Big idea
Do you ever wonder how to pray? Maybe you feel inadequate or unskilled to pray to God. Maybe, you are simply out of practice. There is good news for you! Jesus' disciples already asked the question of how we should pray. Because they asked, we have an example. What follows the disciples' request of "teach us to pray" in Luke 11 is Jesus' model prayer. This prayer is found in Luke 11 and Matthew 6, but today we are going to study the prayer written in Matthew 6. As we study, let's learn how to pray from Jesus' own example.
Break the ice
Who is someone in your life that you call when you need prayer?
Small group questions
- Do you ever have difficulty praying? Why or why not?
- Read Matthew 6:5-13. What are the things that stand out from Jesus' teaching on prayer?
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11Give us today the food we need,[1]
12and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13And don’t let us yield to temptation,[2]
but rescue us from the evil one.[3]
Translation notes (3)
- 6:11 Or Give us today our food for the day; or Give us today our food for tomorrow.
- 6:13a Or And keep us from being tested.
- 6:13b Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
3. Read Matthew 19:16-22. How was the rich young man in this story living for his possessions rather than God? What is keeping you from fully committing to and serving God.
Please Note: If you have a strained, or even nonexistent, relationship with your earthly father, it may be hard for you to relate to God as Father. That is completely understandable. Even in the difficulty, take comfort in the fact that God is your perfect Heavenly Father. Where your earthly father has failed, God has been and always will be successful.
The Rich Man
16Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[1] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[2] the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’[3]”
20“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Translation notes (3)
- 19:16 Some manuscripts read Good Teacher.
- 19:17 Some manuscripts read continue to keep.
- 19:18-19 Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20; Lev 19:18.
- Do you have a hard time praying "not my will, but Yours, God"? Why or why not?
- What is something in the past that you prayed for that you are now grateful that God did not give you?
- Describe a time when you were in great need, and God provided for you. How does God's past provision affect the way you pray today?
- What need or desire are you praying for right now? Do you expect God to provide? Why or why not?
Moving forward
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He did not tell them how. Instead, He showed them how. His prayer was not a long, complicated prayer. Instead, it was short, clear, and applicable. It reminds us of whom we are praying to and His ability to care for our needs. It also reminds us to trust God's plan for our lives when we do not understand. When Jesus modeled this prayer, He showed us that prayer is not complicated. We are all capable of praying.
Many of us want stronger prayer lives. The only way to grow in this area is to keep praying. This growth will take deliberate discipline. Take time now to make a plan to pray deliberately this week. Set aside a specific time and place you will commit to pray each day. Share your plan with your group and ask your group members to hold you accountable. As a group, commit to praying for each other this week as you seek to become people who persistently pray.
Monthly memory verse
Wallpaper available for download in the Sagebrush App.
21For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
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