June 7, 2020.

Matthew 6:5-8

V5 Makes clear that Jesus expects His people to pray. The passage does not say if you pray, but when you pray.

1) Do you pray? Do you enjoy engaging in the awesome privilege of conversation with God? If not, Why not? 

a) What stops us from praying?

b) What are realistic strategies to pray during our day?

c) How does prayer (or how should prayer) glorify God?

2) Do you pray differently in public than how you pray in private? There should be no distinction between the two, but if there is why? 

a) What should we do if we find ourselves praying differently?

b) What are ways we can avoid praying differently?

c) Why is it so hard and uncomfortable sometimes to pray in front of others?

d) How can we encourage one another to pray?

Jesus instructs His people to also practice praying privately in V6.

3) Do you have a private place to go and converse with God where all attention is off you and all your attention is on God? 

a) If you do not currently have a place, how do you plan to make one?

In V7 we see that the hypocrites were "heaping up empty phrases." These people were mindlessly repeating the same words to be heard by God.

4) Do you pray thoughtlessly or carelessly? Do you utter the same words and phrases over and over again in your prayers?

a) What are examples of modern thoughtless prayers?

b) What are strategies to avoid thoughtless prayer?

Prayer is an awesome privilege where the believer can converse with the all-powerful God of the universe.

5) Do you realize how awesome a privilege prayer really is? Most likely we will all say we do realize, but do we act like it?

a) How can we better appreciate and value prayer? 

b) What are other Scriptures that teach the value of prayer?