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The Magnificent Splendor of God at Christmas

Debbie Przybylski

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:6-9).
 
Dear intercessors,

It’s the wonderful season of Christmas where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's an incredible reality that God became a man for us and for our salvation (John 1:14). A way to make our holiday season more joyful is to realize the magnificent splendor of God and to worship Him as King. It’s great to give gifts at this time of year, but let’s also remember to worship Jesus and give Him our primary focus.

Occasionally my husband and I would like to stay a few days in a small trailer in the country on a piece of land near his boyhood home in New York. One Christmas we stayed for a week in Buffalo, New York anticipating the snow that Buffalo is known for. That year there was no snow—absolutely nothing. Norm really wanted to see a snowstorm at least once.

Going home on our way out of town, we decided to stop in the country for a couple of days. On our way to the trailer, it began to snow. And it snowed and snowed to over a foot of snow! By the time we got there, we were experiencing a winter wonderland. What had looked like a bleak, dark, and dreary day turned into a bright, enchanting, and majestic scene of one of God’s winter delights. It was beautiful, breathtaking, and gorgeous beyond all descriptions. 

This winter wonderland that I experienced is only a small taste of what we have in God. As the body of Christ, let us rise up from the gloom and the dark places in our thinking and begin to taste the beauty of God in our everyday lives. We could have rushed off from that country scene without beholding its beauty and without letting it penetrate into our inner hearts.

We could have missed what God was trying to show us about Himself, but instead we cultivated the magnificence of the moment with the God of nature who created it all.     
   
Even as the world is getting worse and the days are getting darker, we have the greatest message for all the peoples of the earth: Our God reigns! Jesus is alive, and He is right now permeating the world with His presence. Let’s not miss it. It is time that we see God as He really is and that we rise to new heights in beholding His majesty and splendor. When we know Him Who lives inside us, it changes our lives forever. 

How do we get there personally and then corporately as the Church? The hope for the nations is in the Church rising to her destiny by knowing the glorious splendor of God and who she is, the beautiful and powerful bride of Christ. We position ourselves for breakthrough when we see the magnificent splendor of God in our everyday lives. Prayerfully do the following, meditate on these verses, and let them penetrate into your innermost being:

  • Ask God to give you a vision of Himself - It is as we have a greater understanding of the glory of God and the beauty of Jesus that we will rise up as the bride of Christ who sees breakthrough in prayer and victory over the enemy.

    “Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy” (Exodus 15:6).
     
  • Permeate your life with extravagant worship - Praise and worship God throughout the day wherever you are. Do this in the grocery store, shopping, behind your desk at work, or at your school. Praise God with lips of thanksgiving.

    “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:2-4).
     
  • Speak out the attributes of God and what He is to you - Speak them out in your home and into the atmosphere in your city: “Lord, You are all-powerful, majestic, my Savior, the King of kings, my loving Father, the faithful one, etc.” 

    “Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples” (Psalm 77:13-14).
     
  • Upgrade your view of God - Realize that you are made to see His magnificent splendor. Heaven is struck with His majesty. Rise up in faith, see the glory of God, and live the plan that is God’s plan.

    “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1).
     
  • Position yourself for victory by making His presence the central theme of your life - We must choose to align with God and His greatness and look at life in a new way.

    “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 111:2-3).

We have every reason to rejoice that God shall reign in the dark places as we rise up as one body to our glorious destiny as the bride of Christ. Let’s see His beauty as we go about our daily tasks every day. Let’s see Him as the God who breaks through in prayer. Let’s praise and worship Him as we behold Him in nature or in the smile of a child at Christmas. Let’s thank Him for the multitude of blessings we receive on a daily basis, big and small. You and I can get overwhelmed with what we don’t have – many have lost their jobs, others have lost their marriage, or a loved one – but look what you do have. We have Jesus and He is more than enough. 

There is a magnificent splendor of God that none of us have fully comprehended. May we make the glorious presence of God and a life of worship and praise the central theme of our daily lives now at Christmas and throughout the year. He is majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders. It’s time we expectantly see our wonder-working God and touch others with the splendor of His majesty. 

“Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling” (Exodus 15:11, 13).

A Breakthrough Prayer For God’s Glory and Splendor

Lord, I thank You that Your truth dwells in the atmosphere of worship. Strength and glory are in Your sanctuary. I worship You in the splendor of Your holiness. I praise You because You are mighty, powerful, loving, kind, etc. [Praise God’s attributes]. Give me a vision of who You are in all of Your splendor and majesty (Exodus 15:6-7). I want to worship You throughout the day and see You in a greater way this Christmas (Psalm 63:2-4). Permeate my life with Your glory and majesty. Teach me to align myself with Your greatness, and give me a new way of looking at life. I choose to make Your presence the central theme of my life. I know that Your truth dwells in an atmosphere of worship. You are majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders (Exodus 15:11, 13). I thank You for leading me in daily victory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Together in the Harvest,
 
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org