The Point The Passage The Bible Meets Life The Setting

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The Point Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.

The Passage Matthew 6:9-15

The Bible Meets Life Perhaps the most well-known prayer is the one commonly called The Lord’s Prayer. Even people with nominal faith will recite this prayer in times of distress or as an act of piety. As common as this prayer is, it may also be the most misunderstood prayer. People typically go to God simply because they need something, but the Model Prayer Jesus gave us does not begin with us and our needs; it begins with a focus on God and His glory.

The Setting With a multitude of people gathered on a mountainside to listen, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. He called His disciples together so He could teach them how to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. In His instruction, He directed their attention to the discipline of prayer. He intended for them to engage in this spiritual discipline in a way that would enable them to honor Him.

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What does the Bible say?

Matthew 6:9-15 (HCSB) Kingdom (v. 10)—A kingdom is a domain ruled by a king. The kingdom of God is a spiritual domain over which He reigns with sovereignty and majesty. Daily bread (v. 11)—This phrase refers to the basic food for people in Jesus’ day, made from flour and water then baked. It was prepared and provided for each coming day. Debts (v. 12)—This is not referencing financial balances due but sins for which a person was accountable. The debt was sin, and the debtor was the sinner.

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] 14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive

you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.”

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.

GET INTO THE STUDY DISCUSS: Invite your group members

10 minutes

Notes

to discuss Question 1 on page 21 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG): “When have you tried to learn something on your own?” Allow time for each person to respond (a response now will encourage them to respond to other questions later in the study). SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 22): Several years ago I took a friend out for an afternoon of dove hunting. I set him up in a prime spot and gave him my best gun. I became more and more frustrated as the birds kept flying right over him—while his face remained buried in

TIP: The article, “Sizing Up the Enemy” (noted on page 16) discusses the importance of prayer when we face spiritual battles. Have time? Send a text with a link to the article to your group members this week to reinforce the truths found in this session.

his smartphone. I soon found out why. He was watching a video on how to load the gun properly. I’d just assumed he knew how. Many things in life we just don’t know intuitively; we must be taught. SAY: “In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the principles of a prayer life that transforms the one praying.” ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): To demonstrate ineffective and effective communication, make a homemade telephone crafted from two plastic cups connected with string. Invite volunteers to talk to each other using this telephone. Is this an effective way to communicate with someone? It is—but only if the string is tight. Otherwise, you put in effort only to gain unclear, incomplete communication at best. Today’s session explores the keys to fruitful and God-honoring prayer. (Note: Avoid using Styrofoam® cups if possible as they absorb the sound rather than transmit it.) GUIDE: Call the group’s attention to The Point on page 22 of the PSG: “Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.” PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying for your group. Pray for you group members to grow in their relationship with God through a consistent and focused prayer life.

PLAYLIST PICK: “All Consuming Fire” by Jesus Culture BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:9-10

Notes

9

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be

honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What do you find most difficult about the practice of prayer?

DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 24 of the PSG: “Who taught you what you know about prayer?” (Note: If group members give only quick, brief answers to this question, use follow-up questions to encourage them to share the stories of their early experiences with prayer.) READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:9-10. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 24): Jesus had just been teaching His disciples about the wrong way to pray in Matthew 6:5-8; then He turned to teach them about the right way to pray. ]]

Jesus began His instruction on prayer by teaching that prayer begins with a focus on the Person of God. Before we talk about our agenda, we should focus on praising God for who He is.

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Next Jesus taught us to pray about the program of God—His kingdom and His will. The kingdom of God is God’s rule and reign in the hearts and lives of His people. The kingdom of God is a reality in heaven now and will be for all eternity.

DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 25 of the PSG: “What can help us keep a kingdom focus as we pray?” DO: Divide your members into subgroups of three or four people each. Within each subgroup, direct members to complete the activity on page 25 of the PSG together. If time allows, encourage someone from each subgroup to share aloud their responses. For God’s Glory: In the space provided, compose a collection of words or phrases recounting God’s attributes for which you are grateful. For example: Creator, Provider, All powerful, and so forth.

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.

