Village Bible Church || Sugar Grove, IL

doration of God: Adoration involves focusing on Who God is and what He means in our lives. It is contemplating the glorious nature of God and pouring out praise to the Heavenly Father for Who He is in Himself. Focusing on God helps us have the right perspective on God as we begin our time of prayer. It raises our prayer life above ourselves and causes us to look toward God. When we take time to praise and worship God in our prayers, we are placing God where He rightfully belongs. As a result, our problems and needs come into their proper perspective. Adoration is distinct from thanksgiving. Adoration is giving God glory for who He is, while thanksgiving is thanking God for what He has done for us.

onfession to God: Practically speaking, it is good for us to deal with our sins before we move on in prayer (Ps. 66:18). As believers, we must realize that we are already forgiven for our sins. God did that when we received Jesus as our Savior. Yet confession of sin (that is, constant agreement with God about our sins) is encouraged in the Lord's Prayer and in other places in scripture, so that our fellowship with God will not be hindered. Unwillingness to confess our known sins places a barrier between us and God. Spend time asking Christ to search your heart for areas that displease Him (Ps. 139:23-24). Allow God to cleanse your heart of any unconfessed sins (Ps. 51:10-13). Confess and repent of specific sins (1 John 1:9). Accept His forgiveness and cleansing (Jer. 31:34).

hanksging for what God has done: Our immediate response after confession ought to be thanksgiving. We should be thankful that God would indeed cleanse and forgive us. Should we give thanks because everything is going perfectly in our lives, or because we are in a good mood? No, we should give thanks because God deserves our praise. Psalm 118:1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." In thanksgiving we express gratitude toward God, generally in response to His concrete acts. Thanksgiving allows us to declare our understanding of what is good. It is rejoicing in what God has declared to be good and is important because it establishes our relationship to the Source (James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above..."). Note also the words of I Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." In tough times, giving thanks is not always easy. But we are commanded to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. We can do this if we know that in our time of trouble, "God works all things together for good..." (Rom. 8:28).

seeking / supplication: If we are faithful in the first three steps, the last step will not degenerate into a spiritual shopping list. Too often in prayer, we cut to the chase instead of first spending time in adoration, confession and thanksgiving. Yet God does want to hear our needs and requests. Scripture tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). We are also promised, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). This element of prayer brings our needs (petition) and the needs of others (intercession) before God. Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us to approach the throne of God with boldness or confidence. God wants to hear about our needs, and He wants to answer our requests. In Scripture we are clearly told to ask (Matt. 7:7), and we are told that we sometimes don't have God's help because we don't ask. This aspect of prayer is designed to help bring our lives into harmony with God's will. We don't just ask for whatever we want, however. We seek to put our lives in line with God's will, while at the same time bringing to Him our most personal feelings and needs. Jesus brings out both of these aspects of prayer in the Lord's Prayer, as He says "Your will be done," as well as "Give us...our daily bread." In these two phrases, He deals with our personal needs, as well as God's overall will. Our church prayer request lists focus on a multitude of physical needs. But although God is concerned about our physical health, he is also concerned about our spiritual health. We are to come before God on behalf of others (Heb. 10:19-25; Rev. 1:4-6). Spend time praying for specific people, events, states, countries, missionaries, etc. (Acts 12:5; Rom. 10:1). In addition, spend time praying for your own personal needs (Matt. 6:11-13).

Five Finger Supplication Prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, other government officials, leaders in business and industry and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need our prayers day and night. We cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger, the smallest finger of all - which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinky should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective, and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.