12 Prayers of Adoration to God in the Bible and What They Teach

We talk a lot about worshiping and praising God. If you are like me, then you know you need to do it. But if your honest, you don’t as much as you would like. Perhaps, you’ve wondered, “How do I adore God?” Perhaps, you’ve wanted biblical examples to learn from. Well, now you have them.

There are numerous prayers of adoration found throughout the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. Each one has insights on learning how to adore God biblically. They teach us that God is worthy of adoration for who He is and what He has done for us. Ultimately, they challenge us to pray and live lives in constant adoration of God.

These twelve examples come from every part of the Bible and paint a beautiful picture of adoration toward God. Let’s dive in and see what we can learn from each example.

The Song of Moses (Exodus 15)

The song of Moses is a beautiful song that is sung by Moses, Miriam, and the people of Israel after God delivered them from Egypt when they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. It comes at a time of great relief after a life threatening, stressful, and even impossible circumstance.

Far too often we find ourselves in stressful impossible circumstances. So, let’s take a look at this prayer of adoration and see what we can learn from it. Moses’ psalm of adoration shows us five things that adoration, or praise, recognizes about God.

• Praise recognizes who God is to us personally (Exodus 15:1-3)
• Praise recognizes God’s deliverance (Exodus 15:4-10)
• Praise recognizes God’s uniqueness (Exodus 15:11)
• Praise recognizes God’s guidance and provision (Exodus 15:13-17)
• Praise recognizes God’s sovereignty (Exodus 15:18)

So, our praise of adoration to God should recognize these things. Praise ought to be our constant response to the gospel of salvation in our lives. When God sees us through those stressful, impossible circumstances, adoration should be our natural response.

David’s Prayer (1 Chronicles 29:10-19)

King David was a man after God’s own heart. Yet because he was also a man of war, God did not allow him to build the Temple, something David wanted to do. Instead, God would give that task to David’s son, King Solomon. That said, eager to help, David gathered all the supplies and resources Solomon would need. He called the people to give freely to God’s temple. The people did. And it’s here we find David’s prayer of adoration.

His prayer begins with acknowledging God’s abundance and provision (1 Chronicles 29:10-13). Everything comes from God. And God’s riches are infinitely abundant (Ephesians 1:7-14;3:8-9) both physical and immaterial.

David goes on to acknowledge that even the generosity of the people is from God (1 Chronicles 29:13-16). Not only is everything we have a gift from God, every good thing we are is also a gift from God. If we are generous it is because of God. If we are kind it is because of God.

Lastly, David praises God for looking at the heart (1 Chronicles 29:17-19). The inner reality and riches and a personal and unique relationship with God far surpass earthly wealth. God is worthy of our praise and adoration because of the gifts of possessions, personality, and position in having a relationship with Him.

Psalm 8

Psalm 8 is a psalm of David that celebrates God’s majesty and glory. In this Psalm, David reflects on God’s special attention that He shows humanity. Let’s take a closer look at the structure of this powerful psalm to see what we can learn from it.

• God’s Majestic Name (Psalm 8:1)
  • God’s glory (Psalm 8:2)
    • God’s special attention shown to humanity (Psalm 8:3-4)
  • Humanity’s glory given by God (Psalm 8:5-8)
• God’s Majestic Name (Psalm 8:9)

First, this psalm makes abundantly clear that everything humanity has, the glory, honor, and dominion, come from God. For that, He is worthy of all praise and adoration. Second, we see that we should reflect God’s glory and majestic name. We can do that in our actions and through our praise.

Psalm 19

Psalm 19 is another psalm of David. This one celebrates God’s righteousness on display both in creation and through Scripture. Through this Psalm we can see how God is revealed through creation (Romans 1:20). We can also learn the importance and impact of meditating on Scripture.

If you want to know the difference between prayer and meditation then check out this article. In it I explore the key differences between the two and the benefits of both. Anyway, let’s look at Psalm 19 and explore God’s righteousness in creation and Scripture.

David reflects on what creation reveals about God. He mentions the following that creation reveals,

• the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)
• the wisdom of God (Psalm 19:2)
• the provision of God (Psalm 19:5)
• the love of God (Psalm 19:5)
• life is found in God (Psalm 19:6)

After reflecting on this, David meditates on the blessings of God’s righteousness on display in Scripture. Through Scripture God’s righteousness,

• revives the soul
• makes wise the simple
• rejoices the heart
• enlightens the eyes
• endures forever
• true and righteous

David concludes this psalm by calling us to respond in prayer (Psalm 19:12-13) and mediation (Psalm 19:14). So, from this psalm of David we can learn that prayers of adoration both focus on God and are yet intimately personal to our lives.

