Our Father in the Heavens

Watch Week 1 Video

• What are your goals in studying prayer? 

Key Notes & Questions:

• Approaching the Creator of the universe as Father — How do we have the right? 
• “Our” Father — what kind of relationship is Jesus drawing us into? 
• “Our” Father — how does that affect our view of Christian community? And Western individualism?
• We as God’s children: see for example Eph. 1:4-6, Luke 20:36, John 1:12, Rom. 8:14-23, Gal. 3:26, Heb. 12:5-7, 1 John 3:1
• Do we have any “father issues”? How do we relate them to God? What can we do to work through any barriers? 
• “In the heavens” — plural; God’s throne, also the skies around us, (three times in Matthew). How does each meaning help us see God? 

Next Steps:

• Pray to God, as Father if you can; Present yourself quietly as desiring to draw closer to him; ‘sit on his lap’ and rest. 
• Consider God as your Father, meditating on his goodness and generosity revealed in Scripture. 
• Listen to some “Father songs” like “Run to the Father” by Matt Maher or “Good, Good Father” by Chris Tomlin. 
• Say the Lord’s prayer, slowly, at least once a day. Meditate on its different parts. 

Our Father in heaven,
May your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven those indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
But rescue us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever, Amen.

Additional Resources:

• Bible Project Lord’s Prayer video, episode 7
• Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
• The Prayer Experiment by Matt Smallbone 

Hallowed Be Your Name 

• What does “hallowed” mean? 

• Gr. “May your name be holy” – what does the ‘name’ of a person signify in Scripture?
• Many names of God in Scripture, each gives a viewpoint on his greatness.
• “Revered” — honor and respect and awe.
• Holy — God’s nature of perfection, eternity, glory and other-ness.
• Society’s view of God, the name of God blasphemed constantly.
• We are his image-bearers; the 3^rd commandment, to bear his name well; we as witnesses of him
• God’s name to be declared before the nations, by Israel, Deut. 4:4-8.
• Moses appealed to God for the sake of his name among the nations, Ex. 32:11-13, Numbers 14:13-16
• Ezek. 36, story of Israel, defiling his holy name; God determines he will restore his name, v. 22-23. How do we see that in Jesus’ life?
• We appeal to God to make his name holy; how many ways can that be true?
• In what ways do we see God’s glory and power all around us? In creation? In others?

Next Steps:

• Watch the next video
• Pray Psalm 8 together with someone
• Meditate and ask for ways to celebrate God’s name and honor.
• Pray over the holy name of God and some of the names of God in Scripture 
• Consider his glory as revealed in those names

Additional Resources:

• When you call on the name of Jesus, Heaven moves—experience the power of “HALLOWED BE THY NAME” 
• Your Name (With Lyrics) Phillips, Craig, & Dean 

Watch Week 3 Video 

Your Kingdom Come Your Will be Done on Earth As It Is in Heaven

• Jesus declared God’s kingdom already arrived, Mark 1:15. Visible in him – what are we asking him to do now?
• “Kingdom” is Gr. basileia, having to do primarily with rulership not a territory. How does he rule? What is he doing in us?
• Inwardly: What changes in our lives for his kingdom to come in us?
• Outwardly: When God’s kingdom comes into us, how do our relationships and interactions change? How about others we know?
• God’s will is, right now, only done completely around his throne. How does ‘on earth’ compare?
• Jesus came to do the will of the Father, John 4:34; how does that relate to Adam and Eve turning away from the will of God in the Garden? Then to us?
• Listening prayer: to know God’s concerns, passions, and desires, and following Jesus into them
• Jesus invited the 12 into ministry; has he invited you to enter into Kingdom work?

Next Steps:

• Pray this portion of the prayer, slowly, meditating on its meaning. 

• Practice listening to God, asking the Holy Spirit to help you see examples of his work in the world.

• Reflect and meditate on what it would look like to find God’s will in daily activities; to act out something of God’s kingdom in life; and look for indications of God’s kingdom all around us. 

• Then act on what you have perceived – how did that change you? Those around you?

Watch Week 4 Video (pending)

Give Us Our Bread for Today

• Hyperlink to the daily manna in the wilderness?
• Bread, and what else? What about Costco – how does that change our needs?
• “Give us” — the needs of others we know, and in the city. And for Novation?
• Praise and thanksgiving before petition
• “God already knows” Mat. 6:32, so why are we bringing it to him?
• Intercessory prayer, part 1 — Asking the Lord: “What is your heart and will for this person? Holy Spirit, how should I pray?”
• “Please be with this person” – what are we really asking for? Do we know their needs?
• “You may be the answer to someone else’s prayer.”

Next Steps:  

Thanksgiving for God’s provision; Listening prayer for what our real needs are. Listening prayer on behalf of someone else.

• Watch the next video; 
• Bring someone you know before the Lord, quietly in listening prayer. 
• Is the Lord asking us to ‘be with’ the person in some way? 
• Does he have a word of encouragement we can give them?

Watch Week 5 Video (pending)

Key Notes & Questions:

Next Steps:  

Watch Week 7 Video (pending)

Key Notes & Questions:

Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.

• Praying when it’s hard:  Bringing ourselves back to the power and glory of God, not dwelling on our own weakness.
• Examples from the Psalms:  Psa 77 starts with despair, then turns to God’s great works.
• Trials, crises, compassion fatigue, Holy Spirit’s help, “pray what you’ve got”
• Num. 11:11-14
• Psa.  103:13-18

Music:  Matt Maher, “As It Is in Heaven” 

Next Steps: