Session IV, Day 3

As we come to the end of another week, may the Lord bless your study of His word.

ASSIGNMENT:

1.  As we continue to focus on John 15:1-17, read :7 and :16 again.  What are the “conditions” placed on the granting of our prayer wishes or requests? 

3.  As we abide in Christ (and continue to grow spiritually), we should catch His vision and our prayers will reflect that vision.  In one sentence, what would you say is (not “was”) the mission of Christ Jesus?

2.  So far this week we have limited our study to John 15.  For you, personally, what does it mean to abide/remain in Christ?  (Feel free to think “outside the box”)

3.  Read Romans 8:28-29.  Can you make the same statement (with confidence and from a personal perspective) that Paul makes here?  Notice that he says we know… (not “we hope”).  Rewrite those verses – use your own words – as you form a personal statement of your faith and trust in God, our Father.

Lord, teach us to pray

Session IV, Day 2

As we continue our study of prayer today, we'll continue our focus on the gospel of John.

ASSIGNMENT:

Read John 15:1-17 again today.

1.  In your notebook copy the following list of metaphors.  Out to the side of each pair, list the attributes they have in common.

God/gardener

Jesus/vine

Christ’s followers/branches

2.  What is/are the fruit(s) described in :7 and :8?

*Discussion Question*

(Please click the "Let's Discuss" link on the right to share your ideas on the discussion board and read the thoughts of the fellow studiers.  This discussion thread will be under the title "Wishes")

3.  As we abide (NASB)/remain(NIV) in Christ, what do you think would be the focus of our wish(es) (:7)?

The following quote has been adapted from a commentary on John’s Gospel by B.F. Westcott: 

“The blessings of union with Christ are shown in prayer fulfilled and fruit borne.

 ‘Ask whatever you wish’ is related to ‘abide in my words…’

The petitions of the true disciple are echoes of Christ’s words, so to speak.

Their prayer is His teaching transformed into a supplication which will be heard.

It is important to notice how the promise of the absolute fulfillments of prayer

is connected with the personal fellowship of the believer with Christ.”

4.  Using your own words, how would you summarize Mr. Westcott’s statement?

Session IV, Day 1

Our plans were to begin focusing today on each line/petition of the Lord’s Prayer.  However, before we do that, let’s revisit John 15.  On Wednesday, 9/29, we read John 15:1-11 and discussed :7 and :8 briefly.  Today we want to go a little deeper.

ASSIGNMENT:

READ John 15:1-17

1.  Thumb through the chapters before and after John 15.  What is the timeframe?

 2.  How might the timing influence what Jesus is saying to His disciples?

 Jesus begins this discourse in John 15:1 by saying I am the true vine…

Throughout the Old Testament, the vine has been a symbol of Israel. 

Psalms 80:8ff describe Israel as a vine which was brought out of Egypt and planted in Cannan.

In Old Testament prophecy, the metaphor of the vine is most often used in a negative way.  In Isaiah 5, a vineyard that only produces bad fruit is likened to Israel; and in Ezekiel 15, the vine is described as useless.

3.  As Jesus says that He is the true vine, what are the implications here?

4.  Read through these seventeen verses again and write down what you see as key words.  Which one of these occurs the most?

Session III, Day 3

Pray to your Father

Last week (on Monday, Sept. 27) we looked at some warnings Jesus gave His disciples immediately before and after He gave them the Lord’s prayer in Matt 6.  He warned them about giving, praying, and fasting in order to impress others.  He warned them about praying on the street corners and in the synagogues as the hypocrites did; instead, He advised that they go into a room (NASB: inner room), close the door and pray to your Father.

Today we want to consider what it means to pray to our Father.  You might ask, “Aren’t all Christian prayers offered to God?  Probably most are – but as we pray out loud before others, our praying may be more for others than to God.  We must always be mindful that our prayers are offered to God – whether in our closets or before others. 

Our intent as we pray should never be to impress others, to teach a lesson, or remind God of things He already knows.  (notice what Jesus says about what our Father knows – Mt. 6:8). 

As we pray publicly, we recognize that it is hard NOT to consider the impression/impact our prayers make on others.  Nevertheless, we must always be mindful we are praying to our Father.

We may have experienced times of praying when God seemed far away.  We may not sense His presence each time we pray, but we need to remember that God listens and answers our prayers because of who we are through Jesus and not because of our eloquence or depth of feeling.  

