Practical QTSample

 #7 Pray through ACTS

A daily QT is a prayerful exercise.  I find myself muttering comments to the Lord as I read my readings for the day, as I write in my journal, and reflect on the day past and the day ahead.

But there also needs to be a focussed time of prayer.  The acronym ACTS is useful:

• Adoration: Praise God for who He is, His character and nature.  Worship Him for His holiness, majesty, glory, power and love.


• Confession: When we let the light of His holiness shine on us, we realise our imperfections and sin.  It's quite simple: you can pretend its not there or you can talk to God about it.


• Thanks: This is different from Adoration and many people confuse the two.  Adoration concentrates on God's nature.  Thanks takes us to what He does in our lives and creates “gratitude-attitudes”, “cup-full perspectives”, and “blessings-counted contentment.”


• Supplication: These are our prayers for others and for ourselves.  Our prayers at QT should not focus on long lists of prayers for others.  In my QT I pray for my family, for the critical issues I'm facing at the moment, and two or three folk who I am prompted to pray for.  I use other times to pray through my prayer-list and for the congregation.
  
   

BUT the acronym is a guideline.  Paul calls us to pray in the Spirit.  This means that we should pray as the Spirit prompts us.  We should pray with a listening heart.  This means that some days my prayers of confession are the main business of the day (those aren't easy days, but they are good in the long run!); other days I spend 90% of my time in worshipful adoration.  Some days I'm banging on heaven's door for someone in great need, and other days there is just a lovely sense of contentment as I count my blessings.

Use ACTS as a framework, but keep it real...