Message Series: Through It All
Week 1
Scripture: John 15
Other Scripture References:
Luke 1 - Jesus was raised by people with a rich prayer life.
Luke 5:16 - Prayed alone and regularly
Luke 6:12 - Prayed in nature (long prayer); Prayed before acting (call of the disciples)
Luke 9:28 - Prayed with others (transfiguration)
Luke 18:1 - Prayed persistently
Matthew 19:13 & Luke 18:15 - Prayed for others (kids)
Matthew 14:13-21 - Feeding of 5000
Mark 14 - Lord's Supper/Gethsemane
Group Check in:
How is it with your soul?
Prayer Request? Praises?
How has God shown up in your life this week?
Icebreaker:
What does prayer mean to you?
Overview:
What’s this message about? As we begin this season of Lent, we’re going to explore Jesus’s prayer life as a means by which we can deepen our own prayer lives and prepare our hearts for Easter. Jesus’s entire life and ministry, through every age/stage from beginning to end, revealed a rich and deep life of prayer and relationship with the Father.
Introduction to Lent: Lent comes from an Anglo-Saxon word for Spring. The practices were established in the 4th century and began as a way to prep for those who would be baptized on Easter Sunday. It was also a time for those who had lost connection with the church to reestablish their relationship and to heal broken relationships. Over time, the whole church, not just those joining or re-joining, appropriated a practice of prayer, fasting, and self-denial as a means to reconnecting and recommitting their lives to God in preparation for celebrating Easter faithfully and well. The purpose of our fasting isn’t about showing off our holiness, but instead it’s about creating a daily reminder of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as daily opportunities to trust in God’s continued presence and provision.
Lent possesses extraordinary capacity for spiritual renewal and revival within us individually and communally.
As Jesus teaches us in John 15, our connection to the Vine, to Christ, is what will determine our ability to bear the kind of fruit individually and communally that God not only made us for, but expects of us. Part of that which connects us to the Vine is our prayer life: the conversational, connective tissue that binds us to Christ and puts us in direct contact with the God who made the heavens and the earth.
ALL OF US HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO PRAY. That was even true for Jesus’s own disciples, who asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray."
As we continue learning how to love our neighbors better, we want to learn how to cultivate a prayer life that could empower and equip us to be the hands and feet of Jesus for our neighbors. One of the best ways we can learn this kind of prayer life is to look to Jesus’s prayer life and practices and learn not only what what he did and taught about prayer, but how he himself prayed.
This week, take the time to dive into the scriptures listed above to get a glimpse into Jesus’s own prayer life. These scriptures will give you a broad cross section of the ways prayer showed up in Jesus's life. As we continue this series in the weeks to come, we are going to dive into specific prayers of Jesus in order to learn how we can pray like Christ.
Discussion Questions:
How would you describe your prayer life over the past few months? In what ways would you like your prayer life to grow?
How often do you incorporate Bible passages into your prayer life? Is there one passage of Scripture that you particularly enjoy using to help you pray? (Refer to scripture references above if needed)
What keeps you from prayer? How could you set aside time for prayer on a regular basis?
How could you incorporate prayer throughout your day?
What is one way the world’s advice differs from Jesus’ in 15:4? What makes you think that you are attached to the vine?
Why is it important to be deliberate about our intention to be close to Jesus Christ?
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