Prayer is one of those things that can really start to become stale if we’re not focusing on it. I found I’d fallen into some habits that I really wasn’t happy with in terms of prayer, so I decided to make 2012 a year to focus on my prayer life. I was recently reminded of the ACTS of Prayer and how this can be such a powerful way to pray and build relationship with God. Here is what it means:
Adoration – The first part of the prayer is adoring God. Really worship and praise Him because He IS! It’s a time to get to know your Lord deeper as you focus on His attributes not His actions. Many of the Psalms can be a great source for inspiration.
Confession – It follows that after we worship Him we are humble and so confess our sins. It’s never easy to bring to mind all the ways we have failed, but God already knows. I imagine Him smiling tenderly as I tell Him what I’ve done and ask for His forgiveness. When someone comes to me with a humble and contrite heart to confess and ask for forgiveness, our relationship grows closer. It’s the same with our Father in heaven.
Thanksgiving – Focus on what He has done for you — His actions. It’s impossible to really remember all He has done. But when we spend the time to really consider, it’s so much easier to see that a safe car ride, family, friends, our country, our homes, answered prayer and so much more is all from the hand of God.
Supplication – The final part of this prayer is for your needs and the needs of others. I believe in boldly and humbly bringing our requests to God. Be bold enough to ask for everything because God really wants us to invite Him into all aspects of our lives. Be humble and acknowledge your need for Him to provide as He sees fit and in His time.
If you’re interested in engaging in this type of prayer and would like more information, check out what Discipleship Tools or Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship have to say about the ACTS of Prayer.
