Rejoicing in Our Great God | Northpoint Church

“Rejoicing in Our Great God”

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.”

We were made for worship. John Newton penned “Amazing Grace” after God transformed him from a slave trader and self-described “wretch” into an abolitionist and preacher of the gospel. Christ has freed us all from slavery to sin. Forever in heaven, we’ll delight in giving Him praise and thanks. Worship is our destiny.

Psalm 92 is a great place to start rehearsing for heaven. And now is the best time.

Ways and Reasons to Worship: The abandonment of joy in the Lord —

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

How great are your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep!

• Give God the glory for your freedom from sin. Relinquish any claim to personal credit.
• Think of the many ways God gives us to enjoy worshiping Him. Tell Him, thank you.
• Reflect on how God has shown His steadfast love and the many ways He has blessed your life. Give Him praise for each one.

Expectations in Worship: God brings down the wicked and exalts the righteous —

How great are your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep!
The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

• The only way to know God is through divine revelation and illumination. Praise God for revealing Himself in Scripture and making Himself known in your life through His Spirit.
• Put the wicked into God’s hands and trust Him to deal with them faithfully. Rejoice in the specific things He has done to bring down wicked people and reveal Himself through His people.
• Think of ways God has protected and defended you, and give Him praise for the ways He reigns in your life and circumstances.

Hope for Worship: Rejoicing in the Lord for time and eternity —

The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the LORD is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

• Place specific areas of your life in God’s hands, and expect His help and blessing.
• Look to God to make us, His people, flourish in ways that bring Him glory.
• Pray that you will continue to bear fruit for Jesus and proclaim His perfect goodness and righteousness.

A Life of Praise
We live every moment in the presence of a loving God. He is inescapable. Sometimes this thought crowds us with concern. Instinctively, we know our sin, so the scrutiny of the Almighty disturbs us. By nature we prefer our sin, so we find His pristine holiness confining. Little do we know the freedom God intends for His people. Little do we understand the complete abandonment Christ’s blood has bought us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

A life of praise is a life that is free—and knows it’s free—from sin. God’s law guides us without constraining us. His Spirit makes holiness both possible and desirable. It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He makes Godliness what we want to do so that all holiness is all freedom.

Prayer for Northpoint
Ask God to set Northpoint free, so His Spirit defines who we are, leads where we go, and empowers all we do.

1. Our Pastors and Directors: Brent Whitefield, Scott Williams, Terilyn Brown, Geoff Grant, Taylor Mendoza, Tamene Menna, and Marti Wiegman.
• Pray for the anointing of God’s Spirit on their lives and ministries. Ask God to use them to equip us for Godliness.

2. Our Lay Elders: Tim East, Steve Flood, Mark Kiker, Mike Russell, and Vinoj Zechariah.
• Pray for the anointing of God’s Spirit on their lives and ministries. Ask God to use them to lead us where He would have us go.

3. Our Church Staff: Michelle Balga, Bob Brown, Andria Brucks, Jacob Williams, Carolee Jefferson, Amber McEwen, Mark Norland, Corie Saunders, and Teri Vaughn.
• Pray for the joy of the Lord to be their strength.

4. John Sloan, Brent Whitefield, and their families: Seek God’s Grace and guidance and blessing as they serve Him in the churches where He is calling them.
• Pray for God’s presence with them wherever they go, in whatever He calls them to do.

5. Our Church Body: Pray for the anointing of God’s Spirit in your life and throughout our church.

In Him,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

– Each week, Dave writes a monthly Bible reading plan and weekly Bible and prayer focus, “Prayer Life.” The preceding is a recent installment. You can pick up both offerings at the Information Center in the Foyer on Sundays, or sign up there to receive them via email. You can also click here to find the archive.