Like most people, I tend to have my go-to set of prayers that I say each day. I try to incorporate prayers from the Bible as frequently as I can but some days I too am just going through the motions. What if there was a method we can use to reinvigorate our prayers and help us pray powerful, effective and joyful prayers?
I am a runner.
I love to strap on my sneakers and just go as far as my lungs can take me.
If you do any sort of exercise or if you have a hobby such as painting, reading, gardening or any other for that matter, you know that there are always better ways of doing things.
There are methods I can apply that will help make me a faster and stronger runner.
The same principles can be applied to prayer. There is not just one way of doing it – thank God.
I want to be a better prayer. Better at connecting to God and better at hearing Him.
I’m guessing, since you’re here, that you want the same thing too.
I am reading an amazing book called “A Battle Plan for Prayer” by the Kendrick brothers, Stephen and Alex Kendrick and I could not recommend it more for learning about prayer. If you do not yet have a copy of this book, please stop right here and go grab it. I’ll wait.
You and I know that prayer is essential for us to find joy and contentment. We need prayer so that we can connect ourselves to the source of infinite power and love.
Through prayer, we learn God’s will for our lives and get a glimpse of the purpose for which we are all created.
How do we go about deepening our relationship with God through prayer?
In The Battle Plan for Prayer, the authors share the A.C.T.S. Method or Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication for deepening our prayers.
I don’t know about you but if there is anything that will help me grow closer to God and connect with Him, I’m all ears.
Perhaps you already incorporate some of these in most of your prayers or maybe you favor one sort of prayer over the others. Here’s a look at each one and how they build off each other to create powerful prayers.
Here are 4 simple yet powerful ingredients that can take your prayers from just okay to life-changing.
1. Adoration – Before you say anything during your prayer time, spend time just loving on God. Acknowledge His might and power. I mean we are praying to the God that parted the Red Sea, made manna rain down from heaven and raised people from the dead. He is amazing and worthy of all praise. I want to approach my God with wonder and awe at the mighty things He has done and continues to do. During adoration, we recognize how small we are and how dependent we are on Him. We tell God that we cannot carry out anything without His grace in our lives. I love reading Psalms 145 and 150 to glorify God. Adoration goes hand in hand with gratitude and if you look at your life and see how God’s hands have been there to help you, it is easy to adore Him for His blessings. So adore Him first then watch as He fills your heart with joy in the process.
2. Confession – If God sees all then why do I have to confess? Confession is actually not for God, it is for me and you. It is not easy to acknowledge our shortcomings but knowing that our God is not only merciful and forgiving means that we should never be afraid of confessing our sins to Him. During confession, we admit that we are not perfect and we ask God to help us. Confession can only come after being retrospective. Spending a few minutes at the end of the day to look back and see how you handled different events of your day helps us recognize where you might have failed. The point of this is not to beat yourself up. Rather it’s to see where you can get better or what might be keeping you from an, even more, deeper relationship with Him.
3. Thanksgiving – Oh how I love this part of prayer. It makes me so happy just to give thanks for His blessings. Some days it is so easy to list all the things I am grateful for. Some days, though, I have a hard time. Regardless of what we are facing, let us always be thankful. I am grateful for God’s mercy and love and that He loves me despite all my failings. Gratitude always reminds us of what God has done for us and gives us faith that He will continue to do and bless us in the future. Giving thanks and being grateful are so powerful and I believe that God loves a grateful, sincere heart.
4. Supplication – Now it’s time to offer your petitions. Raise your hand if you usually jump right to this part. (I have both hands way up). But I realize now that supplication is last because the first 3 makes this step so much richer and meaningful. After acknowledging God’s power and might, confessing where I have done wrong and giving thanks for His mercy, I am ready to ask for His help and for BIG things. My faith is that much stronger after giving thanks, confessing and adoring Him.
GOD SEES YOUR HEART
No one knows why some prayers get answered while others do not. Or why God let us wait sometimes for years before answering our prayers. God is beyond our comprehension. While we see with our eyes only, God sees the heart.
By no means are these the only way to get deeper with God. I think we should all pray the way that feels natural to us as long as we are honoring God.
Now that you know these 4 ingredients, Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, I encourage you to incorporate them into your prayers and see what happens. Let’s stop praying boring prayer or just go through the motions when we are praying and start speaking words that truly connect to Him.
I’ve created this handy download for you to grab and create your own powerful prayers.
I noticed that when I used these words, my prayers felt alive and fresh. I love adoring God and I think you will find so much joy with this workbook as well.
Are you ready to create powerful prayers? Grab the download to get started.
If you’ve found this helpful, I would appreciate it if you shared it with someone you love.
Until next time I wish you love, laughter, and abundant joy.
xo
Eva
