WEEK 0NE Authenticity with God WEEK TWO Worshiping God for Who He Is WEEK THREE Confession, Repentance, & Freedom in Christ WEEK FOUR The Prayer of the Kingdom WEEK FIVE Listening to God WEEK SIX Boldness, Persistence, & Patience FINAL REFLECTIONS P6 P14 P22 P30 P38 P46 P54 Our life of prayer with God is one of the most important aspects of our walk with Christ, and it can also be simultaneously one of the most frustrating. Often we don t feel very good when it comes to praying. We don t know what to say. We can t find the time. Maybe we re not even sure what prayer really does. These dynamics surrounding prayer are why we at Grace Bible Church want to take an intentional look during these six weeks at what the Scriptures have to teach us about prayer. The goal of this devotional guide is twofold: 1 To provide some structure to our lives of prayer for these 6 weeks. This type of guidance can help when we are unsure of what to say or where to start. We hope this devotional will be a blessing to you and will fuel your discipline. 2 To break down misconceptions and encourage you that prayer is not that complicated after all. It doesn t have to be something we avoid out of intimidation or inadequacy. In fact, a childlike posture of prayerful dependence may be one of the simplest and most enjoyable gifts God wants to give us.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK As we go through the six weeks (1/3-2/7) of our Prayer series here at Grace, Community Group discussion guides are included in the following pages. If you are not currently in a Community Group, visit gracebible.church/groups or email groups@gracebible.church to find your best fit. This book also has five devotionals to do on your own from Monday through Friday each week. Read the devotional and corresponding Scripture. Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts in response to the questions and then dive in to the prayer exercise for that day. With the exception of a few of the daily prayer exercises, each devotional should take about 5-10 minutes.
P6 Do you feel like you are able to be this honest with God in prayer? Why or why not? What can sometimes keep us from opening up our true emotions to God when we pray? How do you think God may be calling you to be more open and honest with him when you pray? In order for this to happen, what would have to change about your view of prayer? About your view of God? WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN What is one emotion you are feeling today? On a scale of 1-10, how strongly are you experiencing that emotion, and why? DISCUSS & APPLY Read Psalm 13:1-6. What stands out to you from this prayer of David? What are some adjectives you would use to describe his prayer, and why? How do you think God reacts to David expressing his heart like this? COMMIT These are 6 weeks at Grace where we are seeking to grow together in our life of prayer and communion with God. This is going to stretch us. We are being called into a deeper level of faith and vulnerability during this season together. Will you commit to being present and engaged during these 6 weeks of group study? Will you commit to taking some risks and trying out things that may not always feel comfortable for you? What might still be holding you back? TOGETHER One more time have someone in the group read Psalm 13 out loud. Have them read it slowly, taking the time to meditate on the words and feel David s emotions coming through. Have each person choose one of the six verses to which they relate most personally. Go around the room having each person read their verse out loud, followed by a short prayer in their own words expressing their heart to God. The leader can conclude the time of prayer by reading v. 5-6 to the group.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Psalm 6:1-10 This week we will be focusing on honesty and authenticity with God when we pray. This particular psalm is a perfect place to start as we see David s soul in painful turmoil questioning God and doubting his promises. When most recently have you felt the way David does in this prayer? Do you feel like you are able to express these kinds of despairing and hopeless emotions with God? Why or why not? How do we see hope towards the end of David s prayer? MONDAY JANUARY 4 Spend 5 minutes talking with God, as if you were having a conversation. Pray to him out loud. Share what you are feeling with him. Do your best to express any frustrations or fears to him.
