1. Devoted to Prayer As Christians we are called to be a people who “Devote yourselves to prayer” Colossians 4:2

2. Devoted to Prayer The call to be devoted to prayer is a response to the love God has for us. Prayer is about a relationship with God.

3. Prayer & Relationship - ACTSS The ACTSS model A - Adoration C - Confession T - Thanksgiving S - Supplication S - Surrender

4. ACTSS - Adoration By beginning with Adoration You focus on God You focus on your relationship with Him.

5. ACTSS - Adoration In our prayers of adoration we tell God that we love him for who he is. In our prayers of thanksgiving we thank God for what he gives.

6. ACTSS - Confession Hiding is a part of sinning. Hiding from God. Hiding from others. Hiding from self.

7. ACTSS - Confession God loves you too much to let you remain estranged from him because of your sin. He wants to pull the covers off of you so that you may experience his loving forgiveness.

8. ACTSS - Thanksgiving Prayers of thanksgiving affirm that our prayers never begin the conversation with God. Prayers of thanksgiving = Our response to what God has already done

9. Prayer & Relationship - ACTSS The ACTSS model A - Adoration C - Confession T - Thanksgiving S - Supplication S - Surrender

10. ACTSS - Supplication Scripture Reading Exodus 17:8-13 Colossians 4:2-6

11. ACTSS - Supplication Why Pray? What difference will your prayers make?

12. ACTSS - Supplication 1. Jesus taught us to pray. 2. We are commended to pray. 3. God chooses to listen and work through our prayers. work through our prayers.

13. ACTSS - Supplication Amazing truth: God worked through the prayers of Moses. God works through the prayers of his people.

14. ACTSS - Supplication Supplication = “a humble appeal to somebody who has the power who has the power to grant a request”

15. ACTSS - Supplication God is able. God is willing.

16. ACTSS - Supplication Intercession= “the action of pleading on somebody’s behalf”

17. ACTSS - Supplication Areas of Supplication 1. Personal Needs [our daily bread] 2. Family and Friends 3. Church Family 4. Church’s Ministry/Spread of Gospel 5. Country and Leaders 6. World and its Needs

18. ACTSS - Supplication As Christians we are called to be prophets, priests and kings: Priests Mediators between People and God Intercessors

19. ACTSS - Supplication We are partners with God in his work in this world. One way in which we fulfill this partnership is through prayer.

20. ACTSS - Supplication We join with churches around the world to pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted.

21. ACTSS - Supplication Litany of Prayers for the Persecuted Church Jay Blankespoor

22. ACTSS - Supplication One: Our Lord Jesus, in describing to his followers the work ahead of them, proclaims: "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.... You will be betrayed even by parents, siblings, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All people will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." (Luke 21:12-14)

23. ACTSS - Supplication All: Give us the strength, Lord, to endure persecution for your name. Help us and all believers to stand firm in our faith. to stand firm in our faith.

24. ACTSS - Supplication One: “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them." (Hebrews 11:36-38)

25. ACTSS - Supplication All: Thank-you for the faithful witness of those who have gone before us and gave their lives to share your hope with a dying world. May we learn from their example.

26. ACTSS - Supplication One: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38).

27. ACTSS - Supplication All: Give us courage, Lord, that we may speak forth light in this dark world. Forgive our weakness and our fear, transform our wavering into a certain proclamation of your salvation and justice.

28. ACTSS - Supplication One: In speaking of the body of Christ, Paul reminds us that "if one part suffers, every part suffers with it...” (I Corinthians 12:26). And elsewhere we are instructed, "Remember those in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3). ( Silence. Pray for those places in the world where you know religious persecution is taking place.) All: Forgive us when we forget.

29. ACTSS - Supplication One: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12).

30. ACTSS - Supplication All: For all those who suffer for their faith -who face persecution, torment, imprisonment, separation from their families, violence, and hatred- we cry to you, Lord God. Have mercy on them.

31. ACTSS - Supplication One: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Romans 12:14). bless and do not curse." (Romans 12:14). All: We pray for those who persecute. Open their eyes and heal their lives; turn them toward peace.

32. ACTSS - Supplication One: In the midst of a desolate world, our Lord gives us this vision of a future reality: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" (Revelation 21:3-4).

33. ACTSS - Supplication All: Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly; bring your healing to this earth.

34. ACTSS - Supplication Together: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?.... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

35. ACTSS - Supplication Together: For I am convinced that. neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen. (Romans 8:35-38). (Romans 8:35-38). Copyright © 2006, Christian Reformed Church in North America. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006, Christian Reformed Church in North America. All rights reserved.