Honestly, I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions. For some reason, I just can’t bring myself to make one each year. But as January rolled around I was quietly convicted about my prayer life and knew I would spend 2021 with a focus on prayer. The need for prayer has shown up in a million little places and I’ve been given countless opportunities to pray and to watch what God does with those prayers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s how valuable it is to begin our prayers with adoration.

It is a common theme in many prayer models, like A.C.T.S. (adoration, confession, thanksgiving supplication) or P.R.A.Y (praise, repentance, acceptance, yield) prayers. Yet, it’s so easy to skip over and run straight to my request. I was challenged by a prayer journal I purchased to actually stop, and begin with adoration. Each month I was prompted to write out an attribute or name of God and meditate on it throughout the month. As I began to put this into practice something beautiful began to happen. I’m reminded of God’s might and power. I’ve heard before that prayer isn’t to change God’s mind, it’s to change our hearts, but if I don’t begin with remembering who God is, I’m often left unchanged. Beginning times of prayer with worship humbles me as I look to a great God who is capable of great things. A God who has been righting wrongs since the beginning of time. A God who has healed the sick and redeemed the lives of broken sinners. I believe beginning with adoration helps me see God in both the waiting and the response. Fixing my eyes first on who he is makes it easier to see answered prayers. It’s easy to think this means every prayer should be an hour-long worship service, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve been teaching this concept to my kids and it’s as simple as God you are ____ and they fill in the rest.

This month our prayer guide focuses on the people of the church. As you lift up your brothers and sisters in Christ, spend time praising God. Get familiar with the names and attributes we find in the bible and adore him because he alone is worthy. – Katie

Download the entire prayer guide here!