TUESDAY JANUARY 5 Read Psalm 25:1-22 Anxiety is something we all face in varying degrees. Sometimes our worries can consume us, making it almost impossible to pray or turn toward God. What are some of the emotions David is feeling in this psalm? How can you relate? Why do you think anxiety and fear are such powerful forces in our lives? How do they keep us from trusting God? Read Psalm 100:1-5 Sometimes it is easier to express negative emotions to God than the positive. But often we taste the goodness of God and are overflowing with joy and thankfulness, and we are wondering the best way to express it. It can help to use a psalm like Psalm 100. What are you most thankful for today? Where have you seen the goodness and faithfulness of God in this season of your life? WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6 Read Psalm 25 out loud as a prayer from you to the Lord today, bringing all of your anxiety and worry before the Lord as you read. Use the psalm as a tool to help express those emotions and recommit your way to him. Read slowly, really feeling and emphasizing the words. Look up a worship song that is one of the most meaningful and joyful for you. Listen and sing to it, making the words a prayer in your heart to your heavenly Father. Keep that song in your head throughout today, using it to worship God and thank him continually. (Suggested songs: Good Good Father Housefires; God is Able Hillsong)
Read Ephesians 3:16-21 Read Colossians 1:9-14 THURSDAY JANUARY 7 The only thing more difficult than expressing ourselves to God is communicating our heart to him for others. Luckily, the Bible gives us examples of prayer that we can use to pray for those around us and to talk to God on their behalf. This was Paul s prayer for the Ephesian church. Who might you wish these things for today? If you could pray one thing to happen in the lives of all the people you know, what would it be and why? Use your journal or a piece of paper to list out all of the different things that Paul prays for the church at Colossae. How does this list compare to what you normally might pray and ask from God? What are the similarities or differences? Have you ever felt in a rut when you are praying, asking for the same things, using the same language? Brainstorm some ways you could break out and find fresh ways to engage with God when you pray. FRIDAY JANUARY 8 Which word or phrase stands out to you in this prayer in Ephesians 3? Choose someone in your life who you want to experience more of Christ. Write out a prayer for them today on paper or in a journal. Use the phrases and words that Paul prays for the Ephesians, but make it specific to this person s situation. Take some time to meditate on Colossians 1:9-14. Read it several times. Read it slowly. Read it out loud. Observe the flow of thought. After some time, decide on a verse or two that speaks to you personally and commit it to memory. This may take a few minutes. In the next few days, when you are praying individually, or in a group, or for someone you love, recall this verse from Colossians 1, and feel free to use Paul s language to bring fresh words and ideas into that time of prayer.
P14 WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN Who is someone in your life that you regard highly? What are two specific things that you admire about them? DISCUSS & APPLY Read Luke 11:5-10. What do you think Jesus is trying to communicate to his hearers through this parable? How does this parable shift our view of God s response in our time of need? Read Luke 11:11-13. When a child asks for something, what are all the different factors a good father has to consider in response? Which aspect of a father s heart is Jesus highlighting here? Why do you think he uses this as a picture of God s heart towards us? How would you summarize the view of God that Jesus puts forth in Luke 11? How does this view of God challenge your own perspective when it comes to prayer? Jesus challenges us to ask, seek and knock. What would you personally have to believe about God in order for these 3 words to characterize your life with God? COMMIT Jesus encourages a radical vision of who God is in this passage a good and loving Father who wants to respond when we ask. What is one specific way that your prayers can look different this week because of who God is? TOGETHER It s often easy for us to thank God or ask him for things before we ve taken the time to recognize or worship him for who he is. Take the time as a group to brainstorm the different attributes, names, and descriptions of God. Use these biblical and theological truths in a time of group prayer together, where the focus is on adoring and worshipping God for who he is, not simply on what he has done for us.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Psalm 145:1-21 This week we will be concentrating on praying more God-centered prayers. Psalm 145 contains verse after verse declaring who God is, his goodness and his faithfulness to his people, his power and his righteous works. Would you say that your prayer life is more God-focused or more self-focused, and why? Why do you think it is so difficult for us to be more God-focused when we pray? Look away from Psalm 145, and enter a time of prayer where you praise God simply for who he is. Try not to thank him or ask him for things. Speak the truth of who he is, his character, his qualities. See how long it takes before you get stuck or run out of ideas. Now, reread Psalm 145 out loud with the same goal, but this time use the words of the psalmist to give expression to your worship. How did these two exercises compare? MONDAY JANUARY 11
