Patterns for Prayer by David Jeremiah

Tuesday, May 2

Patterns for Prayer 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 
Philippians 4:6 

Recommended Reading Jeremiah 29:12

If someone suggests praying according to ACTS, they may mean to follow this pattern: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Or you could use the PRAISE pattern: Praise, Repentance, Ask, Intercede, Speak the Word, and Enjoy His presence. Those and other acronyms serve as good patterns for prayer—ways to keep prayers purposeful.


The prayer Jesus gave His disciples is also helpful. We know it as the Lord’s Prayer, though it could be called the Disciple’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). It begins with praise (verse 9), a desire for God’s kingdom (verse 10), a petition for provision (verse 11), a desire to be forgiving and forgiven (verse 12), a prayer for spiritual protection (verse 13a), and concludes with a confession of God’s sovereignty (verse 13b). Such an outline has served Christians well for twenty centuries.

First, pray! Second, develop a pattern of prayer that incorporates themes of praise, thanksgiving, confession, meditation, intercession, petition, and more. Such patterns can serve as a guide for the time you spend alone with God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 
The traditional “Jesus Prayer”