At the Christian college I attended, we were required to attend chapel four days a week. At 10:05 am, the bell would ring. The beginning of chapel was marked by all of the students standing and singing the Doxology.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
That song will forever be associated with that time in my life…and occasionally accompanied by a tinge of panic. There were a few times that the audience stood to sing while I rushed to my seat because I was tardy!
I’ve written here on the blog about praise several times. But recently I was convicted about spending more time praising God.
I feel like I do pretty well with giving thanks. I write in my gratitude journal almost daily. And while thanksgiving is closely associated with praise, I want to focus more on praising God for who He is, not just what He does.
Praise is you and I recognizing God’s glory and expressing adoration to Him.
Psalm 150:6 gives us this command. “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.“
What’s a good way to praise God? I like how Charles Spurgeon put it. “We simply say what He is! ‘You are this and You are that.’”
Today let’s look at five attributes of God that we can use to praise Him.
1. God is omnipotent.
Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. ~Job 42:1-2
What good is a God who has no power? We serve a God who is all-powerful and can do anything He determines to do. The Bible tells us on several occasions that nothing is too hard for God.
2. God is faithful.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:21-23
I’ll ask the same question again. What good is a God that we can’t trust? God’s Word is full of promises, and we can count on every one being kept, because our God is faithful.
3. God is sovereign.
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: ~Isaiah 46:9-10
What a relief that we don’t have to work it all out on our own! God knows all things and is always working for His glory and our good. We don’t always see it or understand it, but our God is infinitely wise and rules over all.
4. God is gracious.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. ~Ephesians 2:8-9
We didn’t deserve salvation. We don’t deserve any of the good gifts God so freely gives. It’s because of His grace – His unmerited favor – at work in our lives that we receive these things from Him.
5. God is good.
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ~Exodus 34:6
If we made a top-five list of our favorite attributes of God, this one definitely makes my list! He is always, only good. Our life circumstances don’t change that. Goodness is simply a part of who He is.
Let’s take one of these attributes and write out a praise to God. We’ll choose His faithfulness.
Dear God, I praise you for your great faithfulness. You keep every promise that you’ve ever made. I can trust you to always keep your Word. And God, even when I’m not faithful to you, You are still a constant presence in my life. You’ve promised to never leave me or forsake me. I praise you for the rest and peace I can have in my heart because you are a faithful God.
There are so many attributes of God that we can praise Him for! He is holy, omniscient (knows all), loving, merciful, long-suffering, immutable (unchanging), and so much more!
I’ll close with another Charles Spurgeon quote for us to consider.
“Praise is the rehearsal for our eternal song.”
If you’d like to add an attribute of God that we can use as we praise Him, please comment below!
Related posts:
- How to Pray a Prayer of Praise to God
- What Mary Teaches Me About Praising God
- 10 Bible Passages of Praise for Worshipping God
I like to use hymns to praise God. The authors of the great hymns have already found the words to praise God, and I can use those timeless ones to praise Him, too. Hymns like “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”
Yes, I need to remember to use hymns more often in my praise times! The three you mentioned are such great classics.
This is a particularly good read tonight before I serve and lead worship tomorrow! I’ve been leading worship almost every Sunday for the last year, and it has further deepened my relationship with worship, for sure. Before, I was only leading once every month or two.
LOVE that Charles Spurgeon quote!!!