Want to strengthen your prayer life, but not sure where to start? ACTS prayer is a great method for growing in the spiritual discipline of prayer and an easy to remember acronym – a one-syllable word that just so happens to be a book in the bible. The acronym ACTS stands for: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Read on to learn more about the historical inception of ACTS prayer, its biblical basis, and how to root yourself not only in the tradition of the ACTS model of prayer, but the spirit thereof.
Where did the ACTS prayer model come from?
Although there is no known single source of whom is attributed the creation of the ACTS prayer model, many point to the earliest printed example of the term ACTS which was used in a serial story by “Marion Harland” (Mary Virginia Terhune) printed in an 1883 publication of The Continent (“When Was the Acronym ACTS First Used to Refer to Components of Prayer?”). She writes,
“Our Mr. Burgess once informed a youthful theologue in my hearing that “the monosyllable ‘ACTS’ formed an excellent epitomical guide in the composition of the principal prayer offered in public worship. This should begin with Adoration, proceed to Confession, rise into Thanksgiving and close with Supplication.” (Harland 171)
However, there are earlier sources that indicate that the form and substance of ACTS prayer was used well before this reference, even if the acronym was not applied to the method. We cannot be certain where the model started, but it has provided a resource to many believers for drawing near to God in prayer.
How do I pray using the ACTS prayer method?
Praying using the ACTS prayer method starts first and foremost with having a firm understanding of the biblical basis for adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. Therefore, let’s start there.
Adoration
The first letter of ACTS stands for Adoration. The term adoration simply means the act of showing great affection and devotion. It’s worship, it’s high praise. When you love someone or have deep affectionate thoughts and feelings toward something, it tends to show without great effort. This is an opportunity to express our affections and let them be clearly known and seen. It’s a tangible representation of our devotion to God – like water baptism – whereas baptism by Holy Spirit is His tangible representation of His devotion to us. More on that later.
The mandate to worship the Lord is evident in scripture in multiple verses. Not only is it a mandate, but as in all commands of the Lord, it brings good to the person who will participate and obey. One of the most recited passages of the command to bring adoration to the Lord is the Shema (“to listen”). Jewish people, throughout history, have recited a prayer that is a combination of a few passages in the Torah – the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Old Testament) – every morning and evening. One of those passages comes from Deuteronomy and is the central theme of the Shema:
“Hear, O Israel: [a]The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (New King James Version Bible, Deut. 6.4-5)
This level of affection wasn’t just the requisite and substance of Old Testament believer’s faith but was also an admonishment within the New Testament.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. 4.4)
And here we see Jesus, Himself, express the greatest commandment of all:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matt. 22.37-38)
The writer of Hebrews also echoes this statement and lets us know that praise is a spiritual sacrifice that is pleasing to God:
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, [a] giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Heb. 13.15-16)
So, then, what can a believer expect from the Lord as we fulfill the words of the greatest commandment by loving the Lord above all things? Preceding the Shema is a warning and blessing:
3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and [a]be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ (Deut. 6.3)
What does that mean for our modern-day context?
This is what Jesus promises to you because of your obedience:
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. (John 14.15-17)
In other words, it will go well with us because we will have help from an advocate. The Advocate who Jesus speaks of is the Holy Spirit – the guarantee of our inheritance for those who believe and are redeemed. Holy Spirit is also the seal of our salvation for the one who believes. He’s the stamp of approval and authenticity of faith – that we truly belong to God, that we are His children.
According to the apostle Paul, we, as children of God, are co-heirs with Christ if we share in His suffering (Rom. 8.17). This means that the inheritance and glory that was given to Christ will also be shared with us. Everything that belongs to the Father will then also belong to us as children of God and co-heirs with Christ. The Father Himself is our inheritance and we are His.
That’s exciting news! A natural outpouring of receiving great news is to offer exuberant praise and thanksgiving. Below is the prime example, Jesus’ model prayer also known as the Lord’s Prayer, that will serve as the central passage for how to pray through ACTS, starting with Adoration:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
[d]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matt. 6.9-13)
The prayer begins by making a clear declaration that God is holy, and He should be venerated as such. The proceeding lines also indicate a desire to see the will of the Lord come to pass, which speaks to a devotion to the purposes and intent of God.
