Adoration is an expression of worship. Synonyms of adore are terms such as glorify, praise, revere, exalt, extol and magnify. Each of these words carry their own connotations, but they are all responses to one extremely important truth: God is worthy to be worshiped and praised for who He is. Adoration involves a deep love and respect for the one being adored. When we use this term in relation to prayer, we can define adoration as an intimate expression of love from the heart of a believer to his or her Heavenly Father.

If we were to take each of the components of prayer and place them in order of priority, adoration would be at the top of the list. In fact, adoration is a foundational element of a vibrant and effective prayer life. It is upon the worship of the Lord that all the other components of prayer are built. Because of this, spending time adoring God should be an integral part of our daily prayer lives.

Adoration is like a doorway that we pass through, leading us into a place of intimate and effective prayer. Psalm 100:4 tells us to, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.” The entryway into the courts of His presence is through our praise. Beginning our prayer time with praise and adoration helps us to put our focus on the One we long to connect with. It is a practical way to exercise Hebrews 12:2 which tells us to, “fix our eyes on Jesus.”

I like to use the analogy of a magnifying glass. When we magnify an object, it does not actually increase its size. Rather, it increases our perception of that object. Each of us has the internal ability to magnify things in our lives. Sometimes, we magnify our problems. While they do not actually grow, they begin to seem overwhelming when we focus on them. Often, we find ourselves consumed with the issues, worries and trials of this life.

Instead, we need to learn to continually magnify the Lord. We need to place our focus on Him rather than anything or anyone else. He is much bigger than any problem or situation that we will ever face in this life. Adoration is what makes this possible. As we spend time with Him, worshiping Him for who He is, reflecting on His character and attributes, our attention is drawn to the One to whom we are approaching. It helps us come into our prayer time with the realization that we are praying to a powerful, loving and amazing God.

We should regularly take time to consider the qualities of the Lord and incorporate them into our adoration time. God is holy, which means He is unlike any other. He is omnipotent, or all-powerful. He is omniscient, or all-knowing. He is omnipresent, or everywhere at once. He created all that we see. He is good. He is love. When we really stop to ponder any of these attributes of God, ours hearts become enraptured with the reality of who He is. And when this happens, praise, worship and adoration are the byproducts that spring up in our hearts, setting the tone for our time of prayer.

If you cannot think of any specific reasons to worship the Lord, just consider the cross of Christ. That sacrifice alone is enough to spend all of eternity adoring Him. Think of the love that He showed us by sending His own Son to die for our sins. This single expression of love should be enough to fill our hearts with adoration for the One who gave it all for us.

Although adoration is a great starting place for prayer, we should not view this component of prayer as a means to an end, but the very end itself. We do not adore Him with the attitude, “Now that I spent some time worshiping You, now You need to answer all my requests.” He is worthy of our adoration, even if He never did anything else for us! It is not only a great way to begin praying, it is a way to spend time with the Lord just for the sake of being with Him. When we are with Him, we are changed in His presence. We become more like Him. We do not need to feel the pressure of always having an agenda when we pray. Simply loving Him and adoring Him has great value in and of itself. Sometimes, we just need to set aside some time and say, “Lord, I am not going to ask for anything. I just want to spend some time adoring you for who you are because you are worthy of it.”

Now that we have talked about this foundational component of prayer, here are twelve names of God and twelve attributes of God to inspire adoration in your heart. To download a FREE printable PDF of the following list, click here: Deeper in Christ- Adoration Tool.

12 Names of God

One: Elohim- The Creator

In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Two: Adonai- Lord over all

O Lord God (Adonai)…for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? Deuteronomy 3:24

Three: Yahweh-Maccaddeshem- The Lord Who Sanctifies You

…that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Exodus 31:13

Four: Yahweh Shammah- The Lord is With You

…and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35

Five: Yahweh Rapha- The Lord Who Heals You

For I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15:26

Six: Yahweh Jireh- The Lord Who Provides for You

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide…Genesis 22:14

Seven: Yahweh-Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness

Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:6

Eight: Elohay Mishpat- God of Justice

For the Lord is a God of justice. Isaiah 30:18

Nine: Yahweh-Nissi – The Lord is Your Banner

And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner. Exodus 17:15

Ten: Elohay Selichot- God of Forgiveness

But You are God, ready to pardon… Nehemiah 9:17

Eleven: Yahweh-Shalom- The Lord is Peace

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. Judges 6:24

Twelve: Yahweh-Sabbaoth- The Lord of Hosts

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!” Haggai 1:5

12 Attributes of God

One: The Lord is Omnipotent- He has all Power

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:6

Two: The Lord is Omnipresent- His Presence is Everywhere at Once

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:7-8

Three: The Lord is Omniscient- He knows Everything

…I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning… Isaiah 46:9-10

Four: The Lord is the Unchangeable One

For I am the LORD, I do not change… Malachi 3:6

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Five: The Lord is Full of Mercy

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. Psalm 145:8

Six: The Lord is Full of Wisdom

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

Seven: The Lord is Holy

For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:3

Eight: The Lord is Worthy

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing! Revelation 5:12

Nine: The Lord is Faithful

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9

Ten: The Lord is Good

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Eleven: The Lord is Love

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

Twelve: The Lord is Just

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4