I don’t always post about my belief, but I have been part of a bible study group for a few months. I’ve slowly been trying to reconnect to my faith.
I feel like I’m doing many things wrong, mostly praying.
I am good at chatting with God (I’m very chatty!) but do not always seek His face appropriately. I lack in some regions of practicing prayer.
Seeking God’s face means desiring to know His character and wanting Him—His presence—more than anything He can give us.
The Christian prayer life can sometimes feel stale. I sometimes literally can’t pray properly. I feel like my mind drifts when trying to focus on prayer. If you’re like me, it doesn’t mean your faith is weak, or you’re doing something wrong—so don’t get hung up on it! It just happens.
I’m not here to tell you that you how to pray and I won’t tell you that “God only helps those who help themselves” (I’ve heard that and YIKES)
Using the ACTS methods of prayer can help you remember four critical topics for your prayers. ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. It is based on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6) and has existed for at least a hundred years.
Let’s start at the beginning with Adoration.
Adoration (adoring HIM)
We must have deep love and respect for our God. We are to praise God for who he is. When praying, we must stay focused on HIM and tell him how much we love him.
Examples of this are in the Bible.
Matthew 6:9, Psalm 84:1-2, 1 Chronicles 29:11
Confession (Repent)
Most Christians don’t do this, but we must confess our sins and ask forgiveness. Confessions help to renew your mind and your heart.
Examples of this are in the Bible.
Matthew 6:12, Jeremiah 10:23-24
Thanksgiving (Thank HIM.)
Thank God for all the beautiful things He has done. This is giving thanks in all circumstances and to strangers by being kind. We are living and breathing, and it’s all due to God.
Examples of this are in the Bible.
1 Chronicles 16:8-9, Psalm 100:4
Supplication
Bring requests for yourself and others to God and pray that God will be in all things. We are asking HIM for what we need. Sometimes we are so blinded by what we want that we miss what we need.
Examples of this are in the Bible.
Hewbrews 13:18, 1 Peter 5:7,
Suppliction makes me think of that song from The Princess and the Frog.
And they all knew what they wanted
What they wanted me to do
I told 'em what they needed
Just like I be telling you
You got to dig a little deeper
Find out who you are
You got to dig a little deeper
It really ain't that far
Unfortunately, we often spell our prayer life something like SCAT because we start with supplication and spend little time, if any, on Adoration, confession, and thanksgiving.
ACTS is a helpful acronym to focus your prayers, but there are many ways to pray.
I hope you find inspiration to help you go deeper in your prayer time with the Lord.