<![CDATA[CHRISTIAN CHALLENGE AT NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY - Blog]]>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:46:08 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[A.C.T.S. Prayer Model]]>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 22:39:47 GMThttps://www.nmsuchristianchallenge.org/blog/acts
Summary of the Tool
The ACTS prayer model consists of an acronym that creates an easy to follow method on how to pray: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Pairs Well With
Resources

​What is the ACTS prayer model?

The ACTS prayer model consists of an acronym that creates an easy to follow method on how to pray: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

​Why should I use the ACTS prayer model?

Whether you’re just starting out on your walk with Jesus or have been a faithful disciple for years, the ACTS prayer model can bring structure or a fresh perspective to your time with God after years of faithful devotion.

​How do you use the ACTS prayer model?:

The ACTS prayer model is not a rule, but a tool you can incorporate into your prayer life and walk with Jesus. There are no specific words or phrases that are required to be used as it’s more of a guideline or outline for your daily quiet time.

A - Adoration

The A in the ACTS model allows us to focus on praising the Lord, adoring Him for who He is and what He is like.

God Himself is worthy of our praise, and making Him the first focus of our time in prayer is giving Him the glory He deserves. Adoration leads you to begin your time in prayer with a heart of worship, deep love, and reverence for the Lord.

​If you’ve never done this before, it may feel awkward at first or you may not know what to say. There are plenty of passages in the Bible that can help you begin to learn how to give words to your adoration of God, and Psalm 95:1-6 is a great place to start!

C - Confession

The C in the ACTS model is for confession of any sins that you have not already confessed to Him. 1 John 1:9 declares, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (NIV)”

Because of the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross, by faith in Him we receive the gift of salvation, including the cleansing and purification of all our sins for all time. This is what the gospel, “the good news,” is all about!

There’s no need to re-confess sins from last week or last year, but confessing our sins to God allows us to breathe a sigh of relief as we receive His forgiveness and move on.

T - Thanksgiving

The T in the ACTS model is for thanksgiving, as God has called us to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
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Giving thanks to the Lord is important regardless of what season of life we’re in or what storms of life we’re experiencing, as it allows our heart to soften and to trust Him in everything. While adoration focuses on who God is, thanksgiving is all about what God has done, is doing, and will do for us.

Thanking the Lord for all the blessings He provides in our lives doesn’t just mean physical or worldly things, but can also include salvation, protection, provision, eternal love and blessings, and so much more.

S - Supplication

The S in the ACTS model is to “supplicate,” which means to ask earnestly or humbly for your needs and requests on behalf of  yourself or others.

One of God’s promises is that He answers our cries for help (Isaiah 30:19), and the beautiful thing about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is that we are His children and can ask Him for anything we need.
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You might ask God for His help with your latest project, for patience with your coworker, or for eyes to see your day the way the Lord sees it. Trust God’s sovereignty, including His timing and will for your life.
]]><![CDATA[The Decision Making Train]]>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 21:09:49 GMThttps://www.nmsuchristianchallenge.org/blog/the-decision-making-train
Summary of the Tool
This is a tool to help you and others learn to make wise decisions by filtering decisions through the following steps in order: God's Boundaries, Prayer, Biblical Principles, Wise Counsel, Circumstances, and Feelings.
Pairs Well With:
Download these Resources

The Train Tracks: God's Boundaries

Proverbs 4:25–27 “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the path for your feet, and be steadfast in all your ways. Don’t turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

The Engine: Prayer

James 1:5 “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

Other verses: James 4:2–3,
Joshua 9:3–7, 12-16
The Story of the Israelites being tricked into sparing the lives of a group of their enemies.

The Coal Car: Biblical Principles

Proverbs 12:15 “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Isaiah 55:8–9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

The Passenger Car: Wise Counsel

Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of God. Think about how their lives ended, and follow their example of faith.”

The Freight Car: Circumstances

1 Samuel 24:3-7
The Story of David refraining from killing Saul in the cave.
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Matthew 14:22-23
The Story of Peter walking on water.

The Caboose: My Feelings

Proverbs 14:16 “A wise person fears the Lord and avoids evil, but a fool is hotheaded and careless.”

