• Home
• About Zion
  • History
  • Staff
  • What We Believe
  • Worship Services
  • 150th Celebration
  • 150th Scrapbook
  • Good News from Zion
  • Contact Us
• Know Jesus
• Adults
• Kids
  • Kids' Ministries
  • Kids' Calendar
  • KidCheck
• Student
  • ZSM
  • ZSM Calendar
  • Zion NOIZ
• Ministries/Missions
  • Fellowship
  • About Zion Missions
  • Local Missions
  • Global Missions
  • Seasonal Missions
  • Ministries
  • Music
• Resources
  • Calendar
  • Links
  • News
  • Pastors' Thoughts
  • I Want to Know...
  • Reading List

• Follow us:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Four Easy Steps to Homeade Prayer

Introduction

Praying is a lot like cooking.  It looks so easy but if someone doesn't teach you the basics, you won't know where to start.  Once you have the basics, once you can boil water or scramble an egg or learn to fry something in a pan, you can start to experiment.  You become more confident.  You try recipes.  You become more daring and start taking on larger projects.   So it is with prayer.  There are a few basics.  But once you've got those mastered, there isn't anything you can't pray for.

Prayer doesn't come easy for most people.  Even Jesus' original disciples, those holy men we call apostles, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  We need to be taught, too.  The most important thing to realize when you begin your life of prayer is that you will never know it all.  Prayer is God's school and we will always be his students, even as we teach others.

A few paragraphs ago I referred to your life of prayer.  It is important to understand as you begin this journey that prayer is not so much an act as a way of life.  When you get serious about prayer, your life will begin to change in some obvious and not so obvious ways.  What I mean is this:  If you are serious about leaning how to pray, it will take time, space, discipline, and commitment.  These things will all affect your lifestyle. 

TIME  It takes time to pray.  Quality time.  Time alone and away from all the distractions that would call you out of prayer.  You've got to make an appointment with God.  If it helps, write it on your calendar or in your planner.  "7:00 a.m.  Meet with God.  Discuss the state of my life."  Whatever you have to do. 

In my experience, I have found that I need to have a time every day set aside for prayer.   That isn't to say that I don't pray at other times, only that I know that every day at a certain hour I must be in a certain place and meet with God.  That means that I can't accept invitations  or make appointments during that time.  That time is my time with God.  I have a appointment that I must keep.

You should make an initial commitment as to the length of time you wish to spend in prayer.  Schedule your appointment for a short time at first, and then as you grow into this new life, begin to lengthen the time you spend in prayer.  I believe that as you grow in your prayer life you will honestly desire to increase the amount of time you spend in prayer.  Don't think that if some time in prayer makes God happy that twice as much must really make him ecstatic.  Know this:  you won't score extra points with God by spending more time in prayer.  That isn't what it's all about.  God does not love people who pray all day more than people who pray for half an hour.  Prayer is not something we do in order to score salvation points.  It is something we do because we desperately need to talk to God and he desperately wants to talk to us.   Prayer won't make you holy, only Jesus can do that.  But holy people pray.

SPACE  Believe it or not, where you pray matters.  That doesn't mean that you can't pray wherever you are.  But where you are will dictate what kind of prayers you say.  For example, if you are angry with God, don't pray while you're driving.  You may hit something.  If you want to sing praises to God, a crowded office may not lend itself to singing. 

You will want your prayer space to be quiet and peaceful and private.  Jesus knew about the importance of prayer space.  He said, "When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door.  Pray to your Father in private.  He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you."(Mt 6:6)  The phrase "room alone" used to be translated "closet" in the King James Version.  Many Christians today refer to their place of prayer as their "closet."

Jesus had a special place to pray when he was in Jerusalem.  It was the Garden of Gethsemene.  He found peace there amid the olive trees.  Maybe you pray better outside.  Just be sure you've got somewhere else to go when it rains or freezes. 

DISCIPLINE  The devil doesn't want you to pray.  Old Scratch will be looking for ways, some of them quite subtle, that he can break up your routine and disrupt your prayer life.  It takes discipline to resist the constant stream of distractions and interruptions that the devil will send your way.   There will always be the ringing phone, the crying child, the door bell, the siren, etc.  Resist!  Try to anticipate the distractions and overcome them.  Maybe a friend or spouse can watch the kids.  Maybe you can pray during their nap time.  Perhaps you should take the phone off the hook before it rings.  To pursue a life of prayer means having to say "no" or "wait" to all the distractions.  Once you start giving  in to them,  you will quickly loose your momentum.

