How to Pray

Prayer is more than words spoken into silence — it’s an invitation to know God personally, honestly, and deeply. Whether prayer feels natural or unfamiliar, simple or complicated, you’re welcome to come as you are:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — Philippians 4:6

This page offers resources to help you grow in prayer with openness, trust, and expectation. We encourage you to take your time, explore what’s helpful, and remember — you don’t have to walk this path alone.

Prayer isn’t a formula—it’s just talking to God!

Prayer is simply communicating with God. That can mean thanking Him, praising Him, confessing something you’ve done wrong or expressing a need you have. It can mean talking to Him as you would to a friend. Learning how to pray is really about developing a relationship with God. Relationships are built on moments of connection and communication. There is no right or wrong way to pray; God simply delights in us coming to Him in honesty.

When it comes to prayer, remember three key things:

Keep It Simple!
Keep It Real!
Keep It Up!

A Simple Acrostic for Prayer

People often use a simple acrostic as a guide to prayer: A.C.T.S.

Each of the letters in this acrostic stands for one of the key elements of prayer. Not only does this acrostic remind us of the elements of prayer, it shows us the priority we ought to give to each.

1. Adoration

The first element of prayer should be adoration, or praise. The Psalms, which are inspired samples of godly prayer, are heavily weighted on the side of adoration. I’ve noticed over many years that as we grow in the discipline and in the delight of prayer, it seems that we naturally spend more and more of our time on this first element.

2. Confession

Second, prayer should include confession of our sin; as we remember who we are when we come into God's presence, we see that we have come short of His holiness and have need of His forgiveness.

3. Thanksgiving

Third, when we pray, we should always give thanks, remembering the grace and mercy God has shown toward us.

4. Supplication

Fourth, prayer rightly includes supplication or petition, bringing our requests for the needs of others and ourselves to God.