DISCOVERING A LIFESTYLE OF PRAYER
Lesson 1-Prayer that Comes Naturally
Most people pray even if they don't know what it is they are doing.
We are born to pray because we are not only physical beings--we are
also spiritual beings.
We all have a relationship with God by virtue of the fact that we are
created by him and it is his Spirit that gives us life. We are created to
have relationships: First with God; then with fellow human beings.
Relationships are sustained through communication.
What are some ways we communicate to one another?
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How do we communicate with God?
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Communication with God is usually called _____________________ .
Examples of relationship with God from the ancient biblical story
In the Garden of Eden—banished from the Garden (the presence of
God)—yet in the time of Enosh, Seth’s son: “at that time people
began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26, NIV).
“Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because
God took him away.” (Genesis 5:24, NIV)
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8, NIV)
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people
and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make
you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1–2, NIV)
It is a part of normal existence for God to speak with us and for us to
speak with God.
Why do you think that people find that difficult to understand in
our modern scientific culture?
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The Presence of God
Prayer starts with an awareness of the presence of God.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
(Matthew 28:20b, NIV)
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never
leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.””
(Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV)
“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the
whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and
the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek
him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far
from any one of us.” (Acts 17:26–27, NIV)
Read these scriptures and try and answer the questions:
What is the presence of God? How can I enter the presence of God?
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Prayer: an ongoing conversation with God
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1, NIV)
Since the barriers to our access with God have been removed
through Jesus, we should be able to have a conversation with him at
any time. But we do not always take time to do that even though we
have been encouraged in scripture to “pray continually” (1
Thessalonians 5:17, NIV).
Practical guidelines to praying continually:
1. Designate a time of focussed praying at the beginning of the
day (silent waiting on God to hear what the Spirit may be
saying to you; read a scripture and reflect on it in prayer).
2. Throughout the day consciously invite Jesus into your
activities asking him for help and guidance.
3. At the end of the day take time to consider when you were
aware of God’s presence and activity during the day (also
when you felt further away from God and why).
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“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7, NIV)
Lesson 2-Lord, Teach Us to Pray
The Prayer life of Jesus
One of the things that characterized the human existence of Jesus
was his prayer life. His disciples were so impressed by it they asked
Jesus to teach them how to pray. While it appeared impressive it
must have at least seemed accessible enough to them that they ask
him to teach them to pray in the same way.
What struck them about Jesus prayer? Was the words? Was it the
manner? Was it the intensity? Was it the results? It may have been
all of the above. But I believe they somehow observed that he was
able to connect with God in a way that they had not seen before. In
answer to their question this is what he taught them:
Luke 11:2–4 (NIV)1
2
He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your
name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’ ”
The Lord’s Prayer is a pattern prayer
He presented to his disciples what we today call “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The Lord’s Prayer has been memorized by millions of Christians
around the world and is repeated many times over. Many people use
it as if the words of that prayer were magic. They believe if they can
say it as many times as possible it will help them get what they want
or save them from disaster. But Jesus did not teach the disciples the
words of this prayer to be used as a kind of mindless repetition. He
gave them a pattern by which they should pray.
1. He teaches us to pray to God as our Father.
1
It is helpful to compare this version of the prayer with Matthew 6:9-13.
For group discussion:
What does the word “father” suggest to you? Do you think it
suggests the same thing to everyone? Why or why not?
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2. In coming to God we need to understand that he is holy.
“Hallowed be your name” is a declaration of worship which helps us
acknowledge that God is unique and set apart. He is God; we are not
God. We are saying: “May Your person, Your identity, Your character,
Your nature, Your attributes, Your reputation, Your very being itself
be hallowed.”
(Optional discussion question):
How can we treat God as holy? (Consider Numbers 20:6-12)
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3. As we pray, we consider first the kingdom of God: “Your
kingdom come.”
The kingdom of God is where He rules and where he is obeyed. This
prayer is a seeking from God what he wants to do through our
prayers and agreeing with Him.
For discussion:
What are some things that we could pray that would invite God’s
kingdom to come and His will to be done?
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4. The next agenda item of the prayer is for our daily provision.
By asking God for our daily bread we will come to understand that
everything comes from him—both physical sustenance and spiritual
blessing. This prayer for daily bread may appear to have more
relevance to those who are living “from hand to mouth.” But it is
equally significant to those whose who do not have to think about
how they will get their next meal because we all need to know that it
came from the hand of our heavenly Father.
Another way to look at is to ask this question:
Who is included when we prayer for “our daily bread?”
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5. The next prayer item that Jesus brings relates to the removal
of sins through forgiveness.
