Connect What is one way that you can enjoy Jesus’ presence and also prepare for his return?

Warm-Up

1. How would you answer a friend (who is not yet a Christian) who asked you, ‘what is prayer?’
2. As you reflect on the preexisting rhythms of our life together (i.e., gather, grow, give, serve), which of these do you think you’ve most grown in over the past year?
3. Why do you think ‘pray’ should be up-front-and-centre in the rhythms of our life together?

Read Acts 2:42-47

4. What do you think it means to be a person ‘devoted’ to prayer? What does it look like for a community?
5. What examples of the early church praying together can you think of? What do you think motivated them to spend so much time and energy praying together? How do you witness that in our church?
6. What fruit of prayer do you think was evident in the early church? How about in our community?

Read Matthew 6:5-13

7. How did the hypocrites pray? In what way are we not to be like them?
8. How did the pagans pray? In what way are we not to be like them?
9. In what way does Jesus say that we should pray? Do you pray the Lord’s prayer regularly?
10. How is it evident that prayer is to God? Why is this good? Do you think you ever take that for granted?
11. How is it evident that prayer is to depend on God? How could your prayer life grow your dependence?
12. How is it evident that prayer is to experience God? How does prayer help us experience both awe and intimacy with God? Is that true also in a special way when we gather with other Christians to pray?

Read Matthew 7:7-8

13. Do you think prayer is powerful? Why is prayer ultimately powerful?
14. How have you personally experienced the power of prayer? How have you witnessed the power of prayer in—and through—the life of a Christian community?
15. What is Jesus teaching us about the persistence of prayer? Does this mean he will give us ‘anything’?
16. Do you have a regular pattern of prayer? How do you pray with other Christians (either at the same time or praying in unity with other Christians from a distance)?
17. If prayer is truly powerful, how should that shape our prayer lives and the prayer life of our community?
18. What are some significant things that you could be praying for in the life and mission of our church?
19. What are some practical ways that you could grow in your devotion in prayer as part of our community?

Apply What is one way this year that you can grow in your practice of prayer as part of our community?

On Your Frontline this Week

Pray for all those experiencing change this year. Look for opportunities that you might be able to love those experiencing change.

For Families

• Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org

Listen, Watch, and Read

• Read (Book): “The Lord and his Prayer” by Tom Wright. 📚
• Read (Book): “Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God” by Tim Keller. 📚
• Read (Book): “The Lord’s Prayer” by Wesley Hill. 📚
• Read (Book): “A Praying Church” by Paul Miller. 📚
• Read (Article): “Devoted to Prayer?” by Peter Adam:
  https://peteradam.org/devoted-to-prayer/ 
• Watch (Video): “The Lord’s Prayer” by Peter Adam:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0vAQL_hiyA 
• Listen (Podcast): “A Praying Church Stories” by Paul Miller and Liz Voboril:
  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-praying-church-stories/id1664548970 

Series Resources

• Previous parts of the “Life Together” series from 2020:
  https://www.stbarts.com.au/sermon-series/life-together 

📚 Available to borrow in the Church library