Praying with Purpose

There are many reasons as to the purpose of prayer. But we will focus on a few reasons. I found through my study that the main purpose of prayer is:

Adoration Confession
Thanksgiving

Supplication

This is considered the A.C.T.S. prayer model. If you look back at the lesson Back to Basics where we analyzed the Lords Prayer, and how it is a model prayer, it contains these areas of focus. Lets expound on these areas briefly. ADORATION We are to express adoration to God as he is certainly worthy of our praise and our adoration. While we can praise God in song, we can also praise God in Prayer. 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. CONFESSION By confessing our sins we find mercy and we enjoy the cleansing of our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus shedding his blood on the cross. Psalms 51:1-11 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

THANKSGIVING We cannot discount the importance of Thanksgiving in our prayers. Especially if we expect God to answer us as we make requests for future blessings. And being thankful is emphasized repeatedly in exhortations to pray. And the antidote to anxiety is to pray for everything, with thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; SUPPLICATION By making supplication we are encouraged to let our requests be known to God. And we are commanded to make supplications for all men. Ephesians 6:18 Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. But one major reason to pray is that it develops a two-way conversation with God - the Creator of the universe. Prayer is the strongest link between man and God it is our lifeline. It is important to know that you have access to come into Gods presence at any time because of your faith in Jesus Christ. You have a relationship with Him, but not necessarily a meaningful fellowship with Him. There is a difference between relationship and fellowship. Relationship with God is positional. By believing and confessing to God and others who Christ is, his death and resurrection, brings you into eternal salvation. You have been passed from death unto life. You have positional relationship as a believer. When you become a believer your position to God is your relationship to Him. You are going to heaven after you leave this earth. However, it is important that you go to God to build that relationship into a meaningful fellowship. Fellowship, on the other hand, is the fulfillment of a meaningful relationship with God - it is experiential. You must experience fellowship with the Lord to have your relationship meaningful and grow in your faith. If you desire, as you should, a successful walk with God, you must learn to cultivate your prayer life so you can experience fellowship with the Lord. Fellowship with the Lord is not taught. It is something that has been birthed in your heart as meaningful and essential to your Christian life. As you go deeper into this 21 day consecration period your prayer life will deepen into fellowship, and that fellowship you have with the Lord will then overflow out to others. So, if you are going to develop a loving relationship with others, you must first develop a solid, loving fellowship with the Lord. And once you have established this relationship and fellowship with your Heavenly Father your life becomes focused, Gods will and provisions for your life are revealed and you began to walk and live in your PURPOSE!