COMMITMENT  Are you serious about wanting to pray?  If so, you need to commitment yourself to it.  You need to set the time and the place and refuse to distracted or dissuaded.  You need to promise yourself and God that you are going to make this a priority.  "No matter what happens, I will pray."

The Language of Prayer

The Basic Method

ACTS

I don't know who first developed the format that I use for my prayers, but it is very old.  It has four parts that are easily remembered because the beginning letter of each forms the acronym ACTS.   The four parts are: Adoration; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication.  We'll talk about each of these in turn and give examples of each, including some sample prayers.

Getting Started

Now that you've established a time to pray, the length of time you intend to pray, determined a place, thought pro-actively about the distractions, and made a commitment to continue to pray no matter what, it's time to begin.

At the appointed time, go to your prayer "closet."  Get comfortable.  Then get quiet.  Just close your eyes and be silent.  Enjoy the silence.  Wait for God to call you to prayer.  Let your brain empty.  If images dance before your eyes and you are bombarded by thoughts, don't worry.  Maybe these are things that you need to pray about today.  Make a mental note to mention them to God.  Let the silence fill you up.  It won't take long.  Or, if it does take a while, allow the Lord to use that time to prepare you for prayer.   In the silence we are seeking the peace of God, a peace which Jesus tells us transcends all human understanding.   Think of  this time of silence as a time when you are lacing up your spiritual shoes to begin your prayer walk.  God is preparing your soul for an encounter with Him.  Or, to follow with our cooking analogy, in silence you are laying out the ingredients and presetting the oven.

When the period of silence is over, and you'll know when that is because you'll feel ready to begin, it's time to pray.

Step 1 - Adoration

first step in our four step method of prayer is adoration.   When we adore God, we praise Him.  Adoration is another name for praise.   Simply put, in this first step of prayer we tell God how much we love Him and why.  It's that easy. 

Have you ever told someone that you loved them?  It's a good thing to do.  Even if the person already knows that you do love them, it is always a good thing to say it.  So it is with God.  Sometimes we get so busy asking the Lord for things that we need or asking Him to bless other people that we forget to say, "I love you, Lord."  To say, "I love you, Lord" is adoration. 

When we say to our beloved, "I love you," sometimes he or she will ask us, "Why?"  Then we begin listing off all those reasons that make the beloved lovable.  We can do the same thing with God.  We can say, "Lord, I love you.  Here's why:  you created me; you kept me safe through all my travels; you were with me in the time of my deepest need; you have blessed me with people who love me and care for me; you have so graciously provided for all my needs;" and so on.   This isn't quite like saying thank you, which will come in step three.  This is more like listing the great things that God has done in your life.  All the reasons that make God great for you.  It is your own testimony about God to God. 

Here are some examples from the Bible.  Open your Bible to Exodus 15.  Moses and the Israelites have just crossed the Red Sea safely on dry land.  The pursuing Egyptian army was drowned when the waters flowed back together.  God had saved his people from certain death.   The first thing that Moses and the Israelites do is sing the praises of the Lord.  "I sing praises to the Lord for his great victory!  He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.  The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me."  The praise song continues for 16 more verses. 

There is another example in this same chapter of Exodus.  Miriam, Moses' sister, also praises God.  See her praise song in Exodus 15:21. 

The book of Psalms is filled with verses of adoration.  For instance, check out Psalms 103, 104, 105, and 106.  These are excellent guides to praise. 

To begin your time of praising God, you may find it helpful to open the Bible and turn to a hymn of praise.  Read the Scripture verse.  Consider what it means.  Meditate on what it says, what it means.  Then add to it yourself.  Design your prayers around what you've just read.  Here are some examples.

Our Lord, you are King!
                Majesty and power are your royal robes.
You put the world in place, and it will never be moved.
                You have always ruled, and you are eternal.
(Psalm 93:1-2)

Lord, you are a great and righteous King.