Matthew 6:9-10 Commentary Prayer begins with a focus on God and His kingdom. Verse 9: Jesus had been teaching His disciples about the discipline of prayer. He had warned believers about the wrong way to pray (see previous session). Jesus went on to teach about the right way to pray (vv. 6,8). We pray so we can be with our heavenly Father, talk with Him, listen to Him, and surrender to Him. When we pray the right way, our relationship with Him will grow stronger and deeper, and we will be able to serve Him more consistently. Jesus gave a model to follow. At the very beginning of His Model Prayer, Jesus taught us to use “our” instead of “my.” When we use “our,” “us,” and “we” in prayer, we keep others in mind. By using such pronouns, Jesus affirmed the value of public prayer in worship. Also, these pronouns enable us to remember the second great commandment: to love our neighbors as ourselves (22:39). Our walk with the Lord cannot be separated from our relationships with others. Jesus taught to give attention first to our Father in heaven when we pray. In doing so, He underscored a Christian’s unique intimacy with God. Jesus encouraged us to approach Him like a child in the company of a loving Father. If we ever have doubts about our Father’s love for us, we only have to reflect on the cross. While we count on intimacy when we come into the presence of our Father, we must also keep in mind His majesty. He is in heaven. He rules there, and we belong there. When we turn to Him in prayer, therefore, He deserves our sincere respect and authentic reverence as His children. In Jesus’ day, a name implied something about a person’s character. Jesus directed attention to God’s character and instructed us to honor God as holy. Honoring His holiness means exhibiting His character in our thoughts, words, and actions. In prayer, it means affirming our eagerness for all people everywhere to recognize and worship Him as holy. Verse 10: God’s kingdom is in heaven. Christians are citizens in it (Philippians 3:20). This kingdom isn’t formed by land masses. It doesn’t grow by invading and occupying other nations. Instead, it’s formed by relationships. As people receive God’s gift of salvation through Christ, they become citizens of His kingdom. The kingdom grows every time someone gives his or her life to Christ. Whenever a person is born again, therefore, His kingdom in heaven comes on earth. The reason we pray for His kingdom to come to earth is clear in the Model Prayer. When His kingdom comes to earth, we will do everything He wants in the way He wants it done. On earth, we struggle with doing what He wants because we prefer what we want. We resolve the struggle in prayer by declaring to give Him complete control over our lives each day. In that way, we allow His will to be done on earth. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:11-13

Notes

11

“Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have

forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:11-13. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 26): When we’re centered on God’s agenda, it’ll change the way we pray as well as what we pray for. 1. Physical needs. The phrase “daily bread” literally means we’re to pray for perishable things, those things we need for that day. Jesus is not opposed to food that will keep for months, but the larger my stockpile, the easier it is for me to trust my possessions instead of the One who provided them in the first place. 2. Forgiveness. Confession is agreeing with God about the sin in our lives. By confessing, we’re agreeing that we see the behavior as God sees it and that we are in need of His forgiveness and strength to break free from it. Developing the habit of confession is a stark reminder of our constant need of God’s grace in our lives. 3. Protection. Verse 13 isn’t a request for God not to tempt us, since James 1:13 teaches us that’s not how God works in our lives: “God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.” Rather, verse 13 is a request for protection, for the ability to stand strong in the face of temptation. ALTERNATE QUESTION: When has God moved to meet a particular need in your life?

DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 26 of the PSG: “How have your experiences with prayer influenced your ability to trust God?” TRANSITION: When we bring our requests to God, we can rest assured that He is listening and will act with wisdom and power to bring about His will. The next verses look at one thing that can create an obstacle in our prayer life and our relationship with God.

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.

Matthew 6:11-13 Commentary Present all your needs to God. Verse 11: Once we submit ourselves to God and His kingdom, we can bring up our needs as we pray. Jesus taught how He intends for His followers to bring needs to the heavenly Father. In His instruction, three details come into view. First, Jesus taught to ask the Father to give us what we need—our daily bread. By asking Him to meet our needs, we acknowledge that He provides everything necessary for us as serve Him. It also reflects our dependence on Him. Second, Jesus directed believers to pray for what they would need in the day before them. In the first century, bread was a basic resource needed to sustain life. With it, people would be able to live. Without it, they would starve. Therefore, their priority every day was bread. Jesus took the reality of bread for the coming day to encourage disciples to ask the heavenly Father each day to meet their needs as they served Him daily. Third, Jesus showed us once again to keep others in mind as we pray. Instead of asking God for my daily bread, Jesus guided us to pray for our daily needs to be met. As we bring up what we need, we do well to remember the needs of others who are devoted to Him too. Verse 12: Along with resources we also pray for something to strengthen our relationships. Jesus pointed out that strengthening relationships with our heavenly Father and others involves forgiveness. He made that point by reminding us that we have debts because of our sin. Of course, the debt was paid when Jesus gave His life for us on the cross. Once we are saved, we live as forgiven sinners. We still sin, and we cannot dismiss that reality or pretend it doesn’t exist. Calling attention to our debt prompts us to ask God to forgive us. As a result, our relationship with Him is strengthened by the fresh joy of His forgiveness. Forgiveness also has another dimension. Our relationships with others need to be strengthened, too. And they’re strengthened by forgiving others. People violate us with things they do against us. Instead of holding a grudge or retaliating, kingdom citizens determine to forgive them. We have no other choice in light of the forgiveness we experience in our walk with our heavenly Father. Jesus expects us to forgive others before we ask our heavenly Father to forgive us. Verse 13: We also are directed to ask for His help to steer clear of anything that would draw our focus away from serving Him. Jesus encouraged us to pray for spiritual direction. Sometimes our most difficult struggle involves resisting temptations. Because of that struggle, we ask for our heavenly Father’s direction when we pray. Specifically, we ask Him to guide us so we will not pass through the way of temptation but go instead in a direction that will honor Him. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:14-15

