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Lesson OneWhy Pray?4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoWhy Not Ask?4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeWhen You Don’t Know What to Say4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourObstacles to Prayer4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FivePraying for Others4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixPraying with Others4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenPrayer and Fasting4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightWhat about “Unanswered” Prayer?4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NinePersevering in Prayer4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenLiving a Prayer-Filled Life4 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 5
Discussion Questions
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Discuss C.S. Lewis’ statement, “If God had granted all the silly prayers I’ve made in my life, where would I be now?”
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13 Replies
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Some say it is God’s mercy toward us that not all of our prayers were answered. I imagine it’s God’s wisdom.
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It is another way of saying “be careful what you wish for.” Sometimes the result of an answered request has unintended, and even detrimental consequences.
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In my life I have prayed some prayers, had they been answered I would not be as strong or in the place he finally put me..I would have remained addicted, with the wrong people or person, would have not had faith in him and would have struggled my whole life not knowing the peace I now have in my heart that passeth all human understanding..i would not have gotten healthy, nor would I have found his people in my life or the strength to overcome the things I have overcome in my life…I would have abandoned my family and lived a lonely and miserable life and might have even already passed over…if he had given me everything I prayed for my one child who found the Lord might not have found her way for in my prayers and finding my way she found hers. I thank God everyday for some of my unanswered prayers.
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If God answered all of my prayers that were frivolous and immature I would be lost because that would me that I have not grown as a believer and that I would not make Him a priority in my life.
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A lifetime of prayer can produce quite a menagerie. Good, bad, simple and complex.
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Discuss why the statement, “God always answers prayer ‘yes, no, or wait’” is inadequate to address the challenge of unanswered prayer in our lives.
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13 Replies
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We don’t know what God is doing in answer to prayer, and we have to keep pressing in and praying with faith. The answer is probably not “wait” but rather “you need to pray about this more!”
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In one sense it is true, but it is also superficial. We don’t have God’s perspective, and may interpret a “no” or “wait” differently from why God answered the way He did.
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Because Jesus like us was human…he understands our suffering and if he suffered then we too will suffer…God sometimes says yes to prayer and sometimes no and sometimes wait but that is not adequate as He always has his reasons and we may never understand them but it is not for us to understand but to trust Him knowing that in all things we will have an eternal home in the end. Amen
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Yes , no or wait is adequate because God already knows the beginning and the end. You have to trust that God knows what is best for you.
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Sometimes we do know what the answer is, but we are always to keep our faith. God knows what He is doing. We must trust that.
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Whom have you known who has struggled with unanswered prayer?
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11 Replies
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Me…I struggle with unanswered prayer.
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My youngest daughter has struggled with unanswered prayer. She went through many addictions, many other men, had 6 children with 4 different fathers and lost them all except for one her oldest who is 17 and very angry with her and his father….she is now clean and has been for a while and is trying to stay strong in the Lord and prays everyday for 3 of her children to be returned to her and for the father who has custody to at least allow her to see them and come to her house at least to visit unsupervised, she talks to them but so far he is unbending as he has seen her at her worst even when they were with her in the past in her addiction. She knows she has much to prove but in her knowing that she has changed and past her addiction she struggles with why God would not allow her to see her children unsupervised but yet she holds on but the struggle is real for her and I pray yet I trust God in the battle knowing he has the childrens best interest at heart in the long run and will do what is best for them. I pray that she understands that too in the long run and that at some point in the future the father can see that too, but I understand his position as well. Her struggle is real, my faith is strong. Her other two children were adopted out and she struggles with that unanswered prayer as well so for her I pray for strength and guidance and peace.
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I have struggled with unanswered prayer but I realize God is not going to answer our prayer every time we ask.
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I can attest to unanswered prayers myself. Trying to save a marriage and even healing from a disability. I can most positively say I am so very blessed. I am blessed that my prayers went unanswered. God knew I needed to leave the marriage. He opened doors for me that I didn’t knew existed. I am and will always be thankful and grateful for unanswered prayers.
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I and other family members has struggled with unanswered prayers but we are encouraging each other to keep praying with faith and to remember the examples God used in the Bible with his most faithful prophets- Paul, Moses , David , etc.
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Why is prayer about more than simply requests or answers?
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16 Replies
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Prayer is about relationship. It’s about communication. It’s about spending time with God.
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It is about a relationship (talking with God). It is not just a grocery list, or checklist of needs and wants and results.
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Because prayer is meant to be more than just asking for what you want but to draw you closer to God and to trust in what he knows is best for you even when you cannot see what that is knowing that always He in the end if you trust Him makes it good for those who do. And I want to draw closer to Him and have faith and trust his guidance and decisions in my life period.
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Prayer is about communicating with God and asking Him what would you have me to do in promoting the kingdom.
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Prayer brings us closer to God. Though prayer and His Word, we can develop a deeper relationship with Him.