The following outline was arranged for the church where I serve. It is based on the ACTS acrostic (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) and the worship practices of King David. Please use creativity and flexibility as you plan out your transitions between songs, scriptures, and corporate prayer. I pray it will bless you as it has me.
Opening Worship Song suggestions
Adoration Section
- Ancient Prayer of David – “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may You be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on the earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from You alone, for You rule over everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and at Your discretion people are made great and given strength.” 1 Chronicles 29:10-12
- Scriptural Background/Devotional Thought – King David prayed these words in front of the entire assembly as the Israelis received offerings from the people in preparation so David’s son Solomon would have the resources to build a temple for the Lord. As we prepare to enter a time of prayer and fasting, we need to spend time praising and adoring the Lord.
- Prayer Activity – Get into groups and everyone shares one or two attributes of God with others in the group. Then, pray as a group, praising God for who He is.
- Worship Song Suggestions – The Goodness of God, Been So Good
Confession Section
- Confessional Prayer of David – “Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against You, and You alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in Your sight. You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner-yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me-now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence, and don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You.” Psalm 51:1-12
- Scripture Background/Devotional Thought – Psalm 51 is the confessional prayer of King David. He is filled with guilt and shame over his indiscretions with Bathsheba and planning the demise of her husband Uriah the Hittite. Sometimes, even someone considered to be “a man after God’s own heart” can be guilty of crimes. In truth, we have all sinned in one way or another. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.” When we realize our sin, we should, like David, confess our sin to the Lord. We have the promise of His forgiveness in 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Creative Element/Prayer Activity – Pray individually for the Lord to show you ways you have failed the Lord, then write out all that come to mind on one piece of paper. Then, confess what you’ve written to the Lord.
- Worship Song Suggestions – Lord, I Need You, Run to the Father
Thanksgiving Section
- David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving – Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord the gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:1-5
- Scriptural Background/Devotional Thought – The temple was a special house for the praise and worship of God in Jerusalem. There was a wall all the way around it. As King David wrote this, especially in verse 4, he was instructing people to literally give thanks to the Lord as they walked through the actual gates in the wall. He is telling them that when they come to the temple, they need to be about telling God how great He truly is.
- Creative Element/Prayer Activity – Pull out the paper with items you’ve confessed to the Lord. Thank the Lord for forgiving you of each item, then tear up the paper and dispose of them in trash receptacles at the front of the worship center. Pray and thank God for His forgiveness.
- Worship Song suggestions – Gratitude, I Thank God
Supplication Section
- Ancient Prayer of David – “Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need Your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to You. Save me, for I serve You and trust You. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on You constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to You. O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to You whenever I’m in trouble, and You will answer me. No pagan god is like You, O Lord. None can do what You do! All the nations You made will come and bow before You, Lord; they will praise Your holy name. For You are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.” Psalm 86:1-10
- Scriptural Background/Devotional Thought – It’s hard to place the timing of this Psalm, but it is obvious that David is requesting help from the Lord. It should be noted that at least seven times throughout the chapter, David refers to God as “Adonai” which means “Master.” This shows his submission to the Lord, but also shows his dependence on the Lord. This must have been at the forefront of his thoughts as he made his requests to God. “Supplication” is the word we use for asking God in a humble and earnest manner. This comes best after we’ve acknowledged who He is, confessed our sins, and thanked Him for all He has done.
- Worship Song Suggestions – Battle Belongs, More than Able,
Prayer Activity – Go back to your prayer groups you were in at the beginning. Share prayer requests of which you intend to lift up to the Lord during our time of prayer and fasting. Then, pray with your group until everyone has shared and every request has been prayed for. Music will play during this prayer time and will continue until everyone has finished. Allow this to be the end of the night of worship.
*Song selections may vary as the original songs were chosen in January 2024. Photo courtesy of JoJo
JohnJFrady.com 