Imagine Immeasurably More- Week 1

TEXT: Luke 11:1-4 & Matthew 6:5-13

Icebreaker: Go around the group and have each person share something they enjoyed doing during the holidays while rGroups were in the offseason.

Ask each person why they joined a group and what they hope God does in their life through this season.

Study:

1- Have you ever prayed for something crazy that you may not have believed God would answer, but later you realized He answered it? Share with the group.

2- If you could ask God for anything in your life right now, what would it be?

3- What is the most difficult aspect of prayer for you personally? (e.g. actually doing it, being consistent, knowing how to pray, knowing what to pray...etc.)

PROXIMITY: WE NEED TO BE CLOSE TO GOD TO HEAR GOD

4- What are some things you have put into practice in the past that have helped you to be close to God in your prayer life? (e.g. kneeling, reading the Bible, being quiet, writing instead of talking...etc.)

PRESENCE: PRAYER IS ABOUT WHO WE ARE WITH, NOT JUST WHAT WE SAY

5- Why do you think that Jesus says “do not heap up empty words and phrases”? 

6- Knowing that prayer is about being with God, when are some good times in your day that you can spend alone with God in prayer?

POWER: KNOWING THE POWER AVAILABLE US TO CHANGES THE WAY WE PRAY

7- Why do you think the ways we see and understand God impact the way we pray?

8- How does the idea of God as seated in heaven, calm and in control, make you feel?

FREQUENCY: PRAYER IS ABOUT BEING WITH GOD OFTEN

9- Why do you think Jesus told His disciples to ask for their “daily bread” rather than asking God to provide for the entirety of their lives?

DEPENDENCE: PRAYER IS A SIGN THAT WE NEED GOD

10- Jesus models that we cannot get out of or even avoid bad situations on our own. Instead, we have to rely on God to deliver us from evil and temptations. Why do we usually try to do it all ourselves?

11- How do you hope these next few weeks studying prayer can help your relationship with God? 

Next Steps:

12- What is 1 thing we discussed that you can spend the next week focusing on in your prayer life?

13- What is something that you are going to ask God for in prayer this week?

• Leader Note: It would be a cool idea to write down what people in your group are asking God for. Then come back to them at the end of each rGroup time over the next few weeks and see how God might be answering prayers! 

14- Jesus taught His disciples HOW to pray, not WHAT to pray. How will you pray differently going forward after studying the Lord’s Prayer this week?