Ancient Spiritual Discipline #1

Think of a relationship where all the other person ever did was ask you for things.  Not so good.   And yet we also want people who love us to be able to ask us for things.   Too often prayer gets reduced to simply asking things of God.  Since praying is conversation with God, that conversation like one in any healthy relationship should be about more than asking.   One way to engage in full-orbed prayer is to step through four basic types of prayer:    The ancients called these four steps Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication (A.C.T.S).  But a easy acronym to remember is P.R.A.Y  for Praise, Repent, Ask, and Yield.    As you read through each description below, take some time to pray to God in that way.

Praise –

Praise God for who he is and his attributes.  Give God your Worship and Adoration. Take a moment to think of a few things you are truly grateful for… thank God for them by name.

Repent –

Confess to God the things you have done this week in thought, word or deed which were not right. Name them, repent of them, and lay each one down before God’s Mercy Seat.

Ask –

It is right to ask God for things – to ask him to help and heal you and other people.  Make your requests known to him as child asks their parent.

Yield –

Give your plans, your hopes, your future to God. Say  “Not my will be done, but Thy will be done.”

And then… 
Listen – just sit in silence for a while before the throne of God