Praying Down the Ladder

Application Questions   

1. Look back over the past week and share any results from pastor Nate Hettinga’s applications?
    
2. What stood out to you from today’s message? 
    
3. Read the Lord’s prayer, Matthew 6:9-13.  What has been your experience with this prayer in the past?  What parts are most helpful?  Most challenging? 
    
4. Reread Psalm 103:8-13.  How does that passage help us approach God as Father in prayer? 
    
5. Read John 17:1-3.  How does this passage help us understand what a prayer life is all about? 
    
6. Use the guide below this week to help you add structure to your time With Him. 

Praying Down the Ladder Guide 
Put away your phones or any other distractions, and get into a comfortable, but alert position.  

1. Loving Praise: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name” 
    
   1. Take a moment and think about the idea of God as your Father, with good intentions toward you. If you want, imagine God in your mind’s eye. Picture his face. Make eye contact with him. 
       
   2. Praise Him for the way He is loving and faithful as a Father; be specific 
       
   3. Spend a few minutes just sitting with the Father in joyful, grateful, worship. Praise Him in his holiness and glory.  You might want to sit in silence for a few moments. Or sing a chorus. Or rattle off a list of things you’re grateful for. Or praise God with specific things you love about him.  
       
2. Kingdom Focus: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” 
    
   1. Spend a few minutes asking for God’s kingdom and  will to be done in your city/church/community/life. 
       
   2. Think of specific things to pray for. 
       
   3. One at a time, verbally give to God specific things in your life that you’re wrestling with control over. A simple prayer of, “Your will be done in ______,” is a great place to start. 
       
3. Daily Needs: “Give us each day our daily bread” 
    
   1. Spend time asking for more of Jesus, the bread of life in your life 
       
   2. Spend a few minutes praying for specific needs and wants in your life and family 
       
   3. This is also a great time to pray over specific people in the community who need something: a job, healing, wisdom to make a decision, etc.  
       
4. Two-way Forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…” 
    
   1. Spend a few minutes in quiet asking God for forgiveness for specific areas in your life and releasing others to forgiveness. 
       
   2. Be clear about your feelings and the hurt you experienced as you release it to God. 
       
   3. Thank God for your own forgiveness 
       
5. Help Me: “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” 
    
   1. Spend a few minutes praying against temptation in your life. 
   2. Pray against specific sins…. 
       
   3. Pray against any kind of evil – spiritual evil (demonic), human evil, natural evil, etc. 
       
   4. Pray against bad things in your life or community, and for God’s blessing – the divine flow of good things into your life and community. 
       
   5. Pray that you take the way of escape He provides 

Adapted from Practicingtheway.org /pray/week-one 

  

For Further Reading Pastor Ryan Recommends 

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.  By John Mark Comer