BACKGROUND
Christians are commanded to pray. It is not an option. In this sense, prayer is both a privilege and a duty. "One might pray and not be a Christian, but cannot possibly be a Christian and not pray."
Prayer, like everything else, is done for the glory of God. Prayer is not done for self-analysis, or therapy. Prayer is discourse with the personal God Himself.
Remember "ACTS":
Adoration -- The whole life of the Christian, which is to
be a life of obedience and service, is motivated and enriched
when the holiness and dignity of God are etched into our minds.
We are to come freely into God’s presence, but we must
remember it is still God we come before, not some old
college chum.
Confession -- Confession is not a frivolous matter to be
engaged in only at certain times of the year. It should be a
daily activity because the Christian life is characterized in
large part by a spirit of repentance. The prayer should go beyond
the mere fear of punishment to a godly sorrow for having offended
God, along with a firm resolve not to commit the sin again.
Thanksgiving -- Ingratitude is a very serious matter.
Scripture is full of condemnation for those who do not give
thanks for what they have been given.
Supplication -- Nothing is too big or too small to bring
before God. But what if our prayers seem unanswered?
A few things to consider:
(a) We should not pray in vague generalities;
(b) Remember our sinful nature is at war with God. It will be
difficult to bring our petitions forward while we are in a state
of unapologetic rebellion.
(c) We tend to be impatient. As is said, it is usually easier to
accept God’s will than his timetable. At least one of our
petitions should be for God’s peace.
(d) We have short memories. One way to overcome this is to record
on your prayer list the ways in which your prayers were
answered.
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7/12/97