Scripture
“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.” – Matthew 6:5
Today, we look at prayer, the second of Jesus’ three pillars of faith. Marc explains that unlike the prayers of fear in the pagan religions of the day, Jesus taught that God is not far off, unavailable to us—He is our Father, staying close. He cares for His family, and He knows our needs before we ask.
Further, we learn that in the Bible, God’s Name is sanctified in one of two ways: either by how He acts or by how we act. So we sanctify God’s name by obeying to Him. Prayer is not just the words we say; our prayer is how we live our lives.
Question: Do the moments you live and interact with others between your prayers line up with the words you pray?
Prayer Starter: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He would like to see you walk out today as an act of prayer.
Family Chat: Read through Matthew 6:9-13, The Lord’s Prayer, with your family. Talk about what it meant when Jesus prayed it and what it means now to you and your family.
Take Action: Make it a daily habit to pray The Lord’s Prayer and mean it. Then look for opportunities to walk it out as you go through your life with your family, at your job, and in the community.
Challenge: Meet with your life group and talk through both the questions you’ve answered this week and the challenges you have faced (or are still facing!) as you follow Jesus. Be honest about what’s worked for you, as well as areas where you may have missed the mark.
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Scripture
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
– Matthew 6:9-10
In our teaching today, Marc asks us, “How can you sanctify the Name of God in your life today?” As we talked about earlier this week, God’s Name is sanctified through our obedience.
We live in a season when it’s common to blame the decline of faith in God on the media, politics, Hollywood, and secularism. But we should not be surprised when the pagan world behaves as the pagan world! Marc proposes that the reason God’s Name is profaned in our world is not them. It’s us.
Question: What areas of your life do you tend to look like the world? How can you obey God in this area, and how might that display His goodness, mercy, and glory?
Prayer Starter: Jesus, I take responsibility for not showing the world Your goodness and mercy. I confess that as sin and repent of it. Throughout my day today, help me notice the opportunities in each moment to practice demonstrating Your goodness and compassion.
Family Chat: When you interact with people at your school or play with kids in your neighborhood, can they tell that you are different and that Jesus lives in you?
Take Action: Whatever the Holy Spirit revealed as you pondered the question above, go and do it. He may invite you to be encouraging on social media rather than tear down; He may call you to integrity: to be the same person, no matter which group of friends you’re with. Or, He may give you opportunities to build your identity on what He says about you rather than on how people see you. Whatever He reveals, go and obey.
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Scripture
“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” – Matthew 6:12
Pastor Bronson explains that in Jesus’ day, lending practices were so predatory that the borrower could end up enslaved to the person who held their debt. Similarly, when someone wrongs you, they can end up indebted to you.
We can often be afraid that if we let go of things that we legally have the right to hold over someone, that somehow, we’re not going to be able to cover the cost. But forgiveness is not something we must do because it’s right. Forgiveness is something we do because it’s who we are as Christians.
When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can forgive people we never thought we could forgive. Why? Because we don’t forgive out of our lack, but out of the abundance of God’s grace.
Question: How often have you sinned against God or grieved Him? Has He forgiven you? Can you extend that same forgiveness to others like God has extended it to you?
Prayer Starter: Jesus, please forgive me for trying to get even. Forgive me for striving to control and manipulate my life, my family, and my relationships to keep from getting hurt. I choose to receive Your forgiveness and extend this same forgiveness to those who have hurt me, even if they never make it right.
Family Chat: Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and show you anyone you need to forgive.
Take Action: What is your next step? Talk it over with your life group or accountability partner.
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Scripture
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
– Matthew 6:13
Today Pastor Jason Kimbrow shares with us about how we need God to help us resist temptation and to rescue us from evil. He mentions that yesterday’s part of The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12) is more curative medicine, whereas today’s verse is more preventive medicine, inviting God to shield us from temptation.
How are we delivered from evil? The enemy’s main temptation is through deception. If we let ourselves be dictated by our emotions, the enemy has a temptation for every mood we can slip into. So we need to stand on the truth. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:15-17, “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, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”
We can be delivered from evil by knowing God’s truth! Pastor Jason invites us to pray The Lord’s Prayer over ourselves, our families, our community, our culture, and our nation!
Question: What people are tempting you? What places are tempting you? What are the pleasures that are enticing you?
Prayer Starter: This week, begin your daily prayer by praying through The Lord’s Prayer.
Family Chat: Discuss as a family: Is there a person, place, or pleasure that is causing you temptation? What do you need to do about that?
Take Action: Get with your accountability partner this week and be honest with each other about your answers to today’s questions.
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Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” – Luke 22:39-46
Today, Pastor Daniel Ramos talks to us about surrendering to God’s will. Jesus prays to God the Father, saying, “Lord, let Your will be done, not Mine,” (Luke 22:42). He reminds us that Jesus was praying at the Mount of Olives, the exit door to the wilderness, where He could have escaped, and the authorities would never have found Him. But He prayed a prayer that He prayed every day and taught His disciples to pray, a declaration of surrendering to God’s will. He had made it a habit of surrendering His will to God the Father.
Sometimes in our faith journey, we think that it’s the big moments that make the big difference, but if we surrender to God every day, that will make the most significant difference when making a big decision.
Question: Are you staying in God’s Word every day? Are you choosing to surrender to His will every day? Can you do that today?
Family Chat: Can you name one small moment where you need to be more like Jesus?
Take Action: Make a conscious choice at every moment today to surrender your will to God’s will. Talk to your life group about how your day goes because of it.
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Scripture
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:9-14
Today, Katy Bezet explains that Jesus told this parable to some who treated others with contempt, comparing their own self-righteousness to others’ sinful behavior. However, the tax collector approached God with a humble heart, knowing he was a sinner.
She reminds us that the Word says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble and that, as we choose to humble ourselves before Him, we can be confident that He will honor that.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. You don’t have to use big, complicated words; He just wants you to talk to Him, being honest with Him about what you’re dealing with and who you are. He can handle your big questions.
Question: Have you slipped into a habit of comparing yourself to others—whether you’re trying to make yourself feel better about yourself, or you think you’ll never measure up? Ask Jesus what He has to say about that.
Prayer Starter: Jesus, I’m sorry for measuring myself and others based on man’s standards; I’m sorry for letting self-righteousness be my standard, instead of You. I choose humility, and I ask for Your forgiveness because Your Word says that only You are holy and only You are righteous. I receive Your forgiveness, and I choose to fix my eyes on You today. Thank You that I don’t have to fix everything before talking to You….I can just talk to You.
Family Chat: Prayer has two parts: talking and listening. Which one are you better at?
Take Action: Read one Psalm every day for the next 30 days, making it a prayer to our God who passionately loves you.
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