Lord, Teach Us To Pray: Week Five
Matthew 6:9-13
By teaching us to pray for daily bread, Jesus invites us to come to God with what others might consider “small” requests.
By teaching us to pray for our daily bread, Jesus wants to instill in us a mutual concern for other people.
By teaching us to pray for our daily bread, Jesus wants to foster in us a daily dependence upon the Father.
“Everything is needful that [God] sends; nothing is needful that he withholds.” John Newton
By teaching us to trust God for daily bread, Jesus wants us to learn to trust God for eternal life.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” John 6:53-55
PRAYER PROMPTS
Come to God with what others might consider “small” requests.
“Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matt 6:31-32)
Come to God with real concern for other people.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God… (Col 1:9-10)
Come to God in daily dependence upon him.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Come to God trusting him for eternal life.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
Life Group Discussion Questions
In our prayer lives, there often exists a disconnect between what we want to pray about and what we feel like we should pray about. How have you experienced this in your own life?
In what ways (or in what areas of your life) do you find yourself struggling to believe that God desires to and is able to meet your deepest needs?
How does this statement from John Newton challenge you? Encourage you?
“Everything is needful that [God] sends; nothing is needful that he withholds.” (John Newton; Letters, August 19, 1775)How do you need to grow in daily dependence on the Lord? What would progress look like in this area of your life?