Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
Praise and Thanks
Today’s Audio Devotion:
Praise and Thanks
If you met with a prominent person whom you highly respect in order to ask for a favor, at first you might say, “It is an honor to meet you; I’ve heard so much about your generosity to our local community.” Upon leaving, you might say, “Thank you so much for seeing me and for considering my request.” In other words, you might begin with praise and conclude with thanksgiving.
You could also conduct a prayer meeting with God the same way: praise at the beginning and thanksgiving at the end. Praise and thanksgiving are found throughout Scripture in psalms and prayers. It is interesting that even some of the New Testament epistles begin with words of praise to God (2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3). Others begin with thanksgiving to God for the spiritual progress of the recipients of the letter. Regardless of the order, praise and thanksgiving are consistent themes.
Remember to praise and thank God when you pray: praise for who He is, thanks for what He will do.
The measure of our spirituality is the amount of praise and thanksgiving in our prayer.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
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Some 2,600 years ago, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream. In this dream, the king saw a five–part statue made of five different metals (see Daniel 2). Each section represented an empire, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Four of these empires have already risen and fallen in history—a clear fulfillment of Daniel's prophetic interpretation. The fifth and final empire indicates a future Europe—a ten nation coalition that will unite under the Antichrist's rule.
You can read about the King's dream and Daniel's interpretation in Daniel 2, but let's take a quick visual look at what you will find:
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King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
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Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
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Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
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Roman Empire
When the Grecian empire was conquered by Rome, all the lands and peoples of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into the Roman Empire through the strengths of the "iron legions of Rome" (Daniel 2:40).
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Future European Coalition
This empire has not yet risen. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire—Europe—will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. The future Roman Empire will be present on the earth when God sets up His earthly kingdom (Daniel 2:44).