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Session Four

Stewarding Our Spirits

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The Habit of Prayer

Why Pray?Two Views from each end of the spectrum

S God is in control

S Everything is planned out

S Problem: Prayer seems pointless

S Resulting Attitude: Stoic “grin-and-bear-it”

S God needs our prayers

S The future is dependent upon us

S Problem: Prayer seems too powerful

S Resulting Attitude: Flashy “name-it-and-claim-it”

Problem:

Based on the

idea that prayer

is about

ASKING FOR

THINGSSolution:

Prayer is about

RELATIONSHIP

Four Types of Relationships that

we have with God

Parent/Child Mentor/

Apprentice

Friend/Friend Lover/Lover

Small Group Discussion: Compare and Contrast the

nature of conversation in each of these relationships

A Question about Prayer…

How might our Spiritual GPS—

worldview, personal style, and

baggage —impact our practice of

prayer?

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How to Pray

Matthew 6:5-15

Two Skewed Attitudes

(vv. 5-8)

SWill People Look at me? (vv. 5-6)

SWill God Look at me? (vv. 7-8)

Four P’s in the Lord’s Prayer

S Priorities (vv. 9-10)

S Question: When do people usually pray, and what do they ask?

S Your Name

S Your Kingdom

S Your Will

S Provision (v. 11)

S Daily Bread (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Four P’s in the Lord’s Prayer

S Pardon (v. 12)

S Forgiveness from God

S Based on our forgiveness toward others

S Question: if we are under Grace, then why do we

need to ask for God’s forgiveness?

S Protection (v. 13)

S From temptation

S evil = spoiled or worthless

The Key to Relationships (vv. 14-15)

ForgivenessAn unforgiving heart blocks your ability to receive God’s love and overflow it to others.

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The Habit of Worship

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A Tale of Two Fans

Who's the Better Fan?

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What Is Worship?

Table Discussion:

How do these verses connect to the wholeness

wheel?

S Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

S Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Worship in the Old Testament

S SHACHAH (pronounced “shah – kah”): to bow down; prostrate oneself.

S ABAD (pronounced “ah –bahd”): to labor or to workS Deuteronomy 5:6-10

S YARAY (pronounced “yah – ray”): fearS Genesis 22:12S Psalm 112:1S Jonah 1:9

Worship in the New Testament

S PROSKUNEO (pronounced “pros -coo- nay – oh”): to protstrateoneself; to bow down.S Matthew 28:9

S SEBOMAI (pronounced “seb – oh – my”): to shrink away from; be in aweS Acts 16:14

S LATREUO (pronounced “lah – true – oh”): to serve (This word is similar to the Hebrew word “abad.”)S Philippians 3:3

S PHOBEO (pronounced “foe – beh– oh”): to fearS 2 Corinthians 7:1

THE WORDS USED TO DESCRIBE WORSHIP

SEEM TO FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES:

S THEY SPEAK OF OUR ATTITUDES.S We are to be humbled in the presence of God and be

filled with a sense of fear, devotion, and allegiancebecause God is our master.

S THEY SPEAK OF OUR ACTIONS.S Worship is the act of falling down before God and of

committing one’s whole self in service to God.

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Putting it all Together“WORSHIP IS THE AWE-FILLED ACT OF

THROWING ONESELF DOWN BEFORE GOD

AND BRINGING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO

LAY AT GOD’S FEET.”

Table Talk: The Temple Today

S Read the following verses

S 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

S 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

S Ephesians 2:19-22

S What is the temple now?

S How does this concept

affect our daily lives?

Worship Defined

S “[Worship is] the believer’s response of all that she is – mind, emotion, will, and body – to all that God is and says and does. This response has its mystical side in subjective experience, and its practical side in objective obedience to God’s revealed truth. It is a loving response that is balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better.”

S (from Real Worship: It Will Transform Your Life, by Warren Wiersbe)

Our Collective Response

SWe gather.

SWe encounter God’s Word.

SWe share a meal at the Lord’s

table.

SAnd we are sent into the world.

Our Unique Response:Discovering Your Sacred Pathway

S Naturalists: Loving God Out-

of-Doors

S Sensates: Loving God with the

Senses

S Traditionalists: Loving God

Through Ritual and Symbol

S Ascetics: Loving God Through

Solitude and Simplicity

S Activists: Loving God Through

Confrontation

S Caregivers: Loving God by

Loving Others

S Enthusiasts: Loving God with

Mystery and Celebration

S Contemplatives: Loving God

Through Adoration

S Intellectuals: Loving God with

the Mind

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Next WeekStewarding our Bodies