What is the ACTS Prayer? Understanding How to Pray Using ACTS Prayers

Janee Hughes • Mar 07, 2023

An important thing to understand about prayer is that there is no one way to pray. Prayer is a personal conversation between you and God the Father. The ACTS prayer method covers key elements to help guide us in our conversation with God. Even as a Christian, prayer can feel intimidating, or maybe even sometimes boring (if we’re willing to admit it). Unfortunately, we can become guilty of underestimating the power and importance of prayer. Before we discuss the ACTS prayer method, let us understand why we should pray.

 


Using the ACTS Prayer – Why Pray?

Simply because God commands us to pray. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV), we are told to “pray without ceasing”. Jesus’ life on earth reveals how we should live our lives. We are to follow the example of Jesus and one way we do this is by praying to God the Father. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV), “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”


The Bible mentions numerous times in the Gospels where Jesus devotes Himself to prayer. At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times feeling distressed and troubled before Judas betrayed Him, which lead to His crucifixion on the cross for the redemption of our sins. Here are some instances of Jesus praying:


“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.”

Matthew 14:23a, ESV


“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”

Luke 6:12, ESV


“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

Mark 1:35, ESV


We pray to God because He IS sovereign. Prayer is powerful because our God is powerful. The gift of prayer is widely devalued and unappreciated. However, prayer is most certainly a gift! At any time of the day, we are privileged to be able to talk with the Creator of the universe. God, who spoke the earth into existence and formed us in our mother’s womb, is only a prayer away. (The One who made YOU is a prayer away!)


Model Prayer from Jesus – The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer is found in the book of Matthew and Luke: Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. The passage in Matthew 6:9-13 is a little longer than the Lord’s Prayer stated in Luke. It is great prayer model for us.


Model prayer:

“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

 Matthew 6:9-13, ESV


For a deeper understanding of the Lord's Prayer, this theologically rich Bible study by Daily Grace Co teaches the foundations of the Lord's Prayer. It includes why to pray, how to pray, and how to have a meaningful prayer life. The Lord's Prayer Bible Study* is packed fulled of biblical knowledge that will help you grow closer to God and improve your personal communication with Him. For more info, you can find the Bible study: HERE.*


What is the ACTS Prayer Model?

The ACTS Prayer Method uses the acronym A.C.T.S as an outline to remind us of significant elements to include in our prayer life. The method is somewhat based on the Lord’s prayer. In the ACTS acronym, the letters are presented as the following:

  • “A” is Adoration
  • “C” is Confession
  • “T” is Thanksgiving
  • “S” is Supplication


If you enjoy writing your prayers, this beautiful prayer journal* has an easy-to-follow layout very similiar to the ACTS Prayer Method. It is a great way to help incorporate prayer into your daily life. You can see sample pages of the Prayer Journal: HERE.*


Prayer Journal by Daily Grace Co

*As an affiliate, we earn a small percentage of each purchase you make through these links

to continue supplying you with godly resources.

ACTS Prayer Method – Adoration

When we pray to God, we should worship Him. Adoring Him for being GOD. The "A" in ACTS prayer is a great way to begin our prayers: Adoration. When we pray with adoration, it means we are declaring the glory of God's majesty and beauty of who He is. Expressing to God His many attributes. Proclaiming how magnificent He is.


By show God our adoration, we are putting God above ourselves and our problems. Lifting His Name high. Worshiping God for His wonderful and miraculous ways. Praising God for who He is, what He has done, and what He can do!


Psalm 150 is a whole chapter in the Bible dedicated to praising God. Let us praise God in the good times and the bad (yikes!), as hard as it might feel. In the bad times, our flesh never feels like praising God, but as much of a struggle that it is, adoring God for His goodness is what gets us through those times. (To the one who is in a bad season: God is your comforter, provider, redeemer, and sustainer now and forevermore!)


“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 150:1-6, ESV




ACTS Prayer Method – Confession

Confession is admitting and repenting of our sins, which is the "C" in ACTS prayer. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our guilt and shame must not keep us from repentance and asking God for His grace and mercy.


God send Jesus to die for all of our sins. God is not surprised by our sins and nothing about our lives is hidden from Him. God wants to lead us away from sin because when sin is unaddressed it will continually lead us further away from Him. We should cry out to God with a repentant heart, by asking for forgiveness of our mistakes and turning away from our sins.


Repentance is a vital part of our confession. The gift of God’s Grace is not a license to sin. Paul wrote in Romans 6:15 (ESV), “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!” On the other hand, we are not perfect and will make mistakes. Unfortunately, we will sin, though thank the Lord for His wonderful and abounding grace.


