The Truest Christian Prayer

SERMON VIDEO: *See Lifegroup questions below

Please click on link below to download and print Lifegroup questions.

1. Let’s begin with the most honest of questions – what is your prayer life like? What are the things you prayer for? Do you have a plan or a process in your praying? Do you set times aside for prayer?
2. In my message, I said that “Conversations are words for human interaction, but prayer is a spiritual relationship with God.” Think about that for a minute and ask yourself, “What’s the difference?”
3. If Paul’s prayer is ultimately, “an intimate desire for depth of relationship” reflecting Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount about being with our Father in the secret place, what does that conjure up in your thinking?
4. Jesus seemed to do a lot of sneaking. He found that He had to! People constantly were seeking Him out, so He had to get away by Himself to be with the Father. What does that tell you about Jesus and the Father? Does it answer the questions about why pray in the first place?
5. I said, Paul’s specific prayer “can’t be prayed until love reigns” in the heart. Does seem a bit harsh, or realistic? Why, or why not?
6. The gospel transformed them. Plain and simple. They were a changed people. And they loved. If they were listening to the Beatles “all you need is love” they would have said, duh! They had it for all the saints in buckets! Not perfect in the way many think of perfection, but authentic, relational, deep and meaningful. And now this church could pray this prayer? What about us?
7. I said it was “a prayer for pilgrims whose journey is glorious, and not for settlers who have a cabin the woods.” What is the image I’m trying to portray? What are the implications for us?
8. I said that Paul essentially, is praying for two things (1) knowledge (9-10), and (2) Power (11-12a). What does it mean to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding? And what does it mean to be strengthened with all power?
9. This is not an unloving prayer dispensing with the details of life, rather, it is a deeper prayer for character change that embraces personal details in praying for one another. So let me ask, finally, what is this praying asking us to pray for each other? What would it mean to pray for your self, your spouse, family, work mates, pew mates, and enemies?
10. Memorize this prayer and allow it to form your praying this week.