I recently finished reading my friend Kevin Halloran’s new book When Prayer Is a Struggle. He told me about the idea for the book a few years ago over dinner, and I thought, Man, that’s a good idea for a book because when is prayer not a struggle, even for a pastor?

In one of the early chapters, Kevin shares ideas for ordering our prayers, ways to give our prayers a scaffolding, so to speak, on which to hang fresh petitions. I had forgotten about the A-C-T-S method of prayer, where each letter stands for a different theme (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). But I used the method recently to structure a pastoral prayer at church.

To set up the theme of the pastoral prayer, I read from one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors: Jared C. Wilson’s book Gospel Deeps: Reveling in the Excellencies of Christ. In the opening paragraph Wilson writes,

My driving conviction in this book is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is big. Like, really big. Ginormous, if you will. And deep. Deep and rich. And beautiful. Multifaceted. Expansive. Powerful. Overwhelming. Mysterious. But vivid, too, and clear. Illuminating. Transforming. And did I mention big? (Gospel Deeps, 17)

Wilson goes on to explain that the church culture that he grew up in would often extend invitations to receive Jesus, whether after preaching or a potluck. These continual invitations unintentionally communicated that the gospel is for unbelievers who might want to begin their Christian life, not for Christians actually living the Christian life. Wilson’s contention in the book is that part of the “bigness of the gospel”—the ginormousness of the gospel, if you will—is the way God intends for us to apply the gospel throughout our Christian life. “Obviously the gospel is the ABCs of salvation,” Wilson writes. “But it is also the A to Z” (2).

If you follow Wilson on social media, you know he often posts before a speaking engagement his prayer, “Jesus, be big.” I think what he means by this prayer is the desire that in our hearts and affections and lives, Jesus would have all the gravity that he really does have.

This is the prayer I want to pray next year for me and my house. And every year.

Adoration

Dear Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that your Son, Jesus Christ, is far bigger than we imagine him to be.

I think of verses such as those in Hebrews 1:1–3 where it says that you have spoken to us finally and definitively through your Son, whom you appointed as the heir of all things, and through whom you also created the world. And how Jesus is the radiance of your glory and the exact imprint of your nature and how Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power.

I think of what is said in Colossians 1:15–20, that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And how by Jesus all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—and that all things were created through Jesus and for Jesus. We also read that Jesus is before all things and in him all things hold together. We read of how Jesus is the head of the body, the whole church and every local church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and in this way, he is preeminent, that is, of first importance. We read of how in Jesus all your fullness was pleased to dwell, and through Jesus you are pleased to reconcile to Jesus all things by the peace that comes through his blood.

And I think of verses like John 1:16 that says from the fullness of Jesus, we receive grace upon grace.

Confession

Father, please forgive us for worshiping a Jesus that is smaller than he really is. We confess that too often other people and worries and fears and dreams occupy in our hearts the place that should only belong to our affections for your Son.

Thanksgiving

Thank you, Father, that you delight to not only hear our prayers but to answer them in ways bigger and better than we could ever imagine.

Supplication

So we ask that as one year closes and a new one begins, you would renew our affection for Jesus and rivet our attention on him. We come to you as those made in your image, but through our sin, we have become weak, wounded, and wayward. Though we do not deserve it, because of your grace and mercy, we ask that you cause us to enjoy the living Jesus in all of life—in this life and the life to come.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus, which is a way to say that we pray these prayers, not in our authority, but his authority, and we pray these prayers, not according to our will, but his will.

Amen.

* Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash