Prayer Study-Session One

The Koinonia Class at Calvary Baptist Church in Denver starts its study of “Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?” this Sunday, January 7, 2007. [If you haven’t already ordered a book, you can get one from Amazon.com by clicking on the book’s icon in the left panel.] Those of you who are not in the class, or cannot be present, can still participate by following the study guides I post here and by entering your comments online [by clicking on the word “comments” at the end of each post].

Each week we will follow this basic ABC outline: A verse to memorize (or meditate on if you don’t want to memorize it); Book study (taking either one or two chapters a week); and Class discussion). This week’s guide will serve as a pattern for what is to come.

A. A verse to memorize.

1. Topic: Prayer and Faith. Luke 9:24 “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.’” (Luke 9:24 NIV)
2. To memorize it, break it into pieces and then add pieces one at a time until you can quote the entire verse verbatim. With the verse itself, memorize the topic and the verse reference (quoted before and after the verse to make the reference stick in your mind as well as the verse itself). I typically use the New International Version (NIV). Use whatever translation that you have and like. I recommend using only one translation so you don’t get confused.

B. Book Study.

1. Take a moment to reflect on what you expect out of this study. Do you expect to learn something new, get some questions answered, change your prayer patterns, or . .?
   
   
2. Scan the table of contents. Which of the five parts appeals to you most? Why?
   
   
3. Before you start with the book, jot down any verse about prayer that you know. Don’t be concerned here about verbatim accuracy. Just write down what you remember.
   
   
4. When you think about your own prayer life, what about it is satisfying? What would you like to change?
   
   

C. Class discussion. Bring your own insights and questions to class. Since we won’t have time for all the questions this study elicits, if you have a particularly burning question or insight, post a comment below.