I have a secret prayer ingredient. It isn't much of a secret, really - but I do forget about it. The key is ...
Adoration.
When I first started my prayer life, I spent much of my time requesting. My prayers were laundry lists of things that bothered me, or stuff that was missing from my life. And then I discovered praise. When I changed my conversation with the Lord from merely whining about myself, and instead focused on being thankful for everything He has already done, things began to change. I began to change.
Instead of complaining about my family who wasn't doing everything I wanted, I thanked Him that I had a wonderful family to love. Instead of complaining about my messy house, I thanked Him that I had a house to clean. I have so much. He has been so good to me. I started to see that behind every one of my complaints was a blessing I hadn't noticed. After awhile I stopped merely begging for stuff and I started adoring Him. Not because He required it. But because He was so good.
I started seeing the little miracles that were quietly sitting in front of me. The flat tire in my driveway in the morning, instead of being annoyed, I became thankful it hadn't gone flat in the middle of my midnight drive home the night before. Being at the right place at the right time to receive a difficult phone call. The miracle of getting across rush hour traffic in Los Angeles to catch a flight to see my mother before she died. As I look back at my life, I see hundreds of events and situations which worked out in my favor. Situations where God's Hand was with me. Guiding me. Protecting me. Putting me where I needed to be at exactly the right time.
How can I not adore Him? He has shown His love for me time and again. As I open my eyes to see His presence in my world, I love Him more and more. I adore Him. I adore this God that loves me so completely.
I love this King of Kings who wants to know me more each day. He is mysterious. But when I love Him, I get to know that part of Him. His love. And as I see His love in my world, I begin to reflect that love to others.
A few years ago when I was praying, I heard the Lord say, "The key is to a door." As I pressed in and asked which door, the Lord said it again,
"The Key is to Adore."
The key to open that door - to who God is - is Love. When we adore Him. We experience love. We experience His Love for us. As we dive into the Love He has for us, we are filled. That is when we discover we finally have the desire of our hearts:
Him.
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