What Happens When Women Pray
What Happens When Women Pray A Bible Study to Teach Women How to Pray
Lori McDonald Christine Turner
Edited by Peggy McDaniel Sandy Lee
Spring 2011
What Happens When Women Pray? They Prepare!!! Week One -Lori McDonald Luke 11:1 “ Lord, teach us to pray.” Notes:
Breakout Session One: 15 minutes Discuss your first memories of learning to pray? How old were you? What people in your life have prayer lives that stand out to you? Share why?
What is your current biggest struggle in being able to have “in your closet prayer” time?
Are you comfortable praying in public? What is your biggest fear about praying in public?
Select accountability partner and exchange contact information.
What do you hope to accomplish from this 6 week study?
What Happens When Women Prepare Week One Breakout Session Two: Where is your favorite place to pray? Is this a place where you can get away from all distractions and have some “in your closet prayer time”?
What do you currently consider your must haves in order to have a successful prayer time?
Are you intimidated about keeping a prayer journal? What do you find intimidating about it?
Pre homework: Make a plan before you leave and write it in your journal. Where will your prayer closet be? What do you need to have in your prayer closet? What is a realistic goal for you to commit to prayer this week? What is your specific day and time that you plan to have prayer in your closet? Who can hold you accountable to this plan? End today’s session with your small group asking God to teach them to pray. Go around the table having each lady pray that simple request. The group leader will close in a simple prayer following the ladies. Before leaving, take a few moments to look at the week’s assignment. Leave with a prayer plan written down in your journals.
Homework: Week One Day One Begin with Luke 11:1 “ Lord, Teach us to pray” Reflect back on your plan and ask God to help you put it into action this week. Get out your journal and write down your reflections for today’s assignment. Do you know Who you are talking to when you pray? Think about words that describe God’s character? How many can you come up with on your own? Write them down in your journal. Focus today on what exactly you know about God. Think about how His character should affect how we approach Him in prayer. Commit today to getting to know more about God and His character.
Homework Week One Day Two Begin by praying Luke 11:1. “Lord, teach us to pray”. Read over the prayer from Luke 11 and focus on the greeting or opening. It is just a few words, but they are important. Luke 11 (New International Version, ©2010) Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “„Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]‟” Notice that Jesus points out that God’s name is hallowed. His name is holy and deserving of great respect! Read the dictionary meanings below. hallowed ADJECTIVE 1. sanctified: holy or kept for religious use "buried in hallowed ground" 2. respected: regarded with great respect or reverence "the hallowed pages of our country's history"
Jesus pointed out that first we need to address God with a proper greeting. He is our Father and is to be respected.
Day Two continued: Reflect today on your greeting style during your prayer time. Do you quickly brush over it to get to what you need? Don’t skip this vital part of prayer. Really couldn’t we just camp out on His name? When you are in your closet begin each prayer time with a few moments of calling out His name and for this week use the list that you wrote in your journals yesterday. Tell Him who He is to you! If your list is short, don’t worry. Next week we will equip you with a wonderful list and Scripture references to use. This week just get into the habit of beginning your prayer time with praise for what you know about God. It is important to know who we are talking to and what an honor it is to be able to approach Him. In your journal, write out a simple prayer for today. Spend most of your time greeting Him with praise. These few moments of reflection will get your mind off to a great start today. Speaking praises out loud and then writing them down will help you to remember them throughout the day. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those praises come to your mind in the middle of your day when you are faced with an unpleasant situation or thought.
Philippians 4:8 (New International Version, ©2010) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. A closet prayer focused on praise will set you up to be able to live out Philippians 4:8. Use your journal to reflect any thing that comes up today where your prayer closet praise came back to help you. It is exciting when you begin to see the benefits of praise!
