On the Podcast: Adoration

Adoration doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it out to be in our heads. As we talk with Sara Hagerty this week, I think you’ll be encouraged that an adoration practice can not only fit into our busy lives, but propel our prayer lives forward. Our guided prayer this week will help you practically take the next steps in adoration if you’re not sure where to start. And as an added bonus, I’m sharing my top 10 books on prayer this week, because I think the more we read about prayer, the more we become excited about making it a consistent part of our lives.

**Grabbed your copy of Val’s new book, Pray Confidently and Consistently? It’s now available from your favorite online retailer!**

Ep. 22: Adoration with Sara Hagerty

In this episode we talk with author Sara Hagerty about the importance of worshipping God as part of our prayer lives and how we can practically make it happen in even the smallest moments of our days.

Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of seven whose arms stretched wide across the expanse between the United States and Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus. God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her.

And out of the overflow of this perplexity, came her writing, both on her blog and in her books – Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet & Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to be Noticed, and ADORE: A Simple Practice for Experiencing God in the Middle Minutes of Your Day, all three published by Zondervan.

Sara’s Website | Sara’s Instagram

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Prayer Journal by Val Marie Paper
• Pray Confidently and Consistently by Valerie Woerner
• You Satisfy My Soul by Laura Hackett Park
• Adore by Sara Hagerty

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Ep. 23: How (and What) To Read About Prayer

Over the last few years, I’ve made it a point to mostly always have a book in my currently reading stack about prayer. This means I’m learning about prayer on an ongoing basis and every few days, I’m reminded of the importance of prayer. Today, I’m sharing 10 of my favorites reads + a little preview of what you can expect from each one.

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller
• The Battle Plan for Prayer by Alex and Stephen Kendrick
• E.M. Bounds’ books
• What Happens When Women Pray? by Evelyn Christenson
• The Prayer-Saturated Church by Cheryl Sacks
• Fresh Start Devotional by Valerie Woerner
• Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
• Springboard Prayers by Valerie Woerner
• Praying Scriptures over … by Jodie Berndt
• Love on It’s Knees by Dick Eastman
• Adore by Sara Hagerty
• Pray Confidently and Consistently by Valerie Woerner

If you want to get the first two chapters of Pray Confidently and Consistently for free, head to valmariepaper.com and you’ll see a pop up. When you drop in your email, you’ll also get our monthly peptalk which includes the current stack of books I’m reading!

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Ep. 24 A Prayer for Wonder

In this noisy world, standing in awe of the Lord feels almost impossible, but as we discussed in episode 22, adoration is essential and so beneficial to our prayer lives.

Here is a guided prayer to kick off your personal adoration practice:

• Share with the Lord the things that help you focus in a noisy world
• Confess any pride that makes us seem bigger and God smaller
• Reflect on God’s might and the wonder of His hands
• Take a minute to literally or figuratively kneel before the King

VERSES:

• John 3:30
• Psalm 145:5
• Hebrews 12:28-29

This prayer has been adapted from my book Springboard Prayers. If you were encouraged by it and would like 124 other prayers to read when you don’t have the words, grab a copy at valmariepaper.com.

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Val’s new book on prayer is available now! 

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now!

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