Sunday, July 25, 2010

Lessons on prayer from the Master

• DON’T begin with prayer – I know – I usually say just the opposite.  But today I want you to brainstorm what you know about prayer – get a piece of paper and pen or pencil and spend 5 minutes writing down everything you have learned about prayer to date.
• NOW spend some time in prayer – asking God to “teach us to pray” like the disciples did.  Open your hearts to learn from the Spirit, Scripture and each other.
• DISCUSS some of the things that you have learned with your group – what similar learnings do you share?  What are some of the differences?
  • ATTEMPT a working definition of prayer for the group to use.
• READ Luke 11:1-13
  • This teaching on prayer can be divided into 3 main sections which we’ll do in order to better study it:
• SECTION 1 The Lord’s Prayer (vv1-4)
  • If you had one question to ask Jesus, what would it be?
  • What do you think prompted the disciples to ask Jesus this one? (v1)
  • This is Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer – what do you notice is different than the one we pray in church?  Any thooughts about why the differences might be there?
  • What do you think Jesus may have been trying to teach by this prayer?
    • Was it to be a memorized prayer?  a model to build on?  a sample prayer?
    • Notice the different topics of the prayer.  Compare and contrast them to the topics that many of us pray about today.  What can we learn from the differences?
• SECTION 2 The Persistent Friend (vv5-8) Have everyone close their eyes except the one who will re-read this story.
  • After they have read it – discuss who you most identified with and why?
  • What does this parable tell us about God?
  • What does it tell us about humans?
  • What does it tell us about the relationship between God and humans?
• SECTION 3 God’s Generosity (vv9-13)
  • RE-READ verses 9-10.  Most of us have heard these words before.  Discuss what they might mean in the context of prayer?
    • How has your experience verified these truths?
    • How has your experience contradicted them?
      • What will you do with that information?
  • RE-READ verses 11-13
    • What is the Gift with which God is always generous?
      • What does it mean to be given the Spirit?
    • What does the “how much more” phrase mean to you?
    • What does this tell us about God?
• CONCLUDE
  • SPEND a few minutes in silence – ask each person to prayerfully re-read the Scripture listening for just ONE word or phrase that God might be speaking to them through.
  • GO around the room and have each person either share JUST that word or phrase (NO explanation) OR they can pass.
  • CHALLENGE each person to take that word or phrase with them into their day and week and live with it, sensitive to how God may speak to them about it sometime.

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