Homework Week One Day Three Begin by praying Luke 11:1 “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Mark 1:35 (New International Version, ©2010) Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Today, focus on the value of actually having a prayer closet. In your plan, you designated a place to pray. Is it a solitary place? Even Jesus needed a peaceful, quiet place to pray. Notice the timing mentioned in the verse. Very early in the morning! I know that may not sound fun, but the value of a day started in prayer will far outweigh a few minutes of lost sleep. Jesus had to rise before His disciples and before the crowds of people began to arrive. He knew His time would be spent teaching and meeting the needs of others, so He purposely woke up before them to connect with His Father. Also, notice that He did not just make a plan, He actually put it into action. He got up, left the house, and went to His prayer closet for that day. We can follow this example. Set your alarm, get up, and go to your prayer closet. One of the things that many of you mentioned in a recent survey, that hindered your prayer time was a feeling of lack of focus. Many of you mentioned that it was hard for you to focus with children, husbands, etc… around and interrupting. It is a real concern and Jesus pointed out a solution for us in Mark. Get up, go, and pray! In your journals, write out any struggles that you have with the 3 steps of get up, go and pray. Ask God to help you. We are asking Him to teach us to pray and these are the first steps in the process. So ladies……………..GET UP, GO AND PRAY! Call your accountability partner about your plan and have her ask you about your follow through. Have her send you a text, email or leave you a message. Tell her to ask you if you got up, went and prayed today.
Homework: Week One Day Four Is you prayer closet a solitary place? Is it a peaceful place? We mentioned the need to get up, go and pray, but the place that you go to is important. Can you really concentrate in your kitchen while your family is in the other room? Can you multi-task while praying? We can certainly pray while we perform our daily tasks, but it will not be the kind of prayer that leads to the deep encounter that we are working towards in this study. Remember there are different types of prayer. We are focusing on that intimate Holy of Holies type prayer here. Jesus found places where He could be alone with His Father. He can even be found in Scripture asking His disciples to wait while He went off to pray. Did you get that? He left the people that He loved and cared about for a few moments to pray. Girls, it is ok to tell your children, husbands, friends etc…. that you need to be alone to pray. Note the following verses about where Jesus went to be alone: Mark 1:35 He went to a solitary place. Luke 6:12 He went to a mountainside to pray. Luke 5:16 Jesus withdrew to a lonely place to pray. Matthew 14:23 He went up on a mountainside to pray by Himself. Luke 22:39 He went to the Mount of Olives( Garden of Gethsemane). What 2 things stand out to you about these places that He chose? Write these in your journal. To me, it again points out the value of our prayer closet being a solitary place where we can be alone. I also find it interesting that he went to places of nature to pray. He went to a garden of olive trees and a mountain. I love that! Jesus found the creation of His Father to be peaceful and inspirational. Have you ever considered moving your prayer closet outside on a beautiful day? Is your heart showing you a place right now where you can meet Him face to face. Mine would be the back porch of our house in Galveston. The water, birds flying around, a great lounge chair, the warm sun………………I am so there! Your prayer closet does not need to be drab and boring. Our God is anything, but that! If you need to rethink your prayer closet do so today. Have a few places in mind, Jesus had a few favorites.
Homework Week One Day Five Let’s spend just a last few minutes of the idea of a prayer closet. Yesterday, we saw that Jesus would often retreat to the mountains and the Garden of Gethsemane. He picked places where he could be alone and places that brought him comfort. Comfort is where we will focus today. Where do you run when you need comfort? As women, we may choose ice cream, a nap, a dear friend’s house, a hug from your husband, etc. Those are ok for a quick fix, but Jesus knew where to run for comfort. Mark 14:32-35 “They went to a place called Gethsemane( a garden of olive trees), and Jesus said to His disciples, „sit here while I pray.‟ He took Peter, James, and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and he said to them, “ stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him.” Jesus was deeply troubled. He did not choose the available comforting words from His disciples and friends. He left them to go to pray. He ran to His prayer closet, a familiar olive tree garden to find peace. I am a visual learner and it helps me to be able to have a place that I know I can go to pray. Having a set location, one that is visually pleasing, quiet, and familiar creates a haven when those times hit where I am distressed. I love that Jesus had that. We know that we can pray anywhere, but isn’t it good to have a place waiting for us? In your journal today, write about what you have learned about Jesus’ prayer locations. What does it mean to you that He chose to pray during His most troubling moments? Do you need to change your current way of handling life’s stresses? Does your current prayer life seem to be lacking that kind of rest and peace? If it does, don’t give up! Keep going to your prayer closet. Next week we will give you some more tools on getting your foundation started.
