A simple way to remember the elements of prayer
Many find it helpful to remember ACTS where:
- A = Adoration (simply appreciating who God is - and maybe saying what we feel)
- C = Confession (acknowledging our faults before God and receiving forgiveness)
- T = Thanksgiving (realising how much God has done and thanking Him for it)
- S = Supplication (asking God on behalf of ourselves and others)
In this way the important aspects of prayer that Jesus taught in the Lord's Prayer are all included.
Isn't adoration a bit weird?
The idea of 'adoration' puts some people off, but it means something similar to Praise.
Matthew 6:9 -
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Jesus encourages us to adore God and acknowledge His worth. What do you think 'hallowed' means?
In this we are saying that God's name is 'holy' or 'special/pure'.
Adoration tells the truth about God
To 'adore' or praise is to tell the truth about God. The Psalms have a lot of praise prayer. Look, for example, at Psalm 8:1-2 -
1O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
and Psalm 9:1-2 -
1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
1 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
What do these verses say? Why do you think the Psalm writer wanted to say these things to God?
Adoration ensures the relationship stays right
The relationship between us and God can never be an equal one. Human beings have been given a very special place, but not the same as God. Read Psalm 8:3-8 -
3When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
What does this say about the place of mankind and of God?
Adoration is spontaneous & natural and blesses us
Adoration or praise is not necessary for God because He is insecure! Nor is He a tyrant who demands we are nice to Him. He simply deserves our praise for who He is and what He has done. But adoration does bless and encourage us and is spontaneous when we are in relationship with God.
In most good human marriages, the partners say that they love each other. It is a natural spontaneous expression of devotion. In the same way we are designed to respond to God with loving praise.
Luke 2:20 -
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The shepherds spontaneously praised God.
Also Acts 2:1-12 (especially the end of verse 11) -
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs - we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
When the Holy Spirit came, the disciples naturally praised God and told of His wonders.
How?
Adoration in prayer is not always easy to start with.
Don't be afraid to borrow. Use the psalms as a starting point. This part of your prayer will probably be brief to start with. Don't worry. Try to develop it as you go along.
Practice
Read aloud Psalm 145. Once you've read it, go back to it, and try to pray it - or parts of it. Get used to the feel of it. Then close with a thank you to God.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
Any questions?
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