Vital, Part 1: Prayer
May 12, 2024

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Message Review

Two disciplines are vital in order to grow in our relationship with Jesus: Praying and Reading the Bible.  In week one of the Vital series, we talked about prayer and discovered that prayer's ultimate purpose and reward is growing in our relationship with Jesus.

Main Point: The ultimate purpose and reward of prayer is growing our relationship with Jesus.

Scripture References: Matthew 6:5-13

Bible Study      

The focus Bible passage from the sermon was Matthew 6:5-15. Before going to the Sermon Discussion Questions, study the passage by reading through it together, then talk through it using the Inductive Bible Study Method questions that follow:

  • Context: Discuss the context of this passage (Use the Bible Overview to learn the context) 

  • Observation: What do you notice in this passage? What words or phrases stick out to you? And why?

  • Interpretation: What was the author’s original intent in this passage? What main point(s) was he trying to communicate, and why is that important? 

  • Application: What is one key takeaway or insight you had from this passage? How can or should you apply it to your life?

  • Questions: What questions/tensions do you have from this passage that you would like to discuss?

Discussion Questions

  • What were your initial thoughts or takeaways from the sermon and why?

  • What’s the difference between having religion vs. having a relationship with God?

  • Do you pray?  

    • If not, why not?  

    • If so, when do you pray, and why do you pray? 

  • What do you think the ultimate purpose of prayer is?  What do you think the ultimate reward of prayer is?

  • Read Matthew 6:5-8 again as a group and then answer the following questions.

    • What did Jesus say about how not to pray in this passage, and why?

    • What did Jesus say about how to pray in this passage?

    • What is the reward of prayer that Jesus was talking about in this passage? 

  • Prayer's ultimate purpose and reward is growing in our relationship with Jesus. Why do you think that growing in our relationship with Jesus is prayer's ultimate purpose and reward? 

  • In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus taught us how to pray relationally.  Read that passage again as a group.  What specific elements was Jesus instructing us to pray to pray relationally?  

  • How Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6 can be broken down into a simple four-part model called the P.R.A.Y Model: Pray, Repent, Ask, Yield?  What does each of the four parts of this model look like? How do you think using this model could help grow your relationship with Jesus? 

  • Do you want to grow in your relationship with Jesus?  What next step will you take to get alone with God to pray consistently?  

To watch or listen to Sunday’s sermon, visit our Sermons page.