A Church That Cares: Prayer

In Sunday School and in the sermon this week, we started a new series: A Church That Cares. This week we focused on prayer. As a family, review the Sunday School Scripture (Acts 12:5,11-17; James 5:16, Matthew 6:9-13, and Job 42:10) and sermon notes and Scripture (Matt 21:10-22). 

Review the MEMORY VERSE: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 NIV

In our corporate worship service, Pastor Jamey taught us to:

1. Pray with clarity
   
2. Pray continually
   
3. Pray congregationally
   
4. Pray compassionately
   
5. Pray with conviction
   

Pastor Jamey emphasized that a church that cares will pray for one another. And a church that prays for one another will show they care. Have you prayed for your church family today?

READ John 15:1-8, then finish by reading verses 7 & 8 carefully again.

DISCUSS:

What promise does Jesus make regarding prayer in verse 7?

What are the conditions for this promise in verse 7 (the IF statement)?

According to verse 8, why does God answer prayer?

In his book Desiring God, preacher and author John Piper discusses the issue of prayer using the passage from John 15. Piper points out that “we are really paralyzed. Without Christ, we are capable of no good. But according to John 15:5, God intends for us to do something good – namely, bear fruit. So Jesus promises to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. How do we take part in this? We pray! We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves – bear fruit. Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy.”

DISCUSS:

Why don’t we pray as much as we should? What are the obstacles to prayer in my life?

What are the benefits to prayer?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

As Christians, we are called to pray continually, without ceasing. Prayer is not an event with a specific starting and stopping point. Prayer is a lifestyle. It’s like breathing – in and out, all the time. What can you do to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer?

THIS WEEK:

Make an effort to add prayer into your daily schedule. If you already do this, add more times of prayer. Attempt to make prayer such a priority in your life that prayer becomes more of a lifestyle than an activity. When are some practical time during your day that you could pray? (Ideas: in the car, with the kids, on the phone with a friend, out loud when a person requests it, etc)