Discussion Starters:
How do you prefer to communicate with people:
phone, text, Instagram, or another way?
Why and How Do I Pray?
What situations lead you to pray?
Prayer is the most important activity of our lives.
1. What is Christian prayer?
“For through [Jesus]
we both have access
to the Father by one Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:18
Prayer is . . .
To the Father
- “... to your father” (Matthew 6:6)
- “... in heaven” (v.9)
Through the Son
- “I have called you friends” (John 15:15)
By the Spirit
- “... the Spirit helps us” (Romans 8:26)
2. Why pray?
When we pray, we experience . . .
- a Relationship with God
- the Rewards of prayer (Matthew 6:6)
- Presence of God
- Peace (Philippians 4:6–7)
- Perspective
- Power
- the Results of prayer (Matthew 7:7–11)
“When I pray,
coincidences happen,
and when I don’t,
they don’t.”
William Temple
Former Archbishop of Canterbury
Is there a place where you can begin to write down your prayers?
3. Does God always answer prayer?
- Yes—you receive what you prayed for, sometimes immediately.
- No—sometimes an obvious reason why not; other times we may not understand straight away why the answer is no.
- Wait—for the right timing.
When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark,
you don't throw away the ticket and jump off.
You sit still and trust the engineer."
Corrie Ten Boom
4. How do we pray?
- Thank you—count your blessings, not your problems.
- Sorry—confess your sins (John 13:6–10).
- Please—“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11): ask for whatever you need.
5. When should we pray?
- Anywhere. Anytime. (Ephesians 6:18)
- Alone (Matthew 6:6)
- Regular pattern
- Best part of the day (Mark 1:35)
- With others
- There’s power in praying together
- “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19)
Three simple tips:
- Keep it real
- Keep it simple
- Keep it going
Discussion
- What did you think or feel about the talk?
- Have you ever tried praying? How did it go?
- What do you think about the idea of God answering prayer?
- Have you ever prayed and a coincidence happened?
Further Discussion
- In the talk, various reasons for praying are given. Which of these do you relate to and why?
Recommended Reading
- God on Mute by Pete Greig
- What About Other Religions? by Nicky Gumbel
