Kingdom Confusion: The Lord’s Prayer
We are concluding our series Kingdom Confusion by examining the Lord’s Prayer, found in the middle of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount.
Opening Discussion: Talk about your history with praying the Lord’s Prayer.
Watch this video from the Bible Project on the Lord’s Prayer:
Read the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13, before beginning your discussion.
The Lord’s Prayer falls at center of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. What might have compelled Matthew to place the Lord's Prayer here?
Why does Jesus tell his followers to address God as “our Father”?
Why would someone pray for God’s name to be recognized as holy? What does holiness mean?
What is Jesus trying to form within his followers when he teaches them to pray, “may your Kingdom come, and may your will be done, as it is in the skies (heavens) so also on the land”?
What story from the Old Testament is Jesus referencing when he prays, “give us today our daily bread?” Why might this connection be significant?
Why does Jesus so closely connect God’s forgiveness of us to our forgiveness of others?
Jesus prays about temptation, or “testing,” and then prays about deliverance from the evil one. How do these concepts or ideas relate? And how is a test different from a trap?
Discuss the impact of thinking about the Lord’s Prayer and how Jesus lived it out in the Garden of Gethsemane (as discussed in the video).
Closing Reflection & Prayer
To close, pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly together. Allow it to form how you think about and engage with the Kingdom of God.
(*Video available after Sunday services)
