Confession
The “C” in the ACTS prayer means to admit and confess your sin before God so that your prayers are not hindered (1 Peter 3: 7). In Psalm 32: 3-5, David prayed:
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body withered
Through my moans all day.
Day and night your hand was heavy on me;
My vitality failed like in the dry summer heat. Sela
I have acknowledged my sin to you
And I haven’t hidden my guilt;
I said, “I will confess my wrongdoing to the Lord”;
And you have forgiven me the guilt of my sin (NASB). “
Yes, God already knows about our sins, but by confessing them we admit and acknowledge that our sin is offensive to God and agree with him that we need his Son Jesus to cleanse us from all injustice. 1 John 1: 9 tells us, “When we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all injustice.”
Thanksgiving
The Bible clearly tells us to be thankful, and not just for what God has given us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 teaches: “Thank you in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ”Notice that the verse does not say,“ Thank you in good things ”or“ Thank you in the kindnesses of life ”. Rather, it commands us to be grateful in everything – good, bad, and ugly. As you do this, you are “living the will of God for you in Christ Jesus,” as the verse says.
In everything, practice gratitude to God, thanking Him for the difficulties you face on any given day, for the things He has withheld for your own good, for the refining work He is doing in your soul , for the trials that you mold into the image of Christ, and in such a way that he can redeem all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).
I’ve found that when I start thanking God for everything, not just the good things, it completely changes my perspective and makes me a much more grateful person. Thanking God in everything distracts the focus from us and what has been given to us and redirects the focus to God, the ultimate giver.
Photo credit: © Getty Images / Wavebreakmedia