⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

When I first embarked on my journaling journey, I embraced the ACTS method of prayer with enthusiasm. I was captivated by its memorable acronym. The clarity it offered was appealing. Yet, I must confess. There are times when my prayers or journaling unleash a raw spontaneity. This spontaneity defies any neatly packaged formula. Clinging to a rigid outline sometimes goes out the window while approaching my Heavenly Father at His throne. That’s simply unrealistic and impractical! Instead, during my prayers, I yearn to hold close the vibrant, living presence of Jesus Himself. This fervent connection transcends any predetermined structure!

There are moments when I approach the Lord in prayer. Tears stream down my face, blurring the words on the page. I am unable to write even a single word. I cannot recall any acronym, no matter how fitting or straightforward it may be! God yearns for us to unleash our hearts before Him in a fervent, unrestrained prayer filled with raw emotion. Honestly, this doesn’t always adhere to the rigid structure of an outline, formula, or method, and that’s perfectly okay! Sometimes, when I pray, the Holy Spirit leads me differently. It takes me out of the order of my acronym!

And that’s ok…

HE is God.

In my moments of deepest need, I cast aside any thoughts of formula. I humbly surrender at the feet of my Savior. Our greatest aspiration is to find our rest in Jesus. We wish to experience genuine fellowship with Him. This is not confined within the rigid walls of a neatly crafted outline!

HE leads ME when I pray. 

The ACTS prayer model has profoundly transformed my journey through various seasons of my relationship with the Lord! I experienced its remarkable power. This was especially true when I was discovering the essence of prayer. I was learning to nurture a deep, intimate connection with my Heavenly Father. I am sharing this with you today. I hope it ignites something special in your own prayer life too!

FREE ACTS Prayer Model Printables

What is the ACTS Prayer Model?

There are four elements of prayer within the ACTS model that comprise the ACTS acronym:

• Adoration
• Confession
• Thanksgiving
• Supplication

Let’s take a closer look at what the ACTS prayer acronym stands for. We will also discover how to apply each component during our prayer time.

Adoration

A powerful way to ignite our time in prayer is through the fervent adoration of God. This word may not be commonly used today. However, it encapsulates a profound love, respect, and worship for someone greater than ourselves. In this sacred moment, it is God whom we passionately love, honor, and revere. Worship begins our prayer. We humbly position ourselves and lift our hearts in exaltation to our Almighty Creator. The praise of God serves as a perfect launchpad as we step into the glorious presence of the Lord. Our focus changes as we move away from our own concerns. We devote ourselves to the One who hears our cries. He answers our prayers.

During this time I may:

• Pray specific Bible verses of praise.
• Reflect on the character of God. His holiness, faithfulness, sovereignty etc.
• Sing a song of worship

Confession

A vital, yet too frequently ignored element of prayer is the heartfelt confession of our sins. Confession is more than just words. It is our profound agreement with what God’s Word reveals about the thoughts, actions, motives, or habits that taint our lives with sin. We courageously acknowledge our transgressions, founded on God’s unchanging truth, and humbly seek His forgiveness. We must determine to repent. We should fiercely turn away from those specific sins. We must passionately implore the Holy Spirit to empower us to surrender to His divine authority. We need to resist the pull of temptation. It’s crucial to grasp that there is a significant difference between merely confessing sin and truly repenting of our sins. They are distinct, powerful actions and not interchangeable.

Confessing is the act of acknowledging the presence of sin in your life.

Repentance is a posture of the heart that involves turning away from a specific sin.

I fervently pray and implore the Lord to transform my heart. I earnestly confess my sin. I ask for a deep change in my spirit regarding that particular struggle. I seek empowerment to wholly surrender to His divine authority when temptation strikes with its fiery intensity.

I often pray Psalm 139:23-24 over myself during this portion of my prayer time:

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

The Lord brings to my attention those specific offenses. I had never even considered them. He responds to my prayer with a profound reminder of His awareness and care.

• A careless word I spoke.
• An ugly attitude I’ve adopted.
• A sense of humor that went too far south with cynicism 

I often find myself echoing the prayer of King David, 

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Thanksgiving

It is very easy to forget the profound power of gratitude. We must express our heartfelt thanks for the countless blessings. We should also appreciate the answers to our prayers. I can’t help but reflect on my own journey. I’ve found myself ensnared in the relentless cycle of seeking and longing. Often, I’ve neglected the crucial moment to pause and genuinely give thanks for all that I’ve received.

Supplication

God desires us to pour out our hearts to Him. 

We approach Him with fervent recognition of His unparalleled ability. He meets our daily needs. He intervenes in our lives, situations, and circumstances in ways that only He can. We come to Him with a humble heart. Yet, we approach boldly, invoking the powerful name of Jesus Christ. We lay bare our deepest needs before Him. We are invited to bring every kind of prayer to Him, including but not limited to:

• Personal needs and specific requests for our own vibrant lives, passionately pursued and unapologetically embraced!
• Heartfelt prayers offered fervently for the needs of others
• We fervently implore Him to bless us with our daily bread. Our hearts are guided by the sacred words of the Lord’s prayer. Not just our physical bread, but our spiritual bread!
• Urgent and heartfelt needs of others are carried to the heavens. This happens through the fervent prayers of intercession for those we cherish and love. It is also for those whose lives we may never touch yet whose struggles resonate in our hearts.
• Deeply yearn for spiritual needs
• Physical needs, like health issues, jobs, housing, transportation
• Financial needs, a new job opportunity perhaps
• Emotional, relational. friendships, mentors, etc.

Writing a prayer list in my journal filled with specific requests became a deeply powerful practice. It fuels my soul to look back. I witness the incredible ways in which God has intervened in response.

Concluding thoughts on the ACTS Model

The ACTS prayer model was an excellent starting point. It helped me when I first desired to grow in my prayer life. I used it for quite some time. Then, the Lord led me to create my own journal template for my personal use. There are similarities between the two methods, as well as notable differences. This helped me to have focus when I come into the presence of God. This has really helped me to “rabbit trail” less. IT’s also helped me to have a dialog with the Lord, rather than a monologue.

There are many prayer methods, and I would never say any of them are:

• A perfect guide to prayer 
• The best way to pray 
• A perfect way to pray 

This is undeniably true of the ACTS method, the prayer journal template I crafted, and any other prayer practice! Both of these inspiring prayer templates have profoundly blessed my journey. I share them fervently in the hopes they will ignite a fire within others. I aim to enrich their relationship with Jesus. We must remain watchful not to get entangled in any specific method. Ultimately, our ultimate aspiration is to immerse ourselves in the glorious presence of our Holy God.

There are many different ways we can pray, but the most important thing is that we don’t lose our focus on the most precious thing:

To be in God’s presence.

HE alone is capable of 

• Drawing us closer to Himself
• Revealing truth 
• Leading us by His Spirit

No outline or formula can match the divine power of God. However, if they steer our hearts towards Him as we fervently cry out, then TO HIM be all the glory! Embracing a vibrant perspective on how we pray can ignite our spirits. Understanding the essential elements of our prayer time enhances our communion with the Lord. This happens in profound ways that deepen our cherished relationship with Him.

One of the benefits to having a focused outline as you pray is to help you stay mentally focused. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with this at times when I pray.  It goes against the grain of our flesh to quiet ourselves, be still, and focus on the Lord.

Here’s a thought-provoking quote from My Utmost for His Highest, written by Oswald Chambers on this matter:

“Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “…pray to your Father who is in the secret place…” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.”Oswald Chambers

Never forget prayer is two-way communication.

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