Psalm 103

Psalm 103 is another beautiful psalm of David. In this psalm David is calling on everyone and everything to adore God for His enduring, faithful love. He meditates and praises God for the benefits of a personal and unique relationship with Him. It combines the themes and lessons we learned from Psalm 8 and Psalm 19.

Counting our blessings and remembering the benefits of a relationship with God plays a vital role in prayers of adoration. It serves to remind us of God’s faithfulness and gives Him the glory and gratitude simultaneously. Here are are just some of the benefits David mentions in this psalm,

• forgiveness (Psalm 103:3)
• healing (Psalm 103:3)
• redemption (Psalm 103:4)
• enduring love and mercy (Psalm 103:4)
• satisfaction (Psalm 103:5)
• provision and protection (Psalm 103:6)
• mercy and grace (Psalm 103:8)
• abundant, decisive, and enduring kindness and salvation (Psalm 103:11-13)
• patience (Psalm 103:14)
• everlasting, abundant, eternal life (Psalm 103:15-18)

Well, there’s tears in my eyes now. How about you? Adoration marvels and wonders at God’s goodness and the benefits of having a personal and unique relationship with Him. The very fact that we can ought to lead to adoration.

Isaiah’s Vision (Isaiah 6:3)

Isaiah was a prophet to God’s people at time of political and moral turmoil. National alliances were changing and the people were far from God. Isaiah’s ministry began with a unique call. He had this heavenly vision that humbled, purified, and commissioned him for ministry.

In this vision Isaiah sees angels praising God, calling to one another, constantly sharing about the greatness and goodness of our God. They would call to one another and say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

One thing we can learn here is that praise and adoration serve two purposes. One, to glorify God. Two, to share the greatness and goodness of God. We should not just praise God to God, but praise God to others as well. Doing so, will foster further adoration and humility.

Another thing I want to note is the physical response of adoration. After the angels said this Isaiah records that the building shook violently, the whole house filled with smoke, and Isaiah fell to the ground completely aware of his sinfulness and God’s holiness.

Adoration helps us put into perspective God’s holiness and our sinfulness. God’s holiness is so overwhelming it naturally leads to a physical response, whether that falling down, crying, even laughing in joy.

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

The Lord’s prayer is a model prayer that Jesus shared with his disciples when they asked him how to pray like him. Let’s see what he told them.

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

[For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.]

Now, the “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.” Is italicized because it is found only in some manuscripts and probably was not original. That said, if included, we see that the Lord’s prayer begins and ends with adoration.

If you are like me, then adoration plays a little role, or even an introductory role before you get to what you really want to say. But the Lord’s prayer teaches us that what we really want to say should be adoration. It should the beginning and the end, the first and the last from our lips. Adoration should come before everything else because nothing is more important.

If you are interested in learning more about the Lord’s prayer then check out these posts. This one discusses the simple beauty and heart of the Lord’s prayer. And this one will show you how the Lord’s prayer can transform your prayer life.

The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)

The Magnificat is what we call Mary’s song of praise after the angel visits her and announces to her that she will give birth to the long promised Messiah. Can you imagine? What questions would arise in your mind? What fears?

There are times when God calls us or asks us to do things that only He can do through us. In those instances, it easy to feel overwhelmed and have a ton of questions. But Mary’s response should be our response. Praise and adoration. Mary praises God for three simple things.

• God has shown mercy (Luke 1:50)
• God has shown strength (Luke 1:51)
• God has helped His people (Luke 1:54)

Mercy, strength, and help. These are the things Mary was going to need in fulfilling her calling. But instead of asking God for them, she praised God for His mercy, his strength, and his help. It was prayer praise and faith. We learn then, prayers of adoration express faith. By praising God for his attributes, we are trusting that they are enough. That He is enough.

If you want a more detailed look at how the Magnificat teaches us to pray in faith, then check out this post. It covers four vital truths we must know if we want to pray in faith like Mary.

The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)

The Benedictus is the title we give to Zechariah’s prophecy in the New Testament. Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist and a priest to God. Like Mary, in Zechariah’s praise and adoration we can learn important lessons. The Benedictus praises God for His salvation and its result. Zechariah three reasons why God’s salvation is so important,

• to save us from our enemies (Luke 1:71) [Our greatest enemy is sin].
• to show mercy (Luke 1:72)
• to remember his holy covenant (Luke 1:72)

Next, Zechariah highlights the result of God’s salvation. He says, “that we…might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:74-75).

That’s the purpose of our salvation. That we might serve him. We are saved to adore God, to wonder in His goodness and greatness. Yes, we pray prayers of adoration, but our adoration must lead to action. We must live like what we are praising God for is true, because it is. So, it’s time we live like it.

Paul’s Doxologies

Paul wrote a bunch of letters in the New Testament. Many include a doxology. A doxology is simply a short phrase or prayer of adoration. Doxologies are typically one to two sentences in length and thus easy to remember. Here is a list of some of Paul’s doxologies found in his letters.

