The Abiding Life: questions for 12/20/09

The Abiding Life Week 8 – Matthew 6:9-13

Learning What to Pray

1. On a scale of 1-10 rate your prayer life. What is the reason for your rating and what factors hinder your prayer life?
   
2. Have you ever lost focus while praying or just run out of stuff to pray? Why do you think it is so hard to stay focused during times of extended prayer?
   
3. Read through the Lord 's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Is this a prayer we are supposed to say or a guide for how to pray? Justify your answer.
   
4. Our Father in heaven… In what ways does being an adopted child fundamentally change how you view God, the world, and yourself?
   
5. Hallowed be Your name… What does it mean for God's name to be hallowed? If someone were to observe you (as God's child) would they think of God (your Father) as hallowed, or something less?
   
6. Your kingdom come… How are we to pray in such a way to see God's kingdom advanced? How have you seen God answer those prayers?
   
7. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… What types of things do you know are God's will? How do you discover God's will? How should that knowledge impact how you pray?
   
8. Give us today our daily bread… Read Matthew 6:33. How does Jesus' admonition to pray for the Father's will to be done relate to the provision of daily bread?
   
9. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… Why is confession and relational harmony essential to advance God's kingdom?
10. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one… How does David's prayer in Psalm 139:23 serve as an example of this aspect of the Lord's prayer?