Jesus said, “…it is written, “My house will be a house of prayer…”(Matthew 21:13)
Prayer is a time of communication and communion with the Triune God. For the next three months the entire Circuit will be focused on this Methodist Way of Life practice.
It is part of who we are, and a foundational practice of being a Christian. We will have most of our worship services focused on different aspects of prayer. Paul Walker has prepared fantastic materials to help us, as a Circuit, to do that.
Jesus would teach his disciples how to pray (Matthew 6, Luke 11), and he himself prayed, often going up the mountainside to be alone to pray. We have many of Jesus’ prayers in the Gospels. If you don’t know what or how to pray, just say the Lord’s prayer or read some of Jesus’ greatest hits (e.g. John 17).
When I was younger I heard of an acronym to help me to pray and remember different aspects of my communication with God.
The acronym is A-C-T-S.
It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Adoration is simply acknowledging God’s nature and attributes while opening ourselves to God’s awe-inspiring presence.
Confession is expressing how we have failed to love as God has loved us and all creation, and opening ourselves to God’s forgiveness and mercy.
Thanksgiving is stating with gratitude how God has been active in our lives, in our family’s lives, in our community, and in the world, while opening ourselves up to seeing afresh God’s generosity and steadfast love.
Supplication is asking and seeking God’s grace in situations around the world, in our communities, and in the lives of ourselves and family.
It is opening ourselves to God’s amazing purpose, power, and presence, especially in the rough places of life. A-C-T-S is one way to think of what to pray about when you take time to be with God.
Act now, and pray.
Let us pray,
Awe-inspiring God, we know we have not
perfectly reflected your glory of love and
grace to this world, thank you for your forgiveness
and continued activity in our lives.
Please help us to do a better, to be better
at sharing with those around us the image
of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
Grace and peace,
Reverend Kevin Highfield
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