Getting To Know You 1. How would you describe your prayer life? Is fasting a regular spiritual discipline in your life? Explain. 2. What is your understanding of the Lord’s Prayer? 3. Gary Rohrmayer said, “Fasting is more about replacing than it is about abstaining — replacing normal activities with focused times of prayer and feeding on the Word of God.”. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? 4. Corrie Ten Boom said, ''Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire”? Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? 5. Andy Muray said, “Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God”. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? 6. Bonar Law said, “We must continue in prayer if we are to get an outpouring of the Spirit. Christ says there are some things we shall not get, unless we pray and fast, yes, "prayer and fasting." We must control the flesh and abstain from whatever hinders direct fellowship with God”. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? 7. Looking back at your notes from this week’s sermon, was there anything that particularly caught your attention, challenged or confused you? Digging Deeper 1. In Matthew 6:5-18, Jesus continues to address the issue of practicing your righteousness in front of others. He is going to deal with prayer and fasting. What does Jesus say that the hypocrites are doing? Why are they drawing attention to themselves? If/when we do this, who receives the glory? Are any of us worthy of God’s glory? Explain. What are some examples/ways that our motivation/purpose can get distorted and be focused on ourselves instead of God? What lengths were the Pharisees going to get their approval from others? How often do we do the same? Explain. 2. What is the purpose of prayer? What example did Jesus establish and leave for us? How often did Jesus pray and fast? How do the gospels describe Jesus’ prayer rhythm? What often took place or was going on before Jesus would go into the desert/wilderness and get alone with God? Explain. What was Jesus doing right before Satan tried to tempt Jesus? How is prayer a spiritual weapon at our disposal to use when confronting temptation? How often do you use it in spiritual warfare? Explain. How often do you pray? What do your prayers consist of? Is God priority number one or the last resort? If you were using your prayer life as the litmus test, what would it say? 3. What did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to do in Luke 11? Of all the things that they could have asked of Him, why prayer? Can you think of anything else that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them? What do you make of this? Luke 11 mirrors Matthew 6, how did Jesus teach them how to pray? Is this a prayer that we should recite? Is this the only prayer we should use? Explain. 4. What is the structure of the Lord’s prayer? Where does it start? More importantly who does it acknowledge first and foremost? What does it say about God? Who is the object of prayer? In what ways is prayer simply a conversation with God? Do we ever take prayer for granted? Explain. In your prayer life, are your prayers intended to bend God’s will towards yours or yours towards God’s? Explain. Which way should it be? How will our prayers seem void of power if we don’t establish a healthy understanding of prayer and its purpose? Explain. 5. In your prayer life, how often do you have a deep dependence on God and His provision in your life? How can materialism and possessions cloud that dependence? Explain. How often does your prayers before meals become routine and rote? How can we guard against our prayer life becoming stagnant and complacent? 6. Is confession of sin and repentance apart of your prayer time? In addition to asking God to forgive our debts, do we take the time to forgive others? In the last week, how many times have you forgiven others in your prayer time? What is the warning and admonition Jesus gives us in this area? 7. What is fasting? What is the purpose of fasting? Is fasting optional? How often is fasting something that is mentioned in church? Why does this tend to be something not emphasized or sometimes omitted? What does Jesus say about it? How should it be done? What does it produce in our lives? What has been your experience with fasting? What have been the benefits? Explain. Growing Closer 1. Who is someone you shared the gospel with this week? 2. What have you been reading in your quiet times? 3. What has God been teaching you?
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