Theme
Author, singer and speaker Justin McRoberts led our worship service on Sunday, October 23 at Community Church. His focus was on prayer. We often confuse our practice of prayer with the essence of it. Prayer is a way for us to be in relationship with God, and our focus shouldn’t be on how we do it or saying the right words or getting it right.
Bible passage
Matthew 3
Key points
*In Matthew 3 Jesus is baptized by John and he comes out of the water and hears from God the Father, who says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Taken at the time it was said and in context, Jesus hadn’t done any of his significant life work yet. He hadn’t healed anyone or performed any miracles. He hadn’t died on the cross or been resurrected. Yet the core of his life is that he is identified by his Father as his beloved son. That passage contains the essence of prayer — that we are loved by our father because we belong to him and not because of what we do or how we prove ourselves. Prayer isn’t a way for us to establish and develop our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is already established. Prayer is a way for us to be in relationship with God and receive our Father’s love.
*One reason people struggle with their prayer life is that they believe it’s important and they want to do important things well. When we feel like there’s some question about how we’re doing something, we tend to shy away from it. If you’re not sure of yourself as a swimmer, you’re probably not going to get into the water. When it comes to prayer, we have a concern that we’re going to get it wrong. What you need to hear from God is that you’re not going to get it wrong.
*Justin says using a prayer journal has helped him in his prayer life, because he needs to establish some structure during that time. He also needs to be up and moving while he prays. Sitting doesnt work well for him. He will go for a jog and let his mind wander and give whatever is in his mind to the Lord.
Discussion questions
*How would you describe your prayer life?
*Do you feel the need to do prayer the correct way, or say the right words?
*What are some struggle you have in your prayer life?
*What are some things that have worked for you in your prayer life?
*What are some things you would be willing to try to make your prayer life better?
*How can you have more freedom in your practice of prayer?
