In Luke 11:1 the scripture states, “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.'”

when I think about that scripture, it helped me realize that within the first few months after I dedicated my life to Jesus, I learned that I needed to pray. I had been attending a church since birth but it had become my impression early on that only trained people knew how to really pray and that if I prayed at all, I would need help as well as a pattern to follow.

Fact is, in God’s eyes, there is no off-limits to prayer. As Christ-followers, we have been given “bold access” to the Lord. When it comes to prayer, God has given us an open door to pray in any and all ways. Early on I learned a great model for praying that I still find helpful today. It’s called A.C.T.S. and it goes as follows.

Adoration – All prayer should begin with worship. The goal is to focus on the attributes of God. In this portion of your prayer you need to praise the Lord primarily for who He is not necessarily for what He does.

Confession – We need to remember that we are broken and need healing. Take time in prayer to say, “Lord, please cleanse me of all that’s displeasing to You.” Truth is, Confession keeps us humble before God. We need to never forget who we are and who He is.

Thanksgiving – Beloved, teach yourself this important aspect of prayer: thanking God. You can thank God for the good things that have happened during the day or for special people in your life. No doubt we have much to be thankful for.

Confession – We need to remember that we are broken and need healing. Take time in prayer to say, “Lord, please cleanse me of all that’s displeasing to You.” Truth is, Confession keeps us humble before God. We need to never forget who we are and who He is.

Thanksgiving – Beloved, teach yourself this important aspect of prayer: thanking God. You can thank God for the good things that have happened during the day or for special people in your life. No doubt we have much to be thankful for.

Supplication – This is what we most often do during prayer, asking God for the things we need or want. Divide this category into two parts: praying for others and praying for yourself.

Supplication – This is what we most often do during prayer, asking God for the things we need or want. Divide this category into two parts: praying for others and praying for yourself.

This pattern of prayer is a real help for me in my time with the Lord and I hope it benefits you as well. Whether you use this method or another, the important matter is that you spend time alone with the Lord each day. You need the time with Him and He desires the time with you. Amen! Love, Bro Tim