Lord, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer. —Psalm 5:3 (NCV)

Quiet time with God

Read God’s Word.

Be quiet before God.

Talk with God.

Review my day and goals with God.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:” —Matthew 6:7-9 (NLT)

Praying for daily change

The Prayer of Connection.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” —Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

1. Think about how much God loves me.

The Prayer of Surrender.

“…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” —Matthew 6:10 (NIV)

2. Offer all my life to be used for his purposes.

The Prayer of Trust.

“Give us today our daily bread.” —Matthew 6:11 (NIV)

3. Tell God I’m expecting him to meet all my needs.

The Prayer of Forgiveness.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” —Matthew 6:12 (NIV)

4. Receive God’s forgiveness and release others.

The Prayer of Protection.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” —Matthew 6:13 (NIV)

5. Ask God for strength to reach my goals.

The Prayer of Victory.

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” —Matthew 6:13 (NKJV)

6. Thank God for ultimate victory.

Discussion Questions:

Look up Psalm 1:1-2. The word “meditate” means to “chew the cud.” We know it as the word “ruminate.” Just as livestock do when they chew their cud, we are to slowly and repeatedly digest God’s Word. In what ways have you “ruminated” God’s Word in the past?

“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10. “Be still” can also be translated as “Let go.” How are these two phrases connected? Why would “letting go”/”being still” be important before God? What can you do to be still?

Why is letting go of guilt and resentment important for healthy relationships? Reflection: Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need forgiveness from?

Romans 8:38-39 tells us what can separate us from God’s love. What circumstances allow it? How does knowing this make you more than a conqueror (vs. 37)? How does this mindset affect how you pray?

Group activity: Today, Pastor Jeff taught us a template of how to pray using the Lord’s prayer. The 6 prayers were: Prayer of Connection, Prayer of Surrender, Prayer of Trust, Prayer of Forgiveness, Prayer of Protection, and Thanking God for the Ultimate Victory. As a group, each person takes one of these components and prays, out loud, their prayer. (Note: more than one component can be repeated and not all six have to be done in this particular setting.)

Going deeper: This week, as Pastor Jeff challenged us, have your daily quiet times. What time of day will you have them? Where is a place that will be quiet for you to have them? If you don’t know where to start, do this: find out the date, and read that chapter in Proverbs. For example, tomorrow is the 24th. Therefore, mediate and pray over Proverbs 24.