Day 1: Week 3 Pure Praise Study (The God We Worship: The One, True God)

[russhutto]

Thanks to those of you who are sticking with this! I've been so encouraged by your responses and I continue to pray that you are being blessed by this devotional.

Don't forget to read, comment and share on the Josh White Interview (http://bit.ly/bpU4ND) for a chance to win our drawing this week (deadline Tuesday)!

Pull up your chair and let's dive in to week 3!

The One True God

Central Passage(s):

Romans 11:33
John 4:22
Deuteronomy 6:4
2 Chronicles 20
Acts 17:23
Exodus 20:3
1 Kings 18
Job 38:1-30
Job 40:6-14
Job 42:1-6


2) My Daily Praise:

Pray the prayer of Jehoshaphat.
Recall God's specific faithfulness to you.
Remind God (and yourself) of His promises.


3) My Daily Surrender:

Hebrews 11:6
Ask God to reveal to you any ways you don't completely trust Him.

[WorshipVanguard]

Central Passages:
I’ve always liked this story of Elijah. People were so convinced their gods were all powerful to the point they cut their bodies. It floors me when I hear stories of people who believe something so false (without proof), and yet they are so sure to the point of death. Our God gives us proof, even in unconventional ways. He WANTS us to know who he is and how big he is. There is nothing he wants to keep from us; he wants to share all of who is with us. What an amazing God we serve!

Daily Praise:
Lord, I’m always amazed at how great you are. Job 38 is an incredible reminder of how big you are. To those you love, you reveal more and more of yourself in through every situation. You show proof of who you are because it pleases you to validate our trust in you. I must admit that many times I feel saddened when I see people deny you when there is ample evidence you exist AND you are a great and mighty existence. Lord, you have shown your power to me in so many ways that it is VERY difficult to deny you.

Daily Surrender:
Lord, please forgive my shallow view of you. My faith is so limited. I know you are my Father, I know you love me dearly, I know you have all authority, I know you give us your authority, but WHY do I still doubt certain things you will do for your children? As an example, when I pray for one’s healing and the person is not healed, I automatically think you do not want to heal them for various reasons. Lord, my God, I want my faith to increase. Please help me with my unbelief in the area of healing (it’s a start, I know).

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages
Today's study was certainly bathed in scripture. And that is good.:) But it makes it hard to know where to start....
I liked the illustration of the piano to demonstrate how big God is. Although we will never know, in this life, how big God is, today's study helps to open our eyes a little bit. We tend to put God in a box; our god is only as big as we can understand and control. But God Almighty is unexplainably indescribable, and uncontainable.

As I read the passages in Job, I saw where the words from "Indescribable" by Laura Story came from.

When we stop to consider what God has done in creation, what he has done throughout history, what he accomplished at Calvary, how he worked to establish and grow his church, and when we consider all the people in the past, right up to the present, whose lives have been changed by the working of God-- all those things begin to put the majesty of God into focus.

My Daily Praise
Oh, God,Are you not the creator of everything that exists? Are you not the One who holds the world in your hand, and causes it to spin at just the right speed? Are you not the God of my fathers, who guided them through life as they served you faithfully? Are you not the God who offered me your salvation, and who gave me reason to live? Yes, You are all of that and much, much more. And you are the God whose promises and commandments are found in my Bible. And it is you who loves me with an unquenchable love. And it is you who chastises me when I fail you. And you are the one who brings difficulties into my life, so that I may be purified, as the old hymn says, "The flames will not hurt you, I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine."
Here is a link to a wonderful summation of who God is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z15FlTONVo

My Daily Surrender
God, I thank you for the areas of my life that I have given over to you. I praise you for the blessing that has come because of that surrender. But I confess that I still hold on to much in my life that you demand I give to you. Part of the reason I hold on, is because I think I won't like what will happen if I give it to you. Give me the faith to believe, to trust you completely-- that you want only the best for me, and to trust that greater things are still to come in my life; if only I will trust you enough to obey you completely.
This is my prayer today.
Tom

