If I had to guess, I’d say the most common type of prayer is supplication, or better known as the request or ask prayer. Whether praying for people in our lives, for those who are suffering, or the immediate things that we think we need (help me pass this test; help me get to my destination quickly because I’m late; help me not stick my foot in my mouth today), we often jump into prayer when we have cares and concerns.
In today’s gospel, we hear the prayers of two men who pray before God very differently: while one tries to impress God through his appearances, the other admits that he is a sinner and simply submits his will to God.
There is nothing wrong with praying for personal cares and concerns (no matter how big or small), but there are other parts of prayer that we should include as well just as the tax collector does in this Gospel passage.
There is a simple acronym that can help with this: ACTS.
Adoration, Contrition, Thankfulness, Supplication.
Adoration. First we praise God. He is mighty, awesome, and has done so much for us. It’s important to recognize this. Now God doesn’t need to be reminded of how awesome he is, but sharing this praise to begin the prayer is good for reminding ourselves that all things are possible through God.
Contrition. Just as the tax collector did in today’s Gospel, it’s important to remember that we are sinners and are always in need of jis mercy and forgiveness. “Father, I really don’t deserve this… buuutttt I’m going to ask anyway.“
Thankfulness. God has already done so much for us. Before asking for something more, it’s important to take a moment and thank God for all that he’s done.
Supplication. Ok… now we can tack on the ask.
I’m sure most of this is not new for anyone reading this article, but I often feel that I need reminders and reset points frequently throughout my life. So let’s reset our prayer formula and approach God with more contrite, humble, and grateful hearts.