Confession
The second letter of ACTS stands for Confession. To confess means to admit to your faults, ways in which you’ve fallen short of the standard of God. Confession is important to the life of a believer because it helps believers stay sober-minded and to walk in humility before the Lord. When we confess our sins, not only do we find relief and forgiveness, but there is also healing.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5.16)
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He continuously preached about repentance – even adding urgency to His statement so that we would not miss the opportunity. His desire is that no one would perish, but all would come to repentance.
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4.17)
How should we repent?
In the Lord’s Prayer, we see that Jesus says pray in the following way:
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors”
Therefore, it is clear that not only are we to ask for forgiveness for our sins, but also freely give it to those who have sinned against us. As is typical of many of the commands of Jesus, it requires a higher level of holiness than what was once understood as the way to righteousness. Jesus says it like this:
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6.14-15)
As you confess your own sins toward the Lord and others, it’s important to acknowledge and recognize where there is hardness of heart and unwillingness to forgive those who have sinned against you. The difference between an effectual ACTS prayer and lip-service is Forgiveness. The act of forgiving others brings truthful revelation to the believer of the depth of our own depravity and the depth of God’s love despite it. Forgiveness makes our ACTS prayer, FACTS – rooted in the truth of who God is and the depth of the love He has for us.
Thanksgiving and Supplication
The last two letters of the ACTS prayer are T and S which stands for Thanksgiving and Supplication. While the meaning of thanksgiving is relatively straightforward, supplication may need a bit more explication. The word supplication means to ask humbly. This is an opportunity to bring your heart’s desires before the Lord and request that He move on your behalf – with the understanding that you can do nothing to make it come to pass on your own. When we offer thanksgiving and supplication to the Lord through prayer, He offers His peace that surpasses all understanding. The apostle Paul puts it this way:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4.6)
In Jesus’ model prayer, we see that the exemplar request focuses on two things: to have our daily needs met and to be preserved from evil. The Lord knows exactly what we need before we even utter it from our mouth, so we can keep our prayers simple and sincere. No need for vain repetition or pious sounding words because the Holy Spirit can interpret even our groanings. The Lord’s Prayer gives a template to show us the way we should pray. Our prayers can also be very specific – whatever is necessary to bring our supplication before Him. The Lord cares for the concerns of our hearts and we can come boldly before the throne because of the finished work of Jesus Christ to make our requests known. So, therefore our response for the gracious gift of being reconciled to Him, our dependable and loving God who sees us and answers our prayers, is this:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5.16-18)
Summary
In conclusion, ACTS is a prayer model that invites believers to offer Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication to the Lord. Through this act of faith and devotion, we invite the Lord to intercede on our behalf in ways unimaginable. We declare that He is sovereign, and His will is greater than our own. The conclusion of the matter we bring before the Lord is summarized in this:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8.28)
Let us then offer our due spiritual sacrifice of prayer and worship by the spirit of truth. As we surrender our will to His and delight ourselves in Him alone, may our hearts’ desires be fulfilled.
Works Cited
Harland, M. (1883). JUDITH: A CHRONICLE OF OLD VIRGINIA. [Review of JUDITH: A CHRONICLE OF OLD VIRGINIA.]. The Continent, IV (6), 170–174. https://books.google.com/books?id=xUbZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA171#v=onepage&q&f=false
Mackie, T. (2017). What’s the Meaning of the Jewish Shema Prayer in the Bible? BibleProject. https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-is-the-shema/
New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982. BibleGateway, www.Biblegateway.com. Accessed on 20 Mar. 2024.
“When Was the Acronym ACTS First Used to Refer to Components of Prayer?” Christianity Stack Exchange, christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/43916/when-was-the-acronym-acts-first-used-to-refer-to-components-of-prayer. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.
