Bring the Word
Read Matthew 6:5-8
- Who does Jesus tell us to pray to?
- Who are the hypocrites praying to? Why?
- Is Jesus saying it is wrong to pray in public?
- Is it difficult to focus on praying to the Father when others are listening? Why or why not?
- If our Father knows what we need, why do we pray?
Read Matthew 6:9-15, Luke 11:5-13
- Who does he pray for?
- What does he pray for?
- What additional instruction is provided in Luke?
Read Matthew 26:36-45
- What instructions from his teaching on how to pray do we see Jesus demonstrating?
- Did the disciples understand what was about to happen?
- If they had, would it have changed their effort in prayer?
- Do we pray for someone else’s trouble the same way we pray for our own?
- Do you think Jesus was more concerned with the torture leading to His death, or facing the wrath of God for our sins?
Bring it Home
Read John 17:1-18:3
- Do you think Jesus was praying for His disciples while they had fallen asleep?
- How do you feel about the fact that Jesus was praying for you while in the middle of a time he described as, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death?”
- Does this change your perspective on the effect trials have on your prayer life? How?
- Jesus recognized the importance of having others pray during His trials, how can we pray for you?
Bonus: Matthew 26:36-47, Mark 14:32-43, Luke 22:39-47, and John 17:1-18-3
- All give accounts to Jesus’ time of prayer before his arrest. How do they differ from each other? Why are these differences important?