The
Components of our Prayer
'The
Lord said:
I heard your prayer and what you asked me to do'
(1 Kings 9:3)
If we are going to be creative in our prayer time then
I do not feel that there should be too many hard and
fast rules about the format and content. We are all
individuals with our own thoughts about style and content,
and this 'individuality ' can bring a freshness and
vitality into a time spent talking and listening to
God.
A structured prayer time is a more familiar in some
denominations than others, who perhaps prefer extemporary
prayer or an element of congregational participation
by way of a time of 'open prayer'. Both are equally
valid.
However, within the context of our collective worship
there are certain elements that it would seem right
to include, in order that our prayers are not seen to
be too narrow in their aspirations.
These can be represented by the acronym A.C.T.S.
(i) ADORATION: Our prayer of adoration is one that is
centred entirely on God. It is our expression of praise
for all that God is - His holiness, majesty, love and
greatness.
It's that mountaintop experience of being in the presence
of the Creator of all that you see around you, or sitting
through a truly wonderful performance of a sacred work
which has transported your soul to another plain. Perhaps
you see what I'm trying to explain?
Adoration comes from the heart, from our emotions; it's
an expression of our inmost feelings.
(ii) CONFESSION: An awareness of God's presence within
our worship naturally leads on to a feeling of our own
unworthiness. In confession we acknowledge what we are
and ask for forgiveness.
If these prayers are part of an act of public worship
then it is appropriate to express the Christian conviction
that we all share in the sin of humankind.
Any prayer of confession should properly express our
belief that God offers the promise of forgiveness.
(iii) THANKSGIVING: Often lost within the package of
prayer offered within worship is thanksgiving. It gets
confused with adoration or simply ignored as prayers
focus on intercession.
It is only right and proper that we should thank God
for all that he has done. For the beauty of this world
which he created, for the birth, life, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, the promise of the Holy Spirit, his
continuing creativity in the world today and for the
Church - his body here on earth.
(iv) SILENCE: Silence is important, in that it allows
us time to digest all that has been said through prayer.
It gives us precious time within worship to let our
hearts talk and our mouths stay silent.
As David Adam says 'It is not an empty time but a God-filled
time when we open ourselves up to him.
A time of silence enables those worshipping to 'own'
the prayers and make them their own. It also allows
for active participation for those who would not feel
able to contribute vocally.
Within the context of an act of worship there is often
time set aside for intercessory prayer, and this naturally
arises as a response to the hearing of God's word.
When we pray for others, we are adding our pleas to
Christ's perfect prayer for the whole world.
'Christ Jesus…is at the right hand of God and is
also interceding for us'
See also:
Introduction to prayer
Worship in the early Church
Prayer in the early Church
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