A Chronicles TEA

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!..
1 Chronicles 16:36 (NKJV)

When God allowed His people to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, David sang a beautiful song of praise to the Lord. These verses of David’s song and those in the story around it provide words we can use when we pray to Jesus.

As churches re-open following COVID-19 and people once again gather together to worship, we have as much to celebrate as the Israelites did so long ago. Let’s rock the heavens and earth with our worship and joy to the Lord!

T is for Thanksgiving

Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
1 Chronicles 16:8 (NKJV)

E is for Exalting

Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
1 Chronicles 16:29 (NKJV)

A is for Admitting

For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order. 1 Chronicles 15:13 (NKJV)

C is for Calling

Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding

For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God. 1 Chronicles 17:22 (NKJV)

P is for Promises

And now, Lord, you are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. 1 Chronicles 17:26 (NKJV)

P is for Petitions

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”
1 Chronicles 16:35 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 as one beautiful prayer to God. Finally, dear sisters, finish your prayer time today with this Psalm of praise from 1 Chronicles 16:31…

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
1 Chronicles 16:31 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

God bless Paul Baloche for his beautiful music to praise Jesus!

The Lost Hymnals

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17 (NKJV)

When I read this scripture passage from 1 Timothy, immediately my heart begins to sing and my mouth hums the great hymn by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908). The old Welsch melody fills my thoughts as I sing…

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. (Whalmers)

A wonderful way to exalt Jesus is to sing old hymns to Him each morning.  You can do this!  Ask your pastor if there is a closet full of old hymnals at your church and if you may please have one.  The answer is most likely, “Yes,” as many churches display the songs on screens now.  Take your “new” borrowed hymnal home and use it as part of your morning Bible TEA time.  Thumb through the pages until you find a familiar hymn to praise Jesus.

Some favorite old hymns for exalting Jesus include How Great Thou Art; To God be the Glory; Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty; O Worship the King, All Glorious Above; Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee; Praise to the Lord, the Almighty; and All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name and many more!

You may also find a new-to-you hymn with powerful words. Even if you don’t know the tune, you can pray it to Jesus. I found one like this in our old hymnal entitled, Teach Me to Pray, Lord by Albert Simpson Reitz.  The first stanza cries…

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray;
This is my heart-cry day unto day;
I long to know Thy will and Thy way;
Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray. (Reitz)

Today’s TEA CUPP: The old hymns praise Jesus with His Word.  Ask to borrow an old hymnal from church for your quiet time. Put it in your Jesus spot.  Hum, sing, and exalt Jesus with glorious old hymns filled with His Word! You will be so blessed!

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25 (NKJV)

The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Psalm 18:46 (NKJV)

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!
Revelation 5:12 (NKJV)

To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Jude 1:25 (NKJV)

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11(NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.