More Stepping Stones


Yesterday we took a look at Foster's stepping stones to the Prayer of Adoration. Foster reminded us that this prayer must be learned, it must be cultivated. Isn't this true of any development of the spirit-man? The first step was to watch and observe the beauty of the world around us. The second step is the practice of gratitude. We can have confidence that God is always working in our lives. We all have things to be thankful for. If we focus on these things and practice giving thanks to the Lord, we'll begin to recognize God all around us. Foster says "When we practice gratitude, a time will come when we find ourselves saying, "Not 'please,' but 'thank you.'"

The third step is magnifying God. This is a key component of adoration. We can begin by reciting or praying many of the Psalms. I've often written these psalms out then started journaling about the passages. If we devote some time to this, we will soon find our own words of praise and gratitude to magnify the Lord.

Foster's final step is joyous celebration. This is often best expressed in community with other believers. We worship together and celebrate who God is in our midst. What would our gatherings be like if we all personally practiced the prayer of adoration and intentionally followed these steps? Wouldn't our time together be a much richer and deeper celebration? I would like to be a part of something like this.

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