Seeds for 07/16/2024 - Praise - 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
In this series on prayer and scripture, we are following the acronym P.R.A.Y. as a guide for prayer. We are considering scriptures throughout the Bible on each theme. My prayer is that studying scriptures on these themes will give us biblical words to use as our own and simple insights for our praying.
Scripture:
David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.”
Observation:
Praise is a good place to begin in our praying. So, what’s the context for this passage and what do we see happening?
The prayer is by King David in the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles 29:1-20. The setting is David praying on behalf of the people of Israel. They have essentially had a capital campaign to prepare for building the temple under Solomon’s rule. David has given of his royal treasury and leaders of the families have contributed as well. It is a wonderful scene.
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chron. 29:9)
What does David do next? He leads the people in praise of God! They rejoice and celebrate the generosity of their people towards the Lord’s temple, but they are not puffing themselves up. Their generosity is an act of praise and David’s words give praise as a community to the God who is worthy of their giving.
David praises the Lord by ascribing to Him all the “greatness and power.” He also acknowledges that “everything in heaven and earth is yours.”
All of David’s praise here acknowledges that God is surpassingly great and above any powers on earth. David also praises God as the source of any good thing they have: “Wealth and honor come from you… In your hands are strength and power.”
David’s praise of God in community worship shows an enjoyment of and love for God being the source of the good they have done. God is worthy of everything they can give Him through words and works (and both are important) and far greater than any offering they bring at the same time.
Application:
When have you delighted in what the Lord has done through you and your church community?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor! In my life, Lord, be glorified. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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