PRAY FIRST: TEACH ME TO PRAY (WEEK 1)
Speaker: Daniel Erasmus
Worship: Listen to Our Father by Bethel during your quiet time or worship during group. Spend time meditating on the Lord’s Prayer and how God calls us to engage with Him daily. Consider how you will engage differently with God as you spend time daily with Him.
Check-In: When it comes to prayer: Some of us struggle as it doesn’t come naturally, and that’s OKAY. We may think that others pray better than us. We may have an inactive prayer life at present as we can’t seem to cross the barrier to a conversation with God. Our prayer times will differ from one another, depending on where we are on our discipleship journey. Does anyone use prayer prompts to remain focussed in prayer? (Part of the YouVersion App) OR any other method that helps you have a more meaningful and constructive prayer time?
When sharing during group, only share what works for you, do this with grace, listen with humility, and with no shaming. Share how is your prayer life going.
Bible Readings: 1 Peter 1:23-25; James 1:21; Colossians 2:13-14; Psalm 119:96-97; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Romans 8:15; Proverbs 18:10; Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31; Psalm 121:1-2; Psalm 139; Ephesians 6:12; Jeremiah 32:17; Revelations 5:13
Preparation and Discussion for Group Time:
At church, we’re always encouraged to make prayer our first response and not our last resort. That means praying before we do anything; before leaving the house, as we drop the kids off, before sending an email, or going into a meeting. We all have our own view of prayer and how it fits into our lives. Yet, the way we view prayer determines the way we approach God. As we start this series, we look at “How to pray”. Even if you’re a veteran Christian and have been praying regularly for years, you may have lost your passion for prayer. Let’s have a look at the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and see how we can apply the framework/outline to our daily prayer time.
- Connect with God relationally – “Our Father in Heaven” – Discuss what these words mean to you? What do you think Jesus was trying to teach the disciples by starting the prayer this way? (Romans 8:15)
- Worship His Name – “Hallowed Be Your Name” – This statement is what we call “worship.” What is the significance of worship/calling on God’s name? (Proverbs 18:10) Discuss (mention) the other names of God and what it means to you.
- Pray his agenda first – “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – The word “Your” is mentioned twice here. It shows us the importance of putting God’s agenda first. One of these points is “Others.” What else do you think is on God’s agenda? Share with each other. (Matthew 6:33 and Luke 12:31)
- Depending on Him for everything – “Give us this day our daily bread” – Here we are encouraged to ask God for what we need. But what if we do not need anything? Discuss how this reflects “pray first” (Psalm 121:1-2)
- Get your heart right – “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” – Forgiveness in this context is twofold. We are to allow God to search our hearts and bring forth any sin known and unknown (Psalm 139), it’s also about confessing the hurt others inflicted on us or we on them. (1 John 1:9) – During your prayer time in the week, spend some time thinking about this.
- Engage in Spiritual Warfare – “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” – We all are sinners and often fall into the trap Satan sets for us. This means that we have to engage in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). Take some time to think of which area in your life you need to “fight” for. Is it your marriage, kids, work, other relationships, finances, etc? Share if you feel comfortable doing so.
- Express Faith in God’s Ability – “For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever” – (Jeremiah 32:17 and Revelation 5:13). As we conclude our prayer time, we declare the Lord’s sovereignty and that all we have committed to Him is possible only by His mighty Power and we give Him ALL the Glory.
Check out and Prayer:
As you check out, remind the group that during the coming week, they are to pray for those individuals whom they would like to invite to one of the Easter services. If they are unsure of whom to invite, they can ask the Lord to show them.
Prayer: Allow each member to share one prayer concern and then go around praying for the individual on your right. For bigger groups or as you feel comfortable, pair up and pray for each other.
Love God:
For personal study check out the PRAY FIRST resources on the website. You can download the PDF. Take time to invest in your own discipleship journey to grow deeper in your love for God and others.
Love People:
For upcoming next steps in your discipleship journey; like Baptism or serving. Sign up online at Church Center/ the website.