Study 1: Heart Obstacles to Prayer

Head

Heart

1. Nate listed a number of obstacles to prayer: sin, suffering, doubt, guilt and shame. Which of these keep you from prayer. Why? 

2. Look back at James 4:1-3. As you look at some of your prayers over the past month, how often have you asked for (often good) things, but with wrong motives? 

Hands

1. Pray for God to help you deal with those obstacles to prayer in the confines of his grace and love.

2. Pray for God to show you where your motives are wrong and ask him to help you seek him and his will more than your desires.

Study 2: Hand Obstacles to Prayer

Head

Tying prayer to certain times or activities during our day brings consistency to prayer. Here are a few ideas to start with: before a meal, at kids’ bedtime, before bed, while driving. You can also set alarms or reminders to help you. 

1. Identify several landmarks during the day that could remind you to pray.

2. Additionally, God gave us the Sabbath as a day to focus more on him. Do you spend more time in prayer on the Sabbath?

Heart

1. Are there specific prayers that have become robotic? Identify those, and next time, stop and think before you pray.

2. What’s your initial reaction to spending time in extended prayer on Sundays? What keeps you from doing that? Why are you reluctant? 

Hands

1. For the rest of the week, try to pray more deliberately at your routine prayer times.

2. Pick one day and set three reminders to pray at specific times. 

This Sunday, spend additional time in prayer. Pick a duration that feels like stretch but is realistic for you.

Study 3: Structures for Prayer

Head

The Lord’s prayer is a helpful guide (see the week three lesson, “Praying Scripture,” for more details). The ACTS format is another way to guide your prayer. 

Adoration: Speaking your love and adoration for God, who he is and what he’s done.

Confession: Naming your sins before God and seeking him for forgiveness and grace.

Thanksgiving: Giving thanks for the many ways God has blessed and cared for you. 

Supplication: Naming your requests before God. 

Hands

1. Pray following the ACTS format. Many find it easiest to pray supplications, but struggle with things like adoration. It helps to write out a few things for each item. Set a timer so you spend equal time in each section. Perhaps start with three minutes for each element; if you have more time, try five minutes.

Study 4: Distractions In Prayer

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  – Matthew 6:6

Head

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus reminds us that prayer is not a performance for others, but a conversation with God. But just as having others present can make us self-conscious or distract us, many other things can keep us focused. Going into your room and closing the door helps you focus on God while you pray.

1. What are some of the common distractions you face during prayer? 

2. In the video, Nate listed his “5 f’s and a p” Family, friends, fun, fitness, finances, phone. How have you seen these things distract you when you want to pray?

3. Do you have any rituals or habits (good or bad) with prayer? 

4. Think of some of the times when you were most focused on prayer. Were there things about your environment that aided in that focus?

Hands

1. Find your “place of prayer”: a good location, time of day, etc. where you can be undistracted for a time.

2. During your times of prayer this week make sure you leave your phone out of arm's reach. 

3. Experiment with different postures of prayer. Sometimes kneeling onto a chair or getting away from your desk or table can help you focus. 

Watch Marsha’s Story of Prayer