-
The acrostic ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. What would happen if each were removed from devotions? (For example, what would happen if adoration were removed from your prayers?)
-
In adoration, we acknowledge who God is. It is expressing how we feel and see Him. It blesses our conversation with Him and deepens our relationship with Him. When we adore Him and acknowledge who He is, we become aware of who we are and open our hearts to confession. Without it, we create a distance in our relationship with Him and limit transformation in our lives.
In confession, we recognize our wrongs, our weaknesses, and our need for forgiveness and salvation. We take responsibility for our actions. Without confession, we give no room for the Holy Spirit to work in us for transformation. We remain in a state of rebellion.
In thanksgiving, we give thanks for it is His will for us to be in a state of grateful heart. Without a grateful heart, sin grows roots of bitterness and unforgiveness. Thankfulness transforms our perspective and heals us and our relationships. It focuses back to Jesus. It allows us to approach God with the right heart. Without it, we become selfish, entitled, and focus on ourselves.
In supplication, we recognize that we approach a God who listens to us and cares for our needs and the needs of ours. It also acknowledges His power and control – who He is. It allows us to have a posture of humility that we depend on Him, and He is the only one who fully provides for our needs. We ask as the Holy Spirit also leads us – aligning us to the will of the Father. When we don’t use supplication, we are saying we don’t need anything from God and we can accomplish everything in our strength.
-
I love how we start with Adoration!! It sets the tone for our prayer and time with the Lord!
-
If any of these were removed from my prayers my time of prayer would feel incomplete/insincere as each of these ‘items’ naturally would fit into any interaction between man and God. When we consider his holiness, greatness and love for us and the way we fail we can only but acknowledge our shortcomings, his majesty and dependency for forgiveness and practical help.
-
We need to rightly be reminded of who we are talking to and we will forget if we leave out Adoration. We need to always have humble heart and confession shows our need for Him. Thanksgiving shows our rightful stance of being created by God and all our life is dependent on Him, and Supplication shows we desire God to intervene in our life bc He is complete source of joy and answers to our problems.
-
If adoration was removed we would lose “worthship” of who God is. Our prayers and conversations with God would become shallow and meaningless to us. Our relationship with God would fade away.