Here I Am Again, Lord: A Framework for Conversation with God

Why do we pray? Is it to keep lines of communication between us and the Creator of the universe open? Is it to acknowledge Him, praise Him, or worship Him? Or is it just to ask Him for forgiveness and to show Him our humility? Perhaps it's just to take a few minutes to thank Him for the blessings He has given us throughout our lives. Or maybe it's just to ask Him for more blessings for my family and my friends. Or perhaps to ask for protection for my church, His church, and my country, His country. Or to pray for the safety of Israel, His children. Save yourself some time, folks. Please answer “yes” to the above questions.

Prayer is the foundational way believers communicate with their God. It's a divine dialogue that embodies the who, the what, and the why that we are. It's a heavenly conversation to clarify earthly petitions, if only to ourselves, that extend from the highest praise to the most humble request. Often, it is only in our desperation that we remember to seek God. When we've reached the end of our strength and exhausted every human solution, we remember His power. In that place of surrender, the heart cries out, 'What else can I do? I have nothing left to lose.' And even then, He is listening.

A.C.T.S.: Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication is the time-honored model for structuring our prayers to our heavenly Father. This is a framework for our conversation with God. It ensures that our prayers are balanced, moving beyond simple requests to build a deeper, more meaningful relationship with our Creator.

Adoration: Praising God for Who He Is

Here is the starting point of our prayer, where we focus not on our needs, but on God's nature. Adoration is the act of worshiping God for His holiness, sovereignty, goodness, mercy, and love. It is all about honoring God simply because he is God.

Psalm 95:6: "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" This verse calls us to a physical and spiritual posture of reverence and awe, recognizing God as our Creator.

Revelation 4:11: "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created." This is a pure declaration of God's worthiness, acknowledging His power as the Creator of all that exists.

Confession: Aligning Our Hearts with God's Purity

When we begin to observe the scope of God's holiness, we naturally become aware of our own sinfulness. This has nothing to do with the heavy yoke of guilt that man-made religion can place upon us. Nor is it an exercise of institutional power over faithful hearts who are simply seeking answers. It's about agreeing with God about our sin, which opens the door to His forgiveness and cleansing. To restore our fellowship with God and maintain a clear conscience before Him, we must acknowledge our sins, repent, and accept His offer of forgiveness.

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This is a promise that our honest confession will always be met with God's faithful forgiveness and absolution. Here is our purest form of freedom!

Psalm 51:1-2: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" David's prayer after his sin with Bathsheba is a model of heartfelt confession, appealing to God's mercy for cleansing and forgiveness.

Thanksgiving: Acknowledging God for What He Has Done

Gratitude shifts our focus from our failures to God's faithfulness. It's a mental tabulation that helps us count our blessings. It must be a joyful expression of thanksgiving for God's blessings, both big and small, spiritual and material. It encourages the heart of gratitude and reminds us of God's constant provision in our lives. When we express our Thanksgiving, we recognize God's goodness, combat discontentment, and foster a spirit of joy and dependence on him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This command shows that thanksgiving is not dependent on our circumstances but is a constant act of faith and a core part of God's will for us.

Psalm 100:4: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" Thanksgiving is presented as the very key that grants us access to God's presence.

Supplication: Making Our Requests Known to God

Finally, once we have honored, confessed, and given thanks, we are in the correct posture to present our needs and the needs of others to our Father. Our appeals may include both personal requests and intercession on behalf of others. It is the most sincere act of trust, as we demonstrate our dependence on God as the source of all things.

We need to establish the where and the when for our prayers. Here, we present our needs, worries, and desires to God, both for ourselves and for others. Now is the time when we invite God's power into our circumstances and express our total reliance on Him to provide, guide, and protect.

Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." This verse directly connects the antidote for anxiety with making specific requests to God, framed by a heart of gratitude.

Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." This is Jesus' open invitation for us to be persistent and bold in bringing our needs to the Father, trusting that He hears and will respond to them.

So here I am again, Lord. I consider my prayer time the highest honor to be able to approach Your throne room and pour out my heart to You as David did. You have told me Who You are, and because I believe in your son, Jesus, I know who I am and what I need to do. Abba, I want to promise You we'll talk more often. I won't wait until I need something to call on You. I want to be just as quick to say 'hello,' 'thank you,' or 'I love you' as I am to say 'help.' Let's talk again soon, Dad.

Amen.