devoted to prayer

Devoted to PrayerDevoted to Prayer

As Christians we are called to As Christians we are called to be a people who be a people who

““Devote yourselves to prayer”Devote yourselves to prayer”Colossians 4:2Colossians 4:2

Devoted to PrayerDevoted to Prayer

The call to be devoted to prayer The call to be devoted to prayer

is is a responsea response to to

the love God has for us.the love God has for us.

Prayer is about Prayer is about

a relationship with God.a relationship with God.

Prayer & Relationship - ACTSSPrayer & Relationship - ACTSS

Most of us would like a Most of us would like a stronger relationship with God.stronger relationship with God.

Communication helps our Communication helps our relationships to thrive & grow.relationships to thrive & grow.

Prayer, in response to God’s love, Prayer, in response to God’s love, helps our relationship to Him helps our relationship to Him

thrive and grow.thrive and grow.


The ACTSS modelThe ACTSS model

A - AdorationA - Adoration

C - ConfessionC - Confession

T - ThanksgivingT - Thanksgiving

S - SupplicationS - Supplication

S - SurrenderS - Surrender

ACTSS - AdorationACTSS - Adoration

By beginning with AdorationBy beginning with Adoration

You focus on GodYou focus on God

You focus on your relationship You focus on your relationship with Him.with Him.


Adoration focuses onAdoration focuses on

““Who God is” Who God is”

not not

““What God gives.”What God gives.”


In our In our prayers of adorationprayers of adoration

we tell God we tell God

that we love him for who he is.that we love him for who he is.

In our In our prayers of thanksgivingprayers of thanksgiving we thank God for what he gives.we thank God for what he gives.

ACTSS - ThanksgivingACTSS - Thanksgiving

Prayers of thanksgivingPrayers of thanksgiving

affirm that our prayers never begin affirm that our prayers never begin the conversation with God.the conversation with God.

Prayers of thanksgiving =Prayers of thanksgiving =

Our response to what God has Our response to what God has already donealready done


Just as prayers of adoration help Just as prayers of adoration help refocus our lives,refocus our lives,

So prayers of thanksgiving help give So prayers of thanksgiving help give us peace.us peace.


6Do not be anxious about anything, 6Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God. present your requests to God.

7And the peace of God, which transcends 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts all understanding, will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus. and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:6-7Phil 4:6-7


The ACTSS modelThe ACTSS model

A - AdorationA - Adoration

C - ConfessionC - Confession

T - ThanksgivingT - Thanksgiving

S - SupplicationS - Supplication

S - SurrenderS - Surrender

ACTSS - ConfessionACTSS - Confession

Scripture ReadingScripture Reading

Psalm 51Psalm 51


What does What does “Sorry”“Sorry”

look like?look like?


Hiding is a part of sinning.Hiding is a part of sinning.

Hiding from God.Hiding from God.

Hiding from others.Hiding from others.

Hiding from self.Hiding from self.


Adam and Eve hid from God.Adam and Eve hid from God.

““Then the man and his wife heard the Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking sound of the LORD God as he was walking

in the garden in the cool of the day, and in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the they hid from the LORD God among the

trees of the garden.” Gen.3:8trees of the garden.” Gen.3:8


David and Bathsheba David and Bathsheba

hid their sin from God, others and hid their sin from God, others and probably themselves.probably themselves.

Talk about cover upsTalk about cover ups

““Bathsheba-gate”Bathsheba-gate”


Ananias and Saphira Ananias and Saphira

in the early church in the early church

tried to hide their sin tried to hide their sin

from the church and God.from the church and God.


You and I You and I try to hide our sin from God, try to hide our sin from God,

others and ourselves.others and ourselves.

““Nothing in all creation is hidden from Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom laid bare before the eyes of him to whom

we must give account.” Heb.4:13we must give account.” Heb.4:13


God in His Love hates the break God in His Love hates the break that sin and its cover-up does to that sin and its cover-up does to

our relationship with Him.our relationship with Him.

So he comes looking for us.So he comes looking for us.

He comes to remove the covers.He comes to remove the covers.


In the Garden, calling out to a In the Garden, calling out to a hiding Adam, hiding Adam,

““But the LORD God called to the man, But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" Gen. 1:9"Where are you?" Gen. 1:9

To a king busy covering up his sin To a king busy covering up his sin God sends a prophet, NathanGod sends a prophet, Nathan


When David confessed his sin he When David confessed his sin he realized that Sin was getting in the realized that Sin was getting in the way of his relationship with God:way of his relationship with God:

11 Do not cast me from your presence 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain

me. me. Psalm 51:11-12Psalm 51:11-12


God loves us too much to let God loves us too much to let anything get in the way of his love anything get in the way of his love

relationship with us.relationship with us.

In His love, God invites us to In His love, God invites us to confess our sins to him.confess our sins to him.


David begins his psalm of David begins his psalm of confession focusing on God’s Love:confession focusing on God’s Love:

““Have mercy on me, O God, Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” blot out my transgressions.”

Psalm 51:1Psalm 51:1


How do we confess our sins?How do we confess our sins?

1.1. Own your own sin and Own your own sin and its consequences.its consequences.

““blot out blot out mymy transgressions. transgressions. Wash away all Wash away all mymy iniquity iniquity and cleanse and cleanse meme from from mymy sin. Ps. 51:1b-2 sin. Ps. 51:1b-2



2.2. Name your sin.Name your sin.

- Be specific- Be specific


How do we confess our sins?How do we confess our sins?If you can’t think of anything . . .If you can’t think of anything . . .

3.3. Ask God to pull back the coversAsk God to pull back the covers - Be willing to be exposed- Be willing to be exposed

““The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” O God, you will not despise.”

Psalm 51:17Psalm 51:17



4.4. Ask for God’s help to turn from Ask for God’s help to turn from that sin.that sin.

” ”Create in me a pure heart, O God, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

- Psalm 51:10- Psalm 51:10


God loves you too much to let you God loves you too much to let you remain estranged from him remain estranged from him

because of your sin.because of your sin.He wants to pull the covers off of He wants to pull the covers off of

you you so that you may experience his so that you may experience his

loving forgiveness.loving forgiveness.


You have a choice:You have a choice:

Keep the covers over you and Keep the covers over you and your sin,your sin,

Or in confession allow God to pull Or in confession allow God to pull the covers off of you so you may the covers off of you so you may

experience his tender touch.experience his tender touch.

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