The Armenian Church

Bible Verses on Prayer

"The Lord is near to all who call on him in truth." (Psalms 145:18)

"But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6)

"The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13)

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find . . .." (Matthew 7:7)

"Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)

". . . pray that you many not come into the time of trial . . ." (Matthew 26:41)

". . .whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

"I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (I John 14:13)

Hold Your Own Prayer Discussion

You can hold your own group discussion on prayer, working as a group to discover the power, benefit, and foundation of prayer. Get together your parish youth group, women's club, or Bible study. Break into five groups. Each group should have a recorder who will take notes on the discussions. After a period of about 30 or 45 minutes, report details of your discussion back to the whole group.

Participants will discuss and experience various types of prayers; practice the skills of offering their own prayers; and be empowered to lead others in prayer.

"Prayer: Using Our Own Words"

"Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)

Focus of Working Groups

In your groups you may first want to examine a few Bible passages relating to your specific type of prayer. Some have been provided on this work sheet. Then, discuss some of the questions listed in your section. Please ensure recorders take notes of the observations or pertinent discussion points that are raised during the discussion portion of the session. Finally, please complete the group and individual exercises. You do not need to record during the exercise portions of the session.

Sample Questions That Can be Used by All Groups

· How do we pray?

· Why do we pray?

· What does prayer offer us? Mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally?

· What do we expect out of prayer?

· Have you ever felt prayer might be a waste of time?

· When has prayer made a difference in your life?

· How can we teach and encourage others to pray?

· Do we feel comfortable leading others in prayer? Why or why not?

· Which type of prayer is most common? Least common?

· What type of prayer do we believe is most important?

· What experiences have we had with each type of prayer?

Individual Working Groups