when god’s people pray...tian reaches out to someone in love, god’s presence becomes visible in...

When God’s People Pray

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDEApril 13-May 25, 2014

Life Groups at First Baptist Norfolk exist to REACH people for Christ,

TEACH them the Word of God, CARE for them in the name of Jesus, and

SEND them out to serve where God leads them to use their gifts!

With that thought in mind, it is imperative that we are diligent in teaching

the entirety of the Bible, not just selected texts where we are comfortable.

Such is the curriculum you hold in your hands today. This is the second in

a series of unique lessons designed just for us. With direction from our

pastor, the decision was made to focus on prayer in the life of our church.

This is a discipline that is expected in the life of followers of Jesus. In the

same way that Jesus said, “when you give” (Matthew 6:2), He also said,

“when you pray” (Matthew 6:5). Let me be clear on this one point…

God does not need our prayers. He is God and does not NEED anything

from us. The truth is that He desires something for us. In this case, He

desires the fellowship that we can share with Him in prayer.

Jesus said that we were to Love God first. A part of loving God is develop-

ing the discipline of spending time with him in solitude and prayer. It is in

these special moments, alone with God, that we find peace that passes

understanding, guidance, direction, hope, comfort and conviction of sin.

All of these and more, God provides through the experience of prayer.

Through this study, we will explore the depths of God’s Word and learn

from Him about how to grow in this area of our lives through prayer.

One final word… I pray that this study changes all of us. Remember, God’s

Word is true. You are challenged to grow through this study to become

more like Jesus as you spend time with Him in prayer.

Expecting God to change lives,

Phillip Herring

Associate Pastor of Education

FIRST NORFOLK

WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY

CONTENTSWEEK 1 -- APRIL 13. A PRAYER OF EXALTATION .............................................. 3God delights in prayer that displays His greatness.

WEEK 2 -- APRIL 27. A PRAYER OF FAITH ..........................................................11God values and answers the prayer of faith.

WEEK 3 -- MAY 4. A PRAYER OF FORGIVENESS ............................................ 19God is eager to receive the prayers of the humble.

WEEK 4 -- MAY 11. A PRAYER OF PERSISTENCE ............................................26God desires persistent and confident prayer from His people.

WEEK 5 -- MAY 18. A PRAYER FOR BOLDNESS ..............................................33God will act on prayers offered for the sake of the gospel.

WEEK 6 -- MAY 25. A PRAYER FOR US ............................................................. 40Knowing that Jesus prays for us gives us confidence in prayer.

CHURCH NAMEPERSONAL STUDY GUIDEDATE

WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER OF EXALTATIONAPRIL 13, 2014

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE WEEK 1

3 | First Norfolk

12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, You have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said,

‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13 Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”

14 Then He replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 “If Your presence does not go,” Moses responded to Him, “don’t make us go up from here. 16 How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”

17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”

18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see Your glory.”

19 He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have com-passion.” 20 But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”

EXODUS 33:12-23, HCSB

4 | First Norfolk


I N T R O D U C T I O N

1 What famous person past or present would you most like to get to know better and why?

2 If the opportunity presented itself, how would you accomplish this?

3 Do you wish you knew God better? How could you know Him more deeply?

As our Father, God wants us to know Him intimately. He desires to continue teaching us about Himself, but in order to know God better we must desire to know Him and spend time in His presence. Prayer is a key to being in His presence, and we will spend several weeks discovering some of the great prayers of the Bible.

Moses is a great example of someone who sought to know God better and had times of intimate prayer with Him. While the Israel-ites worshiped an idol instead of God, Moses desired a deeper relationship with the one true God.

5 | First Norfolk


U N D E R S T A N D I N G

The incident in Exodus 32 interrupted the giving of God’s commands in Exodus 16-31 because the Israelites made a golden calf that Moses destroyed, along with the tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments that God had just given him. At that time, God judged the Israelites harshly, resulting in the immediate deaths of about three thou-sand people. Moses pleaded for forgiveness for the Israelites. The Lord sent a plague on them to complete His punishment for the idolatry. Moses then set up a tent of meeting outside the camp so that he could meet with the Lord (Ex. 33:1-11).

