Praise and Glory

“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

“Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.” Psalm 33:1

“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers...” Ephesians 1:15-16

Yesterday, we started looking at Paul’s prayer for the believers at Ephesus. His preliminary comments reviewed God’s gracious plan of salvation. What better way is there to move your heart to praise and thanksgiving than to review His many benefits of love toward you. This is what Paul did. Praise and glory are the ultimate purposes for which God graciously saved you.

Do this:
1. List in your journal all the blessings you can think of which are yours in Christ.
2. You believe what God has said in His Word, but have you personalized these blessings? Made them yours? Ask the Spirit of God to bring these truths alive in your life as you meditate upon them.
3. Realize now that God’s salvation is not an end in itself but was brought about for the praise of His glory.

As you fill your heart and mind with the thoughts of God’s great benefits toward you, and as you personalize these truths, you will be compelled to do as Paul did (see Eph. 1:15-16). He was moved to fulfill God’s ultimate purpose in that he broke into praise and thanksgiving not only for what God had done for him, but for others also.