Prayer:Talking to God
Prayer is the main way I communicate with God. I talk to God and I listen. Just like I communicate with others. It sounds simple. Sometimes it is. "God, help me fix my computer." "God, help me get to the gas station before I run out of gas. "God, don't let me screw this up." "God, help me. I really screwed that up." But it can also be more. ACTS is one acronym used for remembering the different types of prayer. Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication Personally, I like the Prayer Hand Illustration. I found it while reviewing some resources from The Navigators. I use the Prayer Hand to remind me of the different methods of prayer. Over the years, I have modified The Navigator model to the one I currently use.
The first method I use is confession. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) A wise man once told me that he thought 1 John 1:9 was the most important verse in the Bible. I sin every day. Usually, several times a day that I am aware of. I need to be able to ask God to forgive me. I need to believe that He does. 1 John 1:9 provides that. I need to tell God when I have done something wrong. He encourages me to do that because He knows that only with forgiveness is there freedom from guilt and shame. And I don't really want to carry that around with me.
Practical discipleship tips for confession of sins
The second method I use is thanksgiving. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God's will for me life is important to me. In this verse, He tells me that it is His will for me to be thankful for everything. I am not naturally a thankful person. I have to work at it. Being thankful gives me a proper perspective. When something bad happens, I have a bad attitude. The sooner I start thanking God, the sooner I get the right perspective. Being thankful almost immediately changes how I see an event or a person or what someone said.
Practical discipleship tips for giving thanks to the Lord
The third method I use is supplication. Supplication is a fancy way of saying “asking God for something.” Supplication includes both petition and intercession. Petition is asking for something for myself. Intercession is asking for something for someone else. When I say, “What can I pray for you?” I am agreeing to intercede with God on your behalf. When someone is praying for me, they are interceding with God on my behalf. An intercessor is a go between. In this case, a go between the person and God.
Practical discipleship tips for intercession
Petition is a list of things I am asking for myself. This may be the most common method of praying for most people. It is also the most misunderstood method. God is not like Santa Clause. He is neither mythical nor does He give me everything I ask for. Which is good. In Psalm 106:15, it says God “gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease on them.” I think it is important for me to figure out what God wants me to ask Him for and then ask for those things. Whether I am praying for me or I am praying for you.
Practical discipleship tips for petition
The fourth method I use is praise. I looked up the word praise in Hebrew. One definition, habal, means to celebrate. Another definition, yadah, means to revere or worship. My working definition of praise is a celebration from a properly prepared heart of who God is and what He does. This is the most difficult for people. Praise is telling God who He is and acknowledging that what He has done is good. Just like with people. A sport's hero is praised for the last minute shot or the spectacular play. A child is praised for performing well in the classroom or in life. God is praised for who He is and what He does. Whenever I lead a workshop on prayer, I teach people what praise is and how to do it. We break into small groups and practice praising God out loud. While I am listening to them pray, they are thanking or asking, but not praising. Its difficult for people Practical discipleship tips for praising God
FAITH. Faith grows my prayer life. My prayer life grows my faith. If I believe, I will receive whatever I ask for in prayer. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, praying has little value.
Here is valuable information on the spiritual warfare going on for the souls of man. The content is practical and usable as apposed to emotional. Practical experience with what has worked and what has not worked forms the basis of the content. Emphasis is on bringing change for the renewal of man’s mind for transformation.
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Posted on May 31, 2008
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