Jesus is the Master of prayer, and He makes space for prayer. We see this throughout the Gospel of Luke, and it comes clearest in Luke 5:16: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” What does Jesus’ pattern of making space for prayer teach us about our own life of prayer? Pastor Matt kicks off the first part of a long-term exploration on the Gospel of Luke with a look at Luke 5:16, 6:12a, and 9:18a.
Sermon Outline
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
Beginnings of Prayer
- The God who speaks (Genesis 1:3a)
- The God who made us (Genesis 1:27)
- The way we are made (Isaiah 43:21; Ephesians 2:10)
- Desires, priorities, and making space for prayer
Jesus Makes Space for Prayer
- Rhythm & Time (Luke 5:16)
- Solitude & Silence (Luke 5:16)
- Hearing What to Do (Luke 6:12-13a)
- Hearing Who We Are (Luke 9:18)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Answer one of these two questions:
- What do you find most difficult about prayer?
- What do you find most life-giving about prayer?
- At Eastbrook we are beginning a new series called “The Art of Prayer.” We are going to look at Jesus’ life of prayer in the Gospel of Luke as a way to learn about prayer ourselves. It’s good to begin a series on prayer in prayer! Take some time, whether on your own or with others, to asking God to teach you to pray before you begin this study.
- We are looking at three short, separate passages from Luke. Do the following for each of these passages: read them out loud, identify what is happening in the context of that passage, and then identify some key aspects of Jesus’ prayer life from the passage.
- Luke 5:16
- Luke 6:12a
- Luke 9:18a
- In what ways do you think Jesus’ life of prayer is similar to our own life of prayer? In what ways is it different?
- What do you find to be the most significant lesson about prayer that you see from Jesus’ life and practice of prayer here?
- Make it real: What is one way you could put something you learned about prayer into practice in your daily life this week?