Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Matthew 6:9
As followers of Christ, we often talk about prayer. We understand that if we want to grow in our relationships with God, we have to be people deeply committed to prayer. I know that most of us here today want to grow in our prayer lives and become deeply committed to prayer. The question is, “How do we grow in our prayer lives?” We learned during the weekend message that a helpful guide to prayer is the acronym A.C.T.S. that we can use to help us know what and how to pray. A.C.T.S stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. This acronym can help us when we need guidance, and much of this teaching comes straight from Jesus’ model prayer in Scripture.
Jesus taught a listening crowd how to pray in one of His most famous sermons found in Matthew 6. Before teaching them how to pray, He explained, “Your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him” (verse 8). When we pray, we must remember we are coming before our Heavenly Father, who knows our needs. Then he taught them a simple prayer. He taught them to begin their prayer with adoration, saying, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy” (verse 9). Before we say anything else to God, it is important to remember Whom we are praying to: our all-powerful, holy God. This understanding will set the tone for the rest of our prayer. Jesus also taught that when we pray, we are to confess any sin. saying, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one” (verses 12-13). Each one of us has given in to sin, and when we pray, we are invited and instructed to confess that sin to God, who is eager to forgive us when we come to Him and confess our sins. Jesus also taught the listening crowd that day that they were invited to ask God for what they needed. He told them to pray, “Give us today the food we need” (verse 12). What a loving God that we serve that we get to come before Him with our needs, big and small. He cares about our needs and concerns and wants us to bring those concerns to Him.
Now, the last part of the A.C.T.S. acronym, thanksgiving, is not specifically listed in this model prayer from Jesus, but we know that showing our thanksgiving and gratitude to God is, indeed, Biblical. In fact, all throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to show thanksgiving and gratitude to God. One of the places we read about this call to show gratitude to God in Scripture is in 1st Thessalonians 5, where the apostle Paul said, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ” (verse 18). We human beings can be easily forgetful, so this is an important reminder for each one of us to show gratitude and thanksgiving for all He has done in our lives. After all, He has done so much for us!
We have a God who delights in hearing from us. We can come to Him in prayer about anything. Nothing is too insignificant to Him. Will you commit to making prayer a habit in your life?
Follow the example of Jesus’ model prayer in Scripture today. Use the A.C.T.S acronym to guide your prayer today. Praise God for who He is and what He has done, confess any sin in your life, thank God for all He has done for you, and ask Him for what you need. Use the A.C.T.S. acronym often as you seek to grow in your prayer life.
“God, as I remember everything You have done in my life, I thank You for…”
Matthew 6:1-18
1“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