> Read Exodus 33:12-16.

°° What was Moses’ single request of God in verses 12-13? What was his purpose for requesting this from God?

°° Why would Moses have felt the need for God’s presence? What previous events in his life might he have remembered as he sought the presence of God?

6 | First Norfolk


°° On a scale of 1 to 10, how insistent was Moses that God’s presence be evident? Do we desire that strongly for God’s presence to go with us throughout our days? Why or why not?

°° Do you think Moses’ faith in God’s Word gave him assurance that God would answer his request favorably? Why or why not?

°° If the Lord were to withdraw His presence from your life tomorrow, would you notice a difference? Would anything be different in First Norfolk if God were not here?

Moses was not afraid to ask God to demon-strate His presence among His people. He needed the assurance of God’s presence to lead him before he could lead the people. Often people in the church undertake min-istries without a sense of God’s presence, ap-proval, or blessing. All Christians who lead in the church should take Moses’ plea for God’s presence to heart. They can pray in a similar fashion that God will grant His presence for the tasks He has called them to do.

7 | First Norfolk


> Read Exodus 33:17-23.

°° What is the significance of the similarities in the words of verses 12 and 17?

°° What two reasons did God give for allowing His presence to go with Moses? Was it to Moses’ or to God’s credit that the request was granted?

°° God told Moses that he was favored in His sight. How have you experienced God’s favor on your life? Have you seen this reflected in your prayer life at all?

°° Why do you think Moses asked to see God’s glory?

°° In what ways do we have the opportunity to see or experience God’s glory without seeing His face?

8 | First Norfolk


When they read the Word, Christians can experience God’s presence as He speaks to them. When an unbeliever receives Christ and is changed by His power, Christians witness God’s presence in the world. When a Chris-tian reaches out to someone in love, God’s presence becomes visible in the world. None of these examples fully represent God’s presence that we will experience in eternity, but they are snapshots of His grace and glory.

A P P L I C A T I O N

1 If God allowed you to see His goodness, what things do you imagine you would see and experience?

2 Moses had a special encounter with God. Reflect on a special encounter with God you have experienced and explain how it changed the way you think about God.

3 What things keep people from really getting to know God? What is keeping you from being as close to God as possible?

9 | First Norfolk


T H I S W E E K

°° Memorize: Exodus 33:17.

°° Pray for God’s presence to be made known next week during all weekend worship gatherings to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call on group members to pray by name for those they are seeking to bring with them on Easter.

°° Also remind all to invite friends to visit your LIFEgroup for Open House on Sunday April 27. Lead them to pray by name for those they will seek to bring with them in two weeks to experience this LIFEgroup.

°° Read 1 Kings 18:16-39.


WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER OF FAITHAPRIL 27, 2014


11 | First Norfolk

36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.”

38 Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said,

“Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”

1 KINGS 18:16-39, HCSB

12 | First Norfolk



1 Did you or anyone in your family convert to Christianity from another religion? Describe that experience and who influenced you. If not, how did you first encounter Christ?

2 Other than Christianity, what religions or spiritual belief systems are prevalent in Norfolk? In the United States?

3 What situations make people seek spiritual answers in life? What does that reveal about humanity?

The focus of today’s study is on a particular moment in the prophet Elijah’s ministry. His prophetic role constantly placed Elijah in op-position to the majority of the people of his nation. Their toleration of polytheism—the worship of many gods—was the ongoing reason for Elijah’s prophetic denunciations. The people of Israel needed to be reminded of the need for faith that their God was the one true God.

13 | First Norfolk



Elijah was a resident of Tishbe in Gilead when he received “a revelation from the Lord” (17:2). He became active as the Lord’s prophet in confronting Ahab, the king of Israel. King Ahab was sympathetic to Baal worship in part because his wife, Jezebel, was a devoted follower of Baal. In such an environment, the people increasingly mixed Baal worship with their worship of the Lord and the Lord’s prophets went into hiding in fear of their lives (see 18:13). In an act of bold faith, Elijah determined to challenge the king and people to decide once and for all whom they would serve—either the Lord or Baal.

