How to Pray with the A.C.T.S. Prayer Model

Prayer is one of the primary ways to connect and commune with God. It’s something the Lord invites us to practice daily and consistently. There are so many different approaches to prayer, and today we wanted to provide you with a simple method for your personal or corporate times of prayer that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours! It’s called the A.C.T.S. Prayer Model. The acronym stands for the 4 key areas of focus when praying: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.  

Simply follow these four steps when you pray to deepen your times of prayer and provide a helpful guided approach to your conversations with the Lord:

 

ADORATION

Begin your time of prayer praising the Lord for Who He is including His character, attributes, nature, and greatness. You can choose a particular name of the Lord (like Prince of Peace, Lord Almighty, God our Healer, the Lamb that was Slain, King of Kings, etc.) to focus on. You can also choose a specific worship song to sing along to that magnifies the character and power of God. Another great way to adore the Lord is to read aloud and meditate on scriptures that speak to aspects of who God is. 

 

CONFESSION

Next, ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Acknowledge and confess any sins, and accept the forgiveness and mercy of God found in Jesus. Ask the Lord to show you how to walk in repentance and lead you in the right direction moving forward. 

 

THANKSGIVING

Now, count your blessings! Thank the Lord for all He has done for you, and the ways in which He is providing and caring for you as your Good Shepherd. 

 

SUPPLICATION

Bring your needs and the needs of those around you to the Lord. Ask for His guidance, His provision, healing, and care. Petition for God’s will to be done and for His Kingdom to be done in each of these situations. Receive peace, comfort, wisdom and strength from the Holy Spirit.

“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” 

–Brother Lawrence

*Journal your prayers as you go through the A.C.T.S. model in your Seek First Journal. To learn more and order your journal, click here.