How to Pray

What Is Prayer?

Prayer is not a technique, a spiritual performance, or a way to prove our faithfulness. Prayer is a gift, an invitation from a loving Father to His children to come near, speak honestly, and be heard. Through Jesus, we are not praying from a distance or trying to earn God’s attention. We pray because we have already been welcomed. Scripture tells us that we have received “the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). Prayer flows out of relationship.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He didn’t begin with formulas or rules, but with intimacy: “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). Prayer, at its core, is learning to live in that reality, to bring our praise, our sin, our sorrow, our gratitude, and our needs into the presence of a God who is near, attentive, and compassionate. Prayer is where children of God learn to trust Him with their whole hearts.

Jesus’ Prayer

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9)
→ Adoration | Jesus begins prayer by lifting our eyes to who God is holy, near, and worthy of worship.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
→ Adoration / Surrender | Prayer includes yielding our desires to God’s purposes, trusting His will above our own.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
→ Supplication | Jesus invites us to bring our daily needs to the Father in humble dependence.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
→ Confession | Jesus assumes ongoing confession, repentance, and forgiveness as part of a healthy Christian life — honest acknowledgment of sin and need for mercy.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)
→ Crying Out / Supplication | Prayer includes pleading for protection, help, and rescue, recognizing our weakness and need for God’s care.

A.C.T.S

A way to pray:

A – Adoration | Praising God for who He is—holy, loving, sovereign, and near.

C – Confession & Crying Out | Bringing both our sin and our sorrow honestly before God.

T – Thanksgiving | Remembering God’s grace, faithfulness, and provision.

S – Supplication & Surrender | Asking God boldly for help while entrusting outcomes to His wisdom and care.

You don’t need to move through these perfectly or evenly. Some seasons linger longer in lament; others overflow with gratitude. This rhythm simply helps us pray with God at the center.

Adoration

Prayer begins by lifting our eyes to who God is. Before we focus on our needs or struggles, we remember His character—His holiness, power, mercy, wisdom, and steadfast love. Adoration reorients our hearts, reminding us that God is not defined by our circumstances. “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29:2). When we adore God, we anchor our prayers in truth rather than fear.

Scripture: Psalm 103:1–5; Isaiah 6:1–3; Revelation 4:11

Confession + Crying Out

Here, we come to God with honesty. Confession names our sin, our misplaced loves, and the ways we have turned inward or away from God. Crying out gives voice to our pain, grief, confusion, and sorrow. God invites both. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). And He also welcomes our lament: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

This is not about hiding or fixing ourselves, it’s about bringing our whole selves into the light of God’s mercy.

Scripture: Psalm 51:1–12; Psalm 13; Psalm 62:8; 1 John 1:7–9

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving trains our hearts to remember grace. We give thanks not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. Gratitude helps us rehearse what is true: that God has acted, provided, sustained, forgiven, and loved us in Christ. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksgiving guards us against forgetfulness and fuels trust in seasons of uncertainty.

Scripture: Psalm 136:1–9; Colossians 3:15–17; Philippians 4:6

Supplication + Surrender

Supplication is the honest act of asking—bringing our needs, longings, fears, and desires before God without pretense. Jesus invites this kind of prayer, teaching us to ask for daily provision, help, and deliverance. Yet Christian prayer does not stop with asking; it moves toward surrender. We place our requests into the hands of a Father who is wise, attentive, and good, trusting Him not only with what we ask, but with how He answers. As children of God, we pray boldly and release the outcome, resting in the truth that His will is always shaped by love.

Scripture: Matthew 6:11, 13; Matthew 7:7–11; Luke 22:42; Hebrews 4:16

"The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love." — Corrie ten Boom