Read Revelation 5:1-14 Read Job 38:1-41 TUESDAY JANUARY 12 The book of Revelation is a book that unveils the true nature of reality. In this vision in chapter 5, we get a glimpse into the heavenly glory and worth of Jesus. He has conquered through his death and resurrection, and he deserves all praise, all glory, all power and all blessing. What or who are you most tempted to value more than Jesus Christ? In which area of life could you better reflect the worth of Jesus? What could this look like practically for you? Often we forget that our physical body and posture can help be an outward expression of an inward reality. Today as you enter a time of prayer and worship, find a place where you can kneel on the floor before God. As you take this physical posture, bring your heart into spiritual alignment with it. Spend time praising God in this position of humility and reverence, using the song of Revelation 5:12 as a source of inspiration. Much of the book of Job is conversations Job has with his friends surrounding questions of suffering, meaning, and God s purposes. After many rabbit trails and mistaken assumptions, here in chapter 38 God speaks into their speculation. How does reading these verses make you feel? What are some words you would use to describe God as he presents himself in this passage? Today try out a different posture as you pray. In light of the truths of Job 38, position yourself lying face down, completely flat on the ground. Again, as you take this physical posture, bring your heart into spiritual alignment with it. As you declare the glory and greatness of God, let it humble you. As you speak about his sovereignty and power, let it fill you with awe in his presence. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13
THURSDAY JANUARY 14 Read Isaiah 46:8-13 Once more we encounter a passage where God is confronting his people with his own supremacy. Do not receive these words of God as a challenge or a discouragement today. Receive this passage as God s grace to you. He has your life in the palm of his hands. He is in control. And his purposes will prevail. Where in your life today is God saying I am in control, and you are not? How is this good news for you? As your heart takes a posture of prayer today, take 5 minutes to be completely silent and completely still in the presence of God. Be as quiet as possible for these few moments, reflecting on your life and the ways in which God s purposes are higher and his plans are greater than your own. Read Psalm 148:1-14 The Hebrew word hallelujah is repeated multiple times in this psalm. This word is a plural command, calling all of those around to Praise the Lord hallelujah s English translation. Even the created world (the sun and the moon, the mountains and trees) is invited to join the chorus of praise. Everything exists, including you, to sing this hallelujah song. What are three smaller, more subtle things that you are thankful to God for today? What are three larger, more significant things you are thankful to God for today? Choose a song that declares who God is and use it for a time of worship and praise to God through singing. Even if you are not a gifted singer, sing loudly. Join with all creation and shout the praises of our Creator. He is good and His love endures forever. (Suggested songs: The Great I Am New Life; How Great Thou Art Ascend the Hill) FRIDAY JANUARY 15
P22 WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN What is one of your pet peeves something that frustrates you about other people? What is something that frustrates you about yourself? DISCUSS & APPLY When you hear the word confession, what images or associations come to mind and why? What do you think tends to hold us back from confessing our sins to God or to others? Read Psalm 51:1-19. As you look at this prayer of David, how would you describe the state of his soul? What would you say is his goal in confessing these things to God? What is the main thing he hopes will happen or come from it? Which verse in the psalm do you feel you can personally relate to most, and why? What do you personally find most challenging about confession with God in prayer? Why do you think God encourages us to confess anyway? How do you think we sometimes miss out in our relationship with God by not confessing to him? COMMIT What is one specific way that you could make confession a more integral part of praying with God this week? TOGETHER Take 5-7 minutes and have everyone write down an extended prayer of confession to God (make sure everyone knows these will not be read by anyone). Then take turns lighting those pieces of paper with a candle and discarding them in a fireproof container this will take some prior preparation. Before each person comes forward with their confession, have them read Psalm 51:1-2 aloud. When they have finished burning their paper, have them read v. 10-12. Do this for each member of the group.