Prayer is often difficult. It is hard to make time for it, hard to stay focused, and hard to know what to say. When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he gave them the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4).
Another prayer tool I have learned is called the ACTS model. ACTS stands for:
- Adoration: What is a characteristic of God that you appreciate?
- Confession: In what ways are you falling short of God’s standard for you?
- Thanksgiving: What good has God already done for you?
- Supplication: What do you want/need God to do for you?
In the following, I will show how the Lord’s Prayer and ACTS prayer can be blended. The process involves meditating on each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer and reflecting on what it means for our lives. In each phrase I will state what is true about God, where I fall short, why I am thankful, and what I want God to do.
“Our Father in Heaven”
- Adoration: “You have given us the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!’ You are a great and merciful Father. By your grace you have turned orphans, rebels, and enemies into sons and daughters and co-heirs with Christ.”
- Confession: “But so often I don’t live like a son. I am the younger son who wants your stuff, but not a relationship with you. I am the older son who believes that I can earn your love if I do enough good things (Luke 15).
- Thanksgiving: “I thank you for your grace. By your grace I can boldly approach your throne, completely accepted as your child. Thank you that I am yours and you are mine forever.”
- Supplication: “There are many who do not call on you as Father. They are stuck in their sins and have no concept of your love and compassion. Would you open their eyes to see your goodness and receive you as their true Father?”
“Hallowed Be Your Name”
- Adoration: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. There is no one like you. Let your name be honored as holy.”
- Confession: “So often I treat you as common. I forget how holy and great you are. I try to make a name for myself rather than glorifying your name.”
- Thanksgiving: “Thank you that through Jesus you made a way for sinners to be in your presence. You are unapproachable, yet in Christ you made it so we could approach you.”
- Supplication: “I want to see more people worship you and lifting your name on high. Would you change hearts so they praise your holy name?”
“Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done”
- Adoration: “Your kingdom is not of this world. It is pure, true, and just. Your kingdom is a priceless pearl. Your will is good, pleasing, and perfect. Your thoughts are not my thoughts and your ways are not my ways. Your plan is so much higher than I could ever comprehend.”
- Confession: “I often don’t live according to your kingdom. I am selfish. I neglect the needy. I don’t speak the truth in love. I don’t seek your face as I should. I want my own will to be done. I don’t believe that your plans for me are good.”
- Thanksgiving: “Thank you that you delight to give us the kingdom. Thank you that your will cannot be thwarted.”
- Supplication: “Would your kingdom of light and love push against the kingdom of sin and darkness both in the world and in my heart? Would you help me to trust that your ways are better than mine? Let your will be done in and through me.”
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
- Adoration: “You are a good Father who gives good gifts to your children. The earth is yours and everything in it. All things are dependent on you. You are the Creator of everyone and everything.”
- Confession: “Forgive me when I live like I don’t need you. When I am ungrateful for the good gifts you provide. When I feel entitled to more than you’ve given. When I envy those with more than me.”
- Thanksgiving: “Thank you for the good gifts you provide. You have provided jobs. You provided skilled workers to produce and serve food. Every day that I have enough to eat is a miracle, for which I am grateful.”
- Supplication: “Please provide what I need. I also lift up those who are suffering and don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Give them their daily bread too.”
“Forgive Us, As We Also Have Forgiven Others”
- Adoration: “You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands of generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. You know all things, yet you cast my sins into the sea of forgetfulness.”
- Confession: “My sins are many and are ever before me. I haven’t loved you with my whole heart or loved my neighbor as myself. I also hold grudges even though love keeps no record of wrongs.”
- Thanksgiving: “Thank you that because Jesus died on the cross, there is forgiveness of sins. ‘The wages of sin is death,’ and Jesus paid it all. Thank you for your priceless sacrifice.”
- Supplication: “Bring to mind my sins and how I am falling short. Forgive me, Father. Give me the love and grace to forgive those who have wronged me. Help those who are far from you find forgiveness.”
Lead Us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from the Evil One
- Adoration: “You are the good shepherd. You lead us beside still waters. You protect us in the valley of the shadow of death. You are stronger than evil. You are our shield, our fortress, and our deliverer. Lord, you are a mighty warrior.”
- Confession: “I confess how often I lead myself into temptation. I get distracted from the path you called me to walk and befriend evil. I forsake your wisdom and the Spirit within me. I don’t live out the freedom you bought for me with Christ’s blood.”
- Thanksgiving: “Thank you that you have given your Holy Spirit and your Word to lead us and guide us. Thank you that Jesus defeated sin and death when he rose from the dead. Thank you that by trusting in Jesus we share in your victory.”
- Supplication: “Lead us, guide us, and protect us. Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking to devour. Help us to stand firm and trust in you. May we not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Cultural Eulogy 