The Heart of Prayer
When most people pray, they often focus on asking God for help. That’s not wrong, God invites us to bring our needs to him. Prayer is much richer than simply presenting a wish list. A healthy prayer life has balance. It includes worship, honesty, gratitude, and petition. One helpful way to remember this is through the ACTS model: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
Praise: Adoration For Who God Is
Prayer begins best when we start with God and not ourselves. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.” Praising God lifts our eyes off our problems and put our eyes on how great God is. When you begin praying take some time to praise God just for who he is. Thank Him for His love, mercy, His holiness, His wisdom, and his faithfulness. Praise creates perspective, it shows us who God is and what he has already done for us.
Confession: Clearing the Heart
When we hold on to unconfessed sin it builds walls between us and God. 1John 1:9 assures us: ” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Confession isn’t groveling it’s about being honest with God. It’s about having a repentant heart and asking for forgiveness. When we ask for true forgiveness we turn away from that sin and try to never do that sin again. We admit we have fallen short and we are asking God to cleanse us from sin and restore us. God is all about restoration He doesn’t want any to perish but all to have eternal life.
” The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV
Thanksgiving: Recognizing God’s Goodness
” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,Present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV When we approach God with thankfulness and gratitude it will remind us of what God has already done for us. The sacrifice of His Son, Jesus for our sins is the ultimate sacrifice that God has made for all of human kind. He made a way for us to regain access to Him, before Jesus’ death there was not a way we could get back to the father. God in his great love for humanity made a way where there was no way.
Try and keep a “gratitude list” everyday and weave it into your daily prayer time. Thank God for the very small things, the food you have, the very breath you breath, the friendships you have, and the family that you have. Being sure to also thank Him for all the answered prayers he has answered.
Request: Bringing Our Needs
” Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 NIV
We need to bring our requests to God, even though he knows exactly what we need He still wants us to ask Him. We aren’t being selfish it’s part of our faith. God does it when his children ask Him for His help. Don’t your parents love it when you ask them for advice or help in something? God is the same He loves it when we ask Him for His advice and help. When we are asking God for things we are showing Him that we trust Him for all our resources, and our substance. We are trusting Him for our daily needs and not trusting ourselves.
When prayer is adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, it becomes a conversation with God. We are loving on Him and also asking Him for all of our daily needs. It draws us closer to God when we use this model of prayer, it deepens our trust in the Father, and it helps root us in all of God’s goodness and love.
