BUILT DIFFERENT WEEK 4: THOUGHTS & PRAYERS
One of Lifehouse’s core values states that we will “pray like everything depends on God.” Now, if you are reading and using this study guide, you probably are in complete agreement with this statement. We should pray like everything depends on God. We would say we believe it and that it should be practiced. But do we? Do we live our lives in such a way that they reflect our agreement with this core value of the church? As we are talking about having a well-formed, deeply rooted, and fully devoted life through following Jesus, one of the keys (if not the most important discipline) is this discipline of prayer.
For those of us who are in some kind of intimate relationship, how awkward would it be if you just simply sat and looked at that person? Aside from it just being weird, we would be left to try and figure out (just from body language and facial expression) exactly what the other person was trying to tell us, and they would be trying to do the exact same thing with us. It seems silly, and it wouldn’t work very well when it came to building that relationship. But too often, that is exactly how we treat our relationship with God.
God wants to be in relationship with you and me, and prayer is the most basic way of communicating in that relationship. There is nothing hard or strange about praying. It is simply talking to and with God. And like any good relationship, it requires both speaking and listening. We are invited to share our thoughts, hurts, hang-ups, victories, and defeats with God, but in turn we need to able to allow God to speak back to our spirit through his Holy Spirit.
So, what does an active prayer life do for us? It awakens us to God’s presence. When we are praying and listening, we are aware that God speaks. It makes us available to God’s mission. When we know what he is saying to us, we can follow his direction and become available for what he wants to do in us and through us. I once had someone tell me that praying should be like talking to your best friend, and I believe that is a clear and simple way to look at it.
However, if you still aren’t sure about how to pray, Jesus gives us a blueprint for this. In Matthew 6, we have the section of scripture known commonly as The Lord’s Prayer. In these four short verses, Jesus gives us a tutorial on how to pray. They are not merely words for us to repeat, but a template we can use to speak to our Heavenly Father. Start with recognizing and establishing who God is in your life, giving him thanks for what has done and is doing in your life. Then invite him daily into your life through submitting your life to his desires. Ask him for what you need and for forgiveness as needed. Then giving him all the glory, just talk with him as you would a good friend.
But be intentional! Build a rhythm of prayer into your daily routine. Stay thankful and ask God for open doors to share, then listen so that God can speak his will and words into your life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Define the word prayer for yourself. What does it mean to you to pray?
Read Colossians 4:2-6. What does it mean to devote yourself to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart?
How can an active prayer life help us in having our conversations be gracious (full of grace) and attractive to others?
Read Matthew 6:7-13. What are the different aspects of prayer we see Jesus instructing us to use as we pray? How can this help us when we struggle in prayer?
Why is it so important that our prayer life consist not only of talking, but also of listening?