Creating a Vocabulary of Praise

Youth Prayer — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:30:19 +0000

A Focus on God’s Attributes

I’ve always been able to hold up my end of a conversation without difficulty. Except, that is, when it came to prayer, and particularly when I tried to express my praise to God. Attempting to begin and end my prayer times with praise and adoration, I often found myself flat-out speechless. I wanted to praise God with all that was within me, but I couldn’t think of one sensible thing to say.

I recently read a book called Invading the Privacy of God by Cecil “Cec” Murphey. The book describes how Cec’s prayer life was revolutionized when he settled on the practice of praying God’s attributes as praise. I began imitating that practice in my own times of praise, and over the course of a few months, I developed a “program of praise” that has proven wonderfully helpful. It has opened a door for me, and my praises to God now flow freely from my heart and lips during prayer. I focus on one attribute of my awesome God and Father each day, using the Scripture-based sentences as “praise starters.” At the end of each month, I start the list over, combining traits when the month is shorter than 31 days.

1. God the Creator. “Creator God, I praise You because ’you made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you’” (Neh. 9:6).

2. The Only God. “God, I praise You because You are ’the LORD, and there is no other; apart from [You] there is no God’” (Is. 45:5).

3. The Almighty God. “’O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you’” (Ps. 89:8).

4. The Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days. “I praise You, Lord, as the ’Ancient of Days’ (Dan. 7:9), the ’Everlasting Father’ (Is. 9:6), who lives forever and ever.”

5. A Loving God. “I praise You because You are a loving God, whose very nature is love”(1 Jn. 4:16).

6. A God of Justice. “Lord, I praise You and magnify You, who is ’just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus’” (Ro. 3:26).

7. A Faithful God. “Heavenly Father, I give You my praise and adoration, because You are a ’faithful God, keeping [Your] covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love [You] and keep [Your] commands’” (Dt. 7:9).

8. A Merciful God. “’You are a gracious and merciful God’ (Neh. 9:31), and I praise You for Your great mercy.”

9. God, My Refuge, My Fortress. “I praise You, Lord, for You are ’my mighty rock, my refuge’” (Ps. 62:7).

10. A Patient, Persevering God. “Father, I praise You because You are ’patient with [Your children], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (2 Pet. 3:9). Thank You for Your patience with me.”

11. Eternal, Saving God. “I give praise to You, Father, ’the only God our Savior.’ To You ’be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore’” (Jude 25).

12. The Holy One. “Holy, holy, holy [are You] Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

13. A Personal God. “I praise You, God, because You are a personal God, who gives me the honor of knowing You personally, even inviting me to feast at Your kingdom’s table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Mt. 8:11).

14. A Giving God. “All praise and honor be Yours, O God, because You are a generous God, who did not even stop short of giving Your own Son” (Jn. 3:16).

15. A Provider God. “I praise You today, Lord, as my Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide), who makes all grace abound in me and generously provides all I need” (2 Cor. 9:8).

16. God, My Shepherd. “I bless Your name and praise You as my Jehovah-Rohi (The Lord My Shepherd), who will shepherd me and guide me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake” (Ps. 23:1-3).

17. God, My Victory. “Praise to You, my God, because You are my Jehovah-Nissi (The Lord My Banner), God, my victory, ’who always leads [me] in triumphal procession in Christ’” (2 Cor. 2:14).

18. God, My Peace. “I praise You with all my heart, Lord, because You are my Jehovah-Shalom (The Lord Our Peace), ’the God of peace [who] will soon crush Satan under [my] feet’” (Ro. 16:20).

19. The God Who Heals. “Father, I praise You because You are the Lord who heals me” (Ex. 15:26).

20. The God of All Comfort. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

21. The God of Miracles. “Lord, I praise You because ’you are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples’” (Ps. 77:14).

22. A Forgiving God. “I want to bless You with praise, Father, because ’you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love’” (Neh. 9:17).

23. The Burden Bearer. “Praise be to the Lord, to God [my] Savior, who daily bears [my] burdens” (Ps. 68:19).

24. A Faithful God. “I praise You because ’your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies’ (Ps. 36:5), and ’great is your faithfulness’” (Lam. 3:23).

25. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “All honor and praise be to You, my God, ’the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light’” (1 Tim. 6:15).

