Prayer Basics for Adults Lesson 5: Where Should We Pray? (A study guide resource built to accompany the book Prayer Basics: The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Prayer and brought to you by the Office of Prayer and Spiritual Care, a ministry of the General Council of the Assemblies of God.) The Office of Prayer and Spiritual Care Equipping the Church......Answering the Call.
Prayer Basics For Adults (A Study Guide) LESSON 5: Where Should We Pray? Wherever We Are! STUDY TEXT: Psalm 139:5-8; Daniel 3:19-29; Jonah 1:17 through 2:10; Matthew 6:5,6; 18:19,20; 19:13-15; 26:26; Acts 4:1-31; 8:26-38 LESSON FOCUS: Believers must avoid the trap of thinking prayer is only for church or daily devotions; God calls us to be ready to pray wherever we are. KEY VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 5:17,18 Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus (NIV). Open the Study DISCUSSION STARTER: Have students respond to the following What if? questions, and spend a few moments discussing their responses. What if you could know the future? (Discuss if students would even want to know the future, and how it might impact their decisions.) What if you could read people s minds? (Talk about how such a gift might change the way we treat one another.) What if you could ask God three questions? (Poll them to find what they would ask, and why.) Explain that sometimes it seems like life would be much easier if we knew the future, could read people s minds, and had perfect insight into God s thoughts. It seems as if we could avoid a lot of problems and conflicts, and choices would be much clearer and easier to make. But that isn t reality. Our knowledge and insight have serious limitations. As a result, life is filled with unexpected events, surprises, and challenges. Yet we need not worry about them. God has given us a plan for success wherever we re at in life. That plan can be summarized in one word: prayer. When are most people apt to think about prayer? (Note that prayer is a common response when we find ourselves in crisis. But God has other plans in mind. He wants us to make prayer a top priority wherever we find ourselves in life. The where of prayer involves both physical location [work, school, the store], as well as emotional and relational situations [in the valley of despair, in the midst of conflict, in those simple moments of life s basic tasks]. We re always in position to pray, no matter where we are.)
Examine the Word 1. Pray in Private READ: Matthew 6:5,6 Why do you think Jesus instructed His people to pray in private? What specific issues did He deal with in these verses? Jesus wanted His people to resist the temptation to make prayer an exhibition to prove their spirituality. Note that He didn t condemn praying in public or standing while praying. Posture and location were not the issue. Jesus was concerned with showing off when we pray. There are a lot of ways this can happen: praying loudly with the intention of getting noticed, using big words to impress people, or praying in certain places specifically so others will see us. Jesus wants us to regard prayer as something far different than that. Prayer is special time devoted to intimacy with God. Read the Scriptures below, noting that public prayer was a normal practice to Jesus and the first century Christians. Then explain that while these examples depict the most common ways most people envision prayer and such public, heartfelt prayer is greatly valued by God, there is great value in holding a private conversation with God as well. Matthew 19:13-15 (Jesus publicly called for children to be brought to Him and blessed through prayer.) Matthew 26:26 (Jesus offered a prayer of thanks over the Passover meal.) Acts 4:1-31 (The early believers prayed for Peter and John as they stood before the Sanhedrin.) What are some advantages to being alone with someone when you talk to them? What would happen to your relationships with close friends and family if you never had any alone time? (Note that we do some of our deepest relationship building during alone times. Those are the moments when we say the things we d never say to anyone else.) Why do we need times like these with God? (Note that Christianity is about relationship. God wants us to talk about our deepest thoughts and concerns. He desires time alone with us so our walk with Him becomes deeper and stronger.) PONDER: Ask students to ponder if there is anything they haven t said to God or talked to Him about that they wish they had or know they should. Challenge them to open up to God, recognizing that He knows their deepest thoughts and feelings, and He loves them just the same. Emphasize that quiet times are when God often gives us special understanding and direction; those are the minutes when we re most able to listen to Him as well.