On the other hand, we may have times when we are acutely aware of our Father’s presence – however, the emotional intensity of our prayers does not cause God to listen more intently nor cause Him to be more inclined to answer.  We cannot measure the validity of our prayers or our spiritual maturity based on any kind of personal “high” that we do or do not experience as we worship or pray.

As we come before the throne, let’s try to “come mindfully” and enjoy being in God’s presence.  Psalms 16:11 says that He will fill me with joy in His presence.  Occasionally as you pray, be content to just be in His presence and refrain from asking for anything specific other than a time of quietness and calm in His presence.  Always remember that you are praying to, and in the presence of our Father.

ASSIGNMENT:

Be Still and Know that I Am God

Turn to Psalm 46.  Before you read this passage, consider the following:

1)  Many translations include the word, selah, after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46.  The Bible Dictionary says this about selah:  it is “a word of unknown origin and meaning found in certain psalms.”

Some believe selah could have been a notation for a musical rest when chanting the psalm; or a reminder for the reader to pause and reflect on what preceded a selah. 

2)  Notice verse 10:  Be still and know that I am God.  That verse may have challenged some of us with ADD-type tendencies!  However, a look at the Hebrew may clarify the meaning of “Be still”.

Be still from the Hebrew, raphah, has several shades of meaning in the Old Testament.  Among those, we find raphah can mean:

that which is slack;

or to let drop;

or to be disheartened or weak. 

In this verse, Be still is referring to a “spiritual disposition of divine dependence.”  It is NOT about being still, physically, but about dependence upon God who is the I AM.  The NASB translates it as cease striving and know that I am God.  In other words, “chill and depend upon God!”

Now you are ready to READ PSALM 46!!  Observe the selahs, consider what it means to have God as your refuge and strength; your ever-present help in trouble in times of calamity.  As you read verse10, take a deep breath and be mindful of being in God’s presence, ask Him to quiet your soul as you commit to placing your trust in Him.  Cease Striving!!

Today as you conclude your time of study, turn your eyes upon your Lord.  Enter His presence mindfully.  Forget your “lists of needs.”  Remember what Jesus said about that in Matt 6:9. 

                         

You may discover that the most precious times of prayer are those times in which you say very little – but times when you have a clear sense of God’s presence and Who He Is!

Lord, teach us to pray.

Session III, Day 2

Today we continue with our overview of the Lord’s Prayer.

ASSIGNMENT:

READ Matt. 6:9-13

Our Daily Bread

Some have suggested that the bread here may be spiritual bread, after all Jesus identified Himself as the bread of life in John 6.  Tony Ash, Pray Always, disagrees.  He reasons that the Lord’s Prayer is meant to include the entire scope of human needs.  In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus frequently deals with human needs – and often those needs relate to food. 

This petition for daily bread could be understood to cover all human needs; such as those related to safety, health, jobs, family relationships, etc.

1.  Read Luke 9:23-24.  What is similar in this passage and in Matt. 6:11?

2.  What is at least one of the lessons here?

3.  Read Matt. 6:25-34.  What message did you take away from that reading for yourself for today?

Forgive our Sins

3.  Although Jesus does not specifically say in His prayer that we ask for forgiveness daily – this would be a good thing.  Why?

As we Forgive

4.  On the other hand, what is the advantage of extending forgiveness daily? 

Fred Hartley (Lord, Teach us to Pray, pg 27) says this about daily forgiveness:  “This part of the (prayer) pattern helps us to pull the weeds of bitterness and resentment from the garden of our hearts every day – before they have the opportunity to grow into life-destroying bushes or trees.”

Lead us not into Temptation

5.  The last petition,  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one, has prompted many questions – especially in light of what scripture teaches about God tempting man (James1:13-15 is just one example).  

*Discussion Question*

(Please click the "Let's Discuss" link on the right to share your ideas on the discussion board and read the thoughts of the fellow studiers.  This discussion thread will be under the title "Temptation")

What are your thoughts on this last petition?

Today as you conclude your study, pray the Lord’s prayer and focus on your needs – especially in light of some of your daily needs (you might want to thank God for specific provisions).  Also consider what God’s forgiveness and the sacrifice of Jesus mean in your life.  It might be a good time to specifically name people whom you need to forgive in this prayer.  You may commit before God that you are forgiving them or you may need to ask for the love and courage you lack in extending forgiveness to them.  

