God's Attributes lead us to Adoration ~ Mary Folkerts

 

When we come before the Almighty 

In prayer

Isn't it absurd how much 

We talk about 

ourselves?

Dear Lord

Like a salutation 

Please bless

Please protect

Please help

Please heal

Please 

Please

Please 

In Jesus' name, like

The conclusion 

Until the next time we are 

In need. 

What comes to mind when you think of prayer? Is it the quick "help me!" when you're in a bind or before an exam? Is it a last-ditch effort when you come to the end of yourself? Do we contemplate who we are addressing in our prayers?

Too often, our prayers are stuck in petition. We need things we can't accomplish ourselves, so we go to a higher power hoping that God will hear us and give us our desires. But prayer is much more than asking God to grant us our wishes. Prayer is communication with God. 

It amazes me that the God of the universe desires to communicate with us. He wants us to quiet ourselves and contemplate who He is. Contemplate that He, the Artist of the skies, the One who calls the tiny shoots of green to stretch for the sun, the One who showed Himself faithful to Biblical giants like King David, Esther, Moses and Mary; that He, the same God, desires to sit with me. As we become more aware of who He is, that awareness will flow onto the pages we write.

Why are contemplation and adoration of God vital for my spiritual health? God is not egotistical, needing my praise, but rather, He knows that when I contemplate His attributes, I cannot stay the same. 

Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of God. How would our prayers change if we focused more on who God is than on what we need? How could it affect the words we pen on paper? 

God, our heavenly Father, is:

• Infinite-without beginning and without end
• Immutable- he never changes 
• Omnipotent- all-powerful
• Omniscient-all knowing
• Omnipresent- everywhere, all the time
• All wise- perfect wisdom 
• Always faithful - never changes 
• Unchangingly good 
• He is just - right and perfect in all he does
• Merciful -compassionate, long-suffering 
• Gracious 
• Loving - his love never fails
• Holy- always perfect
• Sovereign- reigns overall 

My contemplative prayer of adoration to God will change me. It will change the prayers I bring, my neediness, and my demanding, selfish heart. As I sing my praise to Him, I become less, and He becomes more. My worries and fears peel away as my faith and trust grow in the Ancient of Days. In adoration, my forgetful heart is reminded of who He is and His faithfulness to me. 

Lord Almighty, when I come

before you in prayer

let me come  

with a quiet

steady 

heart 

Let's talk about 

You 

and all the 

ways 

You have been 

faithful.

Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalms 46:10

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member and is involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s personal blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the small things https://maryfolkerts.com/