Not sure how well this'll come out (I can always email it to you), but I led a group on prayer, concentrating on the Lord's Prayer. It also took longer than an hour, so you'd need to cut it down if you want to use it. This is what I prepared for our first session:
Introduction
Share the prayers we?ve brought with us ? why did you choose it?
Lord ? Teach us to Pray
Luke 11:1-4 The Lord?s Prayer
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ?Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.? He said to them, ?When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.?
? He prayed by himself (Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12)
? He prayed with the disciples (Luke 9:28)
? He prayed with others in the synagogue (Mark 1:21, Luke 4:16)
? He prayed before major decisions (Luke 6:12-13, Mark 14:32-36)
? He prayed for his disciples (Luke 22:31-32, John 17)
? He prayed as part of his ministry (Mark 9:28-29, John 11:41-44, Luke 10:21)
? He teaches about prayer (Matt 6:5-15, Matt 7:7-11, Mark 11:22-25, Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-14, John 14:12-14, John 15:15-17, John 16:23-28)
The disciples ask him to teach them to pray ? this is something we could do too
Early Experiences of Prayer
Who taught you to pray?
Our Father - Addressing God as ?Daddy?
Jesus called God ?Abba?, which translates as ?Daddy?, rather than ?Father?. It specifies his own PERSONAL relationship with God. As children of God, we are Jesus? brother/sister, sharing that personal relationship.
Romans 8:14-17
When we cry, ?Abba! Father!? it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
How do we feel about having such a special relationship with God? Discussion
Hallowed be Your Name
God is not only our Father, he is our Creator and Redeemer.
Share experiences of being caught up ?in wonder, awe and praise? of God
Thoughts on the Lord?s Prayer -
Praying Together
In a period of silence, you are invited to pray aloud, to give praise, to give thanks, to ask God something, whatever you feel moved to do?
Finish by saying the Lord?s Prayer together?
Things to Think about before next time:
? Try to set some time aside for prayer
? At least one day this week try to set a bit longer aside for prayer
? Finish your prayer time by saying the Lord?s prayer
? Ask the Holy Spirit for inspiration
? Spend some time praising God!
Preparing for Prayer
Silence ? spend some time just listening for God. Use this time to relax and empty your mind of all the things that have been crowding in for your attention.
Place - Some people like to have a special place for prayer. It may be a favourite armchair, a corner of your bedroom, or somewhere where you can go for a bit of peace and quiet. It may be outdoors.
Posture ? kneeling is traditional, but some people prefer to sit down, to be walking, to pray standing. Hands together in prayer, or open and uplifting, or just clasped together ? perhaps holding something ? like a praying cross?
Time ? do you set aside a specific time of day for prayer? Morning/Evening?