Have you ever had a dry spell in your prayer life?
I found myself in a dry spell – I was still praying but I felt they weren’t as relational with God as I would have liked.
So I decided to use a prayer plan to help me re-energize my prayer life. One of the plans I have used is contained in the acronym ACTS. It is a prayer acronym that we can use to help us re-invigorate our prayer life. A is for adoration, C is for confession, T is for thanksgiving and S is for supplication. This simple prayer gets its basis from the model prayer of Matthew 6:9-13.
Adoration means worship.
. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” (Matthew 6:9)
. We are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. (Matthew 22:37).
. We praise God for who He is: Our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer to name a few. For His attributes: omnipresence (present everywhere at all times), omnipotence (can do anything), omniscience (all knowing). For His Sovereign nature and rule as well as His complete holiness (Psalm 103).
. When we truly love the Lord, we will reverence Him and grow in our relationship to Him.
Confession
. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12).
. Spend time asking Christ to search your heart for areas that displease Him (Ps. 139:23-24).
. God will convict us of our sins and failures when we ask Him to.
. Once our sin is revealed (whether through what we have said or thought or done) we will express a sorrow that leads to repentance. And this repentance leads us to ask God for forgiveness. (Ps. 51:10-13)
. 1 John 1:8.9 – “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.”
. We are called to deal with it and make restitution where we can, seeking His forgiveness and going to others for forgiveness where we wronged them.
. Now your communion with God has been restored.
Thanksgiving
. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. (Matthew 6:13)
. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Be thankful in all circumstances”
. Philippians 4:6-7 – “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
. Give thanks to God for His salvation and for the privilege to serve such a wonderful Savior.
. Thank Him for his goodness, loving-kindness, and faithfulness (Ps. 100:4-5).
Supplication or Intercession
. Give us today this daily bread (Matthew 6:11); Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13); Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10b)
. We are to pray for our own needs as well as the needs of others. Others includes your family, friends, pastor, all Christians, government leaders, and any need that is brought to our attention.
. We probably will want to ask God for His guidance, His wisdom and for many opportunities to serve.
. We need believe that God does Provide, and accept that the provision may not come the way we expect it.
. One of the best ways to remember to pray for others is to make a prayer list – and remember to write down when the prayer was answered.
. Be specific and be real!
. Col. 4:2 – “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”
1 Tim. 2:1-4 – “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Conclusions
When we experience dry spells in our prayer lives, it is a good idea to change our regular routine – using ACTS as a prayer plan is one thing we can do.
Let’s be intentional about re-energizing our prayer time.
What one thing could you do this week to improve your prayer life?
