Basic Training - Pivotal Prayer: Next Steps

Message Summary

God speaks to his children primarily through His word, the Bible. We speak to God in prayer and so develop a dialogue with our loving Heavenly Father. God desires complete transparency and honesty in our thoughts and talks with Him (Ps 51:6). But our hearts are also “deceitful above all things” (Jer 17:9), so honesty and real engagement with God are challenging. Yet, God wants to help us with that. We can ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and guide us into truth (Ps 139:23-24, Jn 16:13). And God teaches us how to pray through His word and the work of the Holy Spirit (Matt 6:5-15, John 14:26. Finally, we can ask God to empower our prayers (Ephesians 3:14-16) and empower change within us and our circumstances. But are we willing to align with His will?

1 - When and where do you normally pray? What helps you to keep your prayer life fresh?

2 - Can you recall God answering a specific prayer for you? Could you share that experience with the group?

Consider This

1 - When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, it wasn’t intended to become a dry monologue, rather a vibrant exchange with God (Matthew 6:5-15)
Read Matthew 6:5-15 and list principles about prayer that you find in this passage

a. Do’s

b. Don’ts

More Principles of Pivotal Prayer

2 - What gives us the right to pray to the Creator of the universe? (John 1:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 Timothy 2:5)

a. How confident are you when you pray?

3 - What can you gain through prayer according to James 1:5 and Jeremiah 33:3? Can you give an example of this type of prayer from your life?

4 - Read James 4:2-3. What two things should you avoid when it comes to prayer?

5 - Will the Lord always listen to the prayers of His children? What might hinder our prayers according to the following: Psalm 66:18, 1 Peter 3:7, Mark 11:25, and James 1:6-8?

6 - God always answers prayer, yes, no, and wait. Abraham waited 25 years for God to answer his promise of a son. How can we increase our faith when it is running low according to Romans 10:17?

7 - According to 1 John 5:14, why else would God answer a prayer with a no?

8 - Read Mark 11:24, Matthew 7:7-11, 21:22. Have you ever decided to stand on these promises and wait for God to answer a particular prayer? How did that work for you?

9 - 1 Thes. 5:17 says to “pray continually.” What does this mean? How could you apply it to your life?

10 - Why is group (small group) prayer important according to Acts 4:23-31 (especially verse 31)? Do you pray regularly with others? If not, how might you kick that into gear?

11 - How is prayer involved in sharing the Good News with others according to Romans 10:1, Matthew 9:37-38, Col. 4:2-4?

Moving Forward

Another cool way to pray is to pray scriptures to God, personalizing them for yourself or other believers.

1 - List some ways we can pray for other believers according to the following.

a. Colossians 1:9-12

b. Ephesians 3:14-19

2 - Thanksgiving is an essential part of prayer. Read Ephes 5:20 and Psalm 100:4. This week focus on thanking God for the blessings and answers to prayer He has provided for you.

3 - Read Psalm 145:1-6, 1 Chron. 29:11, and Psalm 9:1-2. Why is praise also an essential component of prayer? Can you open your prayers with praise of a specific aspect of God’s character or actions from these verses each day this week?