A.C.T.S

Quality prayer time is an important part of my life. Slipping away into the quiet and spending one on one time talking to God is something I look forward to each day.

However, as with anything else, it is easy to forget to take that time away. In fact, I have found that often times, even when I have set aside the time I end up contemplating my “To Do List” rather than talking to God.

It bothered me that my attention span wouldn’t hold on to the purpose of that quality time, so I came up with a way to keep myself on track.

I dug out an old leather bound journal that I had stored up in one of our cabinets and decided that I would use it as my prayer journal. Each day I would turn off all of my distractions and actively write my prayers out. This worked like a charm and often times would lead me to pray more specifically and more purposefully.

This concept of a prayer journal has been keeping me on track and it’s especially fun to look back on some of the various pray requests I have had over the last few years and see that they have been answered.

When I was in Junior High I was taught a method of prayer that has stuck with me throughout the years, and for those who maybe don’t have an active prayer life or wouldn’t know where to start, it may be helpful so I will share it.

The method is A.C.T.S. The “A” stands for adoration. You should begin your prayers by acknowledging who God is. The “C” stands for confession. It’s important to know that we all fall short and do things that aren’t proud of and we are able to bring these shortcomings to God and ask for forgiveness. The “T” stands for thanks, obviously that means thanking God for the good things He has provided in your life. The “S” stands for simply ask. Bring your desires, concerns, and anything else before God and ask Him for the things that weigh heavy on your heart and mind.

I hope that this method will help you in your prayer journey and perhaps you will even incorporate the prayer journal. In any case, don’t give up on communicating with God. He hears you.