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PRAYER #1

{pray}: TALKING TO THE FATHER [respectfully] 

Matthew 6:5-15_ 

 
What has come to be known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ was spoken in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – the longest collection of Jesus’ teachings about how to live distinctively in the world. Jesus gave this prayer to his followers in the context of some very practical words on when / where / how to pray... 

[Read Matthew 6:5-15] 

 
In verses 5-8, what kinds of dysfunctional prayer does Jesus warn about? 

 
Jesus commands us to pray in secret. Does that rule out public prayer? 
Why or why not? 

 
When you pray out loud in front of other people, what can you do to focus on God rather than on how your prayer sounds to others? 

 
If God already knows our needs before we pray (verse 8), why pray at all? 

 
As you think about the context that the Lord’s Prayer was first spoken, do you think Jesus wanted us to pray these exact words, or is he giving us a general pattern for prayer? 

What misuses of the prayer could come from either of these? 

 
The word Jesus uses to call on the Father is the common words that children, in Jesus’ day, used to address their father - “Abba”, which means “Papa” / “Daddy” / “Dearest Father”. What emotions do you feel as you think of God in this close / intimate / relational way? 

 
Why does Jesus instruct us, in verse 9, to address God as our Father instead of my Father? 

 
If the word Father suggests the nearness of God, “Our Father in heaven” points to God’s power and majesty. How does the fact that God rules in heaven over all things make you feel about coming to him with your needs and requests? 

 
Do most of your prayers emphasise God’s gentle presence with us or God’s awesome majesty? 
What can you do to bring more balance in your approach to God in prayer? 

 
The next line of the prayer, “Hallowed be Your name”, means you are offering yourself as a channel through which God can show his holy nature to a drifting (and rebellious) culture. What are some of the ways that we, as Christians, can honour God’s name in our daily lives? 

 
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of God’s “hallowed” / holy character. The King of Judah had died, and the young prophet found himself feeling insecure and fearful. Then he saw the Lord, holy and exalted, and it changed his life... 

[Read Isaiah 6:1-8] 

 
If you were given this vision, how would each of your senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch – be affected? 

 
What aspects of God’s character are emphasised in this vision? 

 
In verse 5, why does Isaiah respond by saying, “I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips”? 

 
God responds to Isaiah’s confession with an act of cleansing. 
How do you think Isaiah feels after the burning coal experience? 

 
God’s cleansing also produces a heart of obedience in Isaiah (verse 8). 
What is God asking you to do? 

What will it cost to say, “Here I am. Send me”? 

What (if anything) will be different in your life, moving forward, because you begin to pray: “May my whole life be an honour to Your name, Father – hallowed be Your name”? 

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