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Psalm 139:23-24 We are entering into a week where we will be focusing on finding freedom in Christ on the other side of confession. Here in Psalm 139, we are confronted with the truth that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He created us, our personality, our temperament. He searches our motivations and our hidden thoughts. He sees what is driving our behavior and subconsciously fueling our emotions. And he wants to reveal these things to us. Who is the one person in your life who knows you the best and the deepest? How do they react when they see aspects of your brokenness? Make these two verses at the end of Psalm 139 your prayer today. Adopt a physical posture of openness whether by extending your hands in front of you or lying on your back with your arms open. Ask God to reveal to you what he sees. Invite him into your anxious thoughts today. MONDAY JANUARY 18
Read James 5:16 Read Romans 5:1-2 TUESDAY JANUARY 19 One of the ways we are healed and restored when we sin against God is by being honest about the way we ve failed with someone else in the body of Christ. This action confronts the lies of shame and opens up an opportunity for us to experience the grace of God in a tangible way. Which is more difficult for you confessing individually to God or confessing to a brother or sister in Christ? Why? Where may there be unconfessed sin in your life? Ask God to show you a place where you could experience healing by being honest and confessing to another Christian. Write out what you need to confess on a small piece of paper, and then reach out to someone close to you to confess. This does not have to be an elaborate process. Feel free to use the phone. After you have confessed, find some way to destroy the small piece of paper. Rip it up. Burn it. Bury it, etc. What phrases in Romans 5:1-2 correspond to the past of anyone who belongs to Jesus? The present? The future? How does faith in Jesus transform our relationship and standing before God? Which of these truths do you need to cling to the most today and why? We have peace with God and we are standing in his grace today through our Lord Jesus Christ. Spend time today praying for anything coming up in the future whether today, this week, this year. As you pray for these various things, use the following form inspired by Romans 5. Lord, pour out your grace on, through Jesus Christ, who is my peace. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 20
Read Romans 8:15-17 Read Philippians 1:9-11 THURSDAY JANUARY 21 The Holy Spirit is the power and presence of God in our lives, and he confirms in our hearts that we are children of God. The Spirit has been given to us as a witness that God is our Father, that he will care for us and provide for us. In what ways are you tempted this week to live as a slave to fear? What do you think it means for you today that God is your Father? What would it look like for you to experience deeper intimacy with God today? This is Paul s succinct prayer for the Philippian church, and it expresses the freedom and purity that can come on the other side of repentance. He prays that knowledge and insight would lead to love. That love would be energized by discernment. And ultimately that discernment would create lives of purity and a people full of righteousness. In what ways do you need discernment in your life right now? How do the people around you need discernment? Who do you know who needs encouragement toward righteousness and purity? FRIDAY JANUARY 22 Ask the Spirit today to give you confirmation that you are a child of God through Christ Jesus. Turn to Luke 15 and meditate on the parable of the Prodigal Son in v. 11-24. Ask God to reveal his love for you. Take this opportunity to pray for your Community Group or the group of Christians you see regularly. Read Paul s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 aloud, and make it a prayer for that community. Focus on this idea of the church being pure and blameless, full of righteousness. After you have prayed it once, pray through it one more time. This time pause after each verse to let God bring to mind how you can pray those things specifically for those people.
