The Power of Prayer & Fasting – STUDY GUIDE

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Icebreaker: Share about a time when someone else’s prayer made a difference in your life.

Sermon Title: Life in the Red Letters – “The Power of Prayer & Fasting”– Matthew 6:5-18

Group Discussion:

Read Matthew 6:5-14 and read verses 9-13 aloud together – We should pray frequently because God wants to talk with us; and Jesus modeled it. What stands out about the way Jesus prays? Discuss how knowing that God wants to hear from you should influence the way you pray to Him.

Read Mark 11:22-25 & 1 John 5:14 – Pray with power. How can knowing these truths change the way we pray? What stops us from praying bold, faith-filled prayers? Share areas where we may be praying cautiously or with doubt. What might it look like to pray with more power and conviction?

Read Acts 1:14, 2:42, 4:31, 8:15, & 12:5 – Pray in community. What do we see happening in these verses when the early church Christians prayed together? Discuss the differences in praying alone and praying together and what makes each unique.

Read Ephesians 6:18 & 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray fervently. When you hold back from praying because you don’t feel like it or you don’t have the “right words,” what does that reveal about how you perceive the Lord? Discuss daily practices that could help us pray often, even if it feels imperfect.

Read Matthew 6:16-18 – Combine prayer with fasting. Fasting is giving up something of importance to grasp something eternal. What does Jesus’ wording in these verses suggest about how He expects us to approach fasting? How might our spiritual lives be different if we treated fasting as a regular discipline rather than an optional, rare practice?

Spiritual Discipline: Review resources for this sermon series on our Church Center app: Church Center / Home / Sermon Resources, such as Justin’s Outline for Fasting

Action Steps: (1) Stay Connected: Use the Lord’s Prayer as a daily prayer pattern this week. Remind yourself, “The Lord wants to hear from me today;” (2) Practice Unfiltered Prayer: Turn ordinary moments (driving, chores, walking, waiting) into opportunities for prayer. Talk to the Lord about whatever comes to mind, trusting that He values honesty over eloquence; and (3) Commit to Fasting: Make a plan to fast this month by reviewing Justin’s Outline for Fasting (A guided plan for how to fast) located on the Church Center app at Church Center / Home / Sermon Resources.