First Thessalonians 5:18 instructs: in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Notice the verse doesnt say In good things give thanks or in the pleasantries of life, give thanks. Rather, it commands us to be thankful in everything the good, the bad, and the ugly. May I count them and turn them into prayers of thanksgiving. I pray that you will cultivate a deep and focused prayer life, and that the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Lets look at each step of how to pray using the ACTS prayer model. Many times I have sinned against you, myself, or others. That is why the ACTS Prayer Method places confession at this point! During this time, ask Him for things that help to make you a better Christian, ask Him for things on behalf of others (think of . Every time you read your Bible, keep your eyes open for verses that tell you what God has done for you and for the world. Our Beginner's Hebrew Course, Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. O Lord my God, you are very great! We can look to the Psalms for some excellent examples of praise to God. Confession is a good thing. So go ahead and ask, seek, and knock. Prayer with one accord. You are a child of the King so you have the right, through Messiah, to be in His presence. That is what it is for. Practice gratitude to God in everything, by thanking Him for the difficulties you are facing on any given day, for the things He has withheld for your own good, for the refining work He is doing in your soul, for the trials that are molding you into the image of Christ, and for the way He can redeem all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We are fallen creatures buried in sin, shame, and guilt. While a simple, please forgive me of my sins is perfectly fine, it is good and helpful to be specific. Adoration means worshipping God. Cindi McMenamin is a national speaker, Bible teacher, and award-winning writer who helps women and couples strengthen their relationship with God and others. Confession. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin., Psalm 38:18 (ESV) I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin., 1 John 1:8-10 (ESV) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Read through to the end for a free ACTS prayer model printable. Or in this case, ACTS. IV. So, now we can begin to put them together in different waysdifferent models to help us practice prayer. All other ground is sinking sand. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more on ideas for Prayer of Thanksgiving click here. You can then incorporate that knowledge into praising God in prayer. Your feelings will get in line with the truth. Then His prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them", and then Acts 3:26"Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.". Hold me in your strong arms and give me your new life. All for your glory and praise. Scripture is very clear on our command to be grateful, and not just for what God has given us. The enemy wants you to feel condemnation. vascular dementia and covid-19. So, in supplication, we ask God for our needs and the needs of others. Ensure that your Christian prayer is complete by remembering ACTS not the book of the Bible, but the acronym. Prayer is simply communicating with God. by. God forgives us!! What is the Lord's Prayer? Matthew 18:19 (MSG) states, "When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action." 9 Jesus teaches us . where did the acts prayer model come from. The Lord's Prayer appears in two places in the Bible. She is also a mother, pastors wife, and author of 17 books, includingWhen Women Walk Alone (more than 150,000 copies sold),When God Sees Your Tears, Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs,andWhen a Woman Overcomes Lifes Hurts. Let me know if you use the ACTS prayer method and find it helpful! Give to me the strength to stand for you. Perhaps the first time the ACTS Prayer acronym first appeared in print was 1883: "ACTS' formed an excellent epitomical guide in the composition of the principal prayer offered in public worship. All rights reserved. Give thanks for all the blessings of this life. Thank you for dying on the cross to save me from my sins. Adult: I'm sorry for hurting you and others, like when I yelled at my son today. The ACTS acronym will help you remember each phase of your prayer time and it follows a logical order for prayer. in . Generally speaking, prayer may be arranged under the heads of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Thank Him for answered prayers. The lord's prayer acts 1. . It keeps prayer focused on what is important and is aligned with God's principles. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.. 8 Memorable Ideas for Bonding with Family on Thanksgiving, 10 Prayers to Turn Your Heart Towards Thankfulness This Season, Dealing with Eating Disorders During the Holiday Season, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2022, Crosswalk.com. The ACTS method of Christian prayer goes like this: Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who he is as Lord over all. I've made a s ample prayer with Acts below to show you exactly how I pray. Psalm 126:3. Sometimes we pray for something to happen and God answers our request immediately, yet we have a hard time believing it. This is also a good time to ask Him for His help if it is an area you continuously struggle with. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol., Psalm 107:8-9 (ESV) Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! C: Confession. But you can rely on Gods truth! Clear your mind of all thoughts except the Lord's glory and powertrue worship happens when you concentrate only on your Creator. Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. I have found that when I begin to thank God for everything, not just the good things, it completely changes my perspective and makes me far more of a grateful person. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need (NASB). Before we take a closer look at ACTS in prayer, let me remind you of some essential things. Tree of Life (TLV) Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. The acronym ACTS stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. One I've stuck to for many years is the ACTS Prayer Model. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!. And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head., John 17:20-21 (ESV) I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me., Paul Asks for Spiritual Strength for the Ephesians, Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faiththat you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.. Begin to worship Him for Who He is. Adoring how great Yahweh is leads us into the next part of this prayer method. Your email address will not be published. It stands for: In the ACTS method of prayer, we start off with the act of adoration and of praising God. Loosely based on the Lord's Prayer, many believers have been taught the ACTS method as an outline or model for their prayers. The ACTS prayer model can help us learn to pray. Check out this post about Prayers of Worship. So, we can thank Him for what He has done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future. It is during this time that God has given me some awesome insights and revelations. A - Adoration. I say "consummate restoration" because it becomes evident in Acts that the apostolic message is framed by two realities: (1) the kingdom restoration of the future and (2) the position of Jesus as king already. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Tinnakorn Jorruang. Also, check out Revelation 4:8 and Revelation 5:12. Child: Dear God, you are great. Our Monthly Student Membership, It's here!! This one is crucial, too. Lets see Jesus model Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Related: Listen to our FREE podcast, Teach Us to Pray with Christina Patterson. You are a strong tower. Lay all your sins at the foot of the cross and ask for Him to forgive. He is worthy simply because He is God. We have previously covered different types of prayer. The prayer model helps us avoid rambling and drifting while in prayer. If you havent already read about the different types of prayers click here. Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my God and my Saviour. Faith is a miracle of His grace. [2] Prayer may be expressed vocally or mentally. So, get practicing. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, Paul instructs us to " pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.". First, the A in ACTS stands for adoration. Yet, Scripture tells us if we as parents who are sinful by natureknow how to give good gifts to our children,how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11). Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.NASB Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. S - Supplication. I hope you explore it and our wide variety of topics! So, here is a way that you can confidently come before Gods throne to praise Him, repent, thank Him and request what it is you need. That is a lie the enemy wants us to believe and a burden he wants us to bear. Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? This model for prayer is loosely based on the Lord's . Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment., Daniel 9:4-6, 18-19 O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.