> Read 1 Kings 18:16-21.

°What was the need for prophets such as Elijah who were called by God to confront the king?

°What was Elijah’s charge against the people? Why did the people need to decide whether the Lord or Baal was God?

14 | First Norfolk


°Why don’t the people say anything in response to Elijah (v. 21)? What attitudes could account for their silence?

Addressing the Israelites, Elijah accused them of indecisiveness. Rather than choosing to serve God or Baal, they wavered between the two. The presence of Ahab and the prophets of Baal might have frightened others into si-lence. Whatever the reason, when challenged to choose, the people refused.

°Hesitating between two opinions is often a convenient way of delaying our submission to God. In what ways might our hesitation to give God our worship alert us to hidden idolatries in our life?

°What does serving a master other than God feel like? How does it affect your faith? What are some ways we attempt to serve God and other things?

> Read 1 Kings 18:22-29.

15 | First Norfolk


Elijah proposed a contest between Baal and God. Neither the prophets of Baal nor Elijah, however, would set fire to the sacrifice. The deity who heard the prayer of his people and responded by sending fire to consume the sacrifice would demonstrate his power and win the contest.

° What do you learn about Elijah from these verses?

° What message was God sending to the people that day on Mount Carmel?

° What are some examples of situations that may require you to stand for the Lord against opposition? What prepares you to take a courageous stand? What promises are given to the believer?

> Read 1 Kings 18:30-39.

° In what ways does the God-glorifying purpose of Elijah’s prayer life influence the way we pray for God to work? Are you willing to entrust your reputation to God if it will bring Him greater glory?

16 | First Norfolk


While God’s dramatic response to Elijah’s prayer may seem the climax of the contest, the actual climax occurred when the people responded by recognizing God’s sovereignty. Seeing the fire and its effects, the people ceased their wavering. They fell prostrate in God’s presence and confessed, “The Lord, He is God.”


1 In this story, God clearly showed Himself as the Higher Power. What is your biggest struggle in submitting yourself fully to God in faith? What are some ways we can keep our hearts from drifting toward other “gods”?

2 This text reminds us that there is no middle ground in our relationship with God. We are either living for Him in faith, or we are not. What stuff in your life tends to pull your attention away from God most easily? How can you counteract that tendency?

3 Where do you need strength right now to trust God in faith? How can our group help?

17 | First Norfolk


T H I S W E E K

° Memorize: 1 Kings 18:37-39.

° Read 2 Samuel 11 and 12, and Psalm 51.


WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER OF FORGIVENESSMAY 4, 2014


19 | First Norfolk

1 Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. 2 Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sen-tence; You are blameless when You judge. 5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. 6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within.

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. 9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. 10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You.

PSALM 51:1-13, HCSB

20 | First Norfolk



1 How would you define sin? What is the difference between being tempted and sinning?

2 When we sin, who are some of the people who are likely to be hurt? Why do we still sometimes choose to sin, knowing the pain inflicted on others?

3 Come up with a general list of consequences from sinning. How do these consequences differ from the life God wants us to live in Him?

Sin is real, and it’s something we face count-less times every day. But as demonstrated in David’s life, God’s forgiveness and grace has the power to break our patterns of sin and restore us to a right relationship with Him.

21 | First Norfolk



> Read 2 Samuel 11:1-13.

At the start of spring, David sent Joab and his troops to fight the Ammonites while he remained behind in Jerusalem.

°° What three issues tempted David in verses 1-13? How could he have acted in the face of each temptation?

°° Why does God allow us to be tempted? What power do we have to resist temptation? Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 for insight.

°° Describe David’s first cover-up attempt (vv. 6-13). Why didn’t it work? Who was affected by David’s plot to make Uriah appear to be the father of Bathsheba’s child?

David tried to cover his sin, making it worse. He hatched a plan to have Uriah come home from war, sleep with his wife, and think that he was the father of David’s child (11:6-13).

22 | First Norfolk


David’s plan would have worked except for one thing—Uriah was so loyal to his job as a soldier in David’s army that he would not sleep with his wife when he returned be-cause it would have been unfair to the other soldiers in the field.


