December 29 - LD 52, Day 6: Praises to the King of Kings

December 29 - LD 52, Day 6: Praises to the King of Kings 
by Rev. Arie den Hartog

Read: 1 Chronicles 29:11-17

Jesus teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer always to make God central in our prayers, and then also in the whole of our lives.  In His perfect model prayer He teaches us in the very first petition, to pray for the hallowing of the name of God, so that His name might be glorious in all the earth.

God should be central in our prayers. This is not commonly the chief concern of prayers made by Christians, and sometimes also not in our own. Many Christians, and we also, sometimes make our own needs the concern of our own prayers. Central to many of our sinful prayers is the demand that God gives us what we want ourselves, as though God must listen to our every demand and serve our every need.

All of our prayers must praise God’s greatness and glory. Our prayers must always be centrally about God, His kingdom, His sovereign will, and the glory of His name.

The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer is often called a doxology. A doxology is an exalted expression of praise and honour to God. All glory, honour and power belong to God. In our prayers we acknowledge the truth of God and desire that this truth be always revealed in the world. When David had finished preparing for the building of the temple, he stood before the nation of God’s chosen people and praised God with a doxology similar to the one found at the end of the Lord’s Prayer.

God is King over all the universe. He created the universe by His almighty power. He created all the creatures in this vast universe for His own pleasure and glory. Do we sincerely know this to be true, and do we show in our whole life that we truly believe this? All creatures must serve the glory of God, but only man can do this as moral and rational creatures. He can do this consciously and willingly, knowing the greatness of God, His Creator and sovereign Lord. If we believe that the universe as a kingdom belongs to God alone and we owe the service of our whole life, our obedience, and attribution of glory to God alone; we pray for this. We must not give this praise and glory to any other.

In the doxology of the Lord’s Prayer, we also confess that God has given the kingdom to His beloved Son Jesus Christ.  After Christ’s death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and exaltation to God’s right hand in heaven, God bestowed the kingdom on Him. Because of the unity of the Father and the Son, the kingdom belongs to God alone. The dominion over this kingdom is exercised, realized, and revealed in its glory in the beloved Son, Jesus Christ.  In Rev 19, Jesus appears in a vision which prophesies of His final coming at the end of the world in triumph and glory. He has the name  “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” This is the truth concerning Jesus which we shall know perfectly in heaven and express continually before Him in songs of praise and adoration.

Prayer is the highest expression of praise to God when we pray with knowing and sincere hearts. Of course, all of our activity must be in harmony with this profound truth. The psalmist in Psalm 115 says it well when he declares, “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” (Ps. 115:1)

Let us pray that all our prayers might be in adoration, worship and consecrated love for God.