Effective prayer cannot be reduced to a magic formula. God does not respond to our requests because we have the right ritual. He is more interested in our hearts than in our words. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” God’s Word does, however, give us certain basic elements that, when included in our communication with God, will enable us to receive his answers to our prayers. In this lesson we will consider a simple guide that you can use in your daily devotional time: Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication The guide can easily be remembered by the first letter of each word: ACTS.