Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
Chapter 1: Defining a Mystery
Since God knows all about you and what he is going to do before you ask, what do you think might be some reasons God still wants you to pray to Him?
What are examples of prayer by believers that are unworthy of the one true God?
Chapter 2: “He Done Prayed My Hot Dog Cold!”
How do you distinguish between the leading of God’s Spirit and a lack of self-control? Does self-control seem contradictory to the work of the Holy Spirit? How?
How do you respond to Wiersbe’s case for thoughtful and shorter public prayers?
Chapter 3: “I Have an Unspeakable Request”
Why is it better to have a trustworthy prayer partner, rather than simply praying by yourself?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed an abuse of prayer requests? What did you or others do?
Chapter 4: “Lord, May This Accident Not Have Happened!”
Why would ignoring God’s sovereignty “silence worship and prayer”? Have you ever experienced such a silencing of your own prayers?
Often when we pray, claiming the promise that God will give us the desires of our hearts, our focus is on our contrived desires. How might your prayers change if instead you asked God to define (create in us) the desires of your hearts?
Chapter 5: “Let’s Have a Word of Prayer”
What are some examples of Christian “prayer clichés” that have lost their meaning for many believers?
Chapter 6: “Thank You, Father, for Dying for Us on the Cross”
What is our common resistance to preparing a prayer in advance? Are there some scenarios when it would be more appropriate to do so than others?
Chapter 7: “We’ll Just Have to Pray for Good Luck”
How have you experienced superstition being worked into prayer (in your own life or corporately)?
Chapter 8: “Whisper a Prayer for Me”
What do you think about scenarios in which someone leads a group prayer in a public place, such as a restaurant, in a manner loud enough that all patrons can hear?
How are prayers sometimes used (or abused) to accomplish things other than communicating with God?
Chapter 9: “Don’t Wrestle in Prayer—Just Believe”
Wiersbe says that “there are times when we need the endurance and determination of an athlete if our praying is going to accomplish the will of God.” Why would it require so much struggle on our part to pray according to God’s will?
Chapter 10: “Pray for My Enemies? Surely You’re Joking!”
Identify five personal enemies (people, cultural, political, opposing worldviews, etc.). Write out how you might pray for God’s blessing on them—and then pray accordingly.
Chapter 11: “Let’s Fold Our Hands, Bow Our Heads, Close Our Eyes, and Pray”
When in your life have you found it productive to bow your head and close your eyes to pray? When has it been less helpful or even unproductive?
Chapter 12: “Teach Us to Pray,” Entry Level
What are some reasons why Jesus had to pray? What do those reasons tell you about why you need to pray?
Chapter 13: Promoted to Praying in God’s Will
How would your prayer life change if you focused more on joining the chorus of prayers to God—praying corporately as a member of Christ’s body?
What are the “regrets of yesterday” that could be compromising your prayer to God for blessing today? What are the “worries about tomorrow” that distract you from authentic communion with God?
Chapter 14: Graduating to God’s Motives
What is the longest time period over which you prayed for something? How often do you think you prayed about it? About how many times total did you pray? Why do you think God took (or is still taking) so long to reply?
Chapter 15: Postgraduate Work of the Holy Spirit
Write a one-sentence “Father, give me” prayer, and then write a comparable “Father, make me” prayer. Describe the key difference.
Chapter 16: Your Relationship with God Defines Your Prayers
How is it possible to have confidence and be satisfied that God will answer your prayers?
Chapter 17: Your Relationships with Others Define Your Prayers
How have you experienced (personally or witnessed) the futility of prayers in which confession did not come first?
Chapter 18: Religious Schizophrenia
Why do we lie to ourselves and to God about sin in our own lives? Is there sin in your own life that you’ve lied to yourself (and to God) about?
What are some experiences in your own life that, by the world’s standards, are failures? How has God made successes of those same experiences?
Chapter 19: Pernicious Presumption
Describe an occasion (through prayer or life in general) in which you have presumptuously sinned in the Spirit, perhaps as Moses did, by stealing God’s glory.
Describe (or say) a prayer that might sound right in words but is wrong in motive.
Chapter 20: Taking Inventory of Your Prayer Life
On average, how often do you talk directly to God in prayer each day?
How might your prayers change if your motive was strictly to see God’s will done on earth?
What are some needs you are lifting up to God in prayer right now? How might your prayers change for each of these needs if you also prayerfully sought God’s direction for being the solution?
Chapter 21: Approaching the Throne of Grace
Describe how you feel about approaching God’s throne of grace.
How do you experience God’s love through your prayers to Him?
What are some reasons we might resist discipline in our prayer life?