Acknowledgments L
iving Logos was the heart-work of Bro Dale Starks and Sis Josephine Starks, missionaries to Singapore in the early 1980s. As the original authors of this devotionals, the Starks meant for these self-study materials to help new converts (and matured saints alike) get a hold of an understanding of God’s written Word. Since Sis Stark’s passing in 2013, the couple had graciously entrusted Tabernacle of Joy with its copyright. Therefore, with every print run, we would like to honour their life work and sacrifice in bringing the gospel to Singapore. This copy is an updated and revised version. Be blessed as you immerse yourself in the Word and allow God to transform you into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
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Spiritual Growth 2
Spiritual Growth 2
Lesson
Four
high PrAises Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD — Psalm 149:5, 6, 8-9
We can learn much from the psalms of David. In many of his psalms, David is asking God for victory over his enemies. This was literal flesh and blood enemies. We are a part of the kingdom of God, and have been commanded by Jesus to love our enemies” (Luke 6:27). The enemies we fight are spiritual Satan and his kingdom. When you pray the prayers of David, the same prayers that he used to pray against his enemies can be used by us to pray against our enemies. Read Acts 1:16 and Psalm 41:9. David prayed with a special anointing of the Holy Ghost. Many of his prayers were prophecies concerning Jesus Christ and His kingdom. In Psalm 149, David is telling us not only how to enter into the presence of God, but also how to defeat our spiritual enemies - with high praises, and the word of God. The highest form of worship is praising God for what He is! What if your wife, husband, or friend walked up to you and said, “I love you because of what I can get out of you.” We would be tempted to reply, “Get lost!” We want to be loved for what we are, not just what we can do for others. In the same sense, thanksgiving is praising God for what he has done and is presently doing for us. High praises goes beyond this - it is praising God for what He is!
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One sure way to defeat the devil is to start offering high praises to Jesus. The word of God is compared to a two-edged sword by the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 4:12). We can even use this “two-edged sword” while offering high praises to the Lord, either as an example, or actually reading the verses of Scripture as a prayer to God. Let us look at some of David’s “high praises” to the Lord: I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high — Psalm 7:17 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! — Psalm 8:1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High — Psalm 9:1, 2 The LORD is King for ever and ever — Psalm 10:16 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies — Psalm 18:1-3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel — Psalm 22:3 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid — Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed — Psalm 28:7-8
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Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance — Psalm 32:7 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings — Psalm 36:5-7 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble — Psalm 46:1 For the LORD most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth — Psalm 47:2 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness — Psalm 48:1 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth — Psalm 57:5, 11 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy — Psalm 59:17 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy — Psalm 61:3 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God — Psalm 62:6, 7 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name — Psalm 63:3, 4
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Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen! — Psalm 72:18-19 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly — Psalm 84:11 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name forevermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell — Psalm 86:12, 13 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth — Psalm 86:15 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation — Psalm 89:8, 18, 26 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust — Psalm 91:2 It is a good things to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore — Psalm 92:1, 5, 8 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot move. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting — Psalm 93:1, 2 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand — Psalm 95:3, 6, 7)
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For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary — Psalm 96:4-6 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible (awesome) name; for it is holy. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy — Psalm 99:2-3, 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations — Psalm 100:5 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end — Psalm 102:27 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him — Psalm 103:8, 11-13, 17 Bless the LORD, O my soul, O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty — Psalm 104:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever — Psalm 107:1 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high” — Psalm 113:2-5
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“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD — Psalm 117:1-2 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee — Psalm 118:28 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name — Psalm 138:1, 2 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise they name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth — Psalm 145:1-3, 17-18 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite — Psalm 147:5
David was certainly the expert at worshipping the Lord, but we can also learn from other Biblical writers: And one cried unto another, and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory — isaiah 6:3 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour, and glory for ever and ever. Amen — i timothy 1:17 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen — Jude 25 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created — revelation 4:8, 11
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Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever — revelation 5:13 Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth — revelation 19:6
Remember that the word of God is very powerful when we use it to offer high praises to the Lord. Remember that David’s psalms were inspired by the Holy Ghost. It is good to learn many of these phrases and use them in your prayer time - and also in your worship at church. One way to learn these phrases is to use this lesson during your prayer time reading these praise verses as personal worship from your heart to the Lord. You will discover that God will honor this, the same as if it came from your own mind, if you pray sincerely. In this way, many of these phrases will be added to your praise vocabulary!
CreATing ADDiTionAL high PrAises To goD We are able to easily create our own high praises to God by remembering many of His various titles, and relationships that we enjoy with Him. Jesus is: Alpha and Omega Author and Finisher of our Faith Beginning and Ending Bright Morning Star Bread of Life Counselor Door Emmanuel Everlasting Father Friend Good Shepherd Head of the Church Healer Jesus Just Judge King of Kings
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Life Light of the World Lord of Lords Mighty God Nazarene Omniscient Omnipresent Omnipotent Prince of Peace Resurrection Rest Rock Strong Tower Saviour Truth Wonderful
Here are a few examples how to use these titles and special relationships: Oh, Jesus, you are my King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Rule and reign over every area of my heart and life. Help me to surrender myself completely to you, Lord. You are my Light, Jesus. Without you I would be walking in darkness. I would have no hope or direction. You are the Living Bread, and Fountain of Living Water, Jesus. Only you can satisfy my soul. You are my Everlasting Father, Jesus, and I am your son. Thank you for the privilege to be your son. Help me to love you more and be submissive to you. As you can see by this lesson, your sweet hour of prayer could easily develop into sweet two hours of prayer, and your relationship with Jesus Christ will be greatly blessed by a greater portion of His presence in your life. You will begin to climb to a new spiritual level in your walk with God. God will be able to use you in a way that you never realized was possible!
VOCABULARY buckler
—
a small shield
extol
—
hail, praise, glorify, celebrate
omnipotent
—
having all power
omniscient
—
knowing all things
omniscient
—
present everywhere
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Lesson Four Test Spiritual Growth 2
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David said, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth.” What are “high praises?” ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________.
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In many of David’s psalms he asked for victory over his ______________ ________________________.
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The enemies we fight are __________________, ___________________ and his kingdom.
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You can pray the _____________________ of ____________________ to pray against your enemies.
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What is the two-edged sword by which we can defeat our enemies? (Hebrews 4:12) __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________.
6-15 List ten phrases you use, or would like to use (from the Word of God) in your time of praising the Lord. (Do not give the entire verse, just a phrase. Example: “I will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”)
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16-19 List ten titles of Jesus Christ:
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What did you find of special interest to you in this lesson?
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