Praying through the Attributes of God
Take your time. Soak. Contemplate the depth of who God is. Use these statements and corresponding passages of Scripture to love God more as you learn increasingly wonderful attributes of who He is (Ephesians 1.17; Philippians 3.7-11)!
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”. —AW Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy.
● God is transcendent, He is beyond the universe (Jeremiah 23.23, 24) and yet immanent, He is near at hand (Isaiah 57.15, Acts 17.27b, 28). God is incomprehensible and vast in His perspective (Romans 11.33-36) in that no one will ever be able to “put Him in a box.” God is self-existing (John 5.26) and self-sufficient (Psalm 50.12), He does not need anyone else in order for Him to “be”. God is a Spirit (John 4.24).
● God is omniscient; all-knowing (Psalm 139.1-6). God is omnipresent; everywhere at all times (Psalm 139.7-12). God is omnipotent or all powerful; by the mere expression of His will God is able to produce whatever He wants (Psalm 33.6-9; 139.13-16; Isaiah 46.9,10; ).
● His power is seen in creation (Genesis 1), in sustaining all things (Colossians 1.17), over the nations (Isaiah 40.15, 17), in our salvation (Romans 1.4), in the lives of believers (Ephesians 3.16-21) and in judgment (Revelations 19.1-6).
● God is holy. In His holiness God is lofty and exalted (Isaiah 6.1), His holiness is glorious (Isaiah 6.3), and His holiness is morally pure (Isaiah 6.5-7).
● God is just. In His character God perfectly reflects His own moral law. He is the yardstick of righteousness. In His justice God rewards righteousness (2 Timothy 4.8). In His justice God punishes unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 1.5-9). God is love, He is faithful and true (Lamentations 3.17-24).
● God is eternal (Psalms 90.1,2), everlasting (Isaiah 40.28) and living. Before anything was and after everything will be, God says of Himself “I Am” (John 8.58). God is not restrained by time (Psalms 90.4). God never changes (Malachi 3.6; Hebrews 13.8).
● God has complete sovereignty over the future by foreknowledge and predestination (Romans 11.33-36; Psalm 139.1-6). Yet in unfolding His plan of salvation God moves through time with us. This is seen in God’s unfolding of salvation, for the Father waited until the time had fully come for Christ to come to earth (Galatians 4.4). God’s salvation plan was established before time (Romans 9.22,23). Still God is waiting for the proper time to put all things under Jesus’ feet (1 Corinthians 15.25-28). Jesus is also waiting for the Father’s timing (Hebrews 10.12,13).
● God does not sit back and idly watch history unfold. He has emotions as He personally moves through time with us. For example, God rejoices with His children (Zephaniah 3.17). Whenever people do not conform to His moral law God experiences grief (Ephesians 4.30; Psalms 78.40-41) and jealousy (Exodus 34.14). God also has wrath when rejected by humans (Malachi 3.5; John 3.36). God answers prayer (John 15.7). God chooses to move through time with us even though time does not control Him.
● There is only one God (Deuteronomy 4.35). There is no other deity but the one true God (1 Kings 8.60; Isaiah 44.6,8; 45.5,6). God as Father is foreshadowed in the Old Testament (Psalm 2.7) but is developed as a main metaphor by Jesus (Matthew 6.9; John 14.9; 17.1).
● As one, the Triune Godhead is expressed in three individual personalities. As one God, each person in the Trinity is Deity: God the Father (Isaiah 64.8; 1 Corinthians 8.6a), Christ the son (Romans 9.5; 1 Corinthians 8.6b) and the Holy Spirit (John 16.5-11; Acts 5.3, 4).
● The Trinity works together as one, while each personality has a distinct function in varied roles such as the incarnation (Luke 1.35), our salvation (Hebrews 9.14) and God indwelling our lives (John 14.15-17).
● The Old Testament develops the concept of the Triune Godhead by quoting God, speaking of Himself in the plural (Genesis 1.26; 3.22;11.7). Also, the New Testament picks up Psalm 110.1’s language of plurality as proof that Jesus is God (Matthew 22.44; Mark 12.36; Luke 20.42; Acts 2.34,35; Hebrews 1.13).
● The mystery of the Trinity is wonderfully pronounced in the prophecies of a coming Messiah: that a “child” would be “mighty God” and filled with “the Spirit of the LORD” (Isaiah 9.6,7; 11.1-10).
● Throughout the Old Testament, God’s Spirit had an active role in creation (Genesis 1.2), and in manifesting great power (Zechariah 4.6). The New Testament further defines the position and person of the Holy Spirit (John 14.16,17), which the Old Testament introduces as the Spirit of God.
