Prayers of Adoration
Guide to Adoring God and Finding Joy
Adoration is another type of prayer that can enrich one's personal and spiritual growth. The Book of Common Prayer, Episcopal Church USA defines adoration as "the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God's presence" (BCP 857).
Defining Adoration in Prayer
Unlike other prayers, which require words or scripts, adoration is simply spending time with God and basking in awe at God's otherness. Adoration encourages the believer to seek God in life and enjoy that presence when discovered. Just as one enjoys time with a significant other or precious child, one basks in the joy of relationship with God.
Sometimes finding God is extraordinary -- people who see angels, have visions, or believe God has saved them from death; such religious experiences defy explanation. More common, however, are moments of peace, wonder, and awe inspired by the world God has created. An energizing cup of coffee with the sunrise, the warmth of a child's laugh, a surge of joy during choir practice are also prayers of adoration, for at these ordinary times a sense of connection with something beyond oneself shines through.
How to Pray in Adoration
Adoration, God lifting the human to experience heavenly joy here on earth, is a gift from God. No one can force themselves to rejoice in God's presence anymore than one can force God to create a feeling of elation.
It is possible, though, to increase opportunities for praying in adoration. When seeking to adore God, one can create an environment that welcomes God's presence and power. Often, such a welcome will bring experiences of joy and awe towards God and life.
Nature, corporate worship, creative practices, scripture, sporting events, time with loved ones, or personal reflection are but a few ways God might lift up the believer to a reality beyond the earthly.
Consider the following questions as guides for increasing one's ability to adore God.
- When has God's presence felt closest and brought the most joy, a sense of existing in heaven here on earth?
- What conditions from that experience can be replicated on a more frequent basis to increase the possibility of enjoying God more?
- What currently impedes potential opportunities to make time for God in one's life? How can these blockages be overcome -- rearranging the schedule, eliminating stressors, reinforcing boundaries with draining people or obligations?
For example, a young woman finds that jogging in the park every morning brings her peace and a sense of awe that she cannot explain (question 1). She plans to jog five times a week to increase her time outside (question 2). A busy schedule and two small children threaten her jogging time, but she asks a friend to watch her children several days a week and compromises with an evening walk the other days (question 3).
Finding God in the world is often as simple as taking time to notice and waiting, with openness, for God to respond. Prayers of adoration, like all prayers, are communication with God. When one enjoys life, any aspect of the world God has created, this gift communicates just as powerfully as words.
SOURCE:
"Catechism," Book of Common Prayer. Church Publishing Corporation. 1979.
For another way to pray, see Prayers of Oblation to learn about giving the self in prayer.
Cathedral Peak, Yosemite National Park
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