The issue of forgiveness implies the need for the healing of broken
relationships and the removing of offences. Jesus knows we have
offended God by our sins and will need to receive forgiveness. But he
ties God’s forgiving us with us forgiving those who sin against us.
For General discussion:
Why do you think Jesus ties God’s forgiving and our forgiving
together in this way?
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6. The next agenda item of the prayer is about how we can
avoid sin altogether.
Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
What is meant by “temptation?”

A test to determine the depth and integrity of one’s
commitment to God.
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An enticement towards sin
Jesus was tempted
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God’s intent was that Jesus would be proven to be sinless.
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Satan’s intent was to discredit Jesus by making him go
against God’s will.
When we pray like this…

It is an acknowledgement that in ourselves we are weak. (1
Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 6:1-2)

It is a declaration of intent that we do not want to even
come close to temptation.
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It is a prayer for help
Lesson 3-All Kinds of Prayer
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for
all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words
may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of
the gospel,” (Ephesians 6:18–19, NIV)
Prayer as part of the Armour of God
In the context of the passage above, the apostle Paul makes it clear
that we are in a struggle “against the devil’s schemes” and “spiritual
forces of evil. (Ephesians 6:1-12)” He draws a word picture of the
armour of God with which we need to arm ourselves and concludes
with an exhortation to pray “all kinds of prayers.”
What we want to try and discover in this lesson is what kinds of
prayers we can pray. The objective of this lesson is to grow in our
understanding so that we become aware of the many kinds of
prayers that will help us discover a life-style of prayer. We will not
cover all the kinds of prayer there are but hopefully open our eyes to
the possibilities of different kinds of prayers.
For group discussion:
List as many kinds of prayers you can think of and briefly explain
what you mean.
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Solitary Prayer versus Corporate Prayer
“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 6:6, NIV)
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of
God boldly.” (Acts 4:31, NIV)
For discussion:
Why is it important to include have both solitary prayer and
corporate prayer as a part of our praying life-style?
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Praying with the Mind versus Praying with the Spirit
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So
what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my
understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my
understanding.” (1 Corinthians 14:14–15, NIV)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for
us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows
the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people
in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26–28, NIV)
Prayer in one sense is always done at a spiritual level because it is a
spiritual activity. And it is good to engage our minds in prayer and go
through the exercise of making understandable conversation to our
heavenly Father. But there are times when life’s issues become too
large for us and we need to make use of the gift of praying in
tongues or simply pray through wordless groans trusting that
somehow the Holy Spirit is helping us pray according to God’s will.
Group discussion:
Can you think of a time you wanted to pray but just did not know
what to pray or how to pray? What did you do?
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Prayer with Feasting versus Prayer with Fasting
“Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while
he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.
But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from
them, and on that day they will fast.” (Mark 2:19–20, NIV)
““When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they
disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on
your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others
that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew
6:16–18, NIV)
There are times we should with thanksgiving enjoy the food that God
has provided for us but there are also times that we will do well to
fast. Fasting is abstaining from food (or something else) for the
purpose of intensifying our prayer. This spiritual discipline is
something that godly people have done over the centuries to great
personal and corporate benefit. Sometime nations have declared
fasts and other times it has been a more personal activity between
God and the individual.
Other kinds of Praying
Extemporaneous Prayer versus Liturgical Prayer
Prayer Vigils (all night prayers)
“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t
you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.”” (Matthew 26:40–41, NIV)
Contemplative Prayer
“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
(Psalm 27:8, NIV)
Contemplative prayer is not so much about bringing our requests to
God but rather bringing ourselves into God’s presence so that we
can seek him.
“Contemplation… is a form of prayer that intentionally cultivates the
discipline of seeking and finding God. It takes place in an
environment of minimal distraction where the heart is most free to
discover and respond to its profound longing for unity with God. The
desire to seek the Lord’s “face,” as well as the ongoing conversion of
our hearts in purifying this desire, are what inspire the practice of
Christian contemplative prayer.” (Rob des Cotes)
If this kind of prayer becomes the foundation of every other kind of
prayer, all of our prayer life will be strengthened.
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Lesson 4-Prayer for All Times
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for
all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV)
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they
should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1, NIV)
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14,
NIV)
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans
12:12, NIV)
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
(Colossians 4:2, NIV)
Prayer is the Atmosphere of the Believer
Without prayer it is impossible to have a vibrant spiritual life. Various
church traditions have included times of prayer for all kinds of
occasions. Whenever Christians have drifted away from prayer for
whatever reason, the church has lost its fervor and vibrancy. In our
times we have tended to pray less because we have become selfsufficient. We live as if modern scientific advances have excluded the
need for God and therefore made prayer unnecessary to our
existence. We will do well to recover the ability of finding excuses to
pray so that we become aware of the presence of God in our lives.
