Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

- 1 Chronicles 29:13

As we’ve been talking about “thanksgiving” this week, you may have found yourself wondering: “How’s this thanksgiving stuff different from the praying prayers of adoration stuff?”

Adoration is about praising someone for who they are. Thanksgiving has to do with what they’ve done. Here’s an example: “You’re a great cook [ADORATION]. Thanks for bringing me this pumpkin pie [THANKSGIVING].”

If we only pray prayers of thanksgiving, our prayers become self-centered. Our focus narrows and we get a “what have you done for me lately” mentality. We begin to think of God only in terms of what he can do for us. Prayers of adoration anchor our thanksgiving in something outside ourselves. And this turns out to be very healthy for our relationship with God.

If we pray only prayers of adoration, we end up wandering into some form of recreational deism. Our praise is impersonal. God is remote and removed. High and exalted, sure, but irrelevant. Thanksgiving grounds our praise of God in the real world where he’s really working for us and for our salvation.

Would you make a special effort to express both adoration and thanksgiving today?

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