P30 WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN Discuss as a group why you think we have kids say the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools, or why we sing the National Anthem at sporting events. What is the purpose of these rituals? DISCUSS & APPLY Read Matthew 6:5-8. How are we tempted to mistreat prayer in these same ways that Jesus audience did? Why do you think it s important that prayer not be to impress others? Read Matthew 6:9-13. Why do you think this prayer is so famous (other than the fact that Jesus taught it)? What is so unique and attractive about the words and concepts Jesus presents here that it has stuck through the centuries? If you knew someone was shaped by this prayer, what qualities would you expect them to exhibit? How would you expect them to act? Which of the aspects or elements of Jesus prayer would you say your life is least shaped by? How do you think a consistent engagement with the Lord s Prayer would begin to reshape and reform that area of your life? COMMIT Would you commit to praying this Kingdom Prayer every morning this week before you start your day? At the end of each day, look for one moment where God was giving you an opportunity to live it out. TOGETHER Take 10 minutes for each group member to spend rewriting the Lord s Prayer in their own words. You can personalize it, simplify it, lengthen it whatever resonates with you. Then have the leader read each of the 5 elements of the prayer in v. 9-13, pausing after each verse. During the pause, have the group read out their own versions of that particular petition. Do this for each verse.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Matthew 6:9 This week we will be taking a closer look at each of the different parts of the Lord s Prayer. Today we are looking at v. 9: Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. We live under the care of a loving Father. Our lives and our world exist to bring him glory. This is the first petition that shapes the lives of people who are loyal to King Jesus. We recognize that we do not live for ourselves, but that God might be glorified. Sanctified. Hallowed. Treasured. Famous. And as we do that, as we take our eyes off of ourselves and place them on our Creator, we trust that he is our Father, who loves us. Is there anything in your life that is clearly opposed to God s glory? Are there things you are doing that could be for God s glory, but you are doing them with a selfish intent? MONDAY JANUARY 25 Pray the full Lord s Prayer today, v. 9-13. Pray slowly, taking your time, meditating on the words and focusing intently on the God who is listening. Specifically ask God to help your life be shaped today by this first petition in v. 9. For example, there may be an instance where you have the opportunity to trust that God is taking care of you as your Father. Or an opportunity to bring God glory in some practical way.
Read Matthew 6:10 Read Matthew 6:11 TUESDAY JANUARY 26 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. God is writing a much larger story than our own individual lives, and he is inviting our hearts to be wrapped up in it. His kingdom is breaking in all around us. His will is prevailing in the world. And all of this is happening as the people of God usher the King into the ordinary places of their lives through prayer. Where is one place around you that you already see God s will prevailing? What is one way you d like to see the kingdom of God break in around you where it hasn t yet? Do you think praying for that thing would make a difference, why or why not? Give us today our daily bread. From the most significant of kingdom movements to the most pragmatic realities of human provision, God wants us to bring our requests to him. This petition shapes how we approach the very concrete, everyday needs that we have. Food is something given to us by God. All that we have is from his hand, all that we need he will provide. Looking back on your life, how have you seen the provision of God for you in the past? What is one thing you are trusting him to provide for the future? Do you think it is important to distinguish between a want and a need when we ask God to provide? Why or why not? WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27 Pray the Lord s Prayer again today. Specifically ask God to help your life be shaped today by this second petition in v. 10. Pray that you would be a part of the kingdom of God breaking in or the will of God being established in some practical way. As you pray the Lord s Prayer today, focus in on v. 11. Ask God to help your life be shaped today by this petition. There may be some way that God providentially provides you with something that you need, at the exact time you need it.
Read Matthew 6:12 Read Matthew 6:13 THURSDAY JANUARY 28 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. We find ourselves in debt to those around us in so many different ways. Generosity not expressed. Love not shown. A commitment not followed through. As God forgives our debts to him and to others, we are enabled to live lives of grace toward those around us. What is a debt that you have outstanding toward someone in your life? What is one that someone has outstanding toward you? How could you see the joy of kingdom forgiveness take root in both of these situations? And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This petition marks out the people of God as those who live lives of purity and stand against evil in the world. Guidance into truth. Deliverance from the enemy. As God redeems us to be children of light, he pierces and pushes back the kingdom of darkness through our prayerful persistence. Where do you see darkness being pushed back in your own life? In what ways do you think God wants to lead you into his deliverance moving forward with him? FRIDAY JANUARY 29 As you pray the Lord s Prayer today, focus in on v. 12. Ask God to help your life be shaped today by this petition. Ask that you would have an opportunity to show grace to someone around you. As you pray the Lord s Prayer today, specifically ask God to help your life be shaped today by this petition in v. 13. Pray that God protects you from evil and leads you to choose holiness over disobedience.
