A Simple Strategy to Pray Next Week, beginning This Coming Sunday

Prayer is seldom easy, and sometimes we need guidance to get started. My goal in this article is to give you a simple strategy to pray next week, beginning this coming Sunday. You might pray this way individually, or you might invite your small group or entire congregation to join you in this approach.  

The entire process is built on the ACTS prayer paradigm, a paradigm I learned decades ago when I needed help focusing my praying. At the time, this process was revolutionary for me—and I return to it often when I just need to focus again. So, here is the plan:  

SUNDAY: 

Pray throughout the day the words of Jesus’s disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). You might remember from previous articles that Jesus’ followers probably had learned to pray, but they had learned ritual rather than relationship. Now, they wanted to learn from the Master prayer warrior whose prayer life was marked by relationship and results. Ask the Lord to teach you and your church to pray that way, too.  

MONDAY: 

Pray at least three times this day, praying through the ACTS outline: 

Adoration: Praise God for who He is. Focus on His attributes and His glory.  

Confession: Admit your sin, including both sins of commission (things you are doing you should not be doing) and sins of omission (things you should be doing that you are not doing). 

Thanksgiving: Express gratitude for all that God has done for you and has given you.  

Supplication: Spend time praying for others. 

Even though I’m challenging you to use the same outline three times on Monday, I suspect you’ll come up with new things to pray each time you stop for prayer that day. Just listen to the Lord, and pray.  

Then, for the rest of the week, focus on one of the particular emphases (A-C-T-S) each day: 

TUESDAY: Use the entire day to simply adore and praise God for who He is. From the moment you wake up to the moment you lie down, praise Him for His goodness, grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, power, glory, patience, magnificence, etc. God is so good and so great that you should not run out of reasons to praise Him!  

WEDNESDAY: 

Use the entire day to confess sin. Ask God to point out every ounce of sin in your life, and then confess it when He brings it to mind. Especially after spending the previous day seeing God and His glory, your sin will often become even more apparent. This day can be a really tough day (it always is for me), but the cleansing power of the gospel will be refreshing. By the end of the day, you will know that your heart is clean.  

THURSDAY: 

Use the entire day to thank God—beginning with gratitude that the Lord forgave you for all the sin you confessed yesterday! Consider all the other things you might be grateful for: e.g., waking up, having a warm bed, having food on the table, having a job, having a family, having dollars in your pocket, having an automobile, having freedom, etc. You could pray non-stop this day simply by remembering that everything we have is from God. 

FRIDAY: 

Use the entire day to pray for others; that is, do supplication. Pray for non-believers, the sick, the unemployed, missionaries, co-workers, your church staff, etc. Focus on others this day, and you can pray without ceasing—the needs are that great. In fact, here’s what happens to me: when I’ve spent the rest of the week getting my heart ready to pray (by honoring God, seeking His forgiveness, and expressing gratitude), I’m more ready than ever to intercede for others that day. My faith is stronger because of the earlier days in the week.  

SATURDAY: 

For this entire day, pray for God to do something mighty when your church gathers on Sunday. Throughout the day, let these words echo: "Please God, move in your church this weekend. Make Your name known. Change lives. Change me." You might even schedule times to pray this prayer in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening. You will be pumped to gather with the people of God on Sunday after you prayed throughout the previous week.  

Of course, I’m not suggesting that you don’t pray about other things each day. You will always want to be sensitive to needs around you, but having an intentional focus every day can guide you toward effective praying.  

So, I invite you to go ahead and add these prayer emphases to your calendar for next week. Set your notifications now so you get a reminder as soon as you awaken each day, and pray. Even as I write these words, I’m praying that at least one reader will take this strategy to heart, pray accordingly next week, and see God move in mighty ways!