ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
God is Glorious Scripture presents God’s glory in two major ways. In one sense, God’s glory isn’t an attribute, but the superlative honor that everything in the universe should give to God (Isaiah 43:7, Romans 3:23, John 17:5).
But God’s “glory” also describes the bright light that surrounds his presence. It belongs to him alone and it’s the outward expression of his excellence. We see this glory in several places in Scripture. For example:
- When the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds (Luke 2:9)
- The transfiguration (Matthew 17:2)
- The heavenly city in Revelation (Revelation 21:23)
Praise God because He is Glorious
Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. Psalm 72:19
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for Isaac and Suzanne Michaels. Ask God to guide them as they serve at Black Forest Academy
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Thessalonians 1 New International Version
Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 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 all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
Everyone trusts someone. Everyone has a final authority. The test of who you really trust is when you are convinced something is true or not true. If your supposed trusted authority disagrees with you, you will discover whether they were actually your final authority or not. It is likely that you would confess that God (through His Word) is your final authority. The “gut check” for all of us is whether or not we will let God’s Word have final say over what we believe, value and do. Perhaps we are quick to say we “believe” God’s Word, but how much is his Word shaping the direction of your heart? What are you learning to “love,” or “value”? What about behavior? How is his Word actually determining the course your life takes? Please don’t look for problems that are not there. Perhaps your direction is good. Not perfect, but good. Then give thanks to God and carry on. However, if you feel like there is a chance you are more likely to trust yourself than God when it comes down to it, then talk to God about this right now. It is a problem, but not one that God is not willing to help you solve. The solution is trust and obey. But God is patient and relational. He would prefer you be honest about this struggle than just to pretend it isn’t there. Talk to him now.