ACTS

The study I'm in on "Becoming a Woman of Prayer" is using the acronym A-C-T-S as a way to guide/assist us in our prayer life.

My last post was about a rough day I had.  Now that things have settled and I've gotten some good rest, had a long holiday weekend with Matt home, I could probably handle a day like that much better than I did.  But on that day I didn't and those days will happen again. 

That day was a Monday and the lesson I'll mention came the next day, on Tuesday.  

The "A" in ACTS represents adoration.  Praising God for who He is, not what He has done.  Not to be confused with thanksgiving, adoration is altogether different.  We had homework to identify, through various scriptures, different attributes of God.  None of the words were new to me, but reading them in actual verses and praising God for those specific things was incredible to me. 

At times when I'm feeling too low to pray or so challenged that I don't even know what to pray for, simply dwelling on who God is, as promised in His word, is so refreshing to me.  When words to describe me are desperate, hopeless or weary, I can look to Him as my fortress, redeemer, powerful, compassionate, counselor who is accessible, generous, infinite, trustworthy and sufficient.  The words were seemingly endless as I read verse after verse. 

In the closing of class that day, words from the song "Praise the Lord" were given to us.  The few that spoke to me were:

"Praise the Lord,
For the chains that seem to bind you,
Serve only to remind you,
That they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him."

As soon as I read this I new the truth and power in it.  Had I handled my Monday with praises, not a desperate search of thinking of things to be thankful for or how it could be so much worse, but genuine adoration of the character of my creator and who He has promised to be, those chains would have dropped powerless behind me.  Who He is never changes and no circumstance will ever be so great that He is not worthy of being adored.  It's hard to stay in a bad place when dwelling on those specific attributes because anything that makes me recognize, with more intensity, my need for God is a blessing. 

The other letters in the acronym are
C-onfession
T-hanksgiving
S-upplication
which are all extremely relevant and important elements as well, but on some days, in some circumstances, when I don't know what else to say, the "A" will be a very wonderful thing.

The instructor mentioned today that if your prayer lacks power, check the elements. 

I really like this tool.