The ACTS Prayer Method

Perhaps you’ve heard of the song, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.”

Here’s an excerpt of the lyrics,

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Growing up, I used to think of prayer as a request list. Ask for whatever you want. Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do you know what I used to pray for? Money. Mounds and mounds of money. Like the pools of money that Disney’s Scrooge McDuck would swim in.

Beyond money, the focus was always on me. What I wanted, what I needed, where I wanted us to go on vacation, toys for my birthday. You get the idea.

Then say Amen! and move on with my day.

But the thing is prayer is meant to be so much more than a running list of requests. The Bible even guides us on how to connect with God in a meaningful, reverent way.

It’s shaped my own prayer life and perhaps it can do the same for you.

The ACTS prayer method is a simple, Scripture-rooted framework that many believers have found meaningful in their daily prayer life. ACTS stands for…

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

And the more I get into Scripture, the more I see that it’s more than a handy acronym. It reflects the way the Bible leads us to pray.

The very first thing ACTS invites us to do is stop and remember who we're praying to.

Adoration is where we praise God for His glorious attributes. His holiness, His faithfulness, His love, His power. We glorify Him for who He is. Think of it like telling someone you love all the qualities that make them wonderful.

What a shock for me! Here I was thinking that the center of my prayers was all on me.

But as I practice incorporating adoration in my prayers, I’ve come to realize that God is greater than my human mind can even fathom. He created the heavens and the earth! He is worthy of all praise and honor!

Starting with adoration sets the tone for everything that follows. It reminds me who I'm talking to before I go on to anything else.

Once my heart is postured toward God, now we move on to confession.

Confession means admitting to God, with a humble heart, all the areas I've fallen short.

My sins.

All the things that I've done, the things I've left undone, the attitudes I've carried. The resentment I hold on to. The justifications for me being right in an argument. Not loving God with my whole heart. I can go on and on…

And the beautiful part is that confession also involves repentance. That means turning and actively stepping in a new direction.

I don’t think that wallowing in confession is the point. I need to acknowledge my sins, for sure. There's something really freeing about it.

And knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive means I can come to this part of my prayer with full openness, holding nothing back.

Adoration and thanksgiving might seem similar, so let me explain the difference.

Adoration is about who God is. Thanksgiving is about what God has done, is doing, and will do for us.

That might include thanking God for salvation through Christ our Lord, for His provision, for answered prayers, for protection I might not even be fully aware of. The list is really endless when I slow down enough to really process all that I’m thankful for.

I love that this verse says in all circumstances, not just the easy ones. Like most people, I’ve had trials and tribulations that felt completely insurmountable. I’ve been frustrated, hurt, angry, and lost.

And when I'm ugly crying, the last thing on my mind in those moments is gratitude. But when I remember this component of the ACTS prayer and start naming specific things that I'm thankful for, my perspective opens up.

There is always so much that I have to be thankful to God for. What He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do.

And now, we get to the requests, or supplications. It’s time to ask for mounds of money. I kid, I kid!

Supplication means bringing our sincere needs, and the needs of others, before God.

We ask Him to intervene, to provide, to move on behalf of ourselves and others.

The thing I’ve noticed about the ACTS prayer format is that by the time I get here, my heart is in a completely different place than when I used to just jump straight to asking for me, me, me.

My requests are far more faith-filled and my concern for others is heightened.

One of the things I love most about ACTS is the order. It mirrors the structure of a healthy, loving relationship. You honor someone, you come honestly, you express gratitude, and then you ask.

And so my encouragement to you is simple. Try the ACTS method the next time you pray.

Open by telling God who He is to you. Move towards honest confession and repentance. Name a few specific things you're thankful for. And then bring your requests before Him.

It has changed my prayer life, and I pray that it does the same for you too.

If this resonated with you, feel free to share it with someone in your life who might be looking to grow in their prayer life too.