You rule over heaven and earth.  You rule over all the countries of this world.   Nothing that happens is beyond the realm of your power.  There are strong nations, but you are stronger.   There are powerful rulers, but you are the most powerful of all.  Your power far exceeds that of any mortal leader.  Though the nations form alliances and build weapons, you are greater and stronger and all powerful.

Lord, be king of my heart, too.  As you rule over all the nations of the world and over the sun, moon, and all the stars, rule over me.  Be my God, my fortress, my strength, my defender, my refuge.  You are eternal.  You always were and always are and always shall be.  I praise you with my heart and with my voice for your greatness and for your goodness.  Please come and be my strength this day. 

In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Something I've tried recently is to incorporate hymns or worship songs into my prayers of praise.  Since I'm very much alone in my prayer closet and no one can hear me, I sing my praises to God.  There is a vast repertoire of praise music.  You probably have a favorite.  Here are some of mine.

Lord, I do love you.

You have made all the difference in my life.  You have blessed me beyond measure with so many good things.  You have given so much.  I am amazed again and again at how you, the King of heaven and earth, who rules in the vastness of eternity, could love or care or know a mere mortal like me.  Praise your holy name!  You do know me, and you hold me in the palm of your hand.  Hear my praises, Father.  Accept this song of praise as my offering to you.  I love you.  I praise you.  I adore you.

In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hear my praises.

 Three in One, how awesome you are!  How mysterious and yet how familiar.  How immense you seem and yet how knowable you are.  Father, I praise you because you are the creator of all the worlds.  You called all creation into being.  You rule over all things seen and unseen.  How majestic is your name in all the earth!  Jesus, I praise you!  You endured the cross and grave for me.  How worthy you are of my praise and the all the praises of all the people.  You won for us salvation and freedom and peace and redemption.  How awesome is your splendor, how greatly is your name to be praised in my life.  You are our light and our life.  In you we find fulfillment and refuge.  I glorify your name!  Holy Spirit, you are the counselor and guide.  You are the presence of the Living God in my life.  How incredible you are, moving in your silent and often subtle ways.  Praise you for your patience with me.  Praise you for your presence in my life.  Praise you for the work that you are working in me and through me.  Praise you!

In Jesus name.  Amen.

Step 2 - Confession

We began our prayer time with adoration and praise in order to focus our hearts and minds on God and not on ourselves.  Now it is time to look from heaven to earth, from God to ourselves.  After spending some time praising God and contemplating his greatness and majesty, it is much easier to see our own faults and failings.  When we see how good God is and then look at ourselves, our own sins become more apparent. 

Sometimes, our sins are right before us.  We've been waiting to confess them.  They burden us and we need to bring them to the cross and leave them there for God to forgive and forget.  We know that we've done wrong and feel ashamed of our thoughts and actions.  This is the time to talk to God about them and ask his forgiveness. 

Sometimes though, our sin isn't so easily identified.  Sometimes we feel like saying, "Gee, I'm sure I've sinned lately but I really can't remember what it could be."  When this happens, and it will occasionally, the time of confession in prayer becomes a time for self examination.  We take the time to examine our lives, and in the quiet of our prayer space we can listen to God tell us where we have failed.

If you have nothing to confess, sit quietly for a while and examine how you lived yesterday, or through the past week.   Perhaps even look at your whole life.  Chances are the Lord will reveal something to you.  This isn't just a time for us to confess to God, it is also a time for God to speak to us and to show us how we have fallen short and in which areas we need to improve.  Sometimes, during confession, we'll see things in a different light.  We'll see things as others saw them and not through the rose colored glasses of our own thoughts. 

Our own pride is often at the heart of our inability to pray or confess.  In our heart of hearts we still deeply desire to be as God, in control of our own destinies, (and frequently the destinies of others!).  There are times in our lives when we need to be humbled.   God can use this time of confession to humble us.  After praising him for being the Lord God of heaven and earth, sometimes he reminds us that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.  But it is important to know that although the Lord may at times convict us, he always does this in order that he can raise us up.  Sometimes the only way that he can exhalt us is to first break us. 

