1. As you know, Jesus taught us how to pray, Matthew 6:9-13. What are the main parts of how we are to pray? 1. “Hallowed be your name.” 2. “Your kingdom come.” 3. “Your will be done.” 4. “Give us today our daily bread.” 5. “Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” 6. “Lead us not into temptation.” 7. “Deliver us from the evil one.” What do each of them mean?
2. There are (at least) five related aspects of prayer.
a. Praise and thanksgiving: (related to “Hallowed be your name”), e.g. Psalm 138 or Psalm 145.
b. Consolation and comfort: e.g. Psalm 88.
c. Healing: e.g. Jeremiah 17:14.
d. Preparation, protection, and the Armor of God: e.g. Ephesians 6:10-17.
e. Praying for others: e.g. Colossians 4:12, Ephesians 6:18-20.
Are there other aspects as well?
3. Luke 11:5-13. “Seek.” Read through the parable; what does it mean? Does seeking imply persistence? What or who are we seeking? Read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. What is the meaning of Luke 11:11-13?
4. Further instructions on prayer, Matthew 6:5-8.
a. “Do not be like the hypocrites.” Why have they received their reward in full? What is their reward?
b. “Do not babble on like the pagans.” What does this mean? Does it mean that long prayers, formulaic prayers, or repetitive prayers are intrinsically bad? Or does it have more to do with an attitude of the heart? Are there pitfalls for long or formulaic prayers? Are they useful?
5. Matthew 6:8. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Why do we pray then? Well, Jesus tells us to. But, Techers like to understand things (and we are called to chase after God with all our heart, mind, and strength). Maybe the power of words (e.g. Hebrews 11:3, Proverbs 18:21)? How else does prayer make sense biblically?
6. Is it okay to be angry or sad or happy or serious or scared or exhausted or _____ when we pray? See the diversity of the psalms. However, with what attitude do we come before God (e.g. 2 Chronicles 20:12)? What can we ask for (see Ephesians6:18)? Might the answer be ‘no’ (see Luke 11:11-13)?
7. Are seeking to be more like Jesus (e.g. 1 John 2:3-6) and striving to have an attitude of prayer (e.g. Colossians 4:2) intimately tied? How does one gain an attitude of prayer (asking, practicing, Daniel 6:10)? How does that look practically?
8. Matthew 5:44. Is that hard? Discuss.
9. Prayer and action. Jesus’ life included both prayer time and action (check out the gospels). Read 1 John 3:17. How does this tie into prayer?
