Week of May 18, 2025 –  Why Pray?

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Life is full of questions—big ones, personal ones, and ones that keep us up at night. Maybe you’ve wondered: What does it mean to be a disciple? Is the Holy Spirit still active today? What does God think about life in the womb, and the woman carrying it? How do we fight in spiritual battles we can’t see? And why does God allow so much suffering if He’s good?

You’re not alone in asking. We asked you, on social media and in person, what questions you wanted answered most, and this series is our response. Join us as we open God’s Word to find biblical truth, real hope, and practical guidance for life’s hardest and most heartfelt questions.

Small Group Study Guide

Ice Breaker Questions

• What’s one meal that always makes you feel “at home”? Why?
  

• Share a time when someone’s prayer made a difference in your life.
  

• Have you ever found yourself praying more during a crisis? What did that teach you about prayer?

Read Together 

Read each passage aloud together, then discuss:

1. Matthew 6:9 – 13 (The Lord’s Prayer)
   
   
2. Ephesians 6:12 – Our real enemy
   
   
3. 1 Peter 5:8 – The devil’s strategy
   
   
4. Psalm 23:5 – God’s table in the trial

Group Discussion Questions

1. Initial Reactions
   What stood out to you most from this week’s message? Any part that challenged or encouraged you?
2. Breaking Down the Lord’s Prayer
   – Which of the four points (He is worthy, His will, He makes a way, we are at war) do you resonate with most right now? Why?
   – Why do you think Jesus ends the prayer with “deliver us from the evil one”?
3. Spiritual Warfare Awareness
   – How aware are you on a daily basis of the spiritual battle happening around you?
   – Francis Chan shared a quote: “The biggest difference between the American church and the church in my country is that in America, Christians don’t believe they’re in a war. Over there, we know it.”
   What do you think of that quote?
4. The Table Illustration
   – How does the image of a table in the presence of enemies (Psalm 23:5) reshape your view of prayer?
   – What would it look like for you to “sit at the table” with God this week?
   – Do you believe prayer can change your current situation? Why or why not?
   

Action Steps

• Choose a Prayer Chair: Pick one place in your home where you’ll consistently sit down and meet with God this week. Set a daily reminder if needed.
  

• Pray with a Partner: Reach out to someone in your group or life and pray together at least once this week—call, text, or meet.
  

• Write a Simple Prayer: Using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide, write your own personal version of it. Share it next time you meet if you’re comfortable.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come to You—not as strangers, but as sons and daughters. Thank You for preparing a table for us in the presence of our battles. Help us to remember that we are not alone in this war and that You have already won the victory through Jesus. Teach us to pray—not just to ask for things, but to rest in Your presence, trust Your will, receive Your provision, and stand firm in Your strength. Remind us this week to sit with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.