Thirteen.31.prayer: Adoration

Thirteen.31.prayer week 1: Adoration

This is the first week of daily devotionals for Cape Naz’s thirteen.31.prayer series. We’re starting a month of prayer on March 13^th. It lasts until April 13^th. That’s 31 consecutive days of prayer. Thirteen.31.prayer. I wish I could say there is some deep spiritual meaning behind this series name, but there isn’t. It’s just prayer. It’s a month long.

We’re following the popular prayer model ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. I can’t say with any definitiveness who invented this acronym (or is it an acrostic?), but I’m basing my look at in on Bill Hybel’s excellent book Too Busy Not Too Pray.

Each week we are going to take a look at different element of the ACTS model. This week it’s adoration.

Very simply, we defined adoration last Sunday as turning your mind and self toward God by telling God about himself – who he is and what he’s done. This is modeled for us in Jesus’ model prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. That prayer, commonly called “The Lord’s prayer”, is probably more aptly called “the Disciple’s Prayer” as it is Christ’s model for how his disciples (this includes you and I) should pray to God.

Jesus’ model prayer starts with adoration: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your name, God, is holy! It is sacred. It is to be revered. It is above all names. It is the first name among all creation. It is the last name. It is a name of love. It is a name of authority. It is a name of grace. It is a name of compassion and mercy and sanctuary and sanctification.

That’s adoration. God’s name is to be hallowed! Why? Tell God! What else about God is worthy of your adoration, your respect, your honor, and your reverence? Tell God!

The Bible is full of scriptures that adore and revere God. This week we’re looking at five of them. I would strongly encourage you to take one each day for this week and make it your prayer. See what the writer has to say about God’s character, what he does, who he is, and why he’s worthy of such adoration. Then turn it into your own prayer. How would you describe God in this way? What has God done in your life that’s comparable to what he did in the writer’s life? Tell God about it!

Here are the scriptures. Will you join us in 31 straight days of prayer? Will you start with adoration? I’m praying that you will!

Day 1: Exodus 34:1-10

Day 2: Psalm 46

Day 3: Psalm 8

Day 4: Philippians 2:1-11

Day 5: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Day 6: Psalm 63

Day 7: Psalm 145