P38 WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN Who is one person you know who is a great listener in conversation? What makes them a great listener? DISCUSS & APPLY What do you think people mean when they say that God speaks to us? Do you feel that God has ever spoken to you? How did you know? Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10. What do you think the LORD was trying to teach Samuel in this short episode? What can we learn from this passage or from Samuel about hearing from God? Read 1 Samuel 3:11-21. How do we see the theme of listening or openness in the rest of this story? Speak, for your servant is listening. Would you say that this statement describes your own relationship with God, why or why not? What do you think it looks like for someone to adopt this type of posture towards God? COMMIT What is a specific time in your daily routine for this week when you could intentionally slow down and spend time listening to what God might speak to you? TOGETHER Spread out in the area where you are meeting and have each person find a quiet spot to themselves. Take 10 minutes in silence to listen to God, seeing what he might bring to your mind or lay on your heart. If you get a specific impression, make sure to note it or write it down. Then gather back together and have some people share what they think God might have been speaking to them during that time.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Psalm 46:1-11 This week we will be taking time as we pray to listen and to hear from God. Communication goes both ways, and it is the same as we communicate with God in prayer. One of the most well-known passages about this posture of stillness is here in Psalm 46. There is something about slowing down, about stillness that leads us to a deeper knowledge of who God is. Why do you think we have such a difficult time being still in our world today? Take 10 minutes today to act out v. 10, and be still in the presence of God. Don t feel the need to say anything, to do anything, or even to hear anything during this time. Simply quiet your heart and mind, and in the stillness acknowledge that God is God. MONDAY FEBRUARY 1
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2 Read John 10:27 Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. Our well-being is dependent upon hearing and following his voice, and so we listen. We wait. We are ready to move when he calls. How has God typically spoken to you in your life? Through what means does he usually lead you? Take the time to memorize this short verse in John 10 today. Let it be an encouragement to you as you prayerfully follow our Shepherd, and listen to his voice. Read Isaiah 30:19-22 This passage shares with us the words of God to his people Israel as he graciously reaches out to them in their rebellion and idolatry. His invitation is the same for us today even when we wander, even when we fall, if we would simply turn towards him and cry for help, he will answer. He will speak, and show us the way. Is it usually difficult for you to make decisions, especially if they are significant? How are these verses an encouragement to you? WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3 Process with the Lord today a decision that you have coming up in the near future. It could be big or it could be small. Find a journal or a notepad and take some time to write out a prayer as you bring the decision to God. Be honest with your fears. Be open to how God may lead. And trust that He may be working in small and subtle ways to say to you, This is the way; walk in it.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4 Read Psalm 32:8-10 Our hardness of heart and stubborn inability to pay attention can often make it difficult for God to guide us in our lives. He doesn t want to have to knock us off our horse. He wants to counsel us, to teach us and show us the way to go. Sometimes the only question is: Are we open to it? When is the last time you made a decision or took an action that felt directed by the Lord? What is one practical way you could be more open to God daily speaking and leading you? Take a moment to ask God to show you where you are being stubborn, or where your heart is hardened towards Him. Then take 5 minutes and be silent. Listen for what he might say, or what he might reveal. After this time of silence, conclude your prayer time by asking for breakthrough in your heart and in your life in whatever way He may have brought to light. Read James 1:5-8 Here in this passage James calls us to confidence in the God who gives generously to us when we ask for wisdom. So often we are filled with nagging or subconscious doubts, blown about, back and forth like wind on a bridge. Imagine what it would look like for us to be stable. Imagine what might happen if we were single-minded. How has doubt played a role in your prayer life? Decide on a place in your life where you are lacking wisdom, where you need guidance from the Lord. Spend some time today asking him for it. And then exercise the muscles of belief, trusting that God will give it to you generously. What would it look like to move forward with full confidence that God is leading you? FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