2. Strength in Numbers ACTIVITY: Divide the class into two groups, and give one member of each group a pen and paper for recording. The first group should consist of no more than two or three students, and the other group will be made up of the rest of the class. Instruct each group to come up with as many specific people or situations they can think of that are in need of prayer. After a minute of thinking and writing, compare lists. Which list is longer? Most likely it will belong to the larger group. Why was one group able to come up with more needs? The obvious answer is that they had more people and, thus, more knowledge of situations and individuals near and far. EMPHASIZE: Note that there was nothing wrong or inferior about the list compiled by the smaller group with the shorter list; those needs are just as important. But when it comes to prayer, there is strength in numbers. We all have something to contribute, and we all have faith and confidence in God. So while individual prayer is vital, it is also important that we come together and seek the Lord. (Note that you will come together as a class to pray for the needs on both lists at the end of the class session; or, you might choose to pray at this time.) READ: Matthew 18:19,20 While Jesus values alone-time in prayer, He also places a lot of emphasis on praying corporately promising to be with us when we do. Our faith grows stronger as we hear the voices of others agreeing with us as we seek God. And the Bible ascribes great power to this kind of prayer. Note that verse 19 isn t saying we can get whatever we want if we combine our prayers with others. Our prayers must line up with God s will (1 John 5:14,15). But when our motives are right, our together prayers have incredible influence. Ask students to name specific ways and times they can get together with fellow Christians for prayer. Note that beyond obvious places like church services and Bible studies, they can also connect in less formal settings: at work during breaks, after an evening or weekend workout class at the gym, and even via the Internet or by phone. There are lots of unique ways and places to come together; the important thing is that we unite our faith and confidence in God through prayer. What are some reasons Christians hesitate to get together with others to pray? How can they overcome these struggles? (Note that some Christians are self-conscious about praying aloud in groups, for fear of saying something wrong or funny. Others might avoid corporate prayer because they have bad feelings toward an individual present. There are ways to help ourselves and others overcome such barriers. We can be sensitive and encouraging during corporate prayer times, resisting the urge to critique the prayers or comments of others. It s also important to resolve any relationship issues with God as well as the other person before they become a barrier to prayer.)
INVITE: Ask students to share stories of times when corporate prayer made a difference either in their lives or in the lives of people they know. Offer the following Scripture accounts as examples: Acts 12:1-17 and Acts 13:1-3. Note in Acts 12, Peter was freed from prison through a miracle when his fellow Christians prayed. In Acts 13, Christians prayed for Barnabas and Saul (Paul) as they left on a mission. As a result countless people were saved and churches established. 3. Divine Appointments ACTIVITY: Ask students to share personal stories of when they were at the right place at the right time. These could be trivial moments like finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk. Or perhaps they happened to run into a friend when he or she was broken down on the side of the road. After discussing their responses, note that while often these are just random occurrences, there are times when God places us in certain settings for a particular spiritual purpose. This could include being in the right place to pray for a friend just when he or she is at a low point. Or it might mean having opportunity to share Christ with someone at a moment in life when he or she is open to the move of the Spirit. Finally, note that these God-guided opportunities for ministry might be referred to as divine appointments. Read the Scriptures below, then talk about what each teaches concerning how God knows us and watches over us. Psalm 139:5-8 (We cannot hide from God, nor can we be hidden from Him. He is always watching over us.) Daniel 3:19-29 (Three men refused to bow to an idol of Nebuchadnezzar and suffered the consequences in a furnace. But God went there with them and protected them.) Jonah 1:17 through 2:10 (After Jonah disobeyed God by refusing to tell the Ninevites about Him, God still heard him and provided an opportunity to make things right.) God is closely concerned with our lives. We cannot escape His vision. Such is a promise that helps us avoid temptation, and also gives us a great sense of security. God knows and cares about what we re going through even when, like Jonah, we re experiencing the consequences of a wrong choice. Or, when, like the three Hebrew men, we find ourselves in a situation that seems hopeless. Often, because of His concern, God sends fellow Christians into our lives to encourage us, help us, and pray for us. Have a volunteer read Acts 8:26-38. Talk about how students would respond in a situation where they were confronted with an opportunity to help someone with serious spiritual questions and needs. Would they feel anxious, self-conscious, or fearful that they wouldn t know what to say? What could they do to deal with these fears? How would they feel after the experience was over and they d helped the person?
Talk about ways students can minister through prayer and encouragement for the person in each of the following situations. How could a moment like this become a Divine Appointment? As you walk out of work one day, you spot a coworker standing by his car looking extremely despondent. After striking up a conversation, you learn that he has just received notice that he will be laid off. During a fellowship activity at church, a friend starts venting to you that she is extremely frustrated with her husband. It soon becomes apparent that their marriage is strained, and she doesn t know what to do. You have a neighbor that has never been very friendly with you, mainly because you are a Christian and he rejects your faith. However, a recent encounter of Hi, how are you? small talk took a turn as he began to share his fears upon learning that his father has cancer. INVITE: If you haven t done so already, take time to pray as a class concerning the prayer needs mentioned during the activity in the Strength in Numbers main point. CLOSING ACTIVITY: Explain that God hears us wherever we re at in our walk with Him. He is waiting to hear from us and ready to respond. Encourage students to reflect on the following questions for a few moments at the end of class: How would you describe your relationship with God right now? What specific descriptive words could you use, such as strong ; healthy ; cold ; growing ; incomplete ; confusing ; or great? How will consistent private times with God in prayer impact your relationship with Him? How much value do you place on spending time in prayer with others? Is it enough? Why or why not? How will a high value on public prayer impact your relationship with God? All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.