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WHAT DO THOSENUMBERS MEAN?How to Navigate the Bible

A student once told me that he has never regretted reading the bible…only not reading it!

Questions? Ask us via facebook, email, in person, etc...

Prayer is incredible! God, the one true God, the all powerful God, the One who rescues us from evil through the death and resurrection of Jesus... THAT God invites us to talk to Him! Any and all the time! How cool is that? This month, we will learn some of the “how to’s” of prayer and spend most of our time reading different Psalms. Psalms are prayers written to God. Some are happy, some sad, and some angry. All are raw and honest. That is what God wants for us as we pray.

May God teach you and stretch you this month. Amen.

Prayertivity: Once a week, we will provide a prayertivity, which is an activity-driven prayer experience. We hope you choose to do them and that God meets you in the midst.


Week 1

Week 1, Day 1Questions

1. What does your “prayer life” look like? When do you pray? Why do you pray? What do you hope for when you pray? How often do you pray? What questions do you have about prayer? What keeps you from praying?

2. What price did Jesus pay so we can freely pray to Him? (Matthew 27:45-51)

Invite God to teach you as you read His Word.

Read Matthew 6:5-8

3. What stands out to you in how Jesus teaches us to pray in these verses?

4. How will this affect your prayer life?

Challengesa. Commit to spending time praying daily, if even for a moment.b. Commit to doing this booklet in its entirety. Initial here if you commit: _______

Call or text a friend and ask them how you can be praying for them. Invite them to pray for you and share what you would like them to pray for specifically.


Week 1, Day 2


Read Psalm 3

Questions1. Are the Psalmist’s words toward God happy, grateful, frustrated, trusting, angry, desperate, hopeful, sad, alone, vulnerable, joyful, scared, worried, at peace, etc.?

2. What is the Psalmist asking or praising/thanking God for?

3. How will this influence the way you pray this week?

Spend a couple minutes praying that way right now.


Week 1, Day 3

Family Time


Read Psalm 8





Want more? Keep going...How does Psalm 8 differ from Psalm 3?


Prayertivity: Snap-Shot

Take your/your family’s camera (with permission) and walk around your neighborhood snapping pictures of things that you are grateful for. After you take each picture, pause for a moment to thank God for that thing and explain why you are grateful for it. Share your pictures with someone and tell them what you are thankful for.

Week 1, Day 4


Week 2

Week 2, Day 1Questions

1. If you were to explain prayer to a friend who doesn’t believe in Jesus, what would you say?

2. If they asked you how to pray, what would you say?


Read Matthew 6:9-10

3. How does Jesus teach us to pray in this passage? Put it in today’s words as best you can.

a. Father – He is our Abba Father, His love for us is perfect

b. Hallowed – honored, revered, in awe of… how do we “hallow” His name?

c. Your kingdom – what do you think His kingdom is like? Do you think it will be a good thing for it to come to Earth? Why?

d. How can you be a kingdom (of God) bringer?

4. How will this affect the way you pray this week?

Pray it UpTake a minute to name friends or family members who don’t believe in Jesus. Pray together that their eyes would be opened to God’s love for them. Pray that God would guide you and use you in sharing his great news with them.


Week 2, Day 2


Read Psalm 19





Want more? Keep going...What actions accompany the feelings you defined in Question 1?


Week 2, Day 3

Family Time


Read Psalm 23





Want more? Keep going...What part of this Psalm grabbed your attention the most? How does it relate to what’s going on in your life? How do you apply it to your everyday relationship with Jesus?


Week 2, Day 4

Prayertivity: Breath Prayer

Breathe deeply. I mean fill those lungs with all the air you can.

As you breathe in, pray: “God, thank you for loving me for me!”

Breathe out.

As you breathe in, pray: “God, thank you for loving me for me!”

Repeat for at least 3 minutes.


Week 3

Week 3, Day 1Invite God to teach you as you read His Word.

Read Matthew 6:11-12

Questions1. “Our daily bread” refers to our daily needs. What do you need every day physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually? Do you ask God for those things? Why/why not?

2. Immediately after “our daily bread,” Jesus tells us we need to ask Him to forgive our debts (our sins) and to forgive others. How often do you do that in a week?

a. Activity: Take a moment to be silent and invite the Holy Spirit to show you your sin. Then invite Him to forgive you? (Read Isaiah 44:22.)

3. What was that like for you?

4. Why do you think that Jesus includes forgiving others right after instructing us to ask for forgiveness? Is there anyone you need to forgive? What keeps you from forgiving them?


Take five minutes and write down everything that you are thankful for. Start writing and don’t stop. Really stretch yourself to think of people you are thankful for, and big and small things. Ready... go.


Week 3, Day 2


Read Psalm 25:1-10





Want more? Keep going...What do you notice about how the Psalmist prays?


Week 3, Day 3

Family Time


Read Psalm 27





Want more? Keep going...What do you think the Psalmist means when he says “The LORD is the stronghold of my life”?


Week 3, Day 4

Prayertivity: Covered

On a piece of paper, write at the top, “Father God, please forgive me for…,” then write down any and all sin that you are guilty of that comes to mind – lying, being unloving, gossiping, talking back to your parents, lusting, cheating, etc.

Take a moment to think or write about the effect that giving into sin has on you and others.

Then, using crayons, draw a beautiful picture of rainbows and unicorns frolicking in a field…or whatever is beautiful to you... OVER THE TOP OF THE SINS YOU WROTE DOWN.

Our sin is covered up by God’s loving and beautiful forgiveness.

Read Isaiah 44:22 and thank God that He swept our sins away and wants us to return to Him.


Week 4

Week 4, Day 1Invite God to teach you as you read His Word.

Read Matthew 6:13

Questions1. What tempts your friends most? What temptation is the hardest for you to say no to?

2. Why do you resist giving into that temptation? Read Galatians 6:8-9.

3. How do you resist?

a. If prayer is not a part of your plan to fight the evil one and the ways he is tempting you, it needs to be.

b. Why do you think we try to fight temptation alone, without the help of Jesus Christ?

i. He is all-powerful and wants us to depend on Him. Seems foolish to refuse to invite Jesus to make you strong enough to fight what tempts you.

Share with a friend (in person, on the phone, or through text) something that tempts you and ask them to pray for you to resist that temptation. Ask them what temptation they struggle resisting and pray for them throughout the week.


Week 4, Day 2


Read Psalm 232





Want more? Keep going...The Psalmist says, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” The words, “kept silent,” refer to the times that we don’t tell God about our sin and ask Him to forgive us. Can you think of a couple ways that unconfessed sin affects your life?


Week 4, Day 3

Family Time


Read Psalm 85






Week 4, Day 4

Prayertivity: Uncomfortable Silence

We are SO busy pretty much all the time. Plan a 10 minute chunk of time to be still. Yes, you read that correctly. Still. Leave your phone and iPod and find a non-distracting environment and be still. Try to slow down your thinking, too; slow your body and your mind. You can sit. You can walk. Try to slow down. Enjoy the uncomfortable silence.

Our father reading plan web

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