Every Catholic has his/her own method of praying. Usually this is due to what other Catholics, such as their parents, taught them to praise God. If you are keen to try, there is such an easy and original way you can praise the Lord and pray everyday: the world-famous ACTS Prayer Method, acronym for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication, the four main steps of prayer. Praying through it is a wonderful habit to give thanks to our Creator and ask Him for His intercession when in difficult times.
How do you usually pray during the day?
Let’s discover the famous A.C.T.S. Method and its 4 Steps of Prayer.
Give this method a try!
1. Adoration
Praise is the first step to take in prayer: God is gracious, is an all-powerful and all-loving character, our Creator, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our Healer, Redeemer, Judge, Defender and much more. Adoring Him takes our eyes off ourselves and reminds us about the only One we can really trust.
“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable”.
Isaiah 40:28
God demands and desires our praise that may help us to have the right relationship with Him. By praising, God also gives us assurances of additional blessings and loving protection, as we are His children. Our praise can also serve as a powerful witness to those who do not believe in God, as Saint Peter wrote in His Gospel.
While praising, always remember to focus on God and who He is for you.
2. Confession
After praising, the second step to follow is to admit our wrongdoings, such as gossip, acting hateful towards someone or struggling with pride, for instance. Confession means to agree with God that something is sin in our life. With Confession, we open our heart to God, who lets His light shine in and permits us to clear the way for the forgiveness of Christ. God wants us to repent about our sins, to change our mind and to turn instead to follow Him.
As Saint Paul the Apostle wrote:
“Repent, then, and turn to God,
so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
and that he may send the Christ,
who has been appointed for you - even Jesus”.
Acts 3:19-20
In this phase, name your sins and everything that is not right with God or men. After that, go for the next step: thank the Lord.
3. Thanksgiving
This third step is very important for the faithful: thank God for specific things He did for you, such as the forgiveness of your sins, and ask to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Show Him your gratitude for every big and little thing He did. Thanking God helps us notice all the ways He is taking care of us and brings peace to our anxious thoughts. Thanksgiving gives us hope that God’s help will continue over and over again. The Holy Bible repeatedly stresses the importance of giving thanks, like in these two verses:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
1 Thess 5:18
“Thank the Lord for all the glorious things he does; proclaim them to the nation”.
Psalms 105:1
4. Supplication
This last step consists in asking God to meet our needs and desires. Now that our spirits are prepared, we can start asking Him to intercede for us, without holding back. Intercession involves taking hold of God’s will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass.
Especially if you are going through a spiritual battle against Satan, just take comfort knowing that you are not alone, since Jesus and God intercede on your behalf.
What do you want God to do in your life? Just go for it and ask!
Do you need a blessed rosary to praise the Lord, admit your sins, thank Him for His help and ask Him to intercede for you?
A Holy rosary is such a powerful tool that could help you to go through these four steps of prayer, with no distractions.
What about this intense blue beads rosary made of sterling silver and lapis lazuli?
Would you prefer other options?
By clicking on the link below, you can find plenty of rosary beads, for all tastes and materials.
Remember to ask for the Blessing from Pope Francis!
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