There are all kinds of things that we need to confess.  I'm not going to dwell on these, lest I give myself away.  However, it may be helpful during your time of prayer to at least consider these things:

Have you forgiven others as freely as you have been forgiven by God?
Have you placed your own desires and aspirations before what God has called you to do?

As with adoration and praise, you may find using a Scripture verse helps you focus on your sins.  

Psalm 51 is a Psalm of confession I find helpful.

Dear Lord,

I am a sinner, have mercy on me!  I really want to be made clean, but guilt and shame persist.  Make me clean, O Lord, my Savior.  Make me whiter than snow! 

In many ways have I sinned.  Some of the ways I know, other ways I do not know.  I have sinned against you and against others both by what I have done and by what I have not done.  I cannot escape these sins unless you release me.  The burden of them is too much to bear.  In your great mercy, set me free.

Lord, you have freely forgiven me time and time again.  And yet I hold the sins of others against me within myself, harboring my anger, feeding my hate upon the wrongs they have done to me.  Give me the strength to forgive even as I have been forgiven.
Please forgive me, O Lord. By your blood that makes me whole,  forgive me.  Help me stand again in your favor.  In your name.  Amen.

Dear God,

What is wrong with me?  The good that I want to do I cannot.  The evil that I wouldn't do, I do.  Everything is so mixed up.  I'm a mess.  My life is not what I would have it be.  I want to live a life that is pleasing to you but I just can't.  Day after day, time after time I try.  And the harder I try the more difficult it becomes and the more impossible it is to live a life pleasing to you.

Help me, Lord.  Make me right with you.  Forgive me my failings.  Forgive me my sins.  Give me the joy of your saving help again.  Sustain me, O God, with your plentiful Spirit.  I cannot do this alone.  Be with me, gracious Lord, forgive me, heal me, make me clean.  Grant me another start, and another after that, and another after that.  Don't give up on me.  Keep on forgiving me, keep on working on me, transforming me into the kind of person that you would have me become.  I ask this in Jesus' name.  Amen.

A WORD ABOUT ABSOLUTION..... 

Confession, they say, is good for the soul.  It is.  When you confess your sins to God, however, you should know one thing.  God will forgive you.  It is his promise.  Freer and faster than you can confess, God will graciously and absolutely forgive you of your sins.  Hear what the Bible has to say:

You should begin confession knowing that you will be forgiven for Jesus' sake.  It is God's promise and as his child you can claim it.  So confess freely and often, and be open and ready to receive the forgiveness that God grants you without cost.

Step 3 - Thanksgiving

Since God promises to forgive us our sins, it is only right that thanksgiving should follow confession.  "Thank you, God, that you forgive me my sins and don't hold them against me!"  God is gracious, kind, and slow to anger.  As the Bible says, he has not punished us as we deserve, but he continues to forgive us and continues to seek us when we go astray.  God continues to bless us daily, without our recognition of the fact, by providing us with our health, wealth, and loved ones.  Now those are some reasons to give thanks!

If someone gave you a tremendous gift that saved your life and opened a glorious future for you, how would you thank that person?  That is our dilemma when thanking God for his forgiveness, for our lives, our health, our families, and our daily bread, all gifts from God to us.  There are only so many ways, after all, to say, "thanks."  If you've ever tried to express your profound and heartfelt thanks to someone, you realize how easy it is to run out of words. 

But God doesn't want our thanks to be burdensome to us.  It should flow freely, almost without effort.  Don't worry about your eloquence, God isn't interested in whether or not your vocabulary is sufficient to express your thanks in new and different ways.  God just really desires to hear from you.  There may only be so many ways to say, "thank you,"  but there is an endless list of things to be thankful for.  Stop for a moment and consider them.   

Sometimes it is hard to give God thanks.  Sometimes our own problems or needs occupy us to the point where we either forget to thank God or can't think of anything to thank him for.  At such times, we can always thank God that he reigns.  Simply thank the Lord that he is in charge of things.  "Lord, I'm really overwhelmed by my situation right now and find it hard to thank you, but I do thank you that you reign.  That despite my difficulties, you are still in charge of the universe.  Thanks."

You will know best in your own life what to give thanks for.  It is always appropriate and polite to say "thank you."  You may wish to thank God for anything that you have asked God for in prayer and received an answer, either yes or no.    For instance, we frequently ask God to watch over us on our journeys and to keep us safe when we travel, but do we ever thank him for a safe arrival?

