Years ago I read a paper about Martin Luther and all he had done in his life. His resume was quite impressive and he had this boldness about him that really spoke to me, but the one thing that stood out the most was his dedication to prayer. He would spend hours in prayer daily. I remember thinking, “I struggle to pray regularly. I can’t even imagine praying for hours at a time.” Between the busyness of life and all the potential interruptions, I figured I would just get frustrated. So I chose just to continue in my old ways. Then my life fell apart. I don’t have space to elaborate, just trust me that each day was a struggle in one form or another.
One day, I got a call from a friend I had not talked to in a long time. He had just moved back to the area and wanted to catch up. We met for coffee, and I told him all that was going on in my life. Then he asked me if I had been praying. To be honest, I thought that was a dumb question. Of course, I have been praying. I have been asking God to help me with all of the stuff happening in my life. At this, he laughed and said, “How long does that normally take?” I responded with, “It depends on how bad of a day it is.”
He then went on to give me two bits of advice. First, he said you need structure in your prayer and secondly, he said you need to do more than request things from God. That day he taught me the ACTS model for prayer. It’s an acronym to help guide you as you pray. A is for adoration. This is where you praise God for who he is. C is for confession. This is where you confess your sins to God. T is for thanksgiving - an opportunity for you to thank God for all he has and is doing in your life. Finally, S is for supplication, which is a big word for putting your requests before God asking him for help for yourself or others.
I know this seems simple and something you might think is elementary, but it changed my prayer life at a very important time. I began to carve out time each day where I prayed each letter, and eventually, it became a habit. I started to notice my prayers became more meaningful and much longer. Nothing like Luther, but for me, it was a huge improvement. I still follow this model today. I don’t have to think about the letters anymore. I just pray. Now, this may or may not be a fit for you, but there are other models, books, and devotionals that can help kickstart or energize your prayer life. Check them out.
Desiring God put out an article that reminded me of my prayer journey and it highlights another model that Martin Luther shared with someone who wanted to learn to pray as he did. Read about it here.
Stories, news, and resources for things happening at Gateway Church.
