Group Guide

October 2nd, 2022

This Week's City 7:

Challenge everyone to commit to memory!

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

Ice-Breaker:

Have you ever done something for so long that you thought it was normal or the right way, only to find out you’ve been doing it wrong this whole time? How about singing the wrong words to a song your whole life?

Discussion Questions:

In Luke 11, we see Jesus' disciples asking Him to teach them to pray. For many of us, even the most faithful of Christians, prayer is the last thing we think about. The first point from Sunday was that prayer is not a LAST RESORT. It should be our FIRST RESPONSE. What about you? Are you quick to run to God in prayer? Or do you typically try to fix things yourself first, only turning to prayer when all of your other options don't pan out?
Beginning our prayers the way Jesus modeled leads us to begin by acknowledging who God is and desiring to have HIS Kingdom come to earth. It's not about our kingdoms or our ways, it's about His! He is supremely powerful, infinitely holy, and the only sovereign King of the universe. This should help put us in the right frame of mind before we start asking for things. And having the right PERSPECTIVE of God may also give us the FAITH to believe that he can do what we need him to do. How do you think this shift in perspective might affect the level of faith in your prayers? How might it even change WHAT you pray for?
Once we've acknowledged his power and holiness and asked for HIS will, not ours, we then pray for God’s PROVISION, FORGIVENESS, and PROTECTION. We ask Him to give us the things we need, we pray that He would forgive us and we would forgive others, and that He would protect us. Notice that we are to ask for things only AFTER we've praised Him for His holiness and asked for HIS will. When you pray, do you tend to jump right into your laundry list of needs? Looking from God's point of view, what might it feel like to have your kids only coming to you when they need something? Parents know this is the reality of parenting little ones, but how amazing does it feel when your kids want to just BE with you? Shouldn't we take that same approach when we come to God in prayer?
Jesus then used a parable to teach them about prayer. He says to imagine going to a friends house in the middle of the night needing food. The friend tells you to go away, but if you are persistent he will answer you. James R. Edwards said, “The present parable builds upon the Lord’s Prayer, teaching that true prayer is not only expectant but perseverant.” This means we should come to God expecting Him to answer us, knowing He is fully capable of impossible things, and with persistence, not giving up in prayer. "Shameless persistence," in the words of Jesus. When was the last time you prayed for something BIG, expecting that God could do it? How persistent are you in prayer? How quickly do you tend to give up? How many miracles have you left out there because you didn't ask, didn't have big enough faith, or gave up too soon?
Verses 11-13 teach us that God is a good Father that wants the absolute best for His kids. We have 24/7, uninhibited access to the throne of the God, creator of the universe and everything in it, who has promised to listen and answer. He is the only one who is actually in control and who can affect outcomes, even when they seem impossible. Beyond all that, He WANTS to spend time with us. He longs for us to come to Him and just be. To talk. To love on us. What can you do this week to bolster your prayer life? How can you make it more of a priority?

Encourage your group to make sure and do the Daily Devos this week, as they will include some guided prayers to help them up their prayer game!

Prayer Topics:

That prayer would be our first response.
That we would come to God with the right perspective.
That we would develop a hunger for more time with God.
That we would pray with big faith and shameless persistence.

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