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The Lord’s Prayer Week Six 14th–20th Feb 2010
Overall Theme: A framework of prayer to enable us to embrace all God  offers us through His friendship and His kingship
Weeks Theme: Give us our daily bread: providing God’s world with God’s provision.
Welcome
SO FAR: We have approached a powerful loving Father God in prayer with the purpose of honouring His name; we have been seeking to establish Jesus’ heavenly kingdom and will here on Earth.
- Share a time when you received an unexpected present or gift of money. How did it feel?
Worship
Read Psalm 144 together– reflecting on God’s strength and provision in the lives of his followers. Why not have a time of thanks for His provision in specific ways in your lives?
Word “Give us our daily bread” Read Acts 4:32-37
“ 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.”
This is the 4th prayer petition and the first to address our needs; but perhaps this actually more about God resourcing THE CHURCH as a whole rather than simply MY PERSONAL daily needs?
- Why might Jesus say “give us our daily bread” and not “give me my daily bread”?
- What does “daily bread” represent in the world?
- What is the difference between daily needs and daily wants?
- In Acts 4, a picture is painted of believers sharing every possession. How true do you feel this is for our church?
- Why might we find it hard to share ALL our possessions?
- Through the book of Acts we find that believers shared across countries according to the current needs. How might this relate to the prayer, ‘give us our daily bread’?
- v33 talks about “great power” as the apostles testify about Jesus, in the middle of a description of sharing possessions. What do you think the link between the two might be?
Witness
- As a house group do you have a link with a group or individual who needs our support in an area of more need than our own? Is there anyone you could consider doing this for or increase an existing link?
Prayer
- Pray that God may help us see all our possessions as belonging to God and His worldwide church.
- Pray that God may lead us in being an answer to the prayer “give us our daily bread” both as individuals and as a house group.
Reflection
Some of us need to humble ourselves and ask for help for our daily needs, while others of us need to learn to be more generous. Let’s make sure we look at the worldwide church as needing provision not just our own church here in Ashtead.
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James Levasier, 15/02/2010
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