Published: 03 October 2010 Written by Bob Stone
A Lifetime Project
A knowledge of God is the substance of our praise. My encouragement is to make a lifetime project of: enriching Your knowledge of God by
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knowing His attributes
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memorizing one or two key passages for each attribute
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then filling Your praise and worship with statements that declare and thank God for who He is and what He has done
The following is a list to get You started; it is only a beginning. This list is divided into two categories, even though they overlap: who God is, and what God has done.
Who is our God?
We praise Him because of who He is and because of His attributes.
"Lord, I praise You for..."
Your Omnipresence... You are with me wherever I go. I never need to worry about Your leaving me. I also know when I call upon You for help You will be near. I praise You because not only is Your presence a comfort, it also brings conviction. I can never hide my sin from You, because You are everywhere. That keeps me from trying to deceive You—Ps. 139:7-10.
Your Omniscience... You know everything. Past, present and future. That means for me that my past, present and future are in Your hands. You know my shortcomings, and You still have called me to a place of ministry in Your kingdom. That helps me to relax because I know You not only know my potential, but You know my problems and their solutions—Ps. 139:1-6; Heb. 4:13.
Your Omnipotence... You can do anything according to Your power. If anything needs to be done in or through me, You can do it. Lord, that gives me courage to pray for the impossible. Whatever my condition or need, Your strength and power is sufficient—Matt. 19:26; Jer. 32:17,27.
Your Immutability... You never change. I can count on You always being the same with me. I know You will never change Your love for me. I praise You that You are unchanging, because I get my stability from You—James 1:17; Mal. 3:6.
Your Holiness... which means to me, there is an absence of sin in You, and You are filled with every kind of goodness. You are a holy God, and that’s why You hate sin. I praise You for that, because I know You hate sin so much because You love me so much. Your holiness calls me to holiness, and causes me to approach You with respect, reverence, humility and honor, for who is like unto You—Is. 6:3-6; Ex. 15:11.
Your Infinity... You are eternal and limitless. You are not subject to limitations. I praise You for that because it forces me to turn my limitations over to You. Therefore, at this moment, I am living beyond my limitations because You are a limitless God—Ps. 90:2; 102:12.
Your Truth... You are the way, the truth and the life of all mankind. Your truth is the foundation of all knowledge. You are the source of all truth. That means, I don’t have to keep searching. I have found the source of everything—John 17:3; 3:33; 1 John 5:20.
Your Righteousness and Justice... You are totally fair and impartial with me. This helps me also to know that I must totally identify with justice, regardless of the cost, because I know You are just. Thank You for that." It also helps me to know that because of Yourrighteousness and justice, Your Son died for my sin. Therefore, You are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness—1 John 1:9. That frees me up to not have the responsibility to take revenge on my enemy, but love him instead. I’ll leave the repaying to You—Rom. 12:19-20.
Your Glory... it fills all the earth... Ps. 138:5. The smallest speck of this universe reveals Your wisdom and glory.
Your Greatness and Splendor... no one can fathom it—Ps. 145:3.
Your Wisdom... it has made all the creatures and is available to me when I lack it—Ps. 104:24; James 1:5-8. That is who our God is. Notice more specifically what He has done for me and for You.
What has God done for me (us)?
"Lord, I thank You for..."
Your Patience... You are longsuffering, You are the God of patience—Rom. 15:5; Col. 3:12. "That patience leads me to repentance"— 2 Pet. 3:9.
Your Faithfulness... I can always count on You. Even when I am faithless, You remain faithful—2 Tim. 2:13.
Your Goodness... You have always dealt kindly and bountifully with me—Ps. 118:29; 86:5.
Your Grace... You have lavished on me unmerited favor. I am so undeserving, You are so giving—Eph. 1:6; 2:6-7.
Your Mercy... You haven’t given me what I deserved. I deserved death, but because of Your mercy, I didn’t receive eternal death and separation from You. In my misery and distress, Your goodness brought to me mercy instead of punishment—Eph. 2:4,5.
Your Love... You loved me before I loved You. It is Your nature to love. Thank You for the confidence, the security I have because of that love. It has won my heart. I love You, Lord—1 John 4:8,10.
Your Counsel... I have had You instruct me over and over again. Sometimes You had to say the same thing to me many times—Ps. 16:7; Jer. 32:19.
Your Healing... You have given all kinds of gifts for all kinds of healing. Your Word declares, ‘By Your stripes I am healed...’—Ps. 103:3; 1 Cor. 12:9; I Pet. 2:24.
Your Constant Preservation... You have been a strong
refuge, my high tower, my shield—Ps. 71:6-8; 116:1-6.
Your Deliverance... I sought You Lord, and You delivered me from my pit and set my feet on solid rock—Ps. 40:1-3; 124:6.
Your Answers to Prayer... You have continually heard my cries for mercy and help—Ps. 28:6-7; 118:21.
Your Pardon of My Sins... You are my Savior. The greatest miracle of all is that You would save me. I have received Your salvation. My sins are totally forgiven and forgotten and I am now a joint heir with You. You are my Father, I am Your son—Lk. 1:68-69; Ps. 18:46; 103: 1-3; Is. 35:10; 61:10; Hos. 14:25; Heb. 10:17.
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- For examples of how the Psalmist responded to the attributes of God, take brief notes on the following: Psalm 8;19; 22; 24; 29; 33; 47;50; 65; 66; 76; 77; 92; 93; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99; 104; 111; 113; 115; 134; 139; 147; 148; 150. (Taken from Naves Topical Bible.)
- Write your own version of the exercise above. Using the headings, write your own prayers and praises.