The Discipline of Personal Prayer
By Scott Jones
It has been said: “If you want to change the world, draw a circle around yourself and start with everything inside the circle.”[i] We agree with this, so if Christians wish to change the direction of our nation, we should begin by examining ourselves. This process begins with prayer. For it is through prayer that we subordinate ourselves to the Father’s will and align ourselves with His divine purposes.
There has been much written on the subject of prayer. Many pastors and scholars have suggested various forms, but most agree that prayer contains certain elements: praise, thanksgiving, confession, and petitions for ourselves and for others.
A format that has worked for me is defined by the acronym ACTS:
Adoration (praise)
Confession'
Thanksgiving
Supplication (petitions)
Nevertheless, I leave it to the individual to devise a personal format and to decide where to place emphasis. Indeed, this will vary as life’s circumstances change. My experience is that when a person begins by focusing on praise, confession and thanksgiving, it helps the person to align his or her heart toward God and to petition Him effectively. The discipline of prayer is not mere repetition of words but experiencing the presence of God by focusing on Him.
Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles are rich sources of verses of praise and adoration. What better way to begin than by praying scripture back to God? In confession we acknowledge that we are fallen and have grieved the Spirit and harmed others. Furthermore, we have no righteousness of our own, but are solely dependent on the finished work of Jesus. We thank God for our spiritual and material blessings. He has redeemed us from our sins – what greater gift is there than that? Thus, we thank Him for our justification through Jesus Christ and the ongoing sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit. He provides for our physical well-being in every way, so we should also thank Him for our daily food, shelter, and other physical needs. We also thank Him for our justification through Jesus Christ and the ongoing sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Supplication or petitions is asking God for specific things for ourselves and for others. This is where we can ask God to help us deal with a difficult decision, or to provide healing and comfort for a loved one who is ill. Scripture commands us to pray for our elders, pastors, and church leaders, that they may be able to shepherd the flock according to the will of God. We are also told to pray for our nation, asking God to provide leaders that will govern in a way that will allow us to lead peaceable lives.
In addition, there are three character attributes that I believe we should include in our personal prayers before engaging the civil society:
Humility
Wisdom
Courage
There are many examples in the Bible of leaders seeking humility, wisdom, and courage from God so that they may lead according to His will. If we are to influence the civil society and our government, we must have the humility to subordinate our agenda to God’s, the wisdom to know His agenda, and the courage to act boldly, even in the face of opposition. We do not want to engage the culture, the civil society, or the government relying on our own strength. For, there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.[ii]
So, Christian, Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.[iii]
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation"
[i] Todd Wagner, Senior Pastor, Watermark Community Church.
[ii] Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25
[iii] 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18