1. What thoughts come to your mind when you think about prayer?

2. What is the role of prayer in your life? What does this look like in practice?

3. Read Matthew 6:5-13. Jesus gives us a roadmap for how to pray and highlights in this passage 9 different aspects of prayer.

Prayer is:

• Getting real with God (v.6).
• Not a ritual (v.7).
• Talking to God about things He already knows (v.8).
• Relational conversation (v.9; our Father in heaven).
• Worship (v.9; hallowed be your name).
• Submission to God’s will (v.10).
• Asking for what you need (v.11).
• Confession (v.12).
• A tool for spiritual warfare (v.13).

a. Review each of these aspects together and share with one another which of these are common and uncommon features of your personal prayer life.

b. What is needed for you to fuel your life by prayer in line with Jesus’ roadmap?

4. Read Philippians 4:6. Paul tells us that our prayers always need to be accompanied by thanksgiving.

a. What place does thanksgiving have in your prayers?

b. How do you assess the balance between focusing on God (thanksgiving, worship, submission to His will) and focusing on yourself (asking for what you need) in your prayer life?

5. Spend time in prayer, either as a group (if you are with just a few) or in smaller groups of 2-3. Below are some prayer pointers, but pray as the Spirit leads and brings to mind other things to pray about.

• Worship God for Who He is and praise Him for what He has done for you.
• Ask the Lord to let His Kingdom come and His will be done in the specific situations and circumstances you are currently dealing with.
• Ask the Lord for a deeper desire to be a (wo)man of prayer.
• Ask the Lord to give you what you need at this time (be specific in what you ask for).
• Ask the Lord to give you victory over the enemy in areas of your life where you are currently being attacked or tempted.
• Ask the Lord to help us accomplish our mission at ECB (use, for example, the prayer on the bookmark that you received on Sunday).