How to Grow in your Prayer Life with Christ

Prayer is powerful. It is direct communication with The God of the Universe; the one and only God who has and continues to make all living things. 

However, it can oftentimes be difficult to know when and how to pray.

• Have you ever questioned if God really hears your prayers?
• Have you been confused about what to say to Him? 
• Have you ever wondered if there are specific ways to pray to God?

If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, I hope this post can encourage you in some way. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER

There are certain verses that can help guide us, however there is no specific way to pray. We are called to be in constant communication with Him and that can look different in many ways.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives one of His most famous sermons in history, during The Sermon on the Mount. Throughout the sermon he goes on to share about prayer and fasting in chapter 6. He shares its simplicity. He tells us that our Father knows exactly what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8).

He also shares how to pray if you are unsure of what even to say. He knows your heart.

However, this is not the end all be all. We are graciously given other ways to lift up prayers to Christ. 

THE ACTS PRAYER METHOD 

There is one method that many people use, called The ACTS prayer. ACTS is an acrostic for: 

Adoration is a time where you are able to lift up Christ’s sovereignty. Most evangelical churches start their services with worship to praise the Holy name of God. A hallelujah that cries out that He is fully set apart from any other.  This is the perfect time to tell Him how great He is.

For confession, this is a time where you can reflect on things you have struggled with and lift them up to Him. He calls us to repent – not from a place of anger but compassion. To Him it never is a moment to shame you. It’s a place where you can lay down your hurts to God and ask for help and redemption in this area. 

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness

Thanksgiving is a time to lift up all your gratitude. If it’s hard to come up with a list you can just say one thing. It doesn’t have to be a complex idea, rather it can be something as simple as “God I thank you for my phone.” 

Lastly, supplication is a time to lift up requests to The Lord. Coming before Him and earnestly praying for others and oneself. Lifting up things that are hurting us or others.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition (supplication), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

THERE IS NO “PERFECT” WAY

Some people bow their heads, close their eyes and fold their hands when they start to pray. Some do prayer walks while others may keep a prayer journal. There truly is no “perfect” or “right” way to pray, but it’s extremely important to note that The Bible is the biggest resource we have on understanding the importance of prayer.

Praying to The Lord is an essential part of our Christian walk. Having direct communication to Jesus through the Holy Spirit is such a beautiful and unique thing to have. He already knows our thoughts, yet He still wants to have a relationship with us through prayer. 

Need help knowing where to start? I added some prompts below to help you out. I highly recommend using a journal to write and reflect on the power of prayer.

Know that this is between you and Him. 

• What questions do you have about prayer? Are there things that bother or concern you? What do you think would help you understand better? 

• What are some things you need to give up to The Lord? Are there any areas in your life that haven’t honored Jesus and you need forgiveness? Let this be a time to let God know.

• What are 5 things you are grateful for today?

• Do you have any prayer requests? This is the place to lift these up to God. 

• Meditate on the verse below and give adoration to The Lord