Ice Breaker: Have you ever had an answered prayer?
What do you think a healthy prayer life would look like for you?
If you increased your praying what do you think God might do in and through you?
What difficulties or excuses keep you from that healthy prayer life?
What will you do to overcome those difficulties or excuses?
What is prayer able to accomplish according to these verses?
What does verse 1 teach us are important qualities for praying?
Can you remember a time you could describe as God putting a “new song in your mouth”? Pause and praise Him for that work in you.
Jesus wants His followers to “watch” (keep aware of surrounding spiritual situations and dangers). How are you doing at watching during your daily life? Do you notice situations that may present a problem or temptation or opportunity for you to represent Jesus?
Why, according to the verse, does watchfulness also need to be accompanied by prayer?
What will the result likely be if an individual is neither watchful or prayerful?
What becomes possible if we train ourselves to be watchful and prayerful?
What should our prayers consist of?
Which of these needs to be added to your praying?
What could “pray without ceasing” mean or look like practically?
Was Paul’s specific prayer answered by the Lord?
Did God ignore Paul or his heart? How was God loving Paul?
What does this passage tell us that God might be doing via our unanswered prayers?
Conclude your study time with a period of honest prayer about your praying. What have you learned here that you want the Holy Spirit to “tattoo” on your memory and instill into your daily spiritual life?