Our Tuesday Evening | Horsham Small Group has been working through this study and we have had some incredible discussions flowing out of it.  The powerful part is actually looking up and reading all of the scripture verses in each section.  This would be a lot to tackle in one sitting...if you want to use it try working on it a section at a time over a few days to get the most out of it...it transforms the way you look at prayer!

The Lord’s Prayer Guide

In Matthew 6, Jesus instructed His disciples (and us) in the way we should pray. He said [Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” (Matthew 6:9-13)]

We can use our hand as a visual example to walk through each section of the prayer as seen in this diagram

Relationship - “Our Father in Heaven...”

Begin your time of prayer by thanking God for being your heavenly Father. That you are His child. That He loves you unconditionally and desires a deep relationship with you. That you can trust that His plans for you are good. That He has adopted you into His family for all of eternity.

Verses * [Romans 8:15 | Galatians 4:6 | 1 John 3:1 | 2 Corinthians 6:18 | Ephesians 5:19-20 | Matthew 22:34-40] *

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Worship - “Hallowed Be Your Name...”

In many ways, worship means honoring and praising God for who He truly is. Take some time to look up some of these verses and praise God for who He is, His character and His nature:

God is the Creator of all things. (Genesis 1; John 1:1-5) The Universe, man, plants, animals, beauty in nature...all things were created by Him for His glory.

God is knowable and desires for us to know Him. (Jeremiah 9:24) While we cannot fully comprehend everything about God, there is much that He has revealed and that He desires for us to know.

God is independent and self-sufficient. (Acts 17:24-25) He does not need or require anything to be fulfilled or made complete…He has that in Himself.

God is eternal and unchanging (Psalm 90:2) We can count on Him.

God is wise (Romans 11:33). God is truthful (Numbers 23:19). God is purely good (Luke 18:19).

God is love (1 John 4:8 ; Romans 5:8) God is holy (Leviticus 19:2).

God is righteous and just (Deuteronomy 32:4). God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). God is beautiful (Psalm 27:4)

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Surrender - “Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as in heaven...”

Commit all that you have and all that you are to His purposes and His will. Your life, your plans, your family, your future, finances, work…all of them are safer and better used in service to God than in any of our personal dreams or ambitions. Take inventory of how you lived today…was it for His kingdom or for your own?

Now take some time to listen. Prayer is a conversation and God wants to speak to you. Ask Him if there are things that you have not surrendered and wait for Him to reveal things you may have overlooked or that you are unwilling to admit.

Verses *[Romans 12:2 | Mark 14:35-36 | James 4:7 | John 15:1-7 | Philippians 2:5-8 | 1 Corinthians 6:19-20]*

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Ask - “Give us this day our daily bread...”

Start by asking God what you should ask for…then wait and listen and ask Him to fill those needs. Be specific in your prayers for yourself and for others…also known as intercession. Here are some general categories to help you pray through this time:

Personal (hunger & desire for God / health / material & financial needs / emotional needs / forgiveness / hearing clearly from God / understanding purpose & call / getting into a discipling relationship)

Family (health / trials and tests / relationships / peace / reconciliation / joy / purpose & calling / protection)

Nation & World (world leaders / wisdom / peace / compassion / wars / hunger / spreading of the gospel)

The Church (pursuit of the truth / rejection of false teachings / international missionaries / church planting / purity for church leaders / passion for Jesus/ The Chripczuks and Trinity / The Pearsons and The Journey / The Largents and Ridgeline).

Riverside (reaching our community with the Gospel / growth of our ministries / many new discipling relationships form in our church / passion among our people for serving Jesus in the ministries of the church / resources to fulfill our vision / church planting relationships / protection and encouragement for our pastors and leaders/ unity and urgency).

Verses *[Philippians 4:6 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 | Psalm 145:18 | James 5:16 | Ephesians 6:18 | Mark 11:24 |

1 John 5:14-15 | Matthew 6:7 | Matthew 7:7]*

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Forgive - “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors...”

There are two parts to this section. First ask God to remove any anger or bitterness that you have in your heart towards another. Ask Him if there is anyone that you are not forgiving…then wait and listen. Then forgive them. Ask God for the strength to make the forgiveness total and complete.

Second, confess any sin in your life that is keeping you from God. Ask for His forgiveness. Once again, ask Him to reveal any sins that you may not be aware of, listen and wait. As He brings things to mind confess them and ask for forgiveness. Know that His forgiveness is total and complete.

Verses *[Ephesians 4:32 | Mark 11:25 | Matthew 5:43-48 | 1 John 1:9 | Colossians 3:13 | Luke 6:27-37 |

Romans 12:19-21]*

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Protection - “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil...”

Ask God to deliver you from temptation and your inclination towards sin. What specific temptations have you been wrestling with this week…either real or in your thoughts and day dreams. Ask God for protection from them. Also pray for protection from the works of Satan and evil that are battling against believers and the church. Remember that God and Satan are not equal and that Jesus has already won the victory for us. 1 John 4:4 says “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Verses* [Deuteronomy 31:8 | Isaiah 41:10 | Psalm 91:1-7 | Psalm 23 | Isaiah 54:17 | 1 John 4:4 | Luke 22:31-32] *

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Worship - “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”

We end our prayer the way that we began – in worship. We praise God that He is able to answer our prayers and that He has heard us!

Verses *[2 Peter 1:11 | Romans 8:38-39 | Romans 6:23 | John 3:16-17 | Matthew 25:46 | Romans 14:17]*

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Questions:

In your daily schedule, when is the best time for you to pray?

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What tasks or activities get your priority each day? Do you think those are more or less important than prayer?

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“Prayer is not preparation for the battle…it is the battle!” Do you believe that is true?

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Will you commit to radically altering your approach to prayer for 7 days and evaluating the results a week from now?

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