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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?)
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Each part feeds the next.
Adoration- He is Holy- incomparable and irreplacible, unmatched and utterly necessary
Confession- all I do all day every day is compare and replace him- i do not operate as designed
Thanks- praising Jesus for living the life I could not live and dying the death I could not die
Supplication- Holy Spirit change in me what I cannot change. -
It wouldn’t be the actions or words from our Father in Heaven Prayers would fall on deaf ears.
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The same way that I, an earthly father, enjoy hearing my grown children tell me he/she loves me, I can only guess how much our heavenly Father must enjoy hearing that as well.
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If Adoration were removed from my devotion/prayers, then who am I addressing or calling upon. If I do not adore or reverence the one I am praying to then my prayers are just a list of begging for things that I am not sure will happen.
If Confession were removed from my devotion/prayers, I believe God will not hear or answer my prayer. Because He God is holy and cannot look upon sin, and sin would be between us.
If Thanksgiving were removed from my devotion/prayers, I would be ungrateful to come and ask for more. When I did not acknowledge what was already given or done.
If Supplication were removed from my devotion/prayers, then there is no reason to ask for anything. -
Let me start by saying everyone has their own way of praying and in a time of real trouble you might forget adoration or another point without meaning to. However in Devotions leaving one out negates the whole point of telling God how much you love and appreciate Him and know that He is the One in whom you trust. We’re really good at Supplication. But speaking for myself, those other three need more attention!
