Prayer: Discovering the Heart

SE Online Prayer Study

Week Two: Discovering the Heart

1.        If you could ask Jesus to teach you how to do one thing, what would you ask Him for? Would you want to learn how to duplicate a miracle? How to walk on water? Read Luke 11:1. What was the one thing Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them? Why do you think they wanted to know this? 

2.        Read Matthew 6:5-15. What does Jesus teach us about prayer in these verses? Why do you think He commands us to keep prayer as something simple and special between us and God? What’s your biggest takeaway from Jesus’ words in this passage? 

3.        Thinking through your usual prayers, what are some of the things you typically ask for? Why are these requests so important to you? Looking through what Jesus prays for in Matthew 6, how do your requests compare with His? What would it look like for your prayer request list to more closely mirror Jesus’?  

4.        As Matt talked through the different requests Jesus made in this prayer, which resonated with you the most? Why? If you were being honest, do you more often pray for God’s will to be done or for your own will? How does prayer offer the opportunity for you to align your heart with God’s? 

5.        Read Luke 22:39-44. What was Jesus’ initial request in these verses? What does this teach us about what we can ask God for when we pray to Him? Where did Jesus’ prayer ultimately end up? What did He ask for above everything else? What would it look like for your prayers to have this same sort of posture?  

As you close, read Psalm 56. Though David feels like he is in trouble throughout this prayer, he continually chooses to put his trust in God. What are some troubles and trials you need to lay out before God? What would it look like for you to trust Him even in the midst of these things? Spend some time in prayer, turning these cares and concerns over to Him.