Lesson 4-3 - A Guide to Effective Daily Prayer

Objective: To apply a simple guide to your daily prayer time

Read: Acts 7 & 8
Memorize: I Corinthians 14:40

40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication
Life Application

Effective prayer cannot be reduced to a magic formula. God does not respond to our requests because we have the right ritual. He is more interested in our hearts than in our words. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

God’s Word does, however, give us certain basic elements that, when included in our communiction with God, will enable us to receive His answers to our prayers.

In this lesson we will consider a simple guide that you can use in your daily devotional time:

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

The guide can easily be remembered by the first letter of each word: ACTS.

Adoration

Why should we praise God?

Jeremiah 32:17 17 ”O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

I John 4:10 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Philippians 1:6 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

What is the best way for you to show your gratitude toward God, and your faith and trust in Him in all circumstances?

Philippians 4:6 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

What would you conclude that God expects of us?

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

How do you communicate your adoration to God?

Confession

Read Isaiah 59:1-2

Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. 2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

What will hinder fellowship with God?

Psalm 51 was David’s prayer after he had fallen out of fellowship with God. What did David conclude that God wanted of Him?

Psalm 51:6, 16-17 6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. 16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Read Psalm 32:1-7 1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. 7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.

You surround me with songs of victory.

What was David’s observation about confession? What was his observation about not confessing his sin? (Verses 3 & 4)

What should you do when you find that your fellowship with God is broken?

I John 1:9 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

What sin in your life is keeping you from fellowship with God? How do you deal with that sin?

Thanksgiving

Let us never be guilty of being ungrateful to God. How often should we give thanks?

Hebrews 13:15 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.

For what should we praise Him?

Ephesians 5:20 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why?

I Thessalonians 5:18 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

What about a situation that seems adverse?

Romans 5:3-4 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

How do you practice thankfulness when you pray? As you go about your daily life?

Make a list of each problem, disappointment, heartache, or adversity that concerns you. Begin to thank God for each one. Doing so demonstrates your trust in Him.

Supplication

1.) Intercession. An example of intercession is provided in Colossians 1:3.

3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What was Paul’s prayer for the Christians of Colosse?

Many times our efforts in leading people to Christ are fruitless because we forget the necessary preparation for witnessing. The divine order is to first talk to God about men, and then talk to men about God.

If we follow this order, we will see results. Prayer really is the place where people are won to Christ; witnessing is just gathering in the results of prayer.

As you meditate on the above, list the requests you can make to God for Christians and non-Christians.

2.) Petition. Why should we expect God to answer our prayers? Matthew 7:9-11 9 ”You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Romans 8:32 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

According to Psalm 84:11-12, what has God promised to do?

11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. 12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

What part does belief have in our prayers?

Mark 11:24 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

James 1:6-7 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Faith is necessary, what else?

Matthew 6:9-10 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

I John 5:14-15 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

Why will God not answer some prayers?

James 4:3 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

How does this relate to your prayer life?

3.) Explain II Corinthains 12:7-10 in light of Romans 8:28.

II Corinthains 12:7-10 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Romans 8:28 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

What does this teach us about apparently unanswered prayer?