• 1 Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
• Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
  How unsearchable his judgments,
  and his paths beyond tracing out!
  Who has known the mind of the Lord?
  Or who has been his counselor?
  Who has ever given to God,
  that God should repay them?
  For from him and through him and for him are all things.
  To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
• Romans 16:25-27 “Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
• Galatians 1:4-5 “Who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
• Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
• Philippians 2:5-11 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
  Who, being in very nature God,
  did not consider equality with God
  something to be used to his own advantage;
  rather, he made himself nothing
  by taking the very nature of a servant,
  being made in human likeness.
  And being found in appearance as a man,
  he humbled himself
  by becoming obedient to death—
  even death on a cross!
  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
  and gave him the name that is above every name,
  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
  and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
  to the glory of God the Father.”
• Philippians 4:19-20 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
• 1 Timothy 6:15-16 “Which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
• 2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

These doxologies remind us that God’s glory is the center of the universe. God is the creator and sustainer of all things, forever. We are to constantly and consistently respond to that truth with praise and adoration. These doxologies help make that easier. We can remember them and say them quickly. Not a day should go by, where we do not adore God.

Also, these doxologies remind us to live in light of the wonder and glory of God. Our lives must reflect these truths. That itself, is a prayer of adoration. Our lives become a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing, true worship in spirit and truth (Romans 12:1, John 4:24).

Worthy is the Lamb (Revelation 5:9-13)

The apostle John was last disciple of Jesus to die. Toward the end of his life, he lived in exile an island of Patmos. Here Jesus gave him a revelation. This revelation we call the book of Revelation in our bibles.

In the beginning of this revelation, John is in heaven and witnesses an act of adoration and praise that is indescribable. So, here’s John’s words,

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

There is a lot that we can unpack and learn here. But I want to focus on one thing. That is this: Adoration gives God everything. Twice, in these few verses we see that God is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise.

Thus, we learn that adoration is more than just praise. It’s giving God power. Power over our lives. It’s giving God wealth. It’s giving God wisdom and strength and honor. Adoration is giving God everything we have, because through Jesus death and resurrection on the cross for our salvation, He is infinitely worthy of our everything.

Psalms of Adoration (Various)

We’ve discussed a few Psalms of adoration here in those post. But did you know that there are 42 Psalms of adoration. Here is a complete list of every psalm of adoration for you to explore and wonder on your own.

• Psalm 8: God’s glory in Creation.
• Psalm 29: Praise to God for His glory and strength.
• Psalm 33: Praise to God for His character and creation.
• Psalm 46: God provides and protects His people.
• Psalm 47: God is King over all the Earth.
• Psalm 48: The Greatness of God in Zion.
• Psalm 65: Thanksgiving for God’s Provision
• Psalm 66: Thanksgiving to God for his works.
• Psalm 67: A prayer of blessing.
• Psalm 68: Praise to God for providing victory.
• Psalm 76: Praise to God for his rescue of Israel.
• Psalm 81: An appeal from God to Israel
• Psalm 84: The joy of worshipping God.
• Psalm 87: Foreign nations come to worship God.
• Psalm 92: Thanksgiving to God for victory.
• Psalm 93: God is King over all the Earth.
• Psalm 95: A Call to worship and obey.
• Psalm 96: God the King comes in judgement.
• Psalm 97: God’s glorious reign.
• Psalm 98: Praise to God for salvation and judgement.
• Psalm 99: God is a holy King.
• Psalm 100: Worship God with joy.
• Psalm 103: Thanksgiving for God’s compassion.
• Psalm 104: Praise to God for His creation and providence.
• Psalm 105: Praise to God for his work on behalf of Israel.
• Psalm 106: Praise to God for His Faithfulness.
• Psalm 108: Praise to God for victory over enemies.
• Psalm 111: Praise to God for his work and commands.
• Psalm 113: God’s majesty and care for the needy.
• Psalm 114: Praise to God for His work during the Exodus
• Psalm 115: Dead idols and the living God.
• Psalm 117: Let all peoples praise God
• Psalm 135: Praise God for His power and redemption
• Psalm 136: Praise God for His creation and deliverance
• Psalm 138: Thanksgiving for God’s goodness.
• Psalm 145: A song of God’s majesty and love.
• Psalm 146: Praise God for His help.
• Psalm 147: Praise God for His providence.
• Psalm 148: Let all creation praise God.
• Psalm 149: Praise God for His future judgement.
• Psalm 150: Let everything praise God.

I want to encourage you to choose one of these psalms and take a moment to read it. Meditate on it. Pray it back to God. See what you can learn from one of these psalms of adoration. If you don’t know how to pray a psalm then, this post will walk you through exactly how to do that, and make it align with where you are in life right now. This a powerful way to pray prayers of adoration to God. So, give it a try.