Monday, January 10, 2005

Adoration - Approaching the Throne

There are many aspects of prayer that I find hard, but to make time for Adoration, before moving on to the other aspects which are more personal, is for me is one of the hardest. Here's an outline that I've put together to help me. It's only a starting point, but it helps me focus on the different aspects of God that I should be praising:

Sabbath - God in His Sovereignty
  • King of highest Heaven, none like him, sovereign, in complete control, majestic in glory.
  • Praise him for his providence - his governing all events in the world, in our lives - with all power and wisdom.
  • Worship Him as our creator and sustainer.
Isaiah 46:9 "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me … My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

Monday - God the Father
  • Praise him for his inexhaustible goodness, kindness, and love.
  • He has adopted us as his children. As father He gives us love, access, blessing, guidance, wisdom, inheritance. He will glorify us at the resurrection.
  • Worship Him as "Our Father" and protector
Ephesians 1:4 "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

Tuesday - God in His Vastness
  • Infinite, eternal, unchangable. All wise. All knowing. All powerful. All present.
  • His work of creation - its beauty, vastness, variety, detail. The power seen in it.
  • This God is our almighty friend
Job 11:7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?"

Wednesday - God the Son
  • Head over all things for the church. The way, the truth and the life. God with us. Light of the world.
  • Freed us from sin. Took our punishment. Made us right with God. Building his church. Prays for us now.
  • Our Brother, our High Priest, our King, our Shepherd.
Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin."

Thursday - God in His Holiness
  • Just, pure, holy, righteous. Anger at sin.
  • His work as judge, punishing wickedness and declaring us innocent because of the work of Christ.
  • He is our holiness - we have his righteousness
Habakkuk 1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong."

Friday - God the Holy Spirit
  • Indwells Christians. Points us to Christ. Teaches us .
  • His work in convicting us of sin; giving us new life. He guides us. He makes us more Christ-like. Enables us to pray. Applies His Word to our lives. Produces fruit in our lives.
  • He is our Teacher, our downpayment, a guarantee of our salvation.
Ephesians 1:13 "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance"

Saturday - God in His Salvation
  • Merciful, gracious, forgiving, patient, slow to anger, abounding in love.
  • Christ's work in His life, death and resurrection. The work of the Triune God in salvation - it is all of grace - we contribute only our sin.
  • He is our Saviour.
Exodus 34:6 "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."


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