Lori McDonald Christine Turner
Edited by Peggy McDaniel Sandy Lee
Spring 2011
What Happens When Women Pray? They Prepare!!! Week One -Lori McDonald Luke 11:1 “ Lord, teach us to pray.” Notes:
Breakout Session One: 15 minutes Discuss your first memories of learning to pray? How old were you? What people in your life have prayer lives that stand out to you? Share why?
What is your current biggest struggle in being able to have “in your closet prayer” time?
Are you comfortable praying in public? What is your biggest fear about praying in public?
Select accountability partner and exchange contact information.
What do you hope to accomplish from this 6 week study?
What Happens When Women Prepare Week One Breakout Session Two: Where is your favorite place to pray? Is this a place where you can get away from all distractions and have some “in your closet prayer time”?
What do you currently consider your must haves in order to have a successful prayer time?
Are you intimidated about keeping a prayer journal? What do you find intimidating about it?
Pre homework: Make a plan before you leave and write it in your journal. Where will your prayer closet be? What do you need to have in your prayer closet? What is a realistic goal for you to commit to prayer this week? What is your specific day and time that you plan to have prayer in your closet? Who can hold you accountable to this plan? End today’s session with your small group asking God to teach them to pray. Go around the table having each lady pray that simple request. The group leader will close in a simple prayer following the ladies. Before leaving, take a few moments to look at the week’s assignment. Leave with a prayer plan written down in your journals.
Homework: Week One Day One Begin with Luke 11:1 “ Lord, Teach us to pray” Reflect back on your plan and ask God to help you put it into action this week. Get out your journal and write down your reflections for today’s assignment. Do you know Who you are talking to when you pray? Think about words that describe God’s character? How many can you come up with on your own? Write them down in your journal. Focus today on what exactly you know about God. Think about how His character should affect how we approach Him in prayer. Commit today to getting to know more about God and His character.
Homework Week One Day Two Begin by praying Luke 11:1. “Lord, teach us to pray”. Read over the prayer from Luke 11 and focus on the greeting or opening. It is just a few words, but they are important. Luke 11 (New International Version, ©2010) Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “„Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]‟” Notice that Jesus points out that God’s name is hallowed. His name is holy and deserving of great respect! Read the dictionary meanings below. hallowed ADJECTIVE 1. sanctified: holy or kept for religious use "buried in hallowed ground" 2. respected: regarded with great respect or reverence "the hallowed pages of our country's history"
Jesus pointed out that first we need to address God with a proper greeting. He is our Father and is to be respected.
Day Two continued: Reflect today on your greeting style during your prayer time. Do you quickly brush over it to get to what you need? Don’t skip this vital part of prayer. Really couldn’t we just camp out on His name? When you are in your closet begin each prayer time with a few moments of calling out His name and for this week use the list that you wrote in your journals yesterday. Tell Him who He is to you! If your list is short, don’t worry. Next week we will equip you with a wonderful list and Scripture references to use. This week just get into the habit of beginning your prayer time with praise for what you know about God. It is important to know who we are talking to and what an honor it is to be able to approach Him. In your journal, write out a simple prayer for today. Spend most of your time greeting Him with praise. These few moments of reflection will get your mind off to a great start today. Speaking praises out loud and then writing them down will help you to remember them throughout the day. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those praises come to your mind in the middle of your day when you are faced with an unpleasant situation or thought.
Philippians 4:8 (New International Version, ©2010) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. A closet prayer focused on praise will set you up to be able to live out Philippians 4:8. Use your journal to reflect any thing that comes up today where your prayer closet praise came back to help you. It is exciting when you begin to see the benefits of praise!
Homework Week One Day Three Begin by praying Luke 11:1 “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Mark 1:35 (New International Version, ©2010) Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Today, focus on the value of actually having a prayer closet. In your plan, you designated a place to pray. Is it a solitary place? Even Jesus needed a peaceful, quiet place to pray. Notice the timing mentioned in the verse. Very early in the morning! I know that may not sound fun, but the value of a day started in prayer will far outweigh a few minutes of lost sleep. Jesus had to rise before His disciples and before the crowds of people began to arrive. He knew His time would be spent teaching and meeting the needs of others, so He purposely woke up before them to connect with His Father. Also, notice that He did not just make a plan, He actually put it into action. He got up, left the house, and went to His prayer closet for that day. We can follow this example. Set your alarm, get up, and go to your prayer closet. One of the things that many of you mentioned in a recent survey, that hindered your prayer time was a feeling of lack of focus. Many of you mentioned that it was hard for you to focus with children, husbands, etc… around and interrupting. It is a real concern and Jesus pointed out a solution for us in Mark. Get up, go, and pray! In your journals, write out any struggles that you have with the 3 steps of get up, go and pray. Ask God to help you. We are asking Him to teach us to pray and these are the first steps in the process. So ladies……………..GET UP, GO AND PRAY! Call your accountability partner about your plan and have her ask you about your follow through. Have her send you a text, email or leave you a message. Tell her to ask you if you got up, went and prayed today.
Homework: Week One Day Four Is you prayer closet a solitary place? Is it a peaceful place? We mentioned the need to get up, go and pray, but the place that you go to is important. Can you really concentrate in your kitchen while your family is in the other room? Can you multi-task while praying? We can certainly pray while we perform our daily tasks, but it will not be the kind of prayer that leads to the deep encounter that we are working towards in this study. Remember there are different types of prayer. We are focusing on that intimate Holy of Holies type prayer here. Jesus found places where He could be alone with His Father. He can even be found in Scripture asking His disciples to wait while He went off to pray. Did you get that? He left the people that He loved and cared about for a few moments to pray. Girls, it is ok to tell your children, husbands, friends etc…. that you need to be alone to pray. Note the following verses about where Jesus went to be alone: Mark 1:35 He went to a solitary place. Luke 6:12 He went to a mountainside to pray. Luke 5:16 Jesus withdrew to a lonely place to pray. Matthew 14:23 He went up on a mountainside to pray by Himself. Luke 22:39 He went to the Mount of Olives( Garden of Gethsemane). What 2 things stand out to you about these places that He chose? Write these in your journal. To me, it again points out the value of our prayer closet being a solitary place where we can be alone. I also find it interesting that he went to places of nature to pray. He went to a garden of olive trees and a mountain. I love that! Jesus found the creation of His Father to be peaceful and inspirational. Have you ever considered moving your prayer closet outside on a beautiful day? Is your heart showing you a place right now where you can meet Him face to face. Mine would be the back porch of our house in Galveston. The water, birds flying around, a great lounge chair, the warm sun………………I am so there! Your prayer closet does not need to be drab and boring. Our God is anything, but that! If you need to rethink your prayer closet do so today. Have a few places in mind, Jesus had a few favorites.
Homework Week One Day Five Let’s spend just a last few minutes of the idea of a prayer closet. Yesterday, we saw that Jesus would often retreat to the mountains and the Garden of Gethsemane. He picked places where he could be alone and places that brought him comfort. Comfort is where we will focus today. Where do you run when you need comfort? As women, we may choose ice cream, a nap, a dear friend’s house, a hug from your husband, etc. Those are ok for a quick fix, but Jesus knew where to run for comfort. Mark 14:32-35 “They went to a place called Gethsemane( a garden of olive trees), and Jesus said to His disciples, „sit here while I pray.‟ He took Peter, James, and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and he said to them, “ stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him.” Jesus was deeply troubled. He did not choose the available comforting words from His disciples and friends. He left them to go to pray. He ran to His prayer closet, a familiar olive tree garden to find peace. I am a visual learner and it helps me to be able to have a place that I know I can go to pray. Having a set location, one that is visually pleasing, quiet, and familiar creates a haven when those times hit where I am distressed. I love that Jesus had that. We know that we can pray anywhere, but isn’t it good to have a place waiting for us? In your journal today, write about what you have learned about Jesus’ prayer locations. What does it mean to you that He chose to pray during His most troubling moments? Do you need to change your current way of handling life’s stresses? Does your current prayer life seem to be lacking that kind of rest and peace? If it does, don’t give up! Keep going to your prayer closet. Next week we will give you some more tools on getting your foundation started.