He has never left us though we have often ignored him. In this 4th
lesson in the series of Discovering a Lifestyle of Prayer, we want to
explore the many opportunities we have to pray and how to make
the most of them.
For group discussion:
What are some of the opportunities for prayer that you have in a
typical day? Think of as many as possible and write them down and
discuss them with the group.
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Developing a Pattern of Praying Constantly
Praying constantly does not mean that we exclude other activities
from our life. But it may perhaps mean that we should explore how
we may be able to include God in our regular activities and our
special activities. Many of us already have a habit of pausing before a
meal to thank God for the food he has provided. At special occasions
such as birthday we pause to ask God to bless the birthday celebrant.
When we attend a church service or a church-related meeting such
as a life-group, we pray several times. When we have a crisis
moment we may send a cry of help to God as a prayer. Why limit our
patterns of prayer to those times? Why not develop a lifestyle in
which we pause to pray several times a day—(i.e. on all occasions—
Ephesians 6:18)? Perhaps this will help us become aware of God’s
presence more frequently and give him opportunity to speak to us
and work things out on our behalf.
For discussion:
When is the last time you stopped everything and asked God to
help you? How did that work out for you? Share it with your group.
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Making the Most of Every Opportunity
Dead air is an unintended interruption in a radio or TV broadcast
during which no sound or video is transmitted. Broadcasters avoid
dead air as much as possible because viewers are likely to change
the channel. Sometimes in our day there may be moments of “dead
air” when there is no scheduled activity such as the transition time
between events or when someone is late for an appointment. We
may already have a lot of other things that we do such as check
emails, text a friend or read a book or magazine. But what if we
began to think about including prayer as one of the options for a
filling in the “dead air?”
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Praying without Giving Up
God delights in answering our prayers, yet we have all experienced
that he often delays in answering our prayers. Sometimes it seems
that we have to get into a desperate state before we experience an
answer to prayer. We often need to continue praying for longer
times and more often. The activity of prayer needs to be sustained
with persistence until the answer comes.
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they
should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there
was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with
the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he
refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God
or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering
me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come
and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge
says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who
cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell
you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the
Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:1–8,
NIV)
Group discussion:
What do you think this parable has to teach us about prayer?
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Crisis Prayer
“Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt
that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s
clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would
happen.” When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of
Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had
gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and
a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.” (Acts 12:11–13,
NIV)
What does this story teach us about prayer? (Read the full story in
Acts 12:1-12.)
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Lesson 5-Prayer for All People
In this lesson we want to learn some biblical foundations that will
guide us as we pray for people.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for
all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV)
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness
and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all
people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1
Timothy 2:1–4, NIV)
God’s Priority for People
When we pray for people, it is important for us to be aware of what
God’s priority is for them. This will guide us in our prayers for people.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand
slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV)
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the
Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32, NIV)
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all
people.” (Titus 2:11, NIV)
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also
for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, NIV)
What is God’s priority all people? How will that help us to pray for
the people in our lives?
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Prayer for the Lord’s People
“…keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that
whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly
make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an
ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I
should.” (Ephesians 6:18b–20, NIV)
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful
and effective….My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander
from the truth and someone should bring that person back,
remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way
will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James
5:16, 19–20, NIV)
See also Paul’s apostolic prayers (Ephesians 1:15-19; 3:14-21;
Colossians 1:9-14) in which he prays for the believers receive greater
spiritual insight and power so they will be equipped to live righteous
lives in this world. These prayers are not oriented toward physical
needs. This is not to suggest that physical needs are unimportant but
that when spiritual insight is gained the physical needs somehow fall
into place.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
Consider Jesus prayer for his disciples and believers of all ages:
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you
protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I
am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. … I pray
also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all
of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have
sent me.” (John 17:15–21, NIV)
For discussion:
Take a few moments and think of a fellow believer and write down
a few points of prayer for them. Then share this with your group
members.
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Prayer for our Enemies
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you,” (Matthew 5:44, NIV)
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing.” (Luke 23:34, NIV)
“Then [Stephen] fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold
this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts
7:60, NIV) (See also 1 Peter 3:9)
What do you think has to happen in our hearts to be able to be able
to pray for our enemies?
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Praying for the People in our Lives
Group discussion:
Which other people can you think of that we should pray for in our
lives?
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Practical Considerations as We Pray for people
1. Praying together with them (one on one) for specific
concerns.
2. Committing to pray for them (privately) for specific concerns.
3. Following up on answers for prayers (Has there been any
change in the situation?)
4. Praying in a small group setting
5. Praying in an altar call setting.
6. Obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit to pray for specific
individuals for specific matters.
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