Seek Him In Prayer Study
Seeking Him in Prayer
Beginning the year ahead in prayer
How shall we begin this new calendar year (and decade!)? We’ve been urged by the Holy Spirit to begin these early days together in prayer. This week, we used “The Lord’s Prayer” as a template for our prayer launch in worship.
The Lord’s prayer has been recited by Christians countless times over the centuries of the Jesus’ movement. Found in Matthew 6:9-14, it is also included in Luke 11:2-4 (a briefer version). Tasker comments, “[This prayer] may have been taught by Jesus more than once and in more than one form” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew, p.72).
The prayer itself is short, and often simply recited verbatim in more liturgically oriented Christian worship settings, almost as if the words and prayer itself should not be altered or changed. Indeed, Jesus used this prayer to mentor his disciples in what to pray. But clearly, we find early Christians praying with a variety of words and expressions (cf. the prayers we find in Acts). Many of Paul’s prayers also serve as great examples (cf. Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-19). This gives us freedom to see the prayer as a model or outline of the kinds of requests we should bring to our Father.
GETTING STARTED – Discuss in your group (1) what you remember about HOW you learned to pray, and FROM WHOM. Was it your family members praying? Christian friends? What you heard in worship services? (2) how do you organize your praying to the Lord (if you do)? Is it more structured or free-wheeling? 😊
IN THE WORD – Take a look together at the Lord’s prayer (here from the New Living Translation). Discuss the questions next to each section of the prayer (Matthew 6:9-15).
‘Our Father in heaven— | Why is it important to think about God this way? |
Our Father’s Priorities May your holy name be honored; today? may your Kingdom come; | Do you think God’s name is honored or dishonored Why do we need God’s kingdom “to come”? What would result? |
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. | What is God’s will? What are we asking for here? |
Our Father’s Provisions Give us today the food we need. | Don’t we usually have food? Why do you think Jesus urges that we pray for this? |
Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. (see Matt 18:35) | Jesus links obtaining forgiveness from the Lord to our Forgiving others. Why do you think this is so? |
Do not bring us to hard testing, | How does God protect us from being overwhelmed by |
but keep us safe from the Evil One.’ | How does God protect us from being overwhelmed by sin & temptation? (Cf. 1 Co 10:13, Ephesians 6:10-20) |
PRAYING TOGETHER – SUMMARY
As you finish together in your group, pray with one another using the Lord’s prayer as a model for your time before Him. There may be some specific things you need. Perhaps some forgiveness to ask for…and extend to another? Maybe you are in a season of testing and needs the Spirit’s protection and the armor of God.
Also…look for the PER DIEM PRAYING daily podcasts on the Christ Community Church App or here on the website, which begin Monday, January 4. A month of dedicated prayer together for the presence and blessing of God.