Praise Him Forever, Great in Power, Shout to the Lord, Glory Belongs

What was the most awe-inspiring experience you’ve had the past week?

Sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

3 Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;

Bring an offering and come into His courts.

9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

13 Before the Lord, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Did you know that the Book of Psalms has 30 out of its 150 chapters dedicated to worship? As we learned from the Ten Commandments, worship is the very context in which God gave His laws. After receiving the commandments, the people responded with fear when they encountered God’s presence (Exodus 20:18–19).

This fear—yirah—is not merely terror, but a deep awe of God. It is meant to remain in the hearts of His people so that obedience flows not from fear of punishment, but from reverence for who He is (Exodus 20:20). We cannot respond to God properly if we are not in awe of Him. When we truly see God for who He is, obedience and witness become natural responses.

Psalm 96 is a powerful call to worship, inviting all the earth to respond to God’s greatness. When we worship with hearts filled with awe, three things naturally follow:

1. ANNOUNCE HIS GLORY

God is too great to keep to ourselves. When we are amazed by something, we naturally talk about it—and the same is true when we are in awe of God.

The psalmist calls us to “sing a new song” and to proclaim His salvation day after day (Psalm 96:1–4). God alone is the Creator of the heavens, and all splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty belong to Him (Psalm 96:5–6). When awe fills our hearts, declaration becomes unavoidable.
We see this in the life of the prophet Jeremiah. Even when he wanted to stop preaching because of persecution, he could not remain silent—God’s Word burned in his heart like fire (Jeremiah 20:9). Likewise, when Isaiah encountered God’s glory and received His forgiveness, he immediately responded, “Here am I, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

If we struggle to declare God’s greatness, it may not be because God is absent—but because our focus is elsewhere. We often fix our eyes on problems, distractions, or even idols, rather than on God. When our eyes are set on Him, our hearts overflow with praise.

2. WORSHIP THROUGH SURRENDER

God is too glorious to compete with. True worship requires surrender.

Psalm 96 calls us to ascribe glory to God—to recognize that every blessing and every good thing in our lives comes from Him (Psalm 96:7–8). Worship that pleases God is not just external—it flows from a heart that is pure, humble, and fully surrendered (Psalm 96:9).

God does not share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8). Yet we often take what belongs to Him:

• Through self-boasting
• Through self-reliance (a weak or absent prayer life)
• Through anxiety and worry (a lack of trust in God)
• Through silence when we should be declaring His goodness
• Through misplaced dependence on people instead of God

We see this clearly in the life of King Asa. At one point, he trusted God fully and experienced victory (2 Chronicles 14:9–12). But later, he relied on human alliances instead of God and faced rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:7–10).

In the New Testament, Herod Agrippa I accepted praise that belonged to God—and paid the price for it (Acts 12:21–23). We often pray for God’s favor, but when we take His glory, we remove ourselves from that favor. In His love, God allows circumstances to humble us—stripping away pride so we can return to a posture of surrender.

True worship is not just singing—it is a life surrendered to God.

3. EXPECT HIS COMING

We long to be with the One who amazes us.

Psalm 96 reminds us that God is not only Creator, but also Judge and King. The world He established will not be shaken, and creation itself rejoices because He is coming again (Psalm 96:10–13).

This future hope shapes how we live today.

The apostle Paul taught that the return of Christ will come unexpectedly. Because of this, believers are called to stay ready—encouraging and building one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11).

God will judge with righteousness and fulfill His promises with perfect faithfulness. His return is certain.

The question is: what are we most excited about? If our hearts are truly in awe of God, we will long for His return more than anything else this world offers. No experience, achievement, or relationship can compare to being in His presence.

When we live in awe of God, everything changes.

We declare His glory because we cannot keep Him to ourselves.

We surrender our lives because nothing compares to Him.

We anticipate His return because He is our greatest hope.

A life of worship is not confined to songs or gatherings—it is a life shaped by awe, lived daily in response to who God is.

Pray for the awe of God to come upon all people in our church, nation and throughout the earth.

Speak out about His glory and goodness in your own life.

Teach others to read and meditate on God’s Word that they may know Him and develop the fear of the Lord.

Declare His salvation (the gospel) day after day!

• Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.

• Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.

• For legislators to promote and support bills and laws aligned with God’s Word.

• Pray for persecuted Christians in Sudan and Nigeria) — many have been beheaded and murdered; earnestly seek God’s intervention to stop the bloodshed. Pray for freedom from oppression, that God’s word and His people bring them comfort and hope.

• Continue to pray for Israel’s war with terrorists to end according to God’s purpose and for His glory. For Jewish people worldwide who are experiencing a surge of antisemitism. May this lead them to the Messiah, Jesus as they turn to God for help and comfort.

• For nations in turmoil (e.g., Ukraine, Middle Eastern countries, etc.) to experience true freedom in Christ and become centers for massive spiritual revivals in their regions. For new Iranian leadership to rise up that will be for the people of Iran, will promote freedom of worship that the Iranian believers will be able to reach out to the rest of their countrymen and the people of the Middle East.

• For relief goods, financial assistance, God’s comfort, healing and hope for the people in Mindanao (SOCSARGEN, Davao Region, etc.) devastated by the recent 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the island.

• That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.

• For elders, pastors, dleaders, and families to become holy, humble, harmonious, happy, and heart-working.

• Ministries and churches expand worldwide.

• Worship and Training Center

• Prayer Mountain

• Deeper intimate relationship with God.

• Righteous living.

• Salvation of family and friends.

9 Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”