ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS OMNISCIENT
God is all-knowing. God’s knowledge encompasses every possible thing that exists, has ever existed, or will ever exist. Nothing is a mystery to Him.
Psalm 139:1-6
Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.
PRAISE THE OMNISCIENT GOD
Praise is for you. It is directed to God but it is for you, to remind you of who God is. Praise Him because He is all-knowing. Take comfort in the reality that God knows every detail of your life. He knows without trying. He knows because He is omniscient.
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 Youth Horizons. Ask God to encourage their staff. Ask God to use their programs and volunteers to introduce children at-risk to Christ.
SCRIPTURE READING:
James 1:18-26 – English Standard Version
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
Quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to become angry. Can anyone deny that this is very good advice? Can anyone deny that this is extremely difficult to consistently pull off? This is but one example of the kind of thing that God wants to change in us. He wants us to become people whose hearts and habits are changing into things that are pleasing to him. James puts this in the negative form: “Man’s anger doesn’t bring about the righteous life that God desires.” So inappropriate anger (and most of our anger is inappropriate) doesn’t make a life that pleases God. As you contemplate the current election cycle, how often do you see politicians living this way? You do see it on occasion, but not often. In fact, we are so far off base that to see someone actually live this way would probably not even get many votes. They would be seen as without “passion,” or “dull.” Which brings us to a question. Is James saying we are to be emotionless, dispassionate, dull? Certainly not! Jesus was full of passion and emotion. But he was, to be sure, quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. He did become angry on occasion, but it was always appropriate and under his own control. So, the vision is cast…do you want to become this kind of person? You can; God has made the way.