adoration

I had the privilege of preaching on the topic of prayer this morning and evening... during the second of these sessions I had some insight and inspiration as the words escaped my mouth. I was speaking about some of the postures of prayer, not physical but rather spiritual postures (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) and tonight as I spoke about this concept of Adoration it hit me... What does it mean to "adore" something?

I asked the question of my teens, "what do you adore?" Few could answer, finally an adult that was there answered very profoundly... she simply said: "ourselves."All of a sudden it hit me that our adoration is really a fancy word for worship. That thing we adore above all else is really what we worship. It struck me with the instant thought, "what do i worship?" It's the essential question of faith... what in this universe is worthy of my supreme esteem and veneration? IF it's God; then He is in His proper place and all is right, but if it's me then something is supremely wrong.

This is the essential problem of humanity... it's our sin condition, it's us claiming the right to rule that God only deserves. So we bask in this eternal dilemma of which is more valuable to us a freedom of this age to run our lives according to our own standards or an aspiration to follow the Bible's teachings on what a Holy God desires for our lives.

For me the answer is becoming the Bible more and more but how often I find myself in the posture of self-seeking sin when my desire really is to live for God. How does this happen? Can't I muster the self control to put to death the things I desire to move away from and put on the things God's word calls me to? NO... I can't. So what's a person to do? God's answer: pray.

Prayer is that fundamental posture that takes the person into the throne room of the Almighty. It's the essence of a relationship with God. It's critical. In fact, I'd be so bold as to say that if you don't pray, you're not a Christian.

E.M. Bounds in his books on prayer says this, "Prayer produces cleanliness of heart and purity of life. It can produce nothing else. Unrighteous conduct is born of prayerlessness; the two go hand-in-hand. Prayer and sinning cannot keep company with each other. One or the other must of necessity stop." 

This is a supreme and staggering reality. The more we pray the more we become like Christ. The less we pray the more we let selfishness and sin rule in our lives. For me this was a profound reality. Sure I like most "christians" pray.... but do I really pray? Do I approach the throne room of heaven with proper humility and praise? Do I adore God? I think I'm learning too.

There's a familiar statement on prayer that has been much quoted... "Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move the hand of God." I don't know it's source but I'm beginning to see it's truth. If people desire to know God they must pray, I hope to know this reality anew each day.

much love
pb