For some ideas to meditate and pray on, we turn again to hymns and Scripture.

 Thank you Lord!

You are great and good and once again you have come to my rescue.  You have been true to your promise to always hear me and be near me.  Thank you!  I thank you for the deliverance I have in Jesus.  Thank you for loving me enough that you sent your one and only Son into the world to die for me and for everyone.  Thank you for giving me life, and for sustaining me with a job, hobbies and interests, people who love me, a place to live, and plenty to eat.  Thank you for watching over me day after day. 

In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wonderous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your countless gifts of love.   Thank you for all you've given me and the ones I love.  Thank you for music which delights my heart and raises my spirits.  Thank you for the smell of fresh baked bread and the glow of the sun in the evening.  Thank you for sunrises and sunsets.  Thank you for all the wonderous things you do, day after day, generation to generation.  May your name be glorified in my life. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Step 4 - Supplication

Now we get to the place in our prayers where we can bring all our requests before God.  Some people might say this is what prayer is all about.  But by beginning the way we have, with silence and then adoration, confession, and thanksgiving, we have momentarily turned our attention from ourselves to God and given him the opportunity to speak to us.  You might say that all the other steps we have gone through are really just preparation.  Through praise and confession and thanksgiving God has been preparing our hearts so that we pray for the right things, the things he desires to give us. 

Perhaps in your praise you have come to know and trust God more as King and Lord of your life.  Perhaps in confession you have discovered some things about yourself that you need to change.  Perhaps in thanksgiving you have discovered special people or things about which you  need to pray. 

Now is the time to bring before God all the things you want to ask him about.  Come before his throne  and make your supplications.  Ask for anything you have need of.  Bring your friends and family members to him.  Commit your life and health and the life and health of others to God.    Now is the time to pray for our country, that we may have wise leadership, an abundance of food, justice, and peace. 

Intercessory Prayer

Volumes have been written about praying for others which is called intercessory prayer.  In these types of prayers, you are "interceding" with God on behalf of other people.  There are so many who need our prayers.  The more people I meet, the more people I find to pray for.    Even people we haven't met need our prayers.  People like missionaries, state, county, and national leaders, and also church and denominational officials.  In such a way we are upholding the instructions of Paul, who writes in 1 Timothy 2:2ff:  "Pray for kings and others in power, so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God.  This kind of prayer is good, and it pleases God our Savior." 

A friend of mine introduced me to a particular form of intercessory prayer that I have begun to practice:  praying for the police.  Whenever you see a patrol car on the road, pray for those officers, that God would keep them safe and guide them so that they may uphold the law with justice. 

A word of caution.  We are quick to say to people, "You are in my prayers."  Don't say that unless you mean it.  If you offer to pray for someone be sure you follow through.  Also, remember to ask that person whenever you see them, how things are going and remind them that you are praying for them. 

A helpful tool for me is my prayer notebook.  I have organized it so that each day there is a different list of people and things to pray for.  I find that it keeps my prayers fresh.  Some people who use the same method write "thank you" next to requests that have been answered.   As your prayer life grows and the number of people you pray for increases, you may find a similar system to be helpful.

Praying In The Name of Jesus

All the examples of prayers in this booklet end with the phrase, "in Jesus' name."   The reason that we end our prayers in Jesus' name  is because Jesus himself tells us to do so.  He says, "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:23-24)

Conclusion

A life of prayer requires time, space, discipline, and commitment.  As God calls you into prayer he will also give you all these things.  It is my hope and prayer that this little pamphlet will help you develop an abundant life of prayer.  As you grow deeper in your prayer life, more questions may arise.  Be sure that you continue your study of Scripture along with your prayers.  Scripture contains the answers to most of our questions about prayer.  Feel free to stop by anytime and let the pastors know how your prayer life is progressing!

Bibliography

Some helpful books.

Too Busy Not to Pray, by Bill Hybels.  Zondervan Publishing.

Prayer, by Ole Hallesby.  Augsburg-Fortress Publishing.

Conversation With God,  by Lloyd John Ogilvie.  Harvest House Publishing.

All Bible quotations from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.