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Genesis 25:29–34 “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick—some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.”
]]><![CDATA[H.E.A.R. Journal]]>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:38:50 GMThttps://www.nmsuchristianchallenge.org/blog/hearjournal
Summary of the Tool
The HEAR journaling method promotes reading the Bible with a life-transforming purpose. No longer will your focus be on checking off the boxes on your daily reading schedule; your purpose will instead be to read in order to understand and respond to God’s Word.
Pairs Well With
Supplementary Resources
  • HEAR Journal One-Page w/instructions​
  • HEAR Journal One-Page blanks

​What is a H.E.A.R. Journal?

The acronym HEAR in HEAR Journal stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. Each of these four steps contributes to creating an atmosphere to hear God speak. After settling on a reading plan and establishing a time for studying God’s Word, you will be ready to H.E.A.R. from God.

How To Complete a H.E.A.R. Journal

For an illustration, let’s assume that you begin your quiet time in the book of 2 Timothy, and today’s reading is the first chapter of the book. Before reading the text, pause to sincerely ask God to speak to you. It may seem trite, but it is absolutely imperative that we seek God’s guidance in order to understand His Word(1 Corinthians 2:12-14). Every time we open our Bibles, we should pray the simple prayer that David prayed: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Word)” (Psalm 119:18).

H - Highlight

After praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, open your HEAR Journal notebook or journal, and at the top left-hand corner, write the letter H. This exercise will remind you to read with a purpose. In the course of your reading, one or two verses will usually stand out and speak to you. After reading the passage of Scripture, HIGHLIGHT each verse that speaks to you by copying it under the letter “H”. Write out the following:
  • The name of the book
  • The passage of Scripture
  • The chapter and verse numbers that especially speak to you
  • A title to describe the passage
This practice will make it easier to find the passage when you want to revisit it in the future in your HEAR Journal.

E - Explain

After you have highlighted the passage in your HEAR Journal, write the letter “E” under the previous entry. At this stage, you will EXPLAIN what the text means. By asking some simple questions, with the help of God’s Spirit, you can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. The next chapter will teach you in detail how to understand the meaning of a passage. Until then, here are a few questions to get you started:
  • Why was this written?
  • To whom was it originally written?
  • How does it fit with the verses before and after it?
  • Why did the Holy Spirit include this passage in the book?
  • What is He intending to communicate through this text? 
At this point, you are beginning the process of discovering the specific and personal word that God has for you from His Word. What is important is that you are engaging the text and wrestling with its meaning.

A - Apply

After writing a short summary of what you think the text means, in your HEAR Journal, write the letter “A” below the letter “E”. Under the “A”, write the word APPLY. This application is the heart of the process. Everything you have done so far culminates under this heading. As you have done before, answer a series of questions to uncover the significance of these verses to you personally, questions like:
  • How can this help me?      
  • What does this mean today?
  • What would the application of this verse look like in my life?
  • What does this mean to me?
  • What is God saying to me?
As you complete your HEAR journal, these questions bridge the gap between the ancient world and your world today. They provide a way for God to speak to you from the specific passage or verse. Answer these questions under the “A”. Challenge yourself to write between two and five sentences about how the text applies to your life.

R - Respond

Finally, below the first three entries in your HEAR Journal, write the letter “R” for Respond. This is the last part of the HEAR Journal. Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You may describe how you will be different because of what God has said to you through His Word. You may indicate what you are going to do because of what you have learned. You may respond by writing out a prayer to God. For example, you may ask God to help you to be more loving, or to give you a desire to be more generous in your giving. Keep in mind that this is your response to what you have just read

​The H.E.A.R. Journal Formula Works

Notice that all of the words in the HEAR Journal formula are action words: Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. God does not want us to sit back and wait for Him to drop some truth into our laps. Instead of waiting passively, God desires that we actively pursue Him. Jesus said,

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).
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Think of the miracle of the Bible. Over centuries of time, God supernaturally moved upon a number of men in an unusual way that resulted in them writing the exact words of God. God led His people to recognize these divine writings and to distinguish them from everything else that has ever been written. Then God’s people brought these sixty-six books together. The preservation and survival of the Bible are as miraculous as its writing. Then God gave men, beginning with Gutenberg’s printing press, technological knowledge to copy and transmit the Bible so that all people could have it. All because God has something to say to you.
Original HEAR Journal resource can be found at: https://replicate.org/resources/hear-journal
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