Pray for your members, one by one, name by name. Ask God to be a realized presence in the midst of your group time. Ask God to transform each individual, each family and the whole group in some way because of your collective desire to become people marked by prayer. Pray for other groups as well.
Thaw (ice-breaker!)
- Who in the group can remember something they prayed for as a child? Will you share what it was?
- Did you have any memorized prayers for specific things like before a meal, during some ritual or before bed?
- What struck you the most about Sunday morning?
- Was there anything that you left you with unresolved issues?
Leader note: In light of the fact that we will be exploring some deep philosophical issues about the nature of "future events" and the sovereignty of God, there will likely be some significant head-scratching going on, for some. Don't feel like you have to answer the questions that arise, let alone do so in one meeting. Allow the questions to float out there, make sure the group is asking good questions, and embrace the long term journey of discovery that you an the group have signed up for in LifeGroup. Resolution isn't as important as allowing each other to process the deepest things through discussion, meditation, study and prayer over the long haul.
Discuss
- Respond as a group to this quote:
"Prayer does not change the purpose of God. But prayer does change the action of God." -Chuck Smith
Read
- Luke 11:1-13
- Initial thoughts?
Leader note: Note that this is the second version of what we call the "Lord's Prayer" (why isn't it called the disciple's prayer, since He taught it to them???). Upon seeing this, you will note that the wording is different. Either Jesus got the prayer wrong, as compared to Matthew's gospel and the version you likely have committed to memory, or it wasn't about the exact wording as much as it was about the structure.
The following parable Jesus uses to discuss prayer might be simplified to say, "if you can get your grumpy neighbor out of bed to help you in a pinch, how much more a perfect God that wants to bless you?" Or, "if imperfect and even evil dads give their kids good things upon request, how much more the perfect Father His kids?" You would be well within reality to imagine Jesus telling this story with a smile on His face, and His listeners laughing at the ill-prepared dummy that gets what he was after in the parable. This is, really, great news about our persistence and a God that can moved.
- What do you think of Jewish disciples, already having a firm jewish spirituality, asking Jesus to teach them to pray?
- What do you think made them request that?
- What is Jesus teaching His disciples, and us, by not just answering their request for training, but going on to tell a story of how to get a seemingly unwilling neighbor to give in and help?
- What's something that you "banged on the door" about with God in your life?
- How long did you repeat this request?
- How were you shaped in the process of persistent prayer?
- How did it turn out?
- What been for might there be for God toward us in making us be persistent?
- If the future is fixed and unchangeable, and God isn't actually moved by persistent prayer, does Luke 11 still make sense?
- If the future is not fixed, and is full of possibilities, and God is wise beyond compare and has the final word on the outcome of all things yet hasn't written all future events like a script, then what is your view of Luke 11?
Apply
- Followers of God are assuming that they have been invited into the redemption of the world, starting with their own heart and radiating outward into the lives of others. What are some things that you would be willing to share with the rest of the group that needs covered in the effective prayer of others?
Leader note: Try and keep this contained within the immediate lives of the members of the group. This can often turn into a gossip session or into the issues of other people's lives. Do what you can to make this about praying for the lives of those within the group. Additionally, it would be a great idea to write down these requests on small index cards or on a list somehow to revisit what is shared in the weeks and months to come. If we just pray once, we miss the point of Luke 11, and therefore relegate prayer to a single shot into a fixed blueprint. Resolve to bang down the door for each other, persistently and repeatedly, and watch the realm of possibilities open by the God who answers and responds to prayer.
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