● The Holy Spirit is identified as God in that lying to God is the same as lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5.4). Also, Old Testament words attributed to YHWH are attributed to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Hebrews 10.15-17).
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”. —AW Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy.
● God is transcendent, He is beyond the universe (Jeremiah 23.23, 24) and yet immanent, He is near at hand (Isaiah 57.15, Acts 17.27b, 28). God is incomprehensible and vast in His perspective (Romans 11.33-36) in that no one will ever be able to “put Him in a box.” God is self-existing (John 5.26) and self-sufficient (Psalm 50.12), He does not need anyone else in order for Him to “be”. God is a Spirit (John 4.24).
● God is omniscient; all-knowing (Psalm 139.1-6). God is omnipresent; everywhere at all times (Psalm 139.7-12). God is omnipotent or all powerful; by the mere expression of His will God is able to produce whatever He wants (Psalm 33.6-9; 139.13-16; Isaiah 46.9,10; ).
● His power is seen in creation (Genesis 1), in sustaining all things (Colossians 1.17), over the nations (Isaiah 40.15, 17), in our salvation (Romans 1.4), in the lives of believers (Ephesians 3.16-21) and in judgment (Revelations 19.1-6).
● God is holy. In His holiness God is lofty and exalted (Isaiah 6.1), His holiness is glorious (Isaiah 6.3), and His holiness is morally pure (Isaiah 6.5-7).
● God is just. In His character God perfectly reflects His own moral law. He is the yardstick of righteousness. In His justice God rewards righteousness (2 Timothy 4.8). In His justice God punishes unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 1.5-9). God is love, He is faithful and true (Lamentations 3.17-24).
● God is eternal (Psalms 90.1,2), everlasting (Isaiah 40.28) and living. Before anything was and after everything will be, God says of Himself “I Am” (John 8.58). God is not restrained by time (Psalms 90.4). God never changes (Malachi 3.6; Hebrews 13.8).
● God has complete sovereignty over the future by foreknowledge and predestination (Romans 11.33-36; Psalm 139.1-6). Yet in unfolding His plan of salvation God moves through time with us. This is seen in God’s unfolding of salvation, for the Father waited until the time had fully come for Christ to come to earth (Galatians 4.4). God’s salvation plan was established before time (Romans 9.22,23). Still God is waiting for the proper time to put all things under Jesus’ feet (1 Corinthians 15.25-28). Jesus is also waiting for the Father’s timing (Hebrews 10.12,13).
● God does not sit back and idly watch history unfold. He has emotions as He personally moves through time with us. For example, God rejoices with His children (Zephaniah 3.17). Whenever people do not conform to His moral law God experiences grief (Ephesians 4.30; Psalms 78.40-41) and jealousy (Exodus 34.14). God also has wrath when rejected by humans (Malachi 3.5; John 3.36). God answers prayer (John 15.7). God chooses to move through time with us even though time does not control Him.
● There is only one God (Deuteronomy 4.35). There is no other deity but the one true God (1 Kings 8.60; Isaiah 44.6,8; 45.5,6). God as Father is foreshadowed in the Old Testament (Psalm 2.7) but is developed as a main metaphor by Jesus (Matthew 6.9; John 14.9; 17.1).
● As one, the Triune Godhead is expressed in three individual personalities. As one God, each person in the Trinity is Deity: God the Father (Isaiah 64.8; 1 Corinthians 8.6a), Christ the son (Romans 9.5; 1 Corinthians 8.6b) and the Holy Spirit (John 16.5-11; Acts 5.3, 4).
● The Trinity works together as one, while each personality has a distinct function in varied roles such as the incarnation (Luke 1.35), our salvation (Hebrews 9.14) and God indwelling our lives (John 14.15-17).
● The Old Testament develops the concept of the Triune Godhead by quoting God, speaking of Himself in the plural (Genesis 1.26; 3.22;11.7). Also, the New Testament picks up Psalm 110.1’s language of plurality as proof that Jesus is God (Matthew 22.44; Mark 12.36; Luke 20.42; Acts 2.34,35; Hebrews 1.13).
● The mystery of the Trinity is wonderfully pronounced in the prophecies of a coming Messiah: that a “child” would be “mighty God” and filled with “the Spirit of the LORD” (Isaiah 9.6,7; 11.1-10).
● Throughout the Old Testament, God’s Spirit had an active role in creation (Genesis 1.2), and in manifesting great power (Zechariah 4.6). The New Testament further defines the position and person of the Holy Spirit (John 14.16,17), which the Old Testament introduces as the Spirit of God.
● The Holy Spirit is identified as God in that lying to God is the same as lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5.4). Also, Old Testament words attributed to YHWH are attributed to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Hebrews 10.15-17).