“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13, ESV



ACTS Prayer Method – Thanksgiving

The "T" in ACTS prayer is Thankgiving. Thanksgiving is dwelling on the blessings that God gives us. Life circumstances can sometimes keep us from noticing our blessings, especially in the lows of this life. God’s blessings are all around us, but we must be in the habit of acknowledging His blessings and sincerely thanking Him.  Let us daily thank our God for all of our many blessings. Even in the hardest of times, there is a blessing to be grateful for.


We can thank God for His righteousness, holiness, goodness, forgiveness… (Wow, the list goes on!) Our lives are surrounded by God’s blessings. Let us take notice of the blessings that God has lavished us with and continually give Him thanksgiving.


“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

1 Chronicles 16:34, ESV


 

ACTS Prayer Method – Supplication


The "S" in ACTS prayer is Supplication. Our God is a good Father who loves to give us good gifts. We can approach God with our requests and petitions. Supplication means asking God for a want or a need. Philippians 4:6 (ESV) says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

This is a great Scripture explaining how God gives us good gifts and that His way is best for us…


“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"

Matthew 7:9-11, ESV


God gives us the freedom to ask for things, but we should ask according to His Will. Trusting in the truth that God’s way is best is crucial to remember. We are free to tell God our wants and desires, but let us keep in mind that God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way that we want. We can continually look to God for our provision and protection.


“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

1 John 5:14-15, ESV



ACTS Prayer Conclusion

Our prayers are an important part of growing in our relationship with God, alongside our Bible study. Let us not overthink or overcomplicate our conversation with the Lord our God. May we seek God constantly while regularly implementing Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication in our prayers. God hears us, cares for us, and loves to hear from us! 


If this encouraged you, share it on social media so that it will be a blessing to someone else!

Waiting on the Lord - Godly patience

Leaning on the Spirit for Godly Patience

By Keshia Cunningham • 23 Apr, 2024
God does expect us to be patient. He expects us to not act or react in a hasty manner especially in certain situations. When we react without exhibiting patience, this often has negative repercussions. God included “patience” as a fruit of the Spirit which is meant to allow us to grow and walk in the Spirit of the Lord. “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ” Galatians 5:22, NIV I’m sure we all can think about a time when we were kids and were impatient. We wanted something right away but we had to be patient. From wanting to be first in line, the first one to see something, or simply wanting our parents to leave the grocery. Of course, our parents told us to be patient. Now we all either have kids or have interacted with kids at some point. We’ve seen them become impatient and we try to calm them down. We tell them to be patient and to sit still. This is how God wants us to be as well. God doesn’t want us to rush. He wants us to slow down while learning patience. Many of us want to rush the process. The “instant gratification” has become so popular. We can get food delivered, cars delivered, and charge our phones almost anywhere nowadays. We have gotten so used to getting what we want instantly that we often forget that sometimes patience is needed on this journey. The goal isn’t always being first. It’s about being patient and obedient to the will of God. If God is calling us to wait and to have patience, then that’s what we should do. To be completely honest, I sometimes get a little hasty myself. I want to do things my way. I don’t want to wait on God and see what He says. I recently realized that God will slow you down when you aren’t listening to Him and refusing to be patient. A quick story: I was at a certain place where it takes quite a while to get checked in. This was my first time going there, so I was a little anxious. By the time I had made it to the back of this establishment, I was tired and I wanted to simply rush the process. I went to have a seat and I thought to myself, that the exchange that this person and I had was a little short and quickened. That’s not the impression I want to leave at any place. In that moment, I asked God to calm me down. I asked Him to help me change my attitude and focus on what’s important. He told me to, “be patient”. I immediately sensed a calmness come over me. I knew that God saw, felt, and heard everything I had just experienced and that I didn’t like it. A complete shift in my attitude changed the trajectory of my day. I’ve been back to that certain place and I am mindful of the people who are there. I am mindful of my interactions because we’re all in need of something and me being patient can help them get me through the process a lot faster. “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ” Romans 12:12, NIV God wants us all to be loving, kind, and patient individuals who lead others into positivity. There are going to be times when we don’t feel like being with others and even ourselves. That is why it’s important to become acquainted with Bible verses, so that when anxiety comes in, we can push it out with the word of God. We can always take our anxious thoughts to God in prayer. God is with us. He knows what we are feeling and what we are thinking. That alone shows us that we can be patient and trust in Him. “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God .” Philippians 4:6, NIV
Sunflower in the sunshine (Finding Peace through Christ)

