For further thought and discussion:
Getting Started
1. What was helpful to you in this week’s sermon? What didn’t you understand?
2. Do you gravitate towards freedom (“I’ll figure out how to do it myself”), or formulas (“I’ll
learn how to do it from someone else”)? How do you think this affects your prayer life?
Going Deeper
3. Jesus teaches us to first pray for God’s sake (vv. 9-10), and then to pray for ourselves (vv. 11-
13)? Why is the order important? How does this enable us to have the right perspective while
praying (see Matthew 6:25-34)?
4. Which line of the Lord’s Prayer do you find easiest to pray? Which do you find most
challenging? Why?
Application:
5. As a group, think of different ways to use the Lord’s Prayer as a framework for prayer. How
could you use it individually? How could you use it while praying together?
6. As a group, spend 10-15 minutes praying through the Lord’s Prayer.
-
“Our Father in heaven,” – Thank God for being a good and powerful Father.
-
“hallowed be your name.” – Pray that God would be honored and worshipped in your
community, and in the world.
-
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Express
agreement with God’s will. Pray that people would submit to Jesus as king, that justice
would prevail, and that people would align with God’s priorities.
-
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Pray for your needs.
-
“Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.” Confess sins, and forgive those
who have sinned against you.
-
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Pray for protection from
Satan and his schemes.