Praying the “4 Things”
Do you find prayer challenging? Do you struggle to keep your mind focused during prayer? A long time ago I learned a simple acronym to help organize my prayer life. The acronym was A.C.T.S. and it refers to 4 of the most common types of prayer in the Bible. Adoration. Confession. Thanksgiving and Supplication. This little tool in my spiritual toolbelt has served me greatly over the years. It helps me maintain a vibrant prayer life and avoid “prayer ruts'' where I’m stuck saying the same things over and over. Also, by helping me include things like praise and thanksgiving in my prayers, I don’t treat God like a “cosmic coke machine” coming to him only when I need something.
As I am teaching my daughters to pray, I have used this same tool, but since they are 5, 6 and 9, I have simplified it for them. They call it “the 4 things.” I love hearing them ask me, “Daddy can we pray the four things” which is a request I am usually overjoyed to grant. I commend this simple tool to you as well. May it serve you in the same way it has served me and my family.
Adoration
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Adoration is when we pray, “God, I love you.” The root of adoration is, of course, adore. Another word for this kind of prayer is praise. When we pray a prayer of adoration we are simply telling God why we adore him. We are praising him for who he is. I encourage my daughters to fill in the blank with words they know describe God’s character. “God, I love you because . . . “ You’re beautiful. You’re powerful. You are loving and kind. Gracious. If you are studying scripture in conjunction with your prayer time, (which I strongly recommend) then you might find something revealed about God’s character in what you are reading to use in your prayer of adoration. This is one way I practice “praying the Scriptures.”
Confession
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.”
Confession is when we pray, “God, I’m sorry.” Confession is when we agree with God about who we are in light of who he is. We see a pattern in the Bible of people who see God and are immediately confronted with their sinfulness or inadequacy. Isaiah is a strong example. When he sees God he says, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5) Because of this pattern, I find confession to be a very natural way to pray on the heels of adoration. In light of God's power, our weakness is made known. In light of God’s loving kindness, our impatience and selfishness are abundantly clear. The foundation for our confession is knowing, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Thanksgiving
“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”
Thanksgiving is when we pray, “God, thank you.” In prayers of adoration we praise God for who he is. In prayers of thanksgiving we thank God for what he has done. We praise God for his character, and we thank him for his works. God’s greatest work is the salvation he purchased for us through the blood of Jesus. We have plenty to be thankful for, but don’t forget to thank God regularly for the death and resurrection of Jesus. Without that we would be the most pitiful creatures.
Supplication
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
Supplication is when we pray, “God, please help.” Paul tells the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) The keyword in supplication is supply. Prayers of supplication are requests for God to supply our needs. Another word you’ll hear used for this is petition. Even though God knows what we need before we ask, he is honored when we demonstrate our humble dependance on him. We demonstrate that dependance by coming to him like a little child asking our Father to please help us. I think this is what most people think of when they think of prayer, but there is so much more to prayer than making requests. That’s why this one is strategically placed at the end. That’s also why I have enjoyed the A.C.T.S. acronym for so long. I hope it serves you well too.
