We are pleased to have Julie Reynolds guest-posting with us today. Julie is a seasoned women’s ministry leader who is very active in her local church and online. She has been involved with the HelloMornings ministry for several years. Today she joins us to share the ACTS method of praying, a simple framework that can help guide your prayer time. – Patti
How you pray is a very personal matter. I would not dare tell someone how to have a relationship with their best friend, so I won’t tell you how you need to have conversation/relationship with your most important friend, Jesus. But you can’t have a relationship with someone you never talk to, or take the time to listen to.
Still, sometimes it is hard to know where to start in prayer. The ACTS model is a simple method of prayer that I have used in my own quiet time.
Adoration
We adore God and worship Him as we seek to fulfill the commandment to love him with all of our heart, mind and soul.
- Spend time praising the Lord and adoring Him for who He is (Matthew 6:9)
- Use scripture to praise Him (Psalm 103, Psalm 145, Psalm 150; Revelation 4:8, Revelation 5:12-14)
- Be still before Him and enjoy His presence (Psalm 46:10, Psalm 16:11). Use this time to allow God to speak to you through His Word and Spirit (Psalm 40:1-3; Psalm 90:12-17)
- Praise the Lord by praying scripture or hymns back to Him (Psalm 84; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 5:9-10, and “Great is Thy Faithfulness”)
Confession
Confession allows you to clear away the things in your relationship with God which are displeasing to Him. Confession should be an ongoing part of your walk with Christ (Matthew 6:9-13).
- Spend time asking Jesus to search your heart for areas that displease Him (Psalm 139:23-24)
- Spend time confessing and repenting of (turning away from) specific sins. All of us have sinned. John writes “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)
- Allow God to cleanse your heart of any unconfessed sin (Psalm 51:10-13)
- Accept His forgiveness and cleansing (Jeremiah 31:34)
Thanksgiving
God is blessing us constantly. Every minute we can recall the wonderful things that God has done for us, and the gifts that we have been given.
- Giving thanks for all things should be a part of our everyday lives as God’s people (Philippians 4:6-7)
- This includes thanking God for specific things such as blessings, people, open doors, guidance, etc. (Ephesians 5:20)
- Also give thanks for His salvation and the privilege to serve such a wonderful Savior (1 Chronicles 16:23, Psalm 118:21, Acts 4:12)
- Thank Him for his goodness, loving-kindness, and faithfulness (Psalm 100:4-6)
Supplication
Finally we ask God for our needs and the needs of others. We call this supplication, or intercession. There are many demands on our prayer time – many topics and issues that we could pray for, so we need to choose, and to be specific.
- We are called as believers to intercessory prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 18:1; Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1-4). Thus, we are to come before God on behalf of others (Hebrews 10:19-25; Revelation 1:4-6)
- Spend time praying for specific people, events, states, countries, missionaries, etc. (Acts 12:5; Romans 10:1)
- Spend time praying for personal needs (see Matthew 6:11-13)
- Make prayer lists for your time of supplication. Be sure to include a place for answers to be recorded. Recorded answers can become items for praise and thanksgiving!
Whether you use the ACTS model or some other framework for prayer, remember this: God doesn’t want to give us something else for our do list. He desires relationship with us. Prayer is the doorway to that relationship, to open communication, and to hearing His voice.
Julie Reynolds is a bible study teacher, retreat speaker, and women’s ministry leader. She says “I love to see the look in a woman’s face when she gets it – that the Bible is alive and active for her too!” Julie is a working mom of three, and Gran to one amazing and adorable boy.
Thanks for sharing this, Julie. I have used a similar model in the past and found it very helpful. Sometimes it’s nice to have a general guideline like this. You did a great job laying it out.
Thank you Lisa
I agree with Lisa. A guideline like this absolutely helps, and it’s one the apostle Paul modeled frequently. (I’m writing a bit about that in tomorrow’s post!) Thanks for all the examples of Scripture, too, Julie!
Thank you, looking forward to your post.
I wish there was a print button, would love to save this.
That is a great idea RoseMary! I will work on converting Julie’s list to a printable page. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you for this … I have been looking for a disciplined prayer schedule! I think the ACTS method is going to be a great start.
A.
Thank you Julie. I really needed your model to keep me focused during prayer. I’m going to offer your ACTS Method to my Bible Study Group. It works for me! God Bless You, Joy
Thank you do much, Julie.