THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
Financial Peace University groups begin April 15 at each campus. If you or someone in your group would like to join in to study healthy financial choices, sign up adabible.org/fpu.
GROUP VALUES
We will be committing to 40 Days of Prayer as we go through this sermon series. Discuss how you can encourage each other to make these 40 days a turning point in your prayer life.
GROW AS A LEADER
Don’t forget to sign up to join us for our Small Group Leader Huddle on April 25, either online or in person as we discuss serving as a small group! Register at adabible.org/smallgrouphuddle.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the first week of our spring series, The Lord and His Prayer. This week we discuss why Jesus taught his disciples this form of praying and what it could mean for us.
What memories come up for you when you think of The Lord’s Prayer?
Have someone read Luke 11:1-4 aloud. What stood out to you as you heard the verses read?
PRAY LIKE JESUS PRAYED
Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus spending a lot of time praying. With everything else Jesus did—like healing, teaching and performing miracles—why do you think he prioritized prayer?
Jesus committed to prayer. What are some things that often get in the way of us spending time in prayer?
The disciples have been praying all their lives, and many of them had also learned from John the Baptist. Why do you think they wanted Jesus to teach them if they had all this experience?
THINK BEYOND MYSELF
Jesus uses plural pronouns when praying, “Our Father in heaven,” instead of “my Father.” How do the plural pronouns challenge us to think about the people around us instead of just ourselves?
Praying like Jesus helps us remember the importance of saying, “It’s not just about me.” What could it do for our hearts and minds to pray these words specifically for others and not for ourselves?
REORDER MY DESIRES
Jesus’s prayer teaches us to want what God wants rather than focusing our prayers on just a list of what we want. Why is it often easier for us to quickly bring a list of requests to God, even when they are important requests?
Praying for God’s will rather than our own can look like coming to God with both hands open. How might that be different than how we usually pray?
We may have different levels of comfort with prayer. How comfortable do you feel praying? How can Jesus’s instructions on prayer help us no matter how familiar we are with prayer?
Sometimes a little encouragement can go a long way. How can our group encourage each other to carve out the time to pray each day during the 40 Days of Prayer?
WRAP UP
The disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. His instructions are invaluable to us today. What’s one goal you have for this series? What is one step that you want to take after this week’s discussion?
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