“Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king.” [1 Chronicles 29:20 NIV]

ad·o·ra·tion /ˌadəˈrāSH(ə)n/: worship; veneration.

Worship is an integral part of loving God, it is giving Him the praise and reverence He deserves. But I find that a lot of people struggle with adoration of God, partly because Western culture isn’t a culture of paying homage. There are no kings or chiefs to pay respects towards, so the idea of paying homage to God is distant from the mind.

Growing up Nigerian, paying respect is deeply ingrained in our culture. Children learn to kneel and prostrate before their elders at a very young age; kings and chiefs are still a part of the culture and are greeted with reverence; and at parties, both weddings and funerals alike, songs are sung about to pay respects to people of honor. 

“If He needed no one to exist, then it follows that He needs no one to keep Him in existence. Everything He needs is in Himself.“

The key difference between praising people and praising God is this, praising God adds nothing to Him, He is exalted far above (Nehemiah 9:5c), rather it reminds us of who we serve. It reminds us of His greatness and His power, that He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine!

If you are struggling with adoring God in prayer, here are some practicals to help you:

1. Read a passage of scripture ALOUD that adores God and talks about His greatness

2. Study out the Names of God [ex: ‘El Shaddai, ‘El ‘Elyon, YHWH] and Characteristics of God [ex: His Holiness, His Goodness, His Sovereignty]

3. Set a timer and force yourself to think about the grandeur of God [think about how big the universe is and the Creator that must be greater than it, think about how detailed the human body is and the intelligent designer behind it, etc]

4. Find songs that inspire you to be in awe.

Passages that adore God:

• Psalms 8; 29; 93; 95:1-7; 96; 97; 98; 99; 100; 103; 104; 113; 135; 136; 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150

• 1 Chronicles 29:10-20

• Job 38-41

“He is the same God who parted the Red Sea. He is the same God who caused the wall of Jericho to fall. He is the same God who made the Sun standstill. He is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead. “

WHO GOD IS:

The Creator. In the beginning, God created EVERYTHING from NOTHING. He spoke and it was. He commanded and it stood still. The Sun and the Moon. The planets and the stars. The mountains and the oceans. All the plants. All the animals: lions, elephants, birds, giraffes, dolphins. 

• Hebrews 11:3; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 33:6-9; Psalm 95:4-5; Psalm 102:25; Psalm 104:5-32; Psalm 139:13; Psalm 146:6

YHWH, Yahweh. I AM WHO I AM. The self-existent God. The God who created all things yet He did not need to be created. There was nothing before God. He is the beginning. He enthroned himself. 

• Exodus 3:14a; Psalm 47:7-8; Psalm 50:1; Psalm 93:1, 3

‘El Shaddai, God Almighty. The All-Sufficient One. The self-sustaining God. If He needed no one to exist, then it follows that He needs no one to keep Him in existence. Everything He needs is in Himself. 

‘El ‘Elyon, Most High. There is no power higher than God. Nothing and no one supersedes him. He is the highest power. There was no one greater to swear by, so He swore by Himself (Hebrews 6:13). He is enthroned in the heavens (Psalm 115:3; Psalm 123:1). Because He is the Most High, it follows that He is Sovereign over all (Daniel 4:17,25,32); to be the Most High is to have the final say in all matters.

• Genesis 14:19-20; Exodus 15:1; Psalm 47:2; Psalm 57:5; Psalm 83:18; Psalm 95:3; Psalm 97:9

"Supreme above all opposing powers, the Lord reigneth upon a throne high and lifted up. Incomprehensible in essence, he rises above the loftiest thought of the wise; absolute in will and infinite in power, he is superior to the limitations which belong to earth and time. This God is our God…" [C.H. Spurgeon, commentary on Psalm 115:3]

“In the height of his abode none can be like him. His throne, his whole character, his person, his being, everything about him, is lofty, and infinitely majestic, so that none can be likened unto him. His serene mind abides in the most elevated condition, he is never dishonoured, nor does he stoop from the pure holiness and absolute perfection of his character.” [C.H. Spurgeon, commentary on Psalm 113:5]

Immutable, He does NOT change (Malachi 3:6). He is constant. There is no shadow of turning with Him (James 1:17b). He is the same God who parted the Red Sea. He is the same God who caused the wall of Jericho to fall. He is the same God who made the Sun standstill. He is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead. 

Omnipotent, All-Powerful. He is able to do extremely abundantly more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He has all power, who can fight against His decisions?

• Psalm 93:1,4; Job 36:22,26

Omnipresent, Everywhere. There is nowhere that God is not. He sees all things, who can tell Him something He didn't already know?

• Psalm 139:8-12; Job 34:21-22

Omniscient, All-Knowing. His knowledge is perfect (Job 37:16). There is nothing that escapes his knowledge. There is nothing that surprises him. He knows all things, who can question His decisions?

• Psalm 92:5; Psalm 104:24; Psalm 139:1-6,15-16; Isaiah 55:8-9; Daniel 2:22; Hebrews 4:13; 

‘El ‘Olam. He exists outside of time. He is eternal. He is from Everlasting to Everlasting. The First and the Last. The Beginning and the End.

• Psalm 93:2; Psalm 102:12,26-27; Psalm 145:13; Psalm 146:10; Exodus 15:18; Revelations 1:8; 1 Timothy 1:17; Isaiah 57:15

Holy. Set apart. Majestic in Holiness (Exodus 15:11). He is without sin (Job 34:10).

• Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:3

"Holiness is one of His attributes; that is, Holiness is an essential part of the nature of God." [Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness]

"What is the LORD set apart from? He is set apart from creation, in that the Lord GOD is not a creature, and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the Lord GOD would remain. He is set apart from humanity, in that His "nature" or "essence" is Divine, not human. God is not a super-man or the ultimate man. God is not merely smarter than any man, stronger than any man, older than any man, or better than any man. You can't measure God on man's chart at all. He is Divine, and we are human." [David Guzik, commentary on Isaiah 6]

Leave a comment below about your favorite name or characteristic of God.