CANADA PRAYS: An initiative of Anglican Fellowship of Prayer and Society of St John the Evangelist to help us all enter more deeply into the richness of prayer. For more information, please visit anglicanprayer.org
This week: ADORATION
Q. What is adoration?
A. Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence. [1]
Brother Eldridge Pendleton, of SSJE, says that “The simplest form of prayer we can offer God is adoration. All we have to do is remember what God has done for us and for the world and express our gratitude by loving in return.”[2]
Adoration goes beyond words, beyond logic, beyond the liturgy. It is simply resting in the presence of God and finding the delight that comes from that. This s not to say that words are not useful; the liturgy and our daily prayers include components of adoration!
In adoring God, we are connecting to the divine in ways that change us and the world around us. In adoration we are entering into the mystery of love and truth, that pure and perfect love which comes from our God. We are not asking intercession or petition, we are not offering oblation or praise, we are simply adoring – lifting up our hearts and delighting in the intentional time we are spending in God’s presence.
Canada Prays #prayersof #adoration: God of love, I adore you…
Some thoughts on adoration, from Dan:
[1] “An Outline of the Faith commonly called the Catechism” in The Book of Common Prayer, According to the use of The Episcopal Church, 2007. p.857. Available at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/files/downloads/book_of_common_prayer.pdf
[2] http://ssje.org/ssje/2009/10/29/adoration-br-eldridge-pendleton/
