Many people pray, but not all prayer is Christian. Christian prayer is distinctive – it is Trinitarian. St Paul writes, ‘Through him [Jesus] we have access to the Father by one Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:18).
This is why prayer is such an immense privilege. You are able to speak to God, the creator of the universe, as your Father. You come to him through Jesus, the man who is God, our Lord, brother and friend. Your prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, who lives within your heart.
‘A.C.T.S.’:
A – Adoration
Praise God for who he is and what he has done.
‘Let me live that I may praise You’ (v.175, AMP).C – Confession
Ask God’s forgiveness for anything that you have done wrong.
‘I have gone astray like a lost sheep’ (v.176, AMP).T – Thanksgiving
Thank God for health, family, friends and so on.
‘My lips shall pour forth praise (with Thanksgiving and renewed trust)’ (v.171, AMP).S – Supplication
Pray for yourself, for your friends and for others.
‘May my supplication come before you’ (v.170).
Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813–1843) wrote:’‘If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.’
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