A Prayer That Adds Up

From a broad cultural perspective, prayer seems to be one of those things that most people are acquainted with yet handle very differently. For some, prayer is a somewhat vague notion of talking to God. For others, prayer is a last resort in life, something you turn to when you’re in a bind or desperate need. Still, for others, prayer is a formality to be done at mealtime or in a church setting. Lastly, for certain ones, prayer is an essential means of encountering the living God personally and changing the world through him.

There is something mysterious about prayer, as it is deep and broad and varies in expression from one person to the next. And yet, for followers of Jesus, there is nothing more important on earth than prayer. God’s power flows primarily to people who pray. The Bible is filled with stories showing us that our great God is ready and willing to answer the prayers of his people.

In one of the most renowned books on prayer, author Richard Foster outlines 21 different prayer types in his classic Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home. Here are just a few of the ways to pray that he lays out: the prayer of examen (self-reflecting on your day), the prayer of relinquishment (letting go with a release of hope), sacramental prayer (liturgical or rhythmic patterns), intercessory prayer (praying for others) and petitionary prayer (praying for things to happen).

Another prayer type that seems obvious but is easily overlooked is prayer of adoration. This type of prayer is critical to our prayer life and central to growing our generosity potential. Richard Foster defines it this way: “In the prayer of adoration, we love God for himself, for his very being, for his radiant joy.” In other words, prayer of adoration is rooted in thanksgiving and praise—thanksgiving for what God has done for us and praise for who God is in himself.

This may be different than how some of us are first inclined to pray. When it comes to prayer, it’s more natural to ask God to bless us, whether it be with wisdom, direction, a job, a relationship, a home or a clean bill of health. The list can go on. But through prayer of adoration, we actually turn the table and bless God! Shifting our focus from how God can bless us to how we can bless God reorients our hearts and fills us with gratitude. The result is our ability to recognize more clearly God’s love and faithfulness in our lives.

When we praise God for who he is and what he’s done, our joy will naturally increase, resulting in a more generous heart. Today, try incorporating prayer of adoration in your prayer repertoire, blessing God for his goodness. To guide you, start with praying Psalm 103, which may be one of the best examples of adoration in all of scripture, and especially let verses 1-5 speak to your heart:

¹Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

²Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

³who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

⁴who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Amen.