Part 1: Learning to pray like a child
what group of people does Jesus commend as having the right prayer model posture?
Children
True or false: to be cynical is to be close by.
False. To be cynical is to be distant. while offering the false intimacy of being “in the know” cynicism, actually destroys intimacy. It leads to a creeping bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit..
God invites us to do what, boldly and directly in prayer?
Ask
The author explains how daily surrendering our desire for _______ is needed to begin living in Gods story?
Daily surrendering our desire for control.
God doesn’t always let us see the bigger picture of what he’s weaving in our life. but sometimes he doesn’t. Give one example of someone who never knew why they suffered.
Jobe never knew why he suffered.
page 271
How does the author recommend we come to Jesus?
A. Ready
B. Hopeful
C. Messy
D. Cautious
C. Messy
page 20
Author says that we learned to trust when we begin seeing our lives as part of whose story?
Gods Story
The author states that a thankful heart is constantly extending ______ because it has received ______.
Grace
page 136
When we are in the middle of a trial, not seeing it as part of God‘s story makes us bitter, angry, aimless, cynical, controlling and blaming. Name some examples of the opposites of these words when we approach our praying life with God‘s story in mind.
Waiting, watching, wondering, praying submitting, repenting.
What else does the author suggest we need to do instead of just read Gods word to hear his voice in our life?name one
Watch and pray
page 250
less mature Christians have little need to ______?
Pray
pg 45
What is the opposite of a childlike spirit?
Hint: it chokes prayer and blocks hope
Cynical spirit/cynicism
page 65
Jesus‘s prayer life teaches us to align our requests with what?
The Father’s will.
how does God demonstrate his love for us?
Hint : Roman’s 5:8
God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
romans 5:8
Explain the difference between the “scrubbing floors” side of life and “holding hands” side of life when it comes to prayer.
Life is both holding hands and scrubbing floors. It is both being and doing. Prayer journals or prayer cards are on the scrubbing floor side of life. Praying like a child is on the holding hand side of life. We need both.
page 230
How does Paul (from the Bible) describe how he prayed and how he wants us to pray ?
Hint: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
All of page 55
Name an example of when Jesus showed a childlike faith.
his prayer at the garden of Gethsemane, before going to the cross.
page 73
Name one reason we are scared to ask, in prayer.
We don’t want to risk our prayer, not being answered
We desire independence
We don’t like being dependent and not having control
We’re afraid of suffering
The author calls these types of prayers, “seemingly disrespectful, but are in fact, filled with a raw pure form of faith that simply takes God at his word”. what kind of prayer is this?
Laments.
chapter 22
The friendship of the Lord is for those who _____ him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
psalm 25:14
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
psalm 25:14
page 249
Do not be ________ about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with _______________, let your request be made known to God and the _______ of God which surpasses all _____________ will guard your ______ and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippines 4:6-7
We should have a spirit of _______________. this habit/heart posture helps us undercut cynicism, restores the natural order of our dependence on God, and helps us begin to realize that our whole life is a gift.
Spirit of thankfulness
page 77
Whatever you ___ in my _____, this I will ___, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
john 14:13
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
The author teaches us about something called the J curve. Please describe it in your own words.
Suffering is a part of a larger spiritual pattern. Our lives repeatedly reenact the dying and rising of Jesus. Like the letter J, Jesus’s life first goes down to death, then up into resurrection. Whenever you show love to someone or suffer for someone you reenact Jesus’s death. When we walk with God, we embrace both joy and the difficult but transformative reality.
Name one way the capture of Israel by Babylon was crucial for the formation of the current church?
Israel learned to worship God without a temple.
God purified Israel from mixing with other religions.
Israel was forever purified from outward idolatry.
The dispersion of Jewish people provided a way to easily spread the gospel.