Are you praying ADD prayers?

Today’s verse rests in the middle of a Psalm written by David. Psalm 25 looks a little like a prayer one of us might say. I don’t know about you, but I have lots of ADD prayers. I want to start with “Adoration,” but I usually get lost pretty quick or forget to go there in the first place.

Do you know about starting with “Adoration”? Have you heard of the A.C.T.S. method of prayer?

A.C.T.S. stand for adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. Adoration demonstrates love for the Lord by recognizing His goodness, wisdom, power and the work He has done in creation, in Jesus, and in us (the list goes on and on). Confession acknowledges where we have sinned and demonstrates our faith in God’s forgiveness. Thanksgiving expresses gratitude for God’s provision, protection, and plan for us. Finally, supplication approaches God with our needs and requests.

When I follow the A.C.T.S. format, I have a more peaceful prayer time. If I don’t follow any structure, my mind tends to wander. At times, my prayers reflect the brokenness and chaos in my heart — I think that is what we see in David’s prayer in Psalm 25. Though the A.C.T.S. method is wonderful, David’s ADD prayer really encourages me.

In verse 1, we see him immediately approach God with his worries:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.

In verses 1-7, David lays his heart out to the Lord — asking for help — admitting his vulnerability and weakness. Later, in verses 11-22, there’s more confession, more lament and grieving over sin, and more desperate pleas for help. David’s example shows us that we can be totally honest with God about our feelings.

Just Remember the Good

However, the example I want to focus on here is in the middle — in verses 8-10 — where we see David remember the good:

   Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

This “remember the good” trick is one we need to learn because confessing God’s goodness is GOOD for us. This portion of the psalm gives specific detail about God’s faithfulness and love, His care for the humble, and His patience with sinners. David regularly reminds himself of God’s good character in the Psalms (see Psalm 34; 103; 119; 138; 145 for examples).

My Write31Days challenge this month is #CuratingtheGood and all month my job is to remember the good. So, here’s the good I see in Psalm 25:

• ADD prayers are necessary because in them you carry your worries to the Lord. You might try to suppress that fight you had with your husband or the uncertainties about your job, but the thoughts creep into your mind anyway as you pray…so go there. God knows your heart already, but sharing it with Him will knit your heart to His.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for you (Romans 8:26), so you can be confident that God understands your need, even if you struggle to express it.
• Always remember God’s goodness in your prayers. Praising God, naming His virtues, blessing His character, acknowledging His good…these activities are GOOD for us. This kind of prayer is important because speaking the Truth can make your heart sing.

So friends, stop right now and pray. Bring your burdens and cares to God because He wants to carry those for you (1 Peter 5:6-7; Matthew 11:28), but don’t forget to remember the good about Him in your prayers too. When we do that, we can feel Him lifting the burdens.