The A.C.T.S. model is a tool to help guide you into the presence of God during your personal devotional time.
A — Adoration: proclaiming who God is and the attributes of His character
C — Confession: calling sin by name, declaring desire to repent from it, asking God for His forgiveness
T — Thanksgiving: offering praise, remembering the works of the Lord, prayers answered, meditation
S — Supplication: asking God, interceeding for others and petitioning according to His will
ADORATION:
Take time to adore the Lord and to worship and acknowledge the majesty of God. Do not ask anything. Focus on the attributes of God and declare who He is. Praise and adore Him for His attributes, His character, His names. Consider praising Him alphabetically: All-Knowing, Bread of Life, Comforter, Deliverer, Everlasting Father, Faithful, Gracious, Healer, Immortal, Judge, King, Lord of lords, Merciful, Name Above all Names, Omniscient, Physician, Redeemer, Savior, Truth, Undefiled, Vine, Wonderful Counselor, Yahweh, Zealous for our love, Give Him your praise and adoration! Consider also praying through the Scriptures (especially Psalms) to give yourself language for your adoration.
Psalm 9:1-2 — “I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”
Psalm 18:2-3a — “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise.”
Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength… ever-present help in times of trouble…” Praying the Verse: You are the abundantly available God. You are always there when I need you.
Romans 8:38 — “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers can separate me from your love.”
Praying the Verse: You are the loving “for me” God. You are constantly by my side in every walk of life. Wherever I go, You are there waiting to show Yourself to me.
*Write a prayer of praise by adapting Psalm 145
CONFESSION:
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the sins that you have committed . . . both things you have done that have not been pleasing to God and things God wanted you to do that you left undone. Consider praying Scripture to begin your time of confession . . .
Psalm 139:23-24 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
As the Holy Spirit begins to reveal sins you’ve committed, be specific and pray to God confessing each sin by name, then declare your desire to repent (turn from) that sin, and ask for God’s forgiveness, in the Name of Jesus, your Savior. When you repent of a specific area, ask the Lord to clothe you in the opposite virtue, For example, confess pride – ask for humility; confess angry words spoken – ask for words that build up; confess gluttony – ask for self-control.
1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Praying the Verse: Jesus, I deny my sinful nature and ask that you would live in me. Let my life be a living example of You, teach me to be an ambassador of Your Kingdom.
Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Praying the Verse: O God, would you renew my mind. Transform my desires to match that which you desire.
Philippians 3:8 — “I consider everything as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” Praying the Verse: Father, I leave behind anything that stands in my way of loving You. Loving You is the joy of my life, and desire You more than anything. You are the one thing I desire, O God.
*Write a prayer of contrition adapted from Daniel 9 and Psalm 51
THANKSGIVING:
Be a thankful child of God. Some things to thank God for . . . His promises for your life found in Scripture, circumstances, miracles, experiences and adventures with God that you’ve had or have witnessed others having. You may want to begin your time of thanksgiving with reflection and meditation . . . ask the Holy Spirit to draw to your remembrance the good things God has done in every area of your life (home, work, business, family, church, school, neighborhood, friends.) Pour out your thanksgiving to God. Thank Him for answered prayers. Thank Him for all the ways He has allowed you to see Him working in your midst, in and through your life and in the lives of those around you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “. . . give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 9:1 — “I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.”
SUPPLICATION:
Ask the Lord to give you the desires of His heart . . . to align your heart desires with His. Base your prayer request from Scripture. By praying His word we align our heart with His. Lay before the Lord all of your needs . . . big and small. Ask for His provision according to His perfect will. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to see the answers to each prayer so you can come back and thank Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the needs of other people that God wants you to pray for . . . sit quietly and listen for His voice. Pray as the Holy Spirit puts people, circumstances and situations on your mind. Remember to pause, during your prayers of supplication to listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice. He will help you to pray in accordance with God’s will.
SPECIAL NOTE: You can use apostolic prayers, or the prayers of Jesus, to give you language for your prayers. I’m chronicling some of these under Prayers.
Philippians 4:6 — “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Ephesians 6:18 — “. . . and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests . . .”
Psalm 110:1 — “Do not keep silent, O God of my praise!”
Ephesians 4:13 — “…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
Interested in reading more on additional Prayer tools? Visit Prayer Life Tool Belt.