ACTS

One of the acronyms for prayer is ACTS.

Adoration.

Confession.

Thanksgiving.

Supplication.

It's a great sequence and it is found in Daniel 9.

Daniel, of course, is a book of prophecy. In the previous chapters, Daniel is receiving prophetic words (in the sense of foretelling) about the future of Israel and the world. BTW, he is around 90 years old at this time.

Daniel 8:27 shares with us that Daniel is exhausted and becomes sick for several days. He's appalled by what he sees. It's beyond his understanding.

So what does he do? He prays.

He has a long conversation with God.

It's from his prayer that we can glean a pattern of prayer for our own lives, especially in times of desperation.

Even before praying, Daniel jumps into the word of God. He reads God's Word. That's just a great principle to remember - that as we pray, it's good to have a Bible nearby. It's great to read God's Word as I converse with God.

Daniel then goes on to pray with urgency and passion. God desires that we pray with passion.

He prays, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands." (verse 4)

In other words, Daniel focuses in on who God is. He "adores God". (A) Adoration.

It's amazing how things always look better when we realize the power and compassion of God over our lives.

David writes in Psalm 29:2, "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness."

First of all, let's all slow down and praise God for who He is.

Adoration helps me get my focus off of my problems and on to the power. Off of my circumstances and on to the creator.

Then Daniel confesses his sins, and he confesses specifically. 17 times in the next few verses he admits his sins (and the sins of Israel) by using the pronoun we, or us.

Again, we go to David who writes, "If I cherish sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." Psalms 66:18.

As I worship God, I begin to realize how far I have fallen short of God's perfection. I realize that I need to repent. I have sinned against God and have done what he hates. The majority of Daniel's prayer is spent in confession.

(C) Confession.

Then we go on to (T) Thanksgiving.

In verse 15, Daniel prays, "Now, O lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day."

We express thanksgiving for what God has done and is doing in our lives.

A grateful heart is always an open heart to God's working and will in our lives. By adoring God, confessing to God and thanking God, it's harder to be selfish.

What is it that you can thank God for today?

Finally, Daniel presents his requests to God (S) Supplication.

He prays with urgency.

When we pray, we don't have to hold back.

Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence."

James 4:2 puts it clearly, "You do not have because you do not ask."

Let's ask today - and ask boldly.