°° What does David’s response to Uriah’s death reveal about his spiritual state at that time?

Psalm 41:4, a psalm of David, encourages us to realize God’s knowledge of our sin. Temp-tation can be deceptive, and even the most committed Christians are vulnerable to the progression of sin as they yield to tempta-tion. But God is proactive in convicting us of our sin and bringing us back to Himself. This process often involves the intervention of a fellow brother or sister in Christ, which was the task God gave the prophet Nathan in David’s situation.


°° Why do you think Nathan used a parable to confront David? What was the meaning of the parable? How did David react to it (vv. 5-6)?

23 | First Norfolk


> Have a volunteer read Psalm 51.

°° What does a repentant person long for?

°° In the Psalm, did David try to hide any of his sin from God? Do repentant people hide their sins from God?

David felt the weight of his sin and did the only thing possible: He appealed to God to show His mercy and love, and to forgive him. David was a king and did not have to beg anyone for anything until he realized the gravity of his sin. David longed to be right with God again and did not hide his sins any longer. Hiding sins seems illogical from the outside because God knows everything, but we still try to pretend that we are not sin-ners even when we talk with God.

24 | First Norfolk



1 How does David’s story remind us of the importance of confession and forgiveness?

2 How should we treat others as a result of the freedom and forgiveness God has shared with us?

3 We all need someone like Nathan in our lives, who cares enough to speak truthfully with us. Who has acted as a “Nathan” in your life? Who has God called you to be a “Nathan” for?

4 What needs to change for us to demonstrate true humility in our prayer life? What makes this so difficult for us?

5 How can our group be a place where we can confess sin to one another and remind one another of God’s repentance? What steps do we need to take in order to be a confessing group?

T H I S W E E K

°° Memorize: Psalm 51:1-2.

°° Read Luke 18:1-8.


WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER OF PERSISTENCEMAY 11 , 2014


26 | First Norfolk

1 He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray s always and not become discouraged: 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect man. 3 And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’ ”

6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God grant justice to His elect a who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them? 8 I tell you that He will swiftly grant them jus-tice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth?”

LUKE 18:1-8, HCSB

27 | First Norfolk



1 During what situations in daily life are you most likely to lose patience? When was the last time persistence paid off for you?

2 What is the most persistently you have ever prayed for something? Were you confident in what you were praying for?

3 Was your prayer answered? What did you learn through that process?

Jesus’ teaching in the opening verses of Luke 18 was on the vitality of persistent prayer in the life of the believer. In talking with His disciples and with the Pharisees, Jesus showed the nature and power of faith and persistence in asking God for the needs of life.

28 | First Norfolk



> Read Luke 18:1-5.

Jesus chose a parable to illustrate the need for them to pray. Luke’s writings placed a strong emphasis on prayer. It was to be a way of life for believers. As a need, prayer was not optional for Christians.

°° What did Jesus say is the point of this parable? What is your main take-away from this parable?

°° What finally made the unjust judge respond to the widow’s plea?

°° What characteristics of God encourage persistent prayer?

°° What does persistent prayer say about the nature of the Christian who prays? Why does God want us to pray with persistence when He already knows our concerns?

29 | First Norfolk


> Read Luke 18:6-8.

°° According to Jesus, what is the real question revealed by the unjust judge? As you listen to Jesus’ words in verses 6-8, what surprises you? Why?

°° What does Jesus say about the character of God? What does He say about His disciples? How does what Jesus said encourage faith?

Jesus applied the parable to the disciples’ situation. He posed His teaching in the form of a couple of rhetorical questions. As a complement to the call for believers to pray always (see 18:1), Jesus affirms that God hears His people’s prayers day and night. No limits exist to God’s availability. Jesus also asked rhetorically,“Will He delay to help them?”The obvious answer of “No” empha-sizes the certain response of God. It doesn’t mean God always works immediately as one might desire, but He does respond in His timing. The judge finally took action on the widow’s behalf. Even an evil man like that

30 | First Norfolk


can do the right thing. If an unjust man, then, can act justly, how much more will a righteous God be just?