P46 WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE OPEN Tell a story of a time growing up when you quit or gave up at something. Did you regret it in the end, why or why not? DISCUSS & APPLY Describe a time in your life when you became disillusioned with God because of prayers that went unanswered. In what ways does this type of experience weaken our faith in God? How does it affect our view of him and his character? Read Luke 18:1-8. What stands out to you in this parable? How does Jesus want this story of the persistent widow to impact our lives of prayer? What holds us back from being bold and persistent in our prayers? What does our hesitancy reveal about our view of God? COMMIT What is something that you at one time prayed for but have since given up on when it went unanswered? Will you intentionally pray for that thing each day this week? TOGETHER Have each group member share one big prayer they are currently praying. Stand up in a circle and move around to each person, having everyone pray for their own significant request. After this, go around the circle a 2nd time and have each person pray for that request again. Do this one more time, for a total of 3 times around the circle. If you can, encourage people to become bolder with each round of prayers.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL Read Hebrews 4:14-16 There is a boldness for approaching God set forward in the New Testament that is unprecedented in the history of the people of God. Because Jesus is our Great High Priest, we can come to God with complete and utter confidence that he will receive us, that he will listen, that he will draw near. What sometimes holds you back from going to God with confidence? Where do you need grace from God today? Take this opportunity to pray as boldly and confidently as you can manage. Pray that God would meet you in the midst of your need. Pray out loud. Pray with energy and volume. Pray as one who prays through Jesus our Great High Priest. MONDAY FEBRUARY 8
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9 Read John 16:24 There s something about asking and receiving from God through prayer that fuels our intimacy with him and completes our joy. It s why Jesus encourages us to ask even bigger and bolder things of God. Sometimes, our asking might as well not even be called asking. We don t expect him to answer, or we ask with wrong motives for things that go against the character of God and the name of Jesus. Where is your joy lacking? How could a renewed commitment to asking and receiving from God reinvigorate your joy? Take some time to brainstorm what you think might be prayers that would constitute truly asking in Jesus mind. A prayer with the vision and authority of the Kingdom. A prayer in line with God s character. Choose one of these, and with a heart full of faith ask your heavenly Father. After every few sentences or during each pause, repeat the phrase in the name of Jesus, that my joy would be full. Read John 15:1-8 A life of confidence and patience in prayer only happens when we are abiding in Christ, attached to him as our source of life and growth. If we remain in him, we will bear much fruit. What is the difference do you think, if any, between abiding and praying? How does the perspective of John 15 help us when we are dealing with unanswered prayer? Do something today that helps keep you connected to Jesus as our Vine, our source of life. Read. Meditate. Go for a walk. Serve someone in your house. You choose today how you might best be rooted in Christ. Whatever you do, do it with a prayerful and humble heart. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11 Read Philippians 4:10-13 The sufficiency of Christ is the key to our contentment, including when our prayers seem to go unanswered. Even when we are facing insurmountable challenges, and God does not take them away. Christ gives us strength. Christ gives us patience. Where are you struggling for contentment right now? How have you seen in your own life that Christ is, as Paul says, the secret to being content no matter what is happening around you? Read Hebrews 11:32-40 So much of prayer is future oriented. We are waiting and longing for the day when Christ returns to make things right, for on that day His glory will flood the earth and he will satisfy every one of our desires. On this side of the new creation, there will always be something that we have not yet received. There will always be a promise yet to be fulfilled. This is the tension in which every one of the saints has lived, in their lives of prayer or otherwise. Thank God for the privilege of approaching him in prayer, and for all of the times he has spoken to you during these 6 weeks. Ask him to bring to mind all of the different ways you have grown over the course of this study. And write down some of the truths and practices you will take with you in the months ahead. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12 Take 10 minutes and write out a list of anything you are grateful for in your life, whether big or small, significant or subtle. Try not to stop brainstorming or writing until the time is up. Turn this list into a prayer of thanksgiving to God, and ask him to grant you contentment in light of all that he has given you.
P54 FINAL REFLECTIONS GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL What is one of the main things you learned during these 6 weeks? How has your prayer life been affected? Your relationship with God? Which prayer exercises were the most meaningful? The most challenging? The most encouraging? The most awkward? What are 1-2 takeaways that you want to incorporate into your life of prayer going forward beyond this study?