Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen — Revelation 7:12, NLT
Sometimes in prayer, we get caught up in the asking. We often remember to seek him in times of need but find ourselves forgetting the significance of praise. Adoration prayer is a type of prayer solely focused on adoring God.
There is no correct way to do adoration prayer, but here is an exercise that may be helpful:
1. Choose a characteristic: Begin addressing God by one of his many names or characteristics. Ask yourself, how have I seen God recently? Who do I need to remember God as? Some examples could be Abba, Prince of peace, Bread of life, Maker or Protector.
2. Find Scripture: After you’ve chosen a characteristic, find verses or passages of Scripture that include or demonstrate this characteristic. How has God shown himself as this characteristic throughout history? What does his Word say is true about him?
3. Reflect on personal experiences: Now that you’ve examined Scripture, examine your own life. Consider times in your past or present where God has revealed himself in this way. Reflect on small moments, notable circumstances or seasons of life.
4. Pray: Spend time in prayer, for however long you desire, adoring God for this characteristic. Invite him into your findings, thank him for who he is, and pray to continually see him in this way.
Adoration prayer is centered around loving and magnifying the Lord above all else. It is setting our eyes on the prize of knowing Christ Jesus and delighting in who he is.2 Adoration prayer can be helpful in times when you need to remind yourself of God’s multifaceted character. You may find yourself falling deeper in love with Christ the deeper you dive into his attributes.
In Luke 11:1, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray with the model of the Lord’s Prayer. Just like the disciples, we too may need guidance in prayer. Breath prayer, one sentence prayer and adoration prayer are all prayers that may simplify your prayer life while still pointing you to the cross.
If you desire to learn more about these types of prayer, consider attending Grand Canyon University’s Spiritual Formation workshops. Fill out the form on this page to learn more about joining our Christian learning community.