Finding Peace through Christ

By Keshia Cunningham • 20 Mar, 2024
True peace can only be found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To be fully at peace in the Christian walk starts with having a relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus gives us some crucial tools to have peace in this life. Incorporating hope in Jesus, hearing what He has to say, and also allowing Him to heal our brokenness can bring us peace. As we explore these three topics and how they relate to peace, may you rest in Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives to bring about true peace. Hope in Jesus Can Bring Us Peace First, let’s take a moment to understand the definition of Hope . It is “ a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen .” This definition gives us assurance that if we are seeking something, we should be expecting it to happen. We lean on hope that better days are coming for us. We also may lean on hope for a miracle or a great change in our lives. That hope is placed in Jesus. Giving Jesus complete control and having hope in Him to do what’s best for us also calms our racing thoughts to usher peace into minds. “ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe ." 1 Timothy 4:10, NIV Hearing Jesus Speak to Us Can Bring Peace Secondly, peace can be found by simply hearing what Jesus is telling us. One of the ways we can hear what Jesus is saying to us is through prayer. He doesn’t use harshness when reacting to our prayers. Jesus hears us and shows us that He is truth and life. Not only do we have the opportunity to have an open conversation, but we have the honor of hearing what we need to have peace. The beauty of Jesus and walking Him, is that He doesn't leave us hanging. He gives the answers we need which will always lead us to peace of mind. “ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built .” Luke 6:47-48, NIV True Healing Can Bring Us Peace And lastly, in order to have peace in our lives, we must work on healing. Jesus gives the tools we need to heal. We must allow Him to help us work through our concerns. Healing allows us to have clear space in our minds, in order to think of all of the good things that Jesus has done for us. To be free from the trauma of the past, overthinking, and clutter, can bring us peace. Letting go of all the negative experiences brings us great, profound peace and hope. It all begins with taking the first step of letting Jesus have control over our lives to move toward peace. True healing is found in Jesus! “ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you .” Isaiah 26:3, NIV In conclusion, these are a few ways that we can find peace in Jesus Christ. When it seems like all hope is lost, it can be found in Him. Peace isn’t something that any of us can borrow or buy. It can only be obtained through faith and also hope through Jesus. Surrendering to Jesus’ plans for our lives will always bring us peace. The peace that truly surpasses all understanding. May you open your heart and let Him fill it with an immense amount of peace.
JOY | Remaining Joyful in Uncertain Times

Remaining Joyful in Uncertain Times

By Keshia Cunningham • 20 Feb, 2024
There is a distinct difference between happy and being joyful. Being happy usually involves something that is acquired from outside of you. Being joyful is usually associated with feeling excitement on the inside. The feeling of joy isn’t necessarily dependent on what’s going on around you, but rather what’s going on inside of you. Joy will always bring you peace because being happy is often short-lived. Being joyful, especially as a Christian living in this world, can at times be challenging. These days it’s important to not become weary but to be joyful. We shouldn’t focus our attention on the negative aspects of life. We can’t sit in the things that are going on around us. We must focus on the good things in life that bring us great joy. It’s some of the simple things that can bring us joy. Waking up to another day that the Lord has made, thanking the Lord for that cup of coffee, and spending time with our loved ones that the Lord has blessed us with can bring us joy. Joy is Found in the Lord Joy is found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The One who shed his blood for our soul brings me great joy. Whenever I find myself feeling unhappy and in need of joy, I turn to the Word of God. I’m reminded of a timely Bible verse in the book of Psalms that often soothes my worries and anxieties. It’s an encouraging message from David to be glad, rejoice in the Lord and praise God. This is such an encouraging Bible verse because no matter what things may appear to be, we can always give glory to God in all circumstances. “ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! ” Psalm 32:11, NIV Joy is Found in Serving Others If we ever lack the feeling of being joyful, we can take the emphasis off of ourselves to serve others. This not only brings comfort to the person you’re helping but this will also bring joy into your heart. You’re doing the work of God just by helping bring light into their life. The love and light you gave them will spread onto someone else. Being a cheerful giver pleases God and brings hope to the world. “ The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed .” Proverbs 11:25, NIV Joy is Found in Every Season Every moment in our life may not be happy moments, however, that doesn’t mean that we can’t find the simple joys in everyday living. During our times of despair, it may seem difficult to seek out joy. When we’re sad or brokenhearted, we can still find comfort in knowing that Jesus is with us always. We weren’t created to be hopeless but to be hopeful and joyful. In Romans, there is a very familiar Bible verse that echoes great encouragement to set our eyes on hope, to rejoice, and pray. This leads us to being joyful. I can’t stress enough how imperative it is to seek The One who gives us all that we need and more. If you ever lack joy in your life, seek Jesus. “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer ." Romans 12:12, NIV
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