98 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
moments to pray, it could produce change in our lives and in the lives
of those we pray for. Prayer can give us confidence to face any diffi-
culty and strength to be God’s representatives in our world. Followers
of Jesus persistently offer faithful prayers to God.Guide Bible Study
- Display a poster or write on a whiteboard the following outline of
the lesson from the Study Guide:
(1) The Request of the Disciples (Luke 11:1)
(2) The Model Prayer (Luke 11:2–4)
(3) A Parable on Persistent Prayer (Luke 11:5–10)
(4) A Parable of a Loving God (Luke 11:11–13)
(5) The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1–8) - Enlist a volunteer to read Luke 11:1–4. Present a brief lecture on
the Model Prayer with special attention given to the fact that these
are not magic words but guidelines for our prayers. Ask, What do
these verses reveal about the elements that should characterize our
prayers? List these elements on a whiteboard and discuss what each
one means. - One week prior to the Bible study hour, enlist a class member who
will come prepared to state in his/her own words the content of the
Parable of the Persistent Prayer and the Parable of a Loving God
(Luke 11:5–13). Lead a discussion about the meaning of these two
parables. Explain to the class two of the most misunderstood verses
in the Bible (Luke 11:9–10). See the Study Guide for information to
inform your explanation. - Refer to the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1–8. Lecture
brief ly on the meaning of this parable and how it supports the other
two parables that the class discussed earlier (see comments in the
Study Guide for ideas). Conclude the Bible study by reading from
the “Implications and Actions” section of the Study Guide.