Prayer, Part 1
Anthony Fusco
Part of Small Groups—Questions
October 13, 2024

OVERVIEW OF SCRIPTURE

Prior to group, get a better understanding of the overall biblical text with these resources.

Main Scripture: Matthew 6:5–8

Introduction to Matthew: Click here for a brief summary on the Gospel of Matthew.

KNOW

Allow these questions to help you better understand what Scripture says contextually.

Of all the people groups on earth, none has ever been so favored by God or had as much direct communication with Him as the Jewish nation. Romans 3:2 tells us that they were even “entrusted with the oracles of God.” And yet, instead of knowing how to communicate with Him, their prayers had become corrupted by rabbinic tradition. Their prayers were ritualized and routine. The same words were often read or repeated at specified times throughout the day and said simply out of habit. The Pharisees’ goal in praying was not to converse with God, but to elevate themselves in the eyes of others.

READ AND FOCUS ON MATTHEW 6:5–6
Read Matthew 6:5, 7 and Mark 12:40, review the various warnings Jesus provided regarding how NOT to pray.

  • What always lies at the root of such prayers? Reference the parable Jesus tells in Luke 18:9-14.

Read Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, and Luke 22:41.

  • Contrast the warnings in the above verses with how Jesus Himself prayed to His Father in heaven, even noting his physical stance.
  • What are the benefits of praying “in secret” and why does God want us to do this?
  • Why is praying with the intent of propping ourselves up before others the direct opposite to the very purpose of prayer?

When it comes to public prayer…

  • Does this mean praying in public, corporately, or in front of others is wrong?
  • Reference Mattthew 14:19, Luke 3:21, and Luke 10:21-23. Taking another look at Jesus’ example, what do you think?
  • What is the difference between appropriate public prayer and the prayers Jesus warns us about in Matthew 6?

READ AND FOCUS ON MATTHEW 6:7
Pastor Anthony mentioned that the Greek word for “meaningless repetition” in Verse 7 is “battalogeoe,” meaning “idle, thoughtless chatter.”

  • Do you ever find that your prayers have unintentionally become “thoughtless chatter” or that you seem to echo the same sentiments day after day without putting much thought or devotion into your time with God? Why do you think this is?
  • Does this mean we cannot repeat our requests or be persistent?
  • Reference Luke 18:1-8 and Matthew 26:39-44. What is the difference between these two scenarios versus meaningless repetition?

READ AND FOCUS ON MATTHEW 6:8
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

  • Have you ever questioned the need to pray if God already knows everything about us and knows everything that we need?
  • With your group, review what we learned this week regarding why God still desires our prayers despite being omniscient. Reference 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 145:18, Psalm 86:5, Ephesians 6:18.

GROW

These questions are geared towards application of Scripture and Sunday’s message.

Considering your personal prayer life…

  • Prior to today’s message, what has been your view or understanding of prayer?
  • What is the purpose of prayer in our relationship with God?
  • Has prayer been a priority for you?
  • What struggles (if any) do you have when it comes to praying?
  • How can prayer change our hearts to be aligned with His?

Unanswered prayer can be difficult to deal with, every believer has experienced it…

  • Have you ever prayed for something so hard and for such a long period of time, and yet it never came to fruition the way that you had hoped or envisioned?
  • Have you ever desperately petitioned God for a particular request which appeared by all intents and purposes to align biblically to what is right, and yet, you received no response? Perhaps you did receive an answer, but it ran directly counter to your true desires. Did this circumstance affect your view of prayer or even of God Himself? If so, how?
  • What do Isaiah 55:8-9, Ecclesiastes 11:5, and John 16:33 remind us of when we just don’t understand the workings or answers of God?

This week, we learned how NOT to pray. When you pray:

  • Do you ever find yourself attempting to impress God?
  • Do you use “Christianese” and speak to God in a completely different manner in which you speak to other people? Do you use specific phrases or words with the goal of appearing knowledgeable and biblically savvy? How do you think God actually wants us to converse with Him?
  • Do you try to sugarcoat your sin and make yourself appear better than you truly are? What do the following verses teach us about this, Hebrews 4:13, Jeremiah 23:24, Proverbs 28:13, and Psalm 32:5?

Think about how you pray…

  • Do you ever find yourself trying to manipulate God?
  • Have you ever attempted to bargain with God or tried to utilize scripture to obtain what you want?
  • John 14:13-14 is often misused for this very purpose. What does Jesus mean in these verses when He tells us to ask for anything “in His name?” What is the ultimate goal here as mentioned at the end of verse 13? How does this differ greatly from the warning provided in James 4:3?

We can and are instructed to bring all our requests to God (Philippians 4:6) because He cares greatly for our needs and concerns (Matthew 6:26); however…

  • Do you ever find yourself mainly just rattling off a big list of requests, be it for yourself or for those that you love?
  • What are we missing out on if we attempt to forge our own path forward by thinking that we always know best what we need? Reference Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, and Ephesians 3:20.

GO

Take a next step and put your faith into action!

As you move forward this week, consider the following regarding your own personal prayer life.

  • After hearing the message this week, has anything changed in regards to how you perceive prayer overall?

Jesus models the importance of getting alone with our heavenly Father. Consider the benefits of talking with someone one-on-one, focused, free of distractions, and uninterrupted.

  • How do you need to apply these same principles to your prayer life moving forward?

PRAYER

Pray for one another and bring your requests to God.

Northwest Prayer Highlight: Pray for:

  • Those impacted by the recent hurricanes in the South.
  • Interested in helping? See how you can help here.

Prayer Team:
Interested in praying with and for others. Learn more by reaching out to us through prayer@nwbible.org.

Small Group Prayer Requests: Take some time to gather prayer requests from the group. Have someone write these down to see how God moves and answers prayer.