Session III, Day 1

This week we will do an overview of the Lord’s Prayer and briefly consider each of the six petitions in that prayer. You may recall that last week we said there are three petitions that focus on God and three that focus on man’s needs. Beginning next week we will do a more in-depth study of each of those six petitions.

In case you are still a little groggy on this Monday morning, your first question is a trivial one and won’t require much brain power – just a little attention to repetitive phrases.  (Note it might be helpful to make a hard copy of this week’s lessons in order to fill in the blanks.)

ASSIGNMENT:


READ MATTHEW 6:1-18
1. In these 18 verses Jesus uses the phrase ____ __________ (a two- word phrase) eight times. He uses a similar phrase ____ __________ _______ (3 words) one time and ____ __________ one time.


Our Father
2. Consider the way Jesus begins His prayer. What does this tell us about our relationship with God?
Although there are some references to God as “Father” in the Old Testament, that term was not frequently used. The disciples may not have been accustomed to hearing the religious leaders of the day address God in such a way as they prayed. As the disciples observed the depth of fellowship and relationship between Jesus and His Father, it may have been this observation that prompted them to ask Jesus: Lord, teach us to pray in Luke 11.


3. READ LUKE11:11-13. Here Jesus contrasts earthly fathers with our heavenly Father; how do their gifts compare?
From this passage, what would you say the best gift is?
READ MATT. 7:11, Jesus says that our Father gives ______ _______ to those who ______ _______. This view of God stresses His caring and kindness and conveys the idea of intimacy with Him.


Hallowed be Your Name
4. Hallowed means to make or declare holy. Zondervan Bible study notes tell us that the name of the Lord is the manifestation of His character and is synonymous with the Lord Himself. So the first petition of the prayer is a petition of praise. We will explore this more in a couple weeks.


Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your Will
5. Most of our prayers tend to be self-centered. These three “Your” statements may form a safeguard for our prayers and keep us more God-centered, kingdom-minded, and submissive.


As you conclude your study for today, consider praying without asking for anything. You might begin your prayer time with Our Father and deliberately focus on your Father/daughter or son relationship with God. As you move on to hallowed be Your Name, spend some time praising Him. If you find this difficult, you might find some of the praises of Psalm 63 (or other psalms) helpful. We suggest you close your prayer time by offering yourself - your thoughts and your motives on this day for the sake of His glory.

Session II, Day 3

In Zondervan’s introduction to Luke (both NIV and NASB Study Bibles), eight themes are attributed to this gospel. One of the eight themes mentioned is an “emphasis on prayer, especially Jesus’ praying before important occasions.” Today we have selected a few scriptures from that gospel for you to consider.

ASSIGNMENT:
Read the following passages from Luke and make a list in your notebook of key points that describe something about the prayer life of Jesus:
Luke 5:15-16
Luke 6:12 (notice also the activities of the days preceding and following this prayer)
Luke 22:31-32
Luke 22:39-46 (notice His posture, and descriptions of His emotional state)


Based upon those passages, consider the following:
1. It is difficult for us to “wrap our minds around” the truth that Jesus was both divine and human. With that in mind, do you think He mainly prayed in order to be an example for His disciples – or was prayer necessary for Him, personally, as He faced so many challenges?


2. Read about the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1-13. Do you think there was ever the possibility that Jesus could have succumbed to the temptations of the devil? Could this have been a possibility in Jesus’ own mind or do you think He knew up front He would never sin?


3. As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk. 22:39-45). Do you think He could have thrown up His hands and told the Father, “no way can I do this?” Do you think it may have been a fear of Jesus’ that He might not be able to follow through with the sacrifice of His life?


Consider these questions as you read this passage again and notice the agony described there. You may be moved to spend some time thanking Our Father for such a sacrifice!!


4. Read again from Luke 22:31-32 – Jesus tells Peter He prayed for him.


5. Please read the following and notice what these passages say about Jesus interceding for us:
Hebrews 7:25
Romans 8:34


Have you ever marveled at the thought that Jesus always lives to intercede for you?  Have you wondered if He might pray for you by name and about specific details in your life?


6. Using the Luke 22 passage as a guide, write a possible prayer Jesus might pray for you today. Be specific.

Lord, teach us to pray