“I believe the greatest form of prayer is praise.” Billy Graham
Do you struggle with prayer? ACTS is the format I use to pray the portion of Scripture after I have been marinating in all week using the Selah Bible study. The acronym ACTS stands for A=Adoration, C=Confession, T=Thanksgiving, and S=Supplication.
Let’s start with the definition of A=Adoration.
[ad-uh-rey-shuh n]noun
- the act of paying honor as to a divine being; worship.
- reverent homage.
- fervent and devoted love.
By using the meditating method of Selah, I can increase my vocabulary to adore (worship and honor) God! Let’s examine Psalm 119:1-8 and allow me to show you what I have learned about God so we can speak back to Him who He is in prayer and cement these truths in our soulw.
Psalm 119 is all about the multi-faceted beauty of God’s Word and the benefits for those who keep it. Notice the colors? To make it easier for you to see I have put the synonyms for God’s Word in blue, the action words are in red and finally, the benefits we reap from keeping God’s Word in green.
Read Psalm 119:1-9.
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Can you see how spending this time with God daily in His Word might help you find a larger vocabulary to praise Him? How it might help you give praise, homage, honor, and revere God even more?
Here is what I discovered about God:
- He has commandments.
- God laid down these precepts to be fully obeyed.
- He is able to bless or forsake.
- He is righteous therefore His law is righteous.
Here is why I adore Him:
Adoration
I praise you, Lord- all Your ways are holy and righteous! You have laid down clear standards for me to obey fully. They are upright! You are Holy and make statutes for me to follow that are right. You are Adonai, ruler of all. You are the Creator and set up the standards by which to live. Because You are the Just One, I shall not be put to shame. As I learn more and more about You in your Word, I want to praise you even more.
I hope you can see how this pattern of praying through the scripture might help you pray as well! But, if you have questions about Selah – email me here. If you are curious about the twenty-two-week Selah Bible study on Psalm 119 for you as an individual, small Bible study or Women’s Ministry at church, go here! The next step in ACTS is Confession.