Hello my name is Cornerstone: Prayer

Passage: Luke 11:1-13

Luke emphasizes the amount of time Jesus spent in prayer. Whether He was getting up early in the morning or spending the entire night in prayer, Jesus’ prayer life was of crucial importance to maintaining His connection with the Father. Through faith in Jesus, we can address God knowing that he listens to us, and wants to provide for us as His adopted as sons and daughters. Asking God for houses, cars, jobs, health, and comfort is safe. Asking for the Holy Spirit to guide you and empower you will change your life. With that in mind, here are some possible discussion questions for group discussion.

1. Have you ever had someone provide a good model of prayer life for you, like Jesus did for His disciples? What did you learn?

2. How would you feel if you got a chance to pray with Jesus? Do you think that you would pray for the same things Jesus prays for?

3. If we make time for what we value, how does your prayer life reflect what you value in life?

4. How does what we pray about reflect what we value in our lives?

5. Inside each of us is a desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. If God were to answer all your prayers today, how would it affect God’s Kingdom?

6. How does our pride (self-reliance, perfectionism, and arrogance) hinder the boldness with which Jesus wants us to pray? What does this say about our dependence on or trust in God to provide for the things we need(or want)?

7. What would Jesus say is the ultimate goal of prayer?

8. Prayer is powerful and God is infinite in power and resources. How often do you ask to be filled with and led by the Spirit with greater power for ministry and intimacy with God?

9. Do you ever hesitate to ask for the guidance of the Spirit, afraid of where it will lead you?

10. Do you ever limit the power of your prayers because what God might want for you, could be different what you desire?

11. In those situations, how hard is it to trust that what God wants for us is better than what we want for ourselves?