Prayer of Adoration: Week of August 15
What?
During your time of daily prayer, offer a prayer of adoration, worshipping and praising God for who he is.
Why?
Every deep relationship requires that we acknowledge the worth of the other person whose fellowship we enjoy. Offering compliments and praise reminds us of their value and completes our enjoyment of their fellowship. This is why Jesus taught his disciples to pray as he did. Purposefully acknowledging the infinite worth of God — “hallowed be your name” — steers our hearts away from adoring ourselves and other creatures, reveals that our heart has truly grasped the magnificence of “our Father in heaven,” and allows us to rest more deeply in fellowship with him.
How?
First, we should observe that in adoration, we acknowledge the marvelous attributes and works of God. These are words of praise focused solely on honoring God apart from any particular circumstances. To adore God is simply to express what is true about him. This in turn functions as a sort of gateway to other forms of prayer like confession, thanksgiving, and petition. For example,
Adoration: God, you are great, and there is no one like you.
Confession: Lord, I fail to recognize your greatness and constantly try to build up my own reputation and success.
Thanksgiving: I thank you that there is none greater than you and that I can have confidence in your care of me.
Petition: My troubles are overwhelming, but I know that you are greater, Lord. So please rescue me from my suffering.
Second, if adoration is praising God for who he is, or what is true about him, we can pick any of his attributes and works and express these back to him. (Not that he needs our validation, but this completes our enjoyment of him just as it complete one’s enjoyment of one’s partner to express to them, “You are beautiful” or “You are handsome.”) So explore in prayer God’s holiness, self-sufficiency, omnipotence, grace, love, justice, truthfulness, and more. Helpful resources include:
Praying the Attributes of God by Rosemary Jensen (Follow the link to see a preview of seven chapters. This also demonstrates how each attribute is rooted in Scripture and leads to other forms of prayer.)
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (The link provides the full text of the book. Each chapter begins and ends with a prayer concerning an attribute of God.)
“Praying the Names and Attributes of God” (This article lists thirty names of attributes of God with simple definitions and relevant Scripture.)
Third, besides the Word-made-flesh, there is no better teacher of prayer than the written Word to enlarge your vocabulary for prayer.
As you read Scripture, ask yourself what that passage reveals about God, and turn this into praise.
Take a look at specific prayers of adoration by God’s faithful like Moses (Exodus 15:1-18), Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), Isaiah (Isaiah 40:9-31), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Paul (Ephesians 1:3-14), or the angels in heaven (Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:9-14).
The Psalms, what some have called the Bible’s prayerbook, contain innumerable prayers of worship throughout. Some that focus on adoration include Psalm 8, 18, 24, 29, 33, 34, 36, 46, 47, 65-68, 84, 89-100, 103-107, 111, 113-118, 121, 130, 135-136, 139, and 144-150. Make these your own prayers.
