Psalm 100:4-5, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy iseverlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” 

Prayer is far more than asking God for what we want or need. Prayer is the way we open our soul for Him to see and hear our heartfelt adoration and gratitude. And, as you no doubt have found, He takes the opportunity to commune with us as well. There have been many times that I have gone to prayer only for Him to remind me of Scripture, His character, and His will. In fact, when I go to Him in prayer with undealt-with sin in my life, He always wants to deal with that before I can go on. Any satisfying relationship needs communication: honest, open, and two-way. Can you think of a relationship that is growing where there is no communication, or worse yet, the only time you talk is when you are asking for something for yourself?  

Sadly, many Christians have made prayer a toll-free request line to God. Although it is true that often we “have not, because [we] ask not” (James 4:2), we are more prone to “worship not because we ask a lot.”  

When all we do is ask, we stifle our relationship with God. Even self-sufficient secularists turn to God in prayer when they want or need something badly enough. Does that make them friends of God? Of course not.  

So just what is it that makes a Christian’s prayer unique and effective? There is a simple acronym you can use as a reminder: ACTS. It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Notice that asking comes last.  

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we should be afraid to approach God with our requests. D.L. Moody said it well: “Spread out your petition before God and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done…’”  

It is easier to ask in the context of His will when we have spent time telling Him how grateful we are for the goodness of His character and the pleasure of His loving grace. Pray through the ACTS plan. Make it a habit. 

Today’s devotion is adapted from Strength for the Journey: Day By Day With Jesus written by Joseph M. Stowell and published by Moody Publishers.