Verse of the Day
“So this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy.’”
Matthew 6:9 ERV
Lesson of the Day
Today, we will focus on a prayer of adoration. A prayer of adoration focuses entirely on who God is. It is a time to honor, worship, and praise Him—not only for what He has done, but simply because He is God.
During a prayer of adoration, we praise God for His character. We acknowledge that He is holy, loving, faithful, merciful, all-powerful, and worthy of our worship. This helps us take our attention off ourselves and place it on God.
Jesus began the Lord’s Prayer with adoration, as we see in our verse of the day:
“Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy.”
Matthew 6:9 ERV
King David often prayed prayers of adoration. First Chronicles 29:10–13 ERV says:
“Then David praised the Lord in front of all the people who were gathered together. David said,
‘Lord, the God of Israel, our Father, may you be praised forever and ever! Greatness, power, glory, victory, and honor belong to you, because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you! The kingdom belongs to you, Lord! You are the head, the Ruler over everything. Riches and honor come from you. You rule everything. You have the power and strength in your hand! And in your hand is the power to make anyone great and powerful! Now, our God, we thank you, and we praise your glorious name!’”
There are many examples in the Bible of people praying prayers of adoration. Here are a few:
- Acts 4:24 — The believers prayed together, praising God as the Lord who created heaven, earth, and the sea.
- Daniel 9:4 — Daniel began his prayer by calling God great and wonderful and praising Him for faithfully keeping His covenant.
- 1 Samuel 2:1–2 — Hannah prayed, declaring that no one is holy like the Lord and that there is no God besides Him.
- 2 Samuel 7:22 — David prayed that God is great, that no one is like Him, and that He alone is God.
- Nehemiah 9:5–6 — The Levites led the people in praising God as the only Lord and the Creator of everything.
- Psalm 8:1–9 — David spoke directly to God and adored His greatness, majesty, and creation.
As we study the Bible, we find many prayers of adoration.
Encouragement
We should remember that prayer is not a speech contest. Jesus warned us not to say the same things again and again because we think repeating ourselves will make God hear us.
Let’s take a deep breath, close our eyes, and focus on the Creator. What do we know about Him? What can we truthfully say about His character? Let’s take time to think of ways to praise God for who He is.
If possible, we should find a quiet place where we can focus. We can pray aloud or silently. We can simply talk to God. Our prayer does not have to be a long conversation. We can tell Him whatever comes to mind that speaks of His splendor.
I like to go to a large park with a walking trail and pray aloud to Him as I walk. There is something about being in nature that makes me feel closer to Him.
Let’s give it a try, even if we cannot go outside. If speaking aloud is not possible, we can speak silently. We do not have to be afraid. God is waiting to hear from us, and He wants us to talk to Him.
Let’s pray.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we know You as our Creator, our Lord, and our Savior. There is no one like You. Your power has no limits. You created heaven and earth. Everything obeys when You speak.
You are all-powerful and so creative. You made the beautiful colors of the rainbow. The earth is Your masterpiece, and everything You made was good.
You are holy. You are loving and kind. You are faithful. You are merciful, yet You are also stern. You correct those You love and show them compassion.
You deserve all the praise. We honor and worship You simply because of who You are. We will praise You forever.
In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.