°° What does it mean to lose heart? What tempts Christians to lose heart? What tempts you to lose heart?

°° What factors threaten your abil-ity to pray in faith? What value do you find in the practice of consistent prayer?

°° What does God expect of His people when the Son of Man returns to earth, according to verse 8? How is this connected to prayer?

°° What does this parable have to do with the “now” and “not yet” nature of the kingdom of God?

31 | First Norfolk



1 What does the widow teach us about being confident in our prayers? How does this example help us understand what God values and expects from His disciples?

2 Why isn’t it enough to ask God one time? How does persistent prayer increase faith?

3 Of the prayers we have studied thus far (prayer of exaltation, prayer of faith, prayer for forgiveness, and prayer of persistence) which speaks most to your current season of life? Why?

4 Would you characterize your current prayer life as persistent? Why or why not? What have you done/could you do to develop a persistent prayer life?

5 When do you know you have persisted in prayer long enough?

T H I S W E E K

°° Memorize: Luke 18:7-8.

°° Read Acts 4:1-31.


WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER FOR BOLDNESSMAY 18, 2014


33 | First Norfolk

23 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and ev-erything in them. 25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers assembled together

against the Lord and against His Messiah.

27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, 30 while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

ACTS 4:23-31, HCSB

34 | First Norfolk



1 Who do you think is the most courageous person in the history of Virginia? Why?

2 Who do you think is the most courageous person in our group? Why?

3 How do you think your life would be different if you were more courageous?

We have all heard stories of courage in the face of danger or death and some of us have such stories of our own. We all ques-tion at times, though, the depth of our courage when it comes to our lives in Christ. Through the example of the early church, we are reminded that God answers when we pray for courage to proclaim the gospel.


> Read Acts 4:1-7.

°° What were the reasons for the opposition of the Sadducees to Peter’s healing and sermon from Acts 3?

°° What does Peter’s response to the beggar in Acts 3:1-10 reveal

35 | First Norfolk


about his belief in God? About God’s ability to work through us?

°° How did those in the temple listening to Peter and John react to their message? What various responses have you received from people when you’ve shared about your relationship with Jesus?

°° What was the significance of the question the council asked Peter and John in verse 7? Have you ever felt like you didn’t have the authority to share the gospel because of a lack of education or position?

The Sadducees judged the apostles and treated them with scorn because they were not well educated (4:13). They had not re-ceived training at the feet of the rabbis and had no official standing in Judaism. To the Sanhedrin these disciples were nobodies, ordinary men who had assumed religious authority to which they were not entitled. So, they locked Peter and John in prison.

36 | First Norfolk


> Read Acts 4:8-22.

Verse 8 notes that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit,” which gave him the courage to speak honestly before his interrogators. To be filled with the Spirit means to submit to His control and power. No matter how “ordi-nary” we feel, the Holy Spirit works through us in extraordinary ways.

°° What is the meaning of verse 12? Why would this be consid-ered a bold statement today? When have you experienced or witnessed push back to this truth?

°° Do you notice a difference in your courage and enthusiasm for the gospel when you spend quality time with God? Explain some specific ways it might be evident to others that you have been with Jesus.

°° What does the fact that the men seemed so “ordinary” communi-cate about the work of God and His gospel? In what ways can this encourage us as ordinary people?

37 | First Norfolk


> Read Acts 4:23-31.

°° Who do you go to when you experience difficulty? What is significant about the people to whom Peter and John went after their release?

After they were released from jail, Peter and John returned to the other apostles, friends, and relatives who encouraged and supported them during this difficulty. Once there, they reported the events that just transpired, telling how authorities had ordered them not to preach of Jesus again. They were most concerned about the spread of the gospel and the continued preaching of God’s Word. The believers responded to Peter and John’s update by praying together.

°° The believers were facing a very difficult time of persecution. What are some of the emotions associated with being threat-ened? Did the believers ask God to remove the threats?

38 | First Norfolk



The disciples were determined to continue giving their eyewitness ac-counts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The spoke and prayed for the sake of the gospel. Like the early church, believers should be united in prayer, praising God for His power and protection and lifting up one another’s needs to our Father.

