ACTS: A Way to Pray

Wednesday, January 12

Psalm 33: 1-9

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Adoration:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are amazing in your creation and steadfast with your love! It’s incredible to think that you made the heavens with the “breath of your mouth,” and that you can “gather the waters of the sea as a heap.” When I think on these things alone, I am awed by you!

Confession:

However, there are times when I just plain forget how powerful AND how loving you are! Forgive me for belittling your mighty strength and your pure emotions. I realize that when my view of you shrinks, my faith also begins to dwindle. I confess that my thoughts run wild with my own perceptions of life-circumstances and therefore, my emotions do as well.

Thanksgiving:

Thank you for pursuing me anyway! Thank you that my mess is not too difficult for you! Thank you for realigning me with your words of truth. “All your work is done in faithfulness.” What a hope-filled thought! I will sing of it all day long… yes, “Great is your faithfulness!”

Supplication:

Today as I choose to focus on you, I ask you to grow my faith in you. Here is one of my fervent personal pleas for 2022 concerning the loved ones in my life: “wake up, rise up, light up, fire up.” Make their faith active, not passive. I want them to have your "greater things" rather than the world's lesser ones! By “the breath of your mouth,” please speak life into them, and into me. My heart’s desire is that each one of us would “stand in awe” of both your almighty power as well as your steadfast love.

I pray all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Use these verses and ACTS to write your own personal prayer in your journal.