Reading: The Role of Prayer in a Bible Study

The transcript discusses the role of prayer in Bible studies, emphasizing its importance in facilitating meaningful communication with God, akin to maintaining any vital relationship through dialogue. Here's an outline of the main points discussed:

Introduction

• Introduction to the topic of integrating prayer into Bible studies.
• Analogy drawn between the necessity of communication in human relationships and in one's relationship with God.

The Role of Prayer in Relationships

• Explanation of how communication is the foundation of any relationship, requiring both speaking and listening.
• The concept that ongoing communication builds strong, resilient relationships.

Prayer Defined in the Context of Bible Study

• Prayer is likened to talking to God.
• Bible reading and study are equated to listening to God.
• Bible study sessions are depicted as opportunities for both listening to and communicating with God.

Prayer Methods Within Bible Study

• Introduction to different structured methods of prayer to enhance Bible study sessions.

ACTS Method

• Adoration: Describing the act of expressing awe and love for God's greatness.
• Confession: The practice of acknowledging one's faults or sins to God.
• Thanksgiving: The act of expressing gratitude to God.
• Supplication: Discussing one's needs and desires with God.

Implementing the ACTS Method in Bible Studies

• Participants are encouraged to prepare their prayers according to the ACTS structure.
• Sharing these prayers in a Bible study setting helps members, especially those new to prayer, participate confidently.

The Lord's Prayer as a Model

• Analysis of the Lord's Prayer as a template for personal and communal prayer.
• Discussion of each component of the Lord's Prayer and its relevance to daily spiritual practices.

Prayer Focus Areas

• Introduction to the 'Seven Connections' as a method to organize prayer topics:
1. Personal needs
2. Marriage
3. Family
4. Friends
5. Church
6. Kingdom
7. World
• Recommendation to dedicate each Bible study session to a different connection, thus covering all aspects systematically over a series of meetings.

Benefits of Structured Prayer in Bible Studies

• Encouragement for group members to share personal challenges and victories, fostering a supportive and empathetic community.
• Highlighting how personal disclosures can lead to collective insights and spiritual growth.

Conclusion

• Recap of the discussed prayer methods and their benefits to both individual and group spiritual life.
• Teaser for the next session which promises to explore additional ways to enhance Bible study experiences.

This structured approach to prayer in Bible studies not only enriches the participants' spiritual lives but also strengthens their communal bonds, making each session a profound opportunity for growth and connection

So, we've talked a lot about Bible studies and different ways to conduct them. But many people will say, "Well, what about prayer in Bible studies?" So today we're going to talk about that. The key to relationships, any relations, if we just step back about prior what, what is sort of the key to all relationships. If you don't have a little talking or communicating one way or another, you don't have much of a relationship. And then if someone's doing all kinds of talking, but nobody's listening, two-way thing is talking and listening, listening and talking. And then repeatedly, is the habit of talking and listening. So you and I've been doing this for 30 years. 

And because we've been talking and listening for 30 years, we have a connection to one another. That's strong, that's deep that has history. It's hard to break connection like that because you have way too much history, too many layers and things. So if I say something offensive to you, it's in the context of 30 years, right? 

Whereas you get to know somebody new. And then you say one offensive what thing and then they're done with you because they don't, they don't have the context of 30 years. So when we talk about talking to God, we have a special word for what we call it prayer. And the special word we have for listening is Bible, study your Bible reading your Bible meditation, and then the habit of prayer and Bible, we have a special word, right? It's called the Bible study. Because a Bible study really is a habit of this talking and listening. And so far, we've talked about the listening part, talking and listening going on while we're doing that. But so we want to, we want to throw in there into this whole Bible study discussion. How different ways that you can actually do prayer within the Bible study context, a biblical approach. Okay, first, this is a simple one is ACTS. Each letter of the word Acts stands for something. The first one is adoration. Confession, and there's Thanksgiving. And then there's supplication. So adoration let's just, let's just talk about each adoration for adoration. You know, I think a lot of non-Christians come to the church. 

When they hear somebody say adoration they have no idea what that means. What is adoration Christian buzzword? It's a Christian buzzword. But it comes from adore. Okay. Everyone knows when you adore someone. Right? You put them on a pedestal and you lift them, you lift them up. Michael Jordan? Yeah. Yeah. So then people say Michael Jordan is awesome. So we do that, in prayer to Lord God, you have created the heavens in the earth, you are awesome. You are, you are grace, you are forgiving you. In other words, is sort of a list of the Act now does God know these things? Right? Of course he does. But, you know, God knows your whole prayer. Right? So I know, I just talked to somebody last week in the pickleball world is said why never pray because God already knows all these things. Right? So okay, yeah, God doesn't need it. 

