Introduction to the Practice of Prayer

As we embark on this four-week journey together, we’ll be immersing ourselves in the Lord’s Prayer, one of the most profound and powerful prayers in Scripture. Our focus will be on practicing prayer as a spiritual discipline—not just for ourselves, but as a way to deepen our relationship with God, extend our prayers to others, and ultimately align our hearts with His will.

This Week’s Topic

The Lord’s Prayer is our model

• Week 1: We begin by focusing on the holiness and fatherhood of God, recognizing our relationship with Him and the reverence due to His name.
• Week 2: We shift our focus outward, praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in our communities and beyond.
• Week 3: We practice trusting God for our daily needs and intercede for justice and reconciliation in our personal lives and the nation.
• Week 4: We seek God’s guidance and protection, praying for strength to resist temptation and for deliverance from evil.Each week, our prayers will guide us from an internal focus on our own spiritual growth and needs to an external focus on our community, nation, and the broader world. This journey is about learning to balance our personal relationship with God while also lifting up others in prayer, all with the ultimate goal of glorifying our Heavenly Father.

How to Lead Your Group

1. Prepare Spiritually:As the leader, spend time each week in personal prayer and reflection on the week’s focus before meeting with your group. Allow the Holy Spirit to help guide this corporate prayer time and gathering.
2. Set the Tone: Begin each session by first reminding everyone in your group of the parameters in which you will be launching into prayer. Then make sure to read the specific verse(s) from Matthew 6:9-13 that correspond to the week’s focus. Share briefly about the importance of this passage and specific scripture for the week.
   1. Group Parameters:
      1. Jesus is our King. Our hope is in Him and nothing else. As we pray for our nation and our church to navigate the upcoming political season, we do so with the mindset that no matter who our president might be, Jesus is always our King, and as the King of kings, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, our hope is in Him alone. We can elect a president, but that president will never be able to replace our King.
      2. Our unity in Christ matters more than our political differences. Jesus’ prayer for His followers in John 17 was that we would be one just as he and the Father are one. Even if we disagree on the best political agenda for our country, we should all be united around the spiritual agenda God has set forth. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Christ died for all of us to redeem us for His own purpose and glory. We are called to reflect the unity of the relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Spirit so the world might know the surpassing greatness of our God and King.
      3. We encourage you to prayerfully consider the issues, let Scripture lead you in your views, and participate in the democratic process based on conscience. With those first two points in place, we do encourage everyone to participate in the democratic process our nation affords us in whatever way you feel the Lord is leading you. Be intentional with your participation and know why you do whatever it is you do when it comes to voting.
3. Facilitate Reflection and Prayer:
   Use the provided scriptures, reflection and prayer points to guide the group into prayer. Encourage everyone to share, but also allow for moments of silence where members can personally connect with God. Open with a prayer inviting God’s presence and direction.
4. Lead in Prayer:
   Guide the group in prayer, using the prayer points as a framework. Encourage members to pray aloud if they feel comfortable. Ensure that the focus remains on the theme for the week, moving from personal prayers to broader intercession. Consider alternating with group sizes from week to week. One week stay in the large group setting, and other weeks maybe divide into smaller groups if you feel you have the leadership present in the room.
5. Encourage Application:
   After the prayer time, discuss how group members can apply what they’ve prayed about in their daily lives. This could be through acts of service, further prayer, or specific actions that align with God’s will as discussed.
6. Wrap Up with a Keepsake Prayer (Week 5):
   Conclude the four weeks with the special keepsake prayer centered around the final doxology of the Lord’s Prayer: “For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” This prayer serves as a powerful reminder of God’s eternal sovereignty and the culmination of your group’s prayer journey.

Closing Thought

This four-week guide is an invitation to deepen your group’s practice of prayer, shifting from a focus on personal needs to a broader, kingdom-oriented perspective. As you lead your group, remember that the purpose is not just to pray but to teach others how to pray in a way that aligns their hearts with God’s will and extends His love to others. May this journey strengthen your group’s relationship with God and each other, and may it empower you all to be vessels of His kingdom, power, and glory.