Renewing Your Mind – Adoration

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind (Ligonier Ministries)
Date: November 8, 2025
Speaker: Dr. R.C. Sproul
Host: Nathan W. Bingham

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the foundational element of adoration in the Christian life of prayer. Dr. R.C. Sproul explores why adoration comes first in the biblical model of prayer, how our posture and attitude reflect our reverence before God, and offers practical insights for enriching prayer through praise. The episode is part of a series on prayer, aiming to help believers grasp both the heart and practical steps of approaching God faithfully.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Starting Prayer with Adoration

[00:00, 21:40, 23:45]

• Central Insight:
  When approaching God, our first response should be humility and reverence, expressing the honor due to the King.
• Personal Practice:
  Dr. Sproul describes how he always begins prayer with worship—praising God’s greatness, majesty, and excellence.

  "When I enter into a conversation with the Lord, I begin the conversation with worship. I begin by expressing from the depths of my soul how I feel about His greatness and His Majesty, His Excellence." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 00:00 and 23:45)

2. ACTS: The Acrostic for Prayer Structure

[10:18]

• The Model:
  Dr. Sproul introduces the classic acrostic ACTS as a guide for prayer:
  • Adoration
  • Confession
  • Thanksgiving
  • Supplication
• Confession:
  He candidly admits he still uses this acrostic as a checklist, illustrating its enduring simplicity and effectiveness.

  "I'm still at the ABC level. When I pray, I still go through this acrostic in my mind as a checklist." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 11:10)

3. The Role of Posture and Attitude in Prayer

[13:45—17:40]

• Question from the Audience:
  What is the proper posture for prayer—kneeling, standing, prostrate?
• Sproul's Answer:
  Physical posture reflects inner attitude. Kneeling signals submission; standing with raised hands is historic; prostration is ultimate humility.
  • Personally, he prefers praying on his face, often “building his own little tabernacle” (like under a table).

  "What I like to do is kind of build my own little tabernacle… I like to crawl under a table or someplace where I have a little hiding place beyond my face." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 16:48)

4. Remembering the Nature of God and Ourselves

[18:20—20:35]

• Two Fundamental Elements in Prayer:
  1. Remember whom we are speaking to (God’s character, greatness, majesty).
  2. Remember who is doing the talking (our own sinfulness, frailty).
• Illustrative Story:
  Sproul shares an anecdote about Babe Ruth’s too-casual greeting of the King of England, emphasizing the need for reverence in approaching God.

  "We haven't learned the proper protocol for walking into the presence of a king... we are so casual as Americans." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 20:00)

5. American Informality and Spiritual Etiquette

[20:00—21:00]

• Cultural Commentary:
  Dr. Sproul discusses how American casualness can translate into our spiritual lives, often forgetting the importance of courtly etiquette—“courtesy”—before God.

6. Surprise at Jesus’ Instruction on Prayer

[21:25—22:40]

• Expectation vs. Scriptural Example:
  Jesus starts the Lord’s Prayer with adoration—praising God’s name—before any requests or needs.
  • Sproul expected Jesus would point to the Psalms as a model, given their rich language of praise and reverence.

  "I would have thought Jesus would say... 'Immerse yourselves in the Psalms.' But what He did... He says: When you pray, pray like this..." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 21:30)

7. The Power of Adoration and Spiritual Growth

[24:10]

• Progression in Prayer:
  As believers mature, they find themselves spending more and more time adoring God rather than quickly moving on to requests.

  "The more people advance in their prayer lives, the more time they spend here. It's hard to get them to move from here. They want to spend all their time in adoration." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 24:10)

8. Historical Example: The 30-Day Prayer Experiment

[02:07—08:20]

• Story of Don James and Sam Shoemaker:
  Inspired by a funeral, Dr. Sproul recounts how Shoemaker challenged businessmen to 30 days of intentional prayer, including for their enemies, leading to powerful transformation.

  "After 30 days, the people prayed every day for the well being of their enemy, their hearts would melt towards other people." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 05:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adoration as the First Step:

  "If I had an audience with the King, the first thing I should do is express my humility before the King and give him the honor that he deserves." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 00:00)

• On Posture in Prayer:

  "There's nothing magic or sacred about praying on your knees, but that historically there is a universal significance of a human person getting on their knees." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 14:20)

• On Maturity in Prayer:

  "The more people advance in their prayer lives, the more time they spend here. It's hard to get them to move from here. They want to spend all their time in adoration." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 24:10)

• On Prayer Language:

  "People who immerse themselves in the Psalms have no problems saying what they want to say to God. That language is already there in the Word." (Dr. R.C. Sproul, 22:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00: Why adoration comes first in prayer.
• 02:07: Story of Don James and prayer’s transformative power.
• 10:18: Introduction and explanation of the ACTS prayer acrostic.
• 13:45: Audience question on prayer posture and Sproul’s response.
• 18:20: Fundamental truths: Who God is, who we are.
• 20:00: Casualness, etiquette, and approaching God.
• 21:30: Jesus’ surprising answer for how to pray.
• 22:10: The value of the Psalms in learning the language of prayer.
• 24:10: Spiritual maturity and increased focus on adoration.

Conclusion

Dr. R.C. Sproul’s lesson challenges believers to re-examine the way they approach God in prayer, emphasizing that adoration—praising and honoring God for who He is—should be foundational. As believers mature, they will desire to linger in adoration, recognizing both the majesty of God and their own humility before Him. The ACTS model provides a practical tool for incorporating adoration and balance into every prayer life.