FACTS
Faith: Prayer begins with faith because when we pray, we are coming to a God we cannot see, yet we trust that He is real, that He listens, and that He responds according to His will. Faith is what keeps prayer from becoming empty words, because it rests on the confidence that God is present and good. We do not pray into the air, we pray to a Father who knows us and cares for us.
Verses:
- Hebrews 11:6 (ESV), “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
- Mark 11:24 (ESV), “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
- Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV), “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Adoration: Before prayer becomes a place for requests, it should first be a place of worship. Adoration means we stop and remember who God is, holy, powerful, loving, faithful, and worthy of all honor. It lifts our eyes off ourselves and puts them on Him, which is important because prayer is not centered on our greatness or our needs first, but on God’s greatness.
Verses:
- Matthew 6:9 (ESV), “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”
- Psalm 145:3 (ESV), “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”
- Revelation 4:11 (ESV), “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Confession: Confession is the honest part of prayer where we stop hiding, excusing, or minimizing our sin and bring it into the light before God. It is agreeing with Him about what is wrong in us and asking Him to forgive, cleanse, and restore us. Confession does not push God away, it is actually one of the ways we draw near to Him with a sincere heart.
Verses:
- 1 John 1:9 (ESV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Psalm 32:5 (ESV), “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
- Psalm 51:10 (ESV), “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is remembering God’s goodness and responding with gratitude. It keeps prayer from becoming a list of wants and reminds us of what God has already done, His mercy, His provision, His forgiveness, and His faithfulness. A thankful heart sees that even before the next prayer is answered, God has already been good.
Verses:
- Philippians 4:6 (ESV), “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV), “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
- Psalm 103:2 (ESV), “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
Supplication: Supplication is when we bring our needs before God and ask Him for help. It includes not only praying for ourselves, but also interceding for others. This reminds us that prayer is an act of dependence, because instead of trying to carry everything alone, we bring our burdens, needs, fears, and requests to the Lord who is able to help.
Verses:
- Philippians 4:6 (ESV), “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
- Hebrews 4:16 (ESV), “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
- 1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV), “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”
