Congratulations and PRAISE THE LORD! Now that you have accepted
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you may wish to read some infor-
mation on prayer. We encourage you contact us if you may have any questions or comments. palbrad30741@yahoo.com or 706-866-7020
PRAYER
Prayer is the act of talking with God. As a new Christian prayer is vital to your daily growth and guidance. Many people have different methods of praying, including kneeling, standing, sitting, praying out loud, silently, etc. The method is not as important as the attitude you approach God with. An attitude of humility and submission along with the goal to honor and worship the Lord should characterize your times of prayer.
The Content of Prayer
Many young and mature Christians have voice their frustration about how to pray. We have used a method that has proven very helpful in structuring our times of prayer - we call it ACTS.
A-C-T-S
ACTS is an ancronym for the words Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We learned this acronym in college and it has helped guide our prayer ever since. This acronym guides the focus of our prayer by first reminding us to enter into Adoration.
Adoration
Worshipping God before you focus on your concerns brings due honor to the only person that can aptly address the pressing issues of your life. When we worship the Lord we are forced to take our eyes off the storm and to place our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Psalm 29:2 reminds us to "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." Worshipping God at this early stage in our times of prayer also reminds us of His holiness, power, and authority to deal with our problems.
Confession
After we address our God and we are reminded of His holiness, by default we will be reminded of our sinfulness. This is where confession comes in. The Apostle John reminds us in 1 John 1:9 that : "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." When we confess our sins to God we are basically saying to God, Lord I agree with you that what I have done is sinful. We must deal with our sins this way. Although we have been forgiven and we stand in a right relationship with God the Father we are still in a process of cleansing called Santification. In this process God encourages us to address those areas in our lives that are still not yielded to Him. Take time today to say: Lord I agree with you that what I have done is sinful, please cleanse me of all sin and guilt.
Thanksgiving
When we experience God's grace in our lives through the forgiveness of sins we can't help but give thanks. The logical next step in our times of prayer then is to give Him the thanks He deserves. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we should also: "give thaks in all circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) We can give God thanks for taking care of our families, supplying all of our needs, and any other acts of grace He has worked in our lives.
Supplication
Last we come to the place in our times of prayer where we ask the Lord for our needs and the needs of those around us. To supplicate means to ask of God. The Apostle Paul tells us in Phillippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." And Peter reminds us to: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1Peter 5:7).
Conclusion
Prayer is the water of your spiritual life with it you will die of spiritual dehydration. Spend time with the Lord, believe me He desires it more than you can imagine.
