Prayer Helps
A.C.T.S
An Acronym Reminder for Prayer
A. Adoration: Praising God
C. Confession: Acknowledging your sins
T. Thanksgiving: Naming your blessings and thanking
God for them
S.
Supplications: Offering up your requests for yourself
and others
What is prayer?
Prayer is simply a talk with my friend. Prayer is not a magic incantation or positive mental attitude, we must understand that prayer is a conversation between us and God. Often we forget that Jesus desires to have a relationship with each of us individually. It is all too easy to rush off and attend to those things that press upon each day...the kids, the bills, work, deadlines even church and ministry can come before we take time out to listen to the precious voice of God.
Morning and Evening Prayer
A Prayer discipline that many people use is to frame
the day with prayer.
On rising, offer a prayer of praise and acknowledgment
of God. Then, as you think through what the day will bring, pray for each
specific concern that you have for it.
At the close of the day, give thanks for all the
blessings that have come. Ask forgiveness for any resentment, sins, or other
negative experiences.
The Jesus Prayer
A prayer form that developed out of a search to discover what it meant to "pray without ceasing" is called the "Jesus Prayer." It is a combination of centering on your breathing and repeating the phrase "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." You begin by positioning your body in a relaxed but attentive position. Then, focus on the above phrase or a shorter version of it, such as "Lord Jesus, have mercy," or just the word "Jesus." The words follow your breath. As you breathe in, say "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God." As you exhale, say the words, "Have mercy on me, a sinner." Continue this for a period of time, letting the words follow your breathing pattern. Let your breathing remain natural and unforced. Do not try to establish a breathing pattern. Try to keep focused on what your are saying and allow the words to maintain a steady rhythm of following your breath. This prayer will bring a great sense of peace and often a sense of God's presence. Some who have practiced this prayer will find themselves waking up in the morning with this prayer going on within them. It is as if you are establishing an ongoing prayer with your breath.
Moments with God
If your life is extremely busy and you find it difficult to establish a regular, long period of time for developing your prayer discipline, plan to spend a certain number of briefer moments in prayer in a regular daily pattern. You can set apart three, five, or seven times a day when you would pray for three to five minutes. Such a pattern could include rising, morning coffee, lunch, late afternoon, and evening. You could combine this with reflection on a single Bible verse chosen for each of these prayer times. This is a similar to the monastic practice of alternating work, leisure, and prayer throughout the day.
Acknowledgments
The "What is Prayer" section is from the "Prayer hearing the voice of God" web page. The prayer helps are from a book titled "Beginner's Guide to Prayer" by Richard J Beckmen. It's available outside the prayer room.
