Bible Study - MATTHEW KING AND KINGDOM: Praying for Reign
Sermon-Based Bible Study – May 29, 2022
- What is something God has done for you that you are thankful for? What is something you are celebrating? How have you experienced God’s love and faithfulness this week?
- Where are you experiencing stress, anxiety or discouragement? How would you like to see God move in your life or in the life of someone close to you?
- What did you hear in this week’s sermon that was new or particularly interesting? Did anything stand out to you as puzzling or troubling?
- Read Matthew 6:9-13. Do you ever use this prayer in your time alone with God? Do you think Jesus intended for his disciples to use this prayer as a regular part of their daily prayers? Does reciting the prayer seem very meaningful to you? Does it seem shallow or trite? Why?
- Chris said that in this model prayer, Jesus is teaching us to pray about: the love of God; the glory of God; the will of God; the care of God; the reconciliation of God; the transformation of God; and the deliverance of God. Do you regularly include all of these themes in your prayers? Which are you addressing the most often? Which least often? Does anything seems to be missing from this list of themes?
- What, if anything, is significant to you about the absence of words like, I, me, mine from the prayer Jesus teaches us to pray? Are those words common in your regular prayers? How might it be helpful to be aware of how often we are using words like I, me and mine in our prayers?
- Do you think Miraslov Volv, was right when he said, “It’s deeply hypocritical to pray for a problem that you are, in reality, unwilling to resolve?” Have you ever found yourself praying for something you were in reality unwilling to resolve? Why do you think there is such a negative reaction in our culture when they hear a politician or person in authority say to those who are suffering, “you are in our thoughts and prayers?”
- What did Chris mean when he said, “this is not just a prayer to be prayed but a prayer to be lived?” What do you think the African Proverb means that says – “When you pray, move your feet?”
- Think about one theme from this prayer that particularly resonates with you right now and share with your group a practical way you could live into it this week.
- What is a simple, next step you could take in obedience to what the Spirit is saying to you through this time in the Word? Who would benefit, or be interested in hearing about what you’ve learned in this study?