26. God the Liberator. “I will praise You because ’you are my help and my deliverer; O LORD’” (Ps. 70:5).

27. The Lifter of My Head. “Father God, I praise You because ’you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head’ when I am weary or despised” (Ps. 3:3).

28. God of Light. “I praise You, Lord, because You are ’my light and my salvation’ (Ps. 27:1), and because You know ’what lies in darkness, and light dwells with [You]’” (Dan. 2:22).

29. God of Joy. “I give You praise, O Lord, because ’you have granted [me] eternal blessings and made [me] glad with the joy of your presence’” (Ps. 21:6).

30. The God Who Answers Prayer. “I praise and honor You, Father, because You are a God who loves to answer prayer and who begins to answer even before I pray” (Is. 65:24).

31. The God of All the Earth. “I praise and adore You, Lord, as ’the Holy One of Israel . . . [my] Redeemer . . . the God of all the earth’” (Is. 54:5).

Following this “praise program” has energized my praise life, helping me to worship and adore God more plentifully and purposefully in prayer. It has also enlarged my vision and awareness of the praiseworthy God I love and serve and, I believe, increased the evidence of His godly character in my life. I pray that it may do the same for you.

Levels of Praise

Youth Prayer — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:06:34 +0000

Level One: Creation’s Praise

Created things like trees, rocks and nature praise by keeping their order.
This is the most basic level of praise.
It is done unwittingly or without understanding.
Remember: Someone or something is going to praise God – Period.

Level Two: Angelic Praise

Angels and heavenly hosts were created to praise God.
They have knowledge and understanding of Who He is and how worthy He is – but they do not experience the miracle of salvation.

Level Three: “How Great Thou Art” Praise

Head knowledge is not the same as heart knowledge.
One can mentally assent to the majesty and power of God and even render some sort of praise at this level.
Some time ago, there was a cartoon character who was standing on a hill watching shooting stars. He was applauding and saying, “Yeah, God!” This is a summation of level three.
This still holds God at a distance.

Level Four: “Osmosis” Praise

This kind of praise happens when someone nearby enters into the presence of God.
As they enter into the courts of praise and their vessel becomes full, it overflows and spreads to others.

Level Five: Praise with Understanding

This kind of praise is born out of a heart full of thanksgiving.
“God healed me when I had cancer.” “I was hit by a car and God spared my life.” “God delivered my father from a life of alcoholism.”
Praise begins to focus on the goodness of God, on the great things He has done, on His mighty acts – to deliver, to save to heal.
A thankful heart can usher one further into the courts of praise.

Level Six: “God Focused” Praise

At some point your mind will start to consider His goodness, His greatness – not just to you, but to us all.
James says that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16).
There is little doubt that the praise of a righteous man is worth something to God also.
There are times when the praise of one is joined to the praise of another. This occurs in corporate worship.
More is accomplished by a joint effort than could be accomplished by one alone.
This kind of praise invites the presence of the Lord and allows it to flow like a sweet fragrance throughout the room. It begins to minister to those who came empty – to fill and bless them, ushering each one into the Holy Place where His Spirit has free course.

Level Seven: Battlefield Praise

Fear and doubt are combated and defeated. Those who were entrapped by fear and doubt can now move into the realm of thanksgiving, and from there, into praise. Then this happens, praise is strengthened and moves into yet another level.

Level Eight: Ordained Praise

Consider the account of the triumphal entry.

The ministry of Jesus had crescendoed to a level which could no longer be denied. Praise had to occur.
There is a level at which the foundations have been laid, they have been built upon and “the tower” has reached the heavens – a spiritual tension is at its climax and the result is – something has got to give praise!
When this level of praise occurs, souls are effected for eternity’s sake. Chains of fear and doubt are loosed. The brokenhearted are healed, deliverance is preached, blind recover their sight, and the bruised are set at liberty.

Level Nine: Perfect Praise

Perfected praise, is praise without an agenda of any kind, praise at its most sincere, praise in its purest form, and it is high praise indeed.
It’s the place where all thought of self is gone and no other remains but the desire to love, exalt and please God.
It is a holy possibility.

Excerpts from the book Glorify

by Marjorie J. Kinnee

Praying Youth » praise

Creating a Vocabulary of Praise

Levels of Praise