Page 84 - First Steps 2023

Session 5:
Prayer

Discipler leads.

For a follower of Jesus, prayer is more than an option-
al activity. It’s assumed you’ll pray.
Listen in as Jesus chats with his first disciples…

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be

seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your
Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:5-6).

Not if you pray…but when you pray. Jesus doesn’t see prayer as an
elective, something that’s hit or miss.

And no wonder prayer matters so much to Jesus. It’s direct commu-
nication with God, boldly walking into the throne room of the Creator of
the universe. Prayer fuels your friendship with God the best way possible:
Through direct, honest communication. By talking…and listening.
In this session we will discuss the power of prayer—and explore a
simple truth that will energize your prayer time.

The discipler asks the following.

A Brief Pause
Life’s crowded and complicated, and perhaps there’s
something up in your world that makes it hard to con-
centrate on a conversation about prayer.
If that’s the case, let me know what’s distracting you right now. Get it
out and on the table so—no surprise—we can pray about it.

It is a privilege for us to pray together.

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