Notes

14

“For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will

forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:14-15. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 27): The topic of forgiveness was so important to Jesus that, of all the things he taught in this Model Prayer, forgiving others was the only one He came back and explained further after the prayer ended. ]]

In verses 14-15, we’re given a reason why we’re to offer forgiveness to others: “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.”

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This doesn’t mean God is unable to forgive. He is certainly willing and capable, but as long as we’re unforgiving toward others, there’s no room for God’s forgiveness in our lives. We lack the capacity to receive His forgiveness.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: When have you seen the power of forgiveness change lives?

DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 27 of the PSG: “How would you summarize Jesus’ prayer to someone who has never heard it?” SAY: “Without a healthy prayer life, we’re in danger of missing out on a deeper relationship with the Lord and seeing His work in our lives.” ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Invite your group members to take pictures using their smartphones of their responses to the activity “For God’s Glory” on page 25 of the PSG. Encourage your group members to use this image in their personal prayer time to assist them in praising and honoring God.

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SESSION 2 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

Prayer is grounded in a desire to honor God.

Matthew 6:14-15 Commentary Forgive others. Verse 14: Jesus went back to His instruction about forgiveness to help us understand the connection between forgiving others and the forgiveness our heavenly Father has shown us. When we received God’s gift of salvation through Christ, we confessed our sins and He forgave us. He took away the sins of the past, present, and future. Now that we follow our Lord as forgiven sinners, forgiveness continues to play a critical role in our growth toward spiritual maturity. It serves as a crucial spiritual discipline that He expects us to put into practice. Forgiving is something we determine to do so we will grow in the Lord. Only when we embrace forgiveness as a discipline of our faith in Him can we appreciate the value of Jesus’ instruction about it in the Model Prayer. As we practice the spiritual discipline of forgiving, we come to understand that it’s a matter of the heart. Our hearts can be filled with an unwillingness to forgive people who have violated us with their wrongdoings. “Wrongdoing” in this verse describes either a willful transgression or an unintentional offense. Someone did something that crossed the line with what they said or did. When we allow an unwillingness to forgive to remain in our hearts, it can turn into resentment and foster a desire for retaliation or revenge. Thus, forgiving people who have wronged us is much better than carrying a grudge against them. When we forgive, we empty our hearts of the need to retaliate. Of course, letting go of the resentment may take quite a bit of effort. But we give ourselves to the hard work because we refuse to harbor resentment that stunts our spiritual growth. When we take the hard road of forgiving, we also determine we will empty our hearts of wrongs against us, and we trust the Lord to help us. That’s when we can expect Him to fill our hearts with the joy that comes when we experience His forgiveness in prayer. When we forgive, we’re ready to experience His forgiveness. That’s when we can ask Him to take our sins away. Verse 15: If we do not practice the spiritual discipline of forgiving, we will pay a high spiritual price. If our hearts are full of resentment because others have crossed the line in our lives and hurt us, we leave no room to receive His forgiveness. Consequently, our relationship with Him is damaged, and our growth in Him is stalled.

Previous Biblical Illustrator articles “The Churches’ Use of the Lord’s Prayer” (Fall 2012), “The Church’s Use of the Model Prayer” (Fall 1996), “Prayer Customs in First-Century Judaism” (Spring 1996), and “Forgiveness” (Summer 1986) relate to this lesson and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. Look for Biblical Illustrator for Bible Studies for Life. “Prayer Customs in First-Century Judaism” (Spring 1996) can also be found on the DVD in the Leader Pack.

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT SAY: “How will you put the Model Prayer into practice this week?” GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 28 of the PSG. ]]

Set a pattern. For the next 21 days, intentionally begin your prayers with a focus on God and His kingdom. Do this until it becomes a habit.

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Make a list. If you don’t already, begin using a prayer list to record requests, the date you began praying for those requests, and the date God answers your request. Use whatever method works best for you: an index card, a small notebook, or an app you can access from a smartphone or tablet.

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Align your heart with God’s heart. Start praying for God’s will to be done in every aspect of your life—even if it means leaving your personal comfort zone.

Wrap It Up
 SAY: “Prayer may be simply talking with God, but the rewards of this discipline are anything but simple. Make it your goal to focus daily on who God is, to present your needs to Him, and to forgive others. Without a healthy prayer life, we’ll never experience the spiritual transformation God desires for us.”

Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry).

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