Length: 30-40 mins

Explore some of the Biblical basis for the missional habit of prayer and discuss it with your group.

Link to printable version coming soon

Since it is God’s mission we are participating in, we seek him first through prayer. Prayer is how we commune with God, bringing our whole selves to him, and often, where he aligns our hearts to his.

Prayer is also a powerful place where we engage in God’s mission. To paraphrase Lee Strobel, among others: “If God answered all of your prayers from the last week, would the world be different? Or just your life? Would there be anyone new in the kingdom of God?” As we spend time with God, our heart and our prayers will reflect his heart for the world more and more.

Prayer in the Bible

Read the following verses together, reading each passage twice in a row. One suggestion is that group members make notes about what they observe about prayer in each verse.

  • Zechariah 13:9

  • Psalm 67:1-2

  • Matthew 6:9-13

  • Matthew 9:37-38

  • Mark 1:35

  • Philippians 4:6

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discussion Questions

  • What are some of the ideas about prayer that you noticed in these verses?

  • How would you summarize God’s heart for prayer as you understand it, from these verses and the rest of Scripture?

  • What does this habit look like in your life right now? What can you celebrate in this area?

  • Where is there room for growth in your practice of prayer?

  • How does knowing God's desire for us to depend on him in prayer lead you to action?

  • What’s one next step you could take this week in the area of prayer?