomparability of His majesty.majesty.

His mighty work in creating and His mighty work in creating and sustaining all things.sustaining all things.

The grace of His work for His The grace of His work for His people.people.

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The prayer of praise gives The prayer of praise gives glory and honor to God’s acts glory and honor to God’s acts as well as:as well as:

His character.His creation of mankind.His provisions--both physical and spiritual--for man.

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When Jesus began the model When Jesus began the model prayer, His opening words prayer, His opening words were all centered on God.were all centered on God.

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Matthew 6.9;Matthew 6.9;

"In this manner, therefore, "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name." Hallowed be Your name."

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When Jesus began the model When Jesus began the model prayer, His opening words prayer, His opening words were all centered on God.were all centered on God.

Praise is our way of putting Praise is our way of putting God first in our prayers. God first in our prayers.

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Praise can be defined as the Praise can be defined as the act of relating to our Father act of relating to our Father (and secondarily to ourselves (and secondarily to ourselves and others) the wonder, and others) the wonder, delight and gratitude that His delight and gratitude that His character and acts generate in character and acts generate in us. us.

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To praise God biblically To praise God biblically implies that we publicly implies that we publicly announce His glorious nature announce His glorious nature and marvelous acts.and marvelous acts.

God is wonderful and we God is wonderful and we respond with wonder. respond with wonder.

He is delightful and we delight in He is delightful and we delight in Him. Him.

He is generous and we are He is generous and we are grateful.grateful.

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Let us consider some Let us consider some examples of praise from God’s examples of praise from God’s holy word.holy word.

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Psalm 111.1-3Psalm 111.1-3

Praise the Lord! I will praise Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures His righteousness endures forever. forever.

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Psalm 111.4-6Psalm 111.4-6

He has made His wonderful He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His His people the power of His works, In giving them the works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. heritage of the nations.

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Psalm 111.7-9Psalm 111.7-9

The works of His hands are The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. awesome is His name.

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Psalm 111.10Psalm 111.10

The fear of the Lord is the The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those understanding have all those who do His commandments. who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. His praise endures forever.

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Psalm 135.1-3Psalm 135.1-3

Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! You who stand in the house of the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God, Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

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Psalm 146.1-2Psalm 146.1-2

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

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Psalm 147.1; Psalm 147.1;

Praise the Lord! For it is good Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. beautiful.

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Luke 1.46-47Luke 1.46-47

And Mary said: "My soul And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Savior."

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1 Peter 2.9-101 Peter 2.9-10

But you are a chosen But you are a chosen generation, a royal generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a light; who once were not a people but are now the people people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. mercy.

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Revelation 4.8Revelation 4.8

The four living creatures, each The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"and is to come!"

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Revelation 4.9-10Revelation 4.9-10

Whenever the living creatures Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:before the throne, saying:

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Revelation 4.11Revelation 4.11

"You are worthy, O Lord, To "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and receive glory and honor and power; For You created all power; For You created all things, And by Your will they things, And by Your will they exist and were created."exist and were created."

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Purposes of Praising God in Prayer

Purposes of Praising God in Prayer

These fall into two categories.These fall into two categories.

The purposes of God-The purposes of God--why why God desires that we praise God desires that we praise Him.Him.

The purposes of man-The purposes of man--why why we should desire to praise we should desire to praise Him.Him.

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God's Purposesfor Praise


God desires praise in order God desires praise in order that He might receive glory, that He might receive glory, not because He needs to not because He needs to receive it but because we receive it but because we need to give it to Him.need to give it to Him.

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Praise is God’s desire because Praise is God’s desire because it is His proper due as we it is His proper due as we consider who He is and what consider who He is and what He has done.He has done.

Praise is God's desire because Praise is God's desire because it is the truth about Him.it is the truth about Him.

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Man's Purposesfor Praising God Man's Purposesfor Praising God

Praise alters our perspectives.Praise alters our perspectives.It awakens us to who God really It awakens us to who God really is.is.

It awakens us to see ourselves It awakens us to see ourselves more clearly.more clearly.

It awakens us to re-evaluate our It awakens us to re-evaluate our troubles.troubles.

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Praise alters our perspectives.Praise alters our perspectives.It awakens our proper It awakens our proper dependence upon and faith in dependence upon and faith in the Lord God.the Lord God.

It awakens in us a greater desire It awakens in us a greater desire for the life offered in Christ-for the life offered in Christ--eternal life in heaven in the eternal life in heaven in the presence of God.presence of God.

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Praise alters our perspectives.Praise alters our perspectives.

Praise aids our victory in Praise aids our victory in spiritual warfare.spiritual warfare.

Praise promotes our own Praise promotes our own spiritual growth.spiritual growth.

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Praise sets all prayer in its Praise sets all prayer in its proper perspective so that we proper perspective so that we speak to God in the way that speak to God in the way that we ought.we ought.

It is difficult for us to think too It is difficult for us to think too highly of ourselves if we are highly of ourselves if we are continually praising God.continually praising God.

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Let Us Praise God Continually

Let Us Praise God Continually

Let us praise Him in our Let us praise Him in our prayers.prayers.

Let us praise Him in our Let us praise Him in our songs.songs.

Let us praise Him in our Let us praise Him in our conduct.conduct.

Documents

2 The Prayer of Praise "How much an earthly father delights in the words of worthy praise his children give to him!" "And how very close his children