But you may need right, right. And though, I mean, when I watched the golf channel, really what is the Golf channel? It's a constant adoration of the film. Or, you know, Tiger Woods or in their whole thing and I'm just smiling away like watching the amazing putt. But God is way more amazing than any one thing he or person he created like Tiger Woods. Right so good. To talk to the Queen in England comes every one lines the streets Yeah. And what what does it do for people to lift someone else up lifts you up. Right so so to adore God for who God is? Reminds you if God if I'm saying God, you're so awesome, the heavens in the earth and why am I worried about this little thing that I have in writing? Right right right. So it helps you in your life to do this. Then this confession Well that's simple enough you know what things do you feel bad about? You know, Lord, I didn't give my wife the attention I should have I was absorbed or selfish and healed through confession. Next thanksgiving to give thanks. It's right. It's hard to be negative and thankful at the same time, if you're negative about something, start writing a list of the things that you are thankful for. Right? Right. And it will lift you out of your depression, it will. Supplication is a big word buzzword. 

We need it because it's an act. It's about what needs Do you have what do you want? What do you want God, do anything about your life, your family, your marriage, your personal life, your business, your friends, your church, the conflicting world that we live in. So what are those things? And if you can use these things in a Bible study, remember, we actually made ACTS sheet works early on, people wrote them out, and then they would bring their ACTS sheets to the Bible study. And then we go around the room and then at the end of the Bible study, we'd actually go okay, we're going to do the Acts prayer, I'm gonna say adoration and read a couple of things that you have. Right. And then when everyone is participating a little bit, we'll move on. And everyone reads, so they wrote down. And what's cool about this, especially a new Christian who doesn't, or even an old Christian, who never has prayed publicly, right, right. People are threatened by prayer, right? In a public thing, right. And, and, because the reason we're threatened is we hear people do it so well in public, right? They, they know how to take the plane up, and they fly and do a loop de loops, and then they get the right words to bring it in for a landing. What's nice about this is when we get to the Thanksgiving thing, Thanksgiving, and I say, I'm thankful for my spouse, okay? I don't have to take the plane up. I don't have to have the great beginning. 

And you know, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen. No, I don't have to know any of those things. I can was three words, I can succeed at public prayer. And for some people, this is the first time they've ever prayed publicly. And they actually did it. Often the Holy Spirit shows up. Miraculously pretty cool. Alright, so the Lord's Prayer is another sort of outline that you can use Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in the heavens. So where in the world and you pray you pray that God's will? Give us this the early cases, right, so what are your needs, and forgiveness? Forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. So we're the temptations of confession or pre confession and for thine is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever and ever a little more adoration, Thanksgiving in the

seven connections are another way to start to organize your prayer. 

Connection one, so you have your personal personal needs, right? Connection two marriage, right. Connection three, family connection four friends connection, five, church, connection, six Kingdom Connection seven world, actually, in our planners, planner, there's seven days of the week. So every day focuses on a different connection. So every week is like focused on one of these Bible study where you say, so we're gonna meet for the next seven weeks, or like that. And each week, we're going to have specific prayer for one. So this week is personal next week, you're in marriages, or your marriage and family, friends at church and powerful way to give cover all the rights in the Bible study. And it was nice again, in a group, if you say, Okay, we're gonna have prayer and our prayers on marriage. Right? So here we go. And then Bob starts, I am thankful for my wife and his wife starts praying, she says, Lord, you know, when you know, we're struggling with this area, we're looking, and all of a sudden vulnerability that Bob and Helen showed. Now, the next couple all of a sudden, might reveal a little more than they would have otherwise. Right? And then just like in a conversation, we go to the next topic, and then all of a sudden when you hit onto a real topic that everyone can relate to. And all of a sudden, a lot of people have a lot to say on that topic because it relates to them. And that's really what you want. But it's like instead of bouncing around, like pop random popcorn things running all over the place. It helps people listen to each other, and helps people feed off one another, and in some ways, Lord, you know what Henry just said, I really that sparked this in me. 

All of a sudden, I'm edifying. Your, you got vulnerable and because of that, that reminded me of something and brought to light something and now I which now encourages you because you took a chance of revealing something, but that led to someone else being healed or having something that they want to bring to the Lord. And in some ways, you know, prayer is almost the Bible study. All prayer is is the Bible study you were doing with God? Right there, right? You're you're in a way inviting God to take up one of the chairs in the Bible study. Very good. This was very insightful and it reminds me of years of the best practices I've seen in ministry of amazing small group leaders intuitively have done something like this. Alright, so in the next session, we'll look at another way that you can sort of enhance the Bible study experience.