1 What task or problem are you facing that could benefit from intercessory prayer? What specific things can we pray for on your behalf?

2 When was the last time we prayed solely for the sake of the gospel and not our own benefit? How would this kind of prayer change our attitudes and actions?

3 How can praying together as a group transform First Norfolk? How could it transform our community outside of the church?

4 What are some corporate prayer opportunities at First Norfolk that you could be more involved with?

T H I S W E E K

°° Memorize: Acts 4:29-30.

°° Read John 17 and Hebrews 7:25-28.


WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAYA PRAYER FOR USMAY 25, 2014


40 | First Norfolk

25 Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

26 For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He of-fered Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

HEBREWS 7:25-28, HCSB

41 | First Norfolk



1 What thoughts come to mind when you hear someone say, “I’m praying for you,” or “I’ll keep you in my prayers”?

2 How does it feel when you realize someone is praying for you?

3 How do you generally want others to pray for you? What are your most common concerns in prayer?

We may be skeptical about others’ prayers for us, or we may depend on those prayers often. Wherever we fall on that spectrum, we often forget that Jesus is interceding on our behalf right now. Today we will look at Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in John 17 as well as the truth from Hebrews 7 that He in-tercedes for us.


> Read John 17:6-11.

°° For what two things did Jesus specifically pray for His disci-ples?

42 | First Norfolk


°° What did Jesus mean when He prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one? Ask someone in your life group to share a time when they’ve seen this oneness exemplified at First Norfolk.

The world would reject the disciples as it had rejected Jesus. Thus He prayed that the Father would protect them by the power of God’s name—His being or nature—and that they might be one as Jesus and the Father are one. Their unity would enhance their witness to the world.

> Read John 17:15-18.

°° What are some specific things Jesus indicated in His prayer He wanted for His followers?

Jesus specifically prayed that believers would be protected from the Evil One and the influences of a godless world (vv. 15-16); believers are sanctified by the truth (v. 17); believers are sent into the world (v. 18).

43 | First Norfolk


°° What was Jesus’ plan in not taking believers out of the world?

Jesus did not pray that God would take the disciples out of the world. Jesus said He soon would depart from the world but that the disciples would remain in it. He knew the same society that would crucify Him would reject and persecute His followers. Yet they could not accomplish His mission if they were removed from the world. Their faithful testimony about Jesus would be the only way lost people could hear about salvation through Him. Jesus’ plan was not to take believers out of the world but to reach the world through them.

> Read John 17:20-26.

°° What is the central theme of Jesus’ prayer in these verses? What things did Jesus pray for His followers in these verses?

°° What does Jesus’ praying for us immediately before His death mean to us? What impact should that truth have on our own prayers?

44 | First Norfolk


> Read Hebrews 7:25-28.

Verses 23-28 declare Jesus is the permanent, perfect High Priest. Because His priesthood is forever, what Jesus did for the salvation of sinners is permanent; and believers’ hope is secure.

°° Looking at these verses, find all the words the writer uses to describe Jesus. Which of these characteristics of Jesus is most important to you for meeting your needs?


The disciples were determined to continue giving their eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. The spoke and prayed for the sake of the gospel. Like the early church, believers should be united in prayer, praising God for His power and protection and lifting up one another’s needs to our Father.

45 | First Norfolk


1 In what ways does Jesus’ prayer in John 17 change the way you view prayer? How does it change your hope?

2 In what ways should our confidence be strengthened knowing that Jesus is praying for us?

3 What is most difficult for you in admitting your complete dependency on God? How is prayer fundamentally about such a recognition?

4 How might knowing that Jesus prays for us give us confidence to share the gospel with the lost?

5 When you find yourself in a hopeless situation, how does it affect your prayer life? How does it affect your dependence on Jesus’ prayer for you?

6 How has your prayer life been strengthened over the course of our prayer study together? How can we continue to pray for one another.

T H I S W E E K

°° Memorize: John 17:25-26.

when god’s people pray...tian reaches out to someone in love, god’s presence becomes visible in...

Documents