The Why

part 2

"The Why" (Part 2)

Put into Practice:

This week the practice is to experiment with your posture in prayer everyday (on your knees, lying prostrate, lifting your hands), practicing a humble position before God (Matthew 26:38-39, Daniel 6:10, Numbers 20:6).

Our goal this week is to take a humble position before God. Humble posture physically helps us to have a humble heart spiritually.
Its not that God listens to us differently when we pray on our knees, but we pray differently when we pray on our knees.
Remember, we aren’t doing this to tell people about it, but to come humbly before our God.

With a Friend:

What from the lesson stuck out to you?

How has the daily practice of experimenting with your posture in prayer gone?
After the first week of the summer of prayer what have you learned about the way you view prayer or the way you view God?

Read Matthew 26:36-41

Jesus knew He needed prayer. He made time for it even on his final night before his death.
God doesn't need anything from us, but we need everything from Him.
The goal is to not just have a prayer life, but a life of prayer. We will only do this if we realize how much we need God and need prayer.

Excuses

Lets be honest, what are your main excuses or reasons that you don't pray like you want to?
What does your prayer life say about how much you think you need prayer? How can you change that?
- It can be easy to say "I'm to busy to pray", but a humble heart realizes "I'm to busy not to pray"

Jesus "fell with his face to the ground and prayed"

Jesus humbled himself before God. A humble posture physically helps us have a humble heart spiritually.
How often do you change your posture to help you pray? Is there anything that makes you feel uncomfortable about getting on your knees or lifting up your arms during prayer?

Spend some time in prayer experimenting with your posture together.

You could pray on your knees, lying prostrate, with your hands open palms up, arms raised, etc.
Try to connect with how the different postures helps your heart and mind connect differently with God

Family Group:

What are some things or hobbies you wish you had more time to do?

A lot of us feel similar about prayer. We can say we are to busy to pray.
What are some other excuses we can make about not praying as much as we want to?

Read Mark 1:32-39

Jesus had a late exhausting night helping people. The next day he continued on his busy traveling schedule to preach to the different towns. Yet he still made time to wake up very early in the morning to pray.
Why do you think Jesus did this even when he was busy and exhausted?
- Instead of being to busy to pray, Jesus was to busy not to pray. He knew the more he had going on in life the more he needed Gods help through prayer.
- If Jesus needed prayer, we need it all the more.

What makes it hard for you to really believe you need prayer?

How could you show God you need Him in your life of prayer this week?
- Put those things into practice this week. Sometimes we need to shake up our prayer life to grow in it. A great way to show God you need Him is to change your posture when you pray. A humble posture before God helps you have a humble heart before God.
- Experiment with your posture this week. Pray on your knees, lying prostrate, or with your hands raised to show God you need Him.

Close out in prayer.