Paul: Ephesians 3:14-21
One of our priorities over the last few years has been to move from being “a church that prays” to being “a praying church.” We want prayer — turning to God in praise, dependence, confession, and supplication — to be the power of what we do together. We want to pray Scripture-fed and Spirit-led prayers, seeking intimacy with God that leads to fulfillment of his purposes in us, through us, and around us. We want to seek his face, cultivate his presence, and position ourselves to meet with him. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” To that end, we’re taking 8 Sundays this Summer (July 16 - September 2) and looking at biblical prayers from all across the Storyline of Scripture. Each week we’ll look at the context (understand where we are in the story and how that shapes the pray-er and his/her prayer), the content (what is emphasized, requested, described, etc) of the prayer, and the connections (how we can or should use each prayer as a model for our own engagement with God). We’ll practice praying together each week, using the prayer as a model. This week we’ll look at Paul’s prayer for the church from Ephesians 3:14-21.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Read Ephesians 3:14-21
What is your typical posture (of heart and physically) when you come to prayer? What does this reveal, if anything, about your heart?
How do your prayers show you what you believe about the love and power of God? What room for growth is there when you think about living in the fullness of the love of God?
What is your plan to engage in prayer this summer?
July 16, 2023 - Gabe Shippam