[InHisName]

Central Passage

Reading these scriptures made me realize that the songs I have been writing and the songs I want to write do almost NOTHING to touch the glory of God and all of his majesty. Who am I to think I can sing a song and do him justice? Job is such a powerful book; re-reading it does remind me of how insignificant I am (not in God's love but in his power) and how small I am in the complexity of creation. And yet, as he always reminds me, he loves me as a daughter.
Regarding songwriting I feel I'm turning a new corner, but also feel I'm taking about 100 steps backward. How do I even begin to express his power and his goodness? The inexplicable gift that is grace? His intense love for us?

Daily Praise

God, you are Lord. You are power, you are might, you are light and love. You are the one true God, you who reign now and who will reign forever. Holy are you, God, creator, when you speak mountains move and seas part.
You were faithful to me during our accident in Yosemite, even before I was a believer. You were faithful to me in blessing me with my husband. You have been faithful to us in giving us the wisdom, strength, and finances to raise our daughters. You are faithful now with each breath we take.
God, you have promised to never leave us. You have promised to lead us in the way you want us to go. You have promised your blessing, and although you do not show us every step to take, you are with us as we take them.

Daily Surrender

Sometimes I don't trust you, Lord, to provide us all our needs in times of financial ups and downs. Sometimes I fear the world even though you are my heavenly Father who will always be with me. Help me to trust you in all areas, not just the areas that are easy.

PS...this might be kind of a silly story, but tonight as I was beginning my study I switched over to Bible Gateway to look up the passages. I clicked the bookmark: nothing. I hit "return" two or three times...nothing. Each time the site would load for about 3 seconds then quit. I tried other ways to access the site...it continued to stop loading at that exact spot. Of course I could have just gotten up to get my Bible but I tried it one more time, and this time I prayed, "Come on, God, just PLEASE let it work..." and on "PLEASE" I hit "return" and in less than half a second the entire site popped up. God makes himself known in the tiniest of ways.

[russhutto]

1) Central Passages:

For me the big "illumination" moment jumped out at me from John 4:22. How many of us worship "that which we do not know" - or worship from very limited perspectives - or worship a God that is limited by the "box" of our understanding and intellect.

2) My Daily Praise:

God has "lined up" some great things fo me in the past. In the last 4-5 years every time it seemed I was stepping out into the unknown there has been provision and a "way" for both me and my wife. Thank You, Lord!

3) My Daily Surrender:

Faith. Trust. I think as long as I'm in this flesh robe I'll battle the natural urge to trust in circumstances and things I can see and hold more than the simple and complete trust in God alone. Help me, Holy Spirit, to be empowered with a bold faith and a strong trust that "sees" what's not there and what could be and lives in the place of peace and surrender to your plan. Amen.

[bkwestman]

1. Central Passage
- This was a convicting day, because I realized I need to do more studying of who God is. When is the last time I just sat down and searched the Scriptures to find out everything I could about who He is, as Dwayne mentioned. I read the Bible every day, and I really enjoy my reading plan, but I was just convicted that I need to spend more time trying to form a complete (as complete as humans can be...) picture of who God is from His Word. That would just fuel my worship and empower me as a worship leader.

2. My Daily Praise
- Lord, You are a holy God, the only True God! You are holy, just, faithful, loving, and so much more! Thank you for how You've been faithful to our family through the years. You've always provided what we need, even when we haven't been faithful to you. You have said in Your Word that You will never let us go, and that You will take care of us. I trust You in that!

3. My Daily Surrender
- Lord, You know that I believe You exist, and that I have put my faith in You. But, Lord, please help me in my unbelief, as it says in Your Word. You know the areas where I don't completely trust You. You've been working on me in that area for a while now, and Lord, I just ask for Your forgiveness where my faith has lacked, and for strength to believe.