How to Pray: ACTS with a FREE printable
A key part of discipleship is learning how to pray. the Bible gives us repeated command, invitations and instructions on exactly how to pray. We get to talk to the Lord! But that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Following this simple plan to learn how to pray and specific scripture you can memorize to pray to God.
Begin with adoration! Tell God WHO HE IS! Use scripture, praise the Lord, and just spend the beginning of your prayer time in worship. This section of your prayer is a great time to use scripture because God has already told us all about himself! All we have to do is tell it back to him with a worshipful heart.
Praying is not just asking for things that we want. Learning how to pray takes time and obedience. But it also brings joy and comfort and helps to establish our faith. When you learn how to pray, you’ll find that you get to spend more time in the presence of God, which helps beyond anything you can imagine.
To help you get into the correct mindset of how to pray, I have two suggestions. The first step is to imagine a king sitting on the throne during an open court. This event is where people get to line up and take their petition before the king so he can rule on it. Imagine how you. might come into the King’s presence, with downcast eyes, humility, bowing before him. You might even give him lavish praise that sounds redundant in any other situation, but suits your situation just fine.
Next, I want you to read Revelation 4. This chapter is a description of heaven! You can imagine the throne of God and the beasts crying out “holy, holy, holy”. That is where you are invited to be when you pray. Let your heart and mind settle into that atmosphere so that you can seek the Lord’s face, truly.
If you have unrepentance in your heart, your prayer will be hindered. So, in order to have a meaningful and productive hour of prayer, you must spend some time in confession. Ask the Lord to show you your sin, repent from it, and allow the Lord to lift the guilt and shame. When you learn to pray with confession, you will keep short accounts with God and find your Christian walk to be easier than when you carry the burden of your own guilt.
Thanksgiving is found all through scripture. We are constantly reminded that every good thing is from the Lord and that we owe him the thanks for it. Take time to thank Him. You have plenty to thank him for! After all, you’re breathing, aren’t you?
Supplication is where you finally get the chance to ask, or beg God for things that you desire. But wait, don’t get too hasty or self centered. Remember to look on the things of others first. Pray for your spouse, parents, children, immediate family, and anyone else that is closest to you. Next, pray for your teachers, instructors, and mentos. Then you can pray for authority in your life- the government, your pastor, or anyone else that you need to submit to. Don’t forget about the lost!
Pray for those who are weak in their faith, weak in spirit, or who have not been saved. And finally, after you have spent time calling out all of those names and interceding for them, you can pray for yourself and your own requests! Each of these categories will have many names in them and many items to pray for, so don’t rush through it. Have a written list if you need it. Remember, it’s the sweet HOUR of prayer, not the sweet 3 minutes.
To help you out, I’ve put together this beautiful set of scripture cards. Use them to memorize verses